It’s a new day for LGBTQ representation on television.
From a report made by Variety, Women in Hollywood cites that GLAAD has found the number of LGBTQ characters on TV represents 10.2 percent of broadcast series regulars during the 2019-2020 season. This number is an all-time high for LGBTQ representation, beating last year’s score of 8.8 percent.
The CW was named as “the most LGBTQ-inclusive broadcast network” with 15.4 percent of series regular characters identifying as LGBTQ. Netflix had the highest number of regular and recurring characters on scripted originals and Showtime was named as the most inclusive cable network. Overall, Netflix, Amazon and Hulu showcased 109 regular LGBTQ characters as opposed to just 75 last year. The streaming services also had 44 LGBTQ recurring characters, up from last year’s number of 37. This number of regular and recurring characters also includes trans and bisexual characters, as well as characters living with HIV/AIDS.
However, one negative GLAAD points out is that inclusion of LGBTQ characters hasn’t “risen uniformly across all TV formats for LGBTQ people of color.” But, as Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD president and CEO, said in a statement, “Shows like Pose, Schitt’s Creek, Batwoman and Billions demonstrate that not only are LGBTQ stories and characters on TV becoming more diverse, but that viewers everywhere continue to respond with extreme positivity.”
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Photo credit: Michael Parmelee/FX
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