LGBT Television Characters Represent Only 1.1% of Broadcast Network Landscape

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) scripted representations on primetime broadcast television are improving in quality, but the actual number of these characters on the networks continues to decline, according to an analysis of the upcoming season conducted by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). The study shows that LGBT representations will account for only 1.1% of all series regular characters in the 2007-08 broadcast television schedule, down from 1.3% in 2006, and 1.4% in 2005. The number of LGBT characters found on scripted cable programming, meanwhile, has reached an all-time high.

"While we acknowledge there have been improvements made in how we are seen on the broadcast networks, most notably on ABC, our declining representation clearly indicates a failure by the networks to inclusively reflect the audience watching television," says GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano. "Striving towards diversity isn’t merely the responsible road to take for broadcasters, but as many of television’s highest-rated programs demonstrate, it’s also good for business. One need only look at the growing viewership of cable networks to see how inclusive programming can attract a wider audience."

For 12 years, GLAAD has analyzed the character makeup of the network's scripted programming. From information provided by the five broadcast networks — ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and The CW — GLAAD examined 87 scripted comedies and dramas announced to air this upcoming season. Out of the 650 regular or supporting characters counted, there were seven LGBT characters to be found on only five scripted programs. Six of these seven characters are found on a single network, ABC. While gay, bisexual and transgender characters are represented, not one of the lead or supporting characters on the networks has been established as a lesbian. There are also no lead or supporting LGBT characters on the CBS, Fox or The CW schedules.

This is an unfortunate and steady decline from the start of the 2006-07 television season when GLAAD counted nine gay or lesbian regular characters on eight scripted programs across five different broadcast networks.¹ Even that was a slight drop from the ten regular LGBT characters found on nine scripted programs across four broadcast networks at the start of the 2005-06 season.²

The Office

The changes in the makeup of LGBT lead or supporting characters between this season and the last is largely due to the cancellation of three LGBT inclusive programs (CBS’ The Class, ABC’s Help Me Help You, and FOX’s The War at Home) and the departure of Dr. Kerry Weaver from NBC's ER. There is still only one LGBT person of color – The Office’s Oscar Martinez on NBC – among the LGBT series regulars, though the characters of Alexis Meade on ABC’s Ugly Betty, Saul Holden on Brothers and Sisters, and Caitlin Dowd on the upcoming Cashmere Mafia bring some much-needed transgender and bisexual representation to network television.

In addition to these LGBT series regular characters, 13 semi-regular recurring characters are anticipated to appear over the upcoming network TV season. This increase in recurring characters from last year's five suggests that producers and writers are interested in being inclusive without making the characters front and center. "While recurring characters don't have the same impact as the show's lead or supporting cast, they do create an opportunity for writers to find a way to work LGBT issues into a show," says GLAAD Entertainment Media Director Damon Romine, acknowledging that supporting gay characters on Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives, for example, began as recurring.

Cashmere Mafia

As has been the trend for a number of years, the real advances in LGBT representation are being made in cable programming. A total of 40 series regulars³ were counted across 21 scripted comedies and dramas scheduled to air on mainstream cable networks – 15 more than last year. This increase in LGBT characters may reflect an overall growth in the sheer number of original scripted series being produced on cable, but it also reflects a commitment to diversity effectively demonstrated by networks such as The N, FX, HBO, Showtime, and BBC America.  There are an additional 17 semi-regular recurring characters announced to appear on cable programs thus far.

DRAMA ON BROADCAST NETWORKS

The state of LGBT representation on the networks' scripted dramatic series remains an uninspiring affair in the upcoming TV season, as not a single legal, forensic, or procedural crime drama on a broadcast network contains a regular or even semi-regular recurring LGBT character. Yet, these same shows often feature episodes where an LGBT-related crime has been committed.

"The writers of these shows are creating fictional worlds in which LGBT individuals are basically nonexistent or marginalized to the roles of victim or villain," says Romine. "Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are a part of every profession, every community, and indeed, every facet of our society, and that deserves to be reflected in the dramas airing on the broadcast networks."

