Lesbian
Trans
People of Color
Drag Queen/King
Hey there, fabulous creatures! We’re gonna spill the tea on all things LGBTQ and TV! Your sass-tastic drag queen expert is here to snatch your wigs and serve you the hottest T from GLAAD’s annual Where We Are on TV Report for 2022-2023, honey! So buckle up, buttercup, because we’re about to dive deep into the queer pool of representation like never before in this nine-part series. We’ll be dissecting every inch of this rainbow-colored report, which hungrily analyzes the number of LGBTQ characters on primetime scripted series across broadcast networks, cable networks, and streaming services
Hey, hunnies! Your fabulous Miss Information is back to spill the tea on our favorite topic – LGBTQ characters on TV. And, honey, do I have some piping hot news for you!
Alright, hunty, listen up! GLAAD, the fabulous gay and lesbian alliance against defamation, went on a fierce hunt to track down all the queer characters on TV, and they served us a sizzling hot report. So, let me spill the tea and break it all down for you, honey!
First things first: Let’s talk about the overall numbers. This year, we saw a decrease in LGBTQ characters on broadcast TV, with 70 series regulars (that’s 10.6%) and 101 total LGBTQ characters when we add in the recurring ones. But don’t you worry, darlings, we’ve got some fantastic representation happening on cable and streaming platforms. Cable has 139 LGBTQ characters, while streaming platforms are rocking 356 LGBTQ characters. So, fear not, my lovelies, there’s still plenty of rainbow goodness to go around.
Now let’s break it down, divas. Trans representation is making some waves, with 32 characters (5.4% of all LGBTQ characters) across all platforms. We’ve got 16 trans women, 11 trans men, and five trans nonbinary characters. And for my bi+ babes, there’s a total of 149 characters (25%), with 39 men, 104 women, and six nonbinary characters. Oh, and don’t forget, over half of all LGBTQ characters are people of color (51%) – now that’s some beautiful diversity!
But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, sweethearts. Among the 596 LGBTQ characters, 175 (29%) won’t be returning due to series cancellations, endings, or characters leaving the show. So, while we may be shedding a tear or two for our lost loves, we’re also looking forward to the fresh, fabulous faces that will grace our screens in the future.
Now, let’s dish on some of the fabulous LGBTQ characters that we’ve seen recently. ABC’s The Rookie: Feds gave us the lovely Simone Clark (played by Niecy Nash-Betts) and her love interest, Dina (played by Nash-Betts’ real-life wife Jessica Betts). The CW’s Gotham Knights introduced us to the fabulous twins Harper and Cullen Row, a bisexual woman, and a gay trans man, respectively. And NBC’s Quantum Leap brought us the nonbinary tech whiz, Ian Wright (played by Mason Alexander Park).
But we mustn’t forget the importance of ensemble casts, darlings. Shows like ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and FOX’s 9-1-1: Lone Star continue to expand LGBTQ representation, showing us that there’s always room for more fabulousness in our lives.
So, what’s the takeaway, my lovelies? We may have experienced a slight dip in LGBTQ representation on broadcast TV, but there is still so much fabulousness to celebrate. And with more and more LGBTQ characters gracing our screens on cable and streaming platforms, there’s no shortage of representation for us to enjoy. So, grab your popcorn and your fiercest outfit, and let’s celebrate the fabulous LGBTQ characters lighting up our screens!
