GLAAD has released its 18th annual Where We Are report. Counted 596 regular and recurring LGBTQ characters on TV, cable and streaming shows released (or expected to be released) between June 1, 2022 and May 31, 2023. This is a decrease of -6.44% from last year’s 637. LGBTQ characters.
Streaming continues to dominate with 356 LGBTQ characters on Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Peacock and Paramount+ versus 141 LGBTQ characters on TV and 139 LGBTQ characters on cable.
All broadcasters saw a decrease in their share of regular LGBTQ series compared to the previous report. CW remains at the top with 14.8 percent of all series regulars that are LGBTQ. That’s down from -2.3% and the report raises concerns about how the network’s change in ownership will affect LGBTQ representation.
Overall, 51 percent (304) of the 596 LGBTQ characters are people of color. It will be streamed by a majority of LGBTQ people of color for the first time in 2022-23 (53 percent of all LGBTQ characters on the platforms tracked). Overall, racial diversity on cable and streaming is among LGBTQ characters, with at least 50 percent of LGBTQ characters on each platform being people of color.
The percentage dropped when it aired. For the past four years, more than 50 percent of LGBTQ characters on the airwaves have been people of color, but this year that number dropped slightly to 48 percent.
There was also a year-over-year decrease in transgender representation, with 32 transgender characters — 16 being trans women, 11 and trans men, and five being non-binary trans — across broadcast, cable and streaming, a decrease of 10 characters from last year. Year.
Possible post-prime TV downsizing and high levels of content change play a role – the report found that 24% of LGBTQ characters are on a show that has been canceled or is in its final season. Another 35 characters will not return because a series is a miniseries or anthology format with a different cast each season, or because a character leaves the series. This includes all eight LGBTQ characters living with HIV in the 2022-23 series.
“We already have shows like The Last of Us, Stranger Things, The Umbrella Academy, and more, that our stories thrive both critically and commercially when networks and streamers put their full brand influence into LGBTQ-inclusive shows,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD President and CEO. “With attacks on the LGBTQ community in politics and the news, Hollywood is more influential than ever, and it’s critical that the stories they invest in contain honest and accurate portrayals of LGBTQ people that reflect the humanity of our community.”
You can read the full report here.
Source: Deadline
Joseph Fearn is an entertainment and television aficionado who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for what’s hot in the world of TV, Joseph keeps his readers informed about the latest trends and must-see shows.