The bright spot on primetime network dramas is undoubtedly ABC's Brothers and Sisters, which in the past year has not only fully integrated the character of Kevin Walker into its central plotlines, but also given him a rich personal life without shying away from showing his romantic relationships in their most passionate or simple moments. Kevin will return this season, as will his recurring ex-boyfriend Scotty Wandell, but perhaps the most exciting development will be the revelation of Saul’s bisexuality, making him the first over-60 series regular LGBT character on broadcast television.

In addition, look for the return of recurring characters Chaz Prat and Mayor Lucy Rodell on NBC’s ER and Friday Night Lights respectively, as well as hairdresser Terry and bartender Joe on ABC’s Men in Trees and Grey’s Anatomy. New recurring characters on broadcast dramas include ER’s gay Latino desk clerk Javier, and Carmelita, a transgender character on ABC’s new series Dirty Sexy Money.

COMEDY ON BROADCAST NETWORKS

The number of LGBT characters on television sitcoms was greatly reduced following the past season cancellation of CBS’ The Class, FOX’s The War at Home, and ABC’s Help Me Help You, leaving Oscar Martinez on NBC’s The Office as the only remaining gay character on a half-hour comedy program. However, Oscar's presence has remained minimal since his character came out at the beginning of last season, both in terms of screen time and involvement in the plot.

Ugly Betty is by far the most inclusive hour-long comedy (or "dramedy") on television, as it features both openly gay Marc and transgender Alexis in major roles. Also on ABC, Desperate Housewives’ sole gay character Andrew will have some company this season when recurring gay couple Bob and Lee move onto Wisteria Lane.

The only LGBT characters on the FOX network are found on their animated comedies, where several gay recurring characters make occasional and usually brief appearances, including Waylon Smithers and Patti Bouvier on The Simpsons, and news anchor couple Greg and Terry on American Dad!.

"The critical and award-winning success of Ugly Betty, and Will & Grace before it, effectively demonstrate that creating inclusive television comedy isn’t merely the responsible road to take, but it can greatly help a program’s commercial success," says Romine. "There is an audience out there ready and waiting for the networks to give them smart comedies with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters."

RACE, GENDER & ETHNICITY ON BROADCAST NETWORKS

GLAAD’s 12th annual "Where We Are on TV" report for the 2007-08 season marks the third year that GLAAD has provided a breakdown of the gender and race/ethnicity of all regular and supporting characters expected to appear on the broadcast networks in the upcoming season. Of the 650 characters counted this season, male characters continue to outweigh females 374 (58%) to 276 (42%) in overall numbers.  This is also true within the small number of LGBT series regulars, where only two of the characters are women. 

Ugly Betty

The numbers become even more unbalanced when race is taken into account, as 77 % (499) of all series regular characters are white, up 2% from last year. African American/Black representation has remained around 12% (81) since last year, while Latino/a representation has dropped from 7 to 6% (40). Of the 18 Asian-Pacific Islander characters (3%), seven are of South Asian descent. The remaining 12 characters (2%) include four who are multi-racial, one of Middle Eastern origin, one Tlingit (Native Alaskan) woman, and six characters not considered to be part of the human race (an alien, talking animals and cavemen).

Despite not having any LGBT characters in its scripted programming, The CW actually ranks first in overall diversity, with 32% of its series characters being people of color.  The FOX network ranks last, with overall scripted diversity at 18 %.

SCRIPTED MAINSTREAM CABLE PROGRAMMING

While LGBT representation on broadcast network television is on a steady decline, LGBT characters on scripted mainstream cable programming are proliferating. There has been a truly impressive 60% increase in the number of LGBT series regular characters counted on cable programs since this time last year, as cable networks are making inclusiveness a standard practice in series development. 

"It’s no coincidence that we're seeing such a steady increase in the ratings for scripted cable programming, while also seeing richer character diversity," says Romine. "Audiences are clearly responding to the fact that cable programs are reflecting a fuller array of humanity than their network counterparts."

The FX network has three programs with regular LGBT characters returning this season, while the youth-focused network The N has six LGBT characters on three different programs, and Comedy Central features four characters on three programs. BBC America alone has seven LGBT characters set to appear this season, thanks in large part to the new science fiction series Torchwood, in which four of the five core characters are bisexual.  Additionally, ABC Family, IFC, Sci Fi Channel, Spike, Sundance Channel, and USA each are airing, or are scheduled to air, at least one show with LGBT representation.

