Which TV Network, And Show, Has The Most LGBT Characters?

by Steve Krakauer | 4:03 pm, September 29th, 2010

» 8 comments

GLAAD is out with their annual report on “Where We Are On TV” – a comprehensive look at the presence of LGBT characters on television.

Here are some of GLAAD’s findings:

• On network television, ABC was #1, with 7.2% of regular characters that are LGBT, while CBS was last, just .8%. Here’s more from the report:

Of the 587 series regular characters counted across 84 programs on the five broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox and NBC), 23 are LGBT, an increase of five from 18 LGBT characters counted in the previous year. This modest rise stands out considering that the total number of series characters has actually decreased. With 11 LGBT series regular characters out of 152 total,

• On cable, HBO had the most LGBT characters, and the show with the most LGBT regular characters was True Blood. Here’s more:

After two consecutive years of decline, the number of series regular LGBT characters on mainstream cable channel has begun to rebound. In 2007, 40 regular LGBT characters were counted, but that number fell to 32 in 2008 and 25 in 2009 for a total drop of 38%. This year, the count has increased by 40% to 35 series regulars with an additional 18 recurring characters for a grand total of 53.

HBO features the greatest number of LGBT characters on cable with 10, but ABC Family has an edge in the number of regular characters it features with seven to HBO’s six.

Check out the full report here.

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GLAAD, Modern Family, True Blood

Cecelia

On NCIS (the only thing worth watching on network tv) the character Ziva swings both ways.

Does that count, or is GLADD’s criteria, fish or chips only?
jk76

so at 3.9% of characters….does that equal their demo in the USA? Is it good enough? Do they want half? Or just more…and more…and more, like every group who wants stuff. Can I use my consumer power to disagree or is dissention not allowed anymore?

guess who’s best friend was a black bisexual man? since 9th grade and about for 11 years after that? roommate in college…ROTC at a half military half civlian school. Who’s been around more variation of people than alot of folks.
AND I still don’t want to see men kiss or other intimacies. I probably think it’s gross cause…get this, I’m not into guys.

So use all the name calling you want, if people aren’t into something, they probably aren’t going to like it —This was just anticipatory
stoogedudes

Ok, a bit off topic, but holy schnikes, Modern Family is the best comedy, if not the best show, on television right now.

Do yourself a favor and add the first season DVD to your Netflix queue. You owe it to yourselves. It’s tremendous.

Just thought I’d point it out since the picture above is of two of the excellent stars of the show.
LibertySister

If a new show comes out and does not have a Black cool hip person or a Gay funny or sympathetic acting character or a Idiot white male Jerk or stupid white acting character it wont make it past the networks approval Stage…
Its like a cookie cutter script!
I feel bad for young white male children growing up now seeing that is how they are portrayed and seen as.
Cancon1

Someone spends the day getting paid to count this? Man, I may find some decent employment after all.
Kitsune

Honestly, I don’t really see how this is a big deal at all.

I sort of feel like there has to be an organic component to all of this. If a show has LGBT characters as a natural part of the show, then that’s fine, but I wouldn’t want a show that doesn’t have one to shoehorn one in just because of network pressure or something like that.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Davy-Jones/100000867542629 Davy Jones

I’ll have to agree withthe REV. FRED PHELLPS of KANSAS
http://none pyrope

“Which TV Network, And Show, Has The Most LGBT Characters?”

Heck, that’s easy; it’s the one I don’t watch.

Cancon1 said:
Which TV Network, And Show, Has The Most LGBT Characters?

Yeah, can you believe it?