Pay cable networks have long been among the best places to find inclusive and forward- thinking programming on television. HBO has set the bar particularly high, and will again this year, with the return of programs such as The Wire and Entourage, both of which feature some of TV's few LGBT characters of color. However, it will undoubtedly be the Showtime network that will lead the other networks in terms of LGBT representation, with no less than eight regular and eight semi-regular recurring characters set to return this season. Weeds, Brotherhood and The Tudors are all LGBT inclusive, but the network’s gold star in that regard is still The L Word, which has not only more LGBT representation than any other show on pay cable, but contains almost half of all lesbian characters scheduled to be seen on television.

LGBT PEOPLE OF COLOR ON TELEVISION

Among the seven lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) series regular characters and 13 semi-regular recurring characters on broadcast programming, only three (15%) are people of color. The gay and Latino Oscar on NBC’s The Office is the only LGBT series regular of color, though this year’s 30-episode season may result in his character receiving more screen time than he’s had since coming out. On NBC’s ER, gay African American and paramedic-in-training Chaz Pratt will return, and will be joined by a gay Latino desk clerk named Javier. The ABC series Men In Trees has featured a guest appearance by a gay African American character named George who is slated to return this season. There are no regular or semi-regular recurring LGBT Asian-Pacific Islander characters on broadcast television, but there will likely be at least one guest appearance by Walter, Joe's partner on Grey's Anatomy.

Again, cable programming is proving a far more reliable place to find fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT community as an impressive 35% (14) of LGBT series regular characters³ on cable are people of color. This is more than double the seven LGBT characters of color counted on cable last year.

There are currently seven LGBT African American/Black series regular characters which have been counted on mainstream cable, including returning characters Omar Little and Detective Shakima Greggs on The Wire, Julien Lowe on FX’s The Shield, and the recurring Tasha on The L Word. This year they are joined by gay receptionist Ben on BBC America’s Hotel Babylon, mercenary and bisexual female Eddie on USA’s To Love and Die, lesbian SWAT team leader Connie on Spike’s The Kill Point, and gay college jock Calvin on ABC Family’s GREEK.

GREEK

"It is imperative for African American LGBT people to see authentic representations of ourselves on television," says Katina Parker, GLAAD’s Communities of African Descent Media Strategist. "These images are affirming and they help expand the popular imagination about what it means to be Black and gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender."

Last year’s sole LGBT Asian-Pacific Islander regular or supporting character on all television – Lloyd on Entourage – will be joined by two new female characters, thanks to BBC America. Torchwood will bring the East Asian bisexual computer expert Toshiko, while Jekyll features Min, who is a private detective and lesbian of South Asian descent. In addition, the Sundance Channel will feature the closeted Kash (of South Asian descent) on Shameless, while over on Showtime’s Weeds, recurring South Asian American character Sanjay came out this season.

"Cable programming should be proud of its increasing record for visibly portraying the lives and experiences of LGBT Asian-Pacific Islanders," says Andy Marra, GLAAD's Asian Pacific Islander Media Strategist. "Broadcast television should look to its counterpart and further develop their characters and storylines to include race, sexual orientation and gender identity as a vibrant means to create dynamic programming for the small screen."

At present, there are no openly LGBT Latino men on cable, though there are two returning Latina lesbians: Liz on FX’s Nip/Tuck and Alex on The N’s Degrassi: The Next Generation.  A recurring Latina lesbian named Carmen was also briefly Spencer’s love interest on The N’s South of Nowhere.

NEW TRENDS: TRANSGENDER AND BISEXUAL CHARACTERS

One of the positive developments in scripted programming on both the broadcast networks and mainstream cable will be a greater number of bisexual and transgender characters represented. At this time last year, both groups were thoroughly underrepresented on cable and the broadcast networks, but a number of new programs and character developments have improved the situation.

Two characters on ABC will find themselves re-evaluating previously heterosexual identities. As mentioned earlier, the audience of ABC's Brothers and Sisters will see the character of Saul dealing with his bisexuality, something he has kept hidden from his family. Set to debut mid-season, the character of Caitlin on ABC's Cashmere Mafia will experience an unexpected romantic attraction to another woman in the premiere episode, and begin to rethink a life previously spent dating only men.

On cable, there are a number of new characters more clearly identified as bisexual, including one program where they make up the majority of the cast: BBC America's science-fiction import Torchwood, where four of the five regular characters express attractions to both men and women.

Torchwood

Other bisexual characters will be found onFX's Nip/Tuck, where Sean's ex-wife Julia will have an extended affair with a lesbian mom (played by Portia de Rossi);  To Love and Die’s Eddie on USA Network; recurring character Thomas Tallis on The Tudors; several returning The L Word characters on Showtime; and South of Nowhere’s Ashley and Degrassi: The Next Generation’s Paige on The N.

While still a relatively low number, transgender representation on television this season represents a marked improvement over any previous year. By far the highest profile addition is the character of Alexis Meade, who was introduced midseason on Ugly Betty as a prodigal son returned from the dead as a complex, sympathetic woman whose transgender identity is merely one aspect of her character. Also on ABC, transgender actress Candis Cayne will join the new show Dirty Sexy Money in a recurring role as a transgender woman having a secret relationship with the New York District Attorney.

Over on cable, a new season of FX’s The Riches will bring the return of Sam Malloy, a young boy with a penchant for cross-dressing who is refreshingly embraced by his immediate family. The female-to-male transgender character of Max will be back for his third season on The L Word, after one season showing his journey into his new identity, and another showing him taking that identity into the working and dating worlds.

"While the actual number of transgender characters on television remains small, the introduction of these few characters is a move away from the stereotypical and marginalized roles transgender characters have long occupied, and toward a more diverse and accurate range of representations," says Romine. "These characters play a great role in making the unfamiliar familiar to television audiences."

ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING ON LGBT NETWORKS

While mainstream cable networks have certainly made great improvements in diversity over the last few years, LGBT-focused networks Logo and here! made LGBT images and stories more readily available to a wide audience from their very inception. Much of their programming consists of films and series acquired from other sources, but in recent years, they have presented original scripted programming with increasing frequency. These programs have allowed Logo and here! to showcase LGBT stories in genres and formats that would be rare even on the most progressive mainstream cable or broadcast networks, as can be seen in their announced slates for the upcoming TV season.

Exes and Ohs

Logo premiered the stop-motion animated series Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World in late summer, a satiric comedy notably featuring the only Filipino-American and gay lead character on television, even if he is a plastic toy. Lesbians are also well represented on several programs, including a new season of the British prison drama Bad Girls, an original series focusing on the dating lives of five lesbians entitled Exes & Ohs, and the surfing-themed reality series Curl Girls. Perhaps the most diverse LGBT representations are found on the channel’s Real Momentum documentary series.

Original series on here! include not one, but two original supernatural soap operas, The Lair and Dante’s Cove, the latter of which adds two new people of color to the cast for its third season. Adding a strong dose of diversity to their line-up is the original series The DL Chronicles, which focuses on stories of LGBT men of color hiding their relationships from the outside world.  Much of the channel’s programming consists of televised films such as the upcoming action-thrillers Meltdown and Kiss Me Deadly, which feature lesbian and gay protagonists, respectively.    

Both here! and Logo have made significant strives toward diversity in their original programming with greater representations of lesbian and bisexual women, as well as increased racial/ethnic diversity. Though each has run acquired documentaries and films focused on the stories and experiences of transgender people, to date, neither network has yet to create an original series featuring a transgender character.  Hopefully, it is only a matter of time.

"Not only have here! and Logo provided LGBT viewers with reliable places to consistently see their stories told on television, they have greatly expanded the range of programming available to them," says Romine." What’s more, they have made all this available to a wider audience looking for engaging images and stories they cannot get anywhere else. These are contributions truly worth acknowledging."

YOUTH STORYLINES AND PROGRAMMING

Television programs that address lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth have begun to appear with more regularity in recent years, though this is another area in which scripted primetime broadcast programming is playing catch up to cable and daytime television. Desperate Housewives continues to feature gay teenager Andrew, though he is the only openly LGBT youth on primetime network programming.     

A character that already has a strong connection with the audience is Justin Suarez on Ugly Betty. Justin is an energetic and self-assured young man who doesn’t conform to typical gender expectations. Most importantly, the love and support he receives from his multi-generational Latino family presents a strong and positive example of acceptance to viewers.

South of Nowhere

"The reality is that we still live in a society where gay, transgender and questioning youth often pay a heavy price for coming out, such as harassment, abandonment or even suicide," says Romine. "When these stories are told, it not only helps alleviate feelings of alienation that youth may experience, it can also foster understanding by those who can and should be a support system to these young people."

Perhaps the most reliable place to find representations of LGBT youth is on MTV’s teen network The N, which extends to 24-hour programming by the end of the year, and features several programs with gay and lesbian-inclusive storylines. This season, Degrassi: The Next Generation features recently reunited couple Alex and Paige, as well as gay character Marco, while South of Nowhere continues to examine the lesbian romance between teens Spencer and Ashley. 

Also on cable, the teenage character of Ian on the Sundance Channel’s Shameless is gay, while Showtime's Weeds features the young self-identified lesbian Isabelle. Perhaps the youngest LGBT character on television right now is Sam on FX's The Riches, who is reflective of the media attention focused upon transgender youth in the past year.

REALITY PROGRAMMING

While not part of this diversity survey on the network's scripted characters, it is important to note that the unscripted or reality programming genre contains some of the most diverse representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community on television. "Reality programs present an opportunity to show LGBT people not as stereotypes or imagined characters, but simply as very real people sharing the same strengths, weaknesses, fears, and dreams as anyone else," says Romine.

Of the broadcast networks, CBS has presented some of the most reliably inclusive reality programs, including The Amazing Race, Big Brother, and notably Survivor, which features a gay competitor in its new season set in China. ABC’s Fat March featured a lesbian cast member, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition includes two openly gay, onscreen crew members and the CW will present Crowned and a new season of America’s Next Top Model, both of which feature gay judges.

The gold standard of LGBT representation on reality shows has undoubtedly been set by the Bravo network, which will not only bring back Queer Eye for its final season, but also Project Runway, Top Chef, Welcome to the Parker, Million Dollar Listing, and Work Out.  Alongside their recent series Top Design, Shear Genius and Flipping Out, all of these programs have consistently included LGBT cast members and competitors. Bravo certainly isn’t the only cable network to feature inclusive reality programming though, as evidenced by the SCI FI Channel's Who Wants to be a Superhero, Oxygen’s The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, The Food Network's The Next Food Network Star, and HGTV’s Design Star.

DAILY DRAMAS AND DAYTIME TELEVISION

Daily dramas — which are not counted in this primetime diversity report — have made historic strides in the last year alone. CBS’ As the World Turns recently featured the first romantic kiss between two men on daytime as part of the unfolding romance between teens Luke and Noah. ABC's All My Children was the first to feature a transgender character, the male-to-female character of Zoe who developed a lesbian romance with Bianca. NBC's over-the-top and farcical Passions, which now airs on DirecTV, featured six gay, lesbian or bisexual characters. And the Univision novela Yo Amo a Juan Querendón features the gay character Pastor Gaitán.

In the syndicated market, the multiple Emmy-winning The Ellen DeGeneres Show has returned for a new season, while Judge David Young takes the stand in the first ever courtroom show headlined by an openly gay man.

CONCLUSION

"Seeing our stories reflected on television and in popular culture is vital in reaching lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individuals who may feel isolated, so they know that others have shared similar experiences," says Guiliano. "It is even more important that we are given the opportunity to share our stories with a larger audience, so that they might come to understand how very relatable our lives ultimately are."

¹ MyNetwork TV was counted as a broadcast network with scripted programming in last year’s report, but was excluded this year due to a format change.

²The networks counted for the 2005-06 report were ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, UPN, and The WB.

³Characters and programs counted on cable do not include those found on LGBT-focused cable networks, which are given their own section in this report.

The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor individuals and projects in news and entertainment media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, and the issues that affect our lives.

Visit TV Gayed, GLAAD's Weekly Guide to What's LGBT on TV.

Download the 12th Annual Diversity Study in PDF format here.

Print-quality photos of selected LGBT television characters are available here.

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