According to a new study by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), LGBT characters will form only 1.3% of all series regular characters on the six major broadcast networks’ 2006-07 schedules.
Out of an announced total of 679 series regular lead or supporting characters, GLAAD found only nine scripted (i.e., not “reality” TV) gay men or lesbians, appearing on eight different programs. There are an additional five semi-regular recurring gay or lesbian characters, and no bisexual or transgender ones.
The mainstream cable networks do a little better. GLAAD found 25 scripted LGBT characters for the new season (out of an unspecified total)—12 lesbians, 8 gay men, three bisexual women, one bisexual man, and one bisexual female-to-male transgender character, Max on The L Word. (Among other things, this answers the question of whether Max will return next year.)
GLAAD also looked at other facets of diversity, finding that among all network characters, men outnumber women 57% to 43%, and whites outnumber other races 75% to 25%. Among primary LGBT characters, seven out of the nine are gay white men, with one white lesbian and one Latino gay man. On cable, seven of the 25 LGBT characters are non-white.
Clearly, the networks need to do more to represent the true diversity of our country. The cable networks, while somewhat better, also have room to improve (but should be wary of shoving all “diversity” programming into niche-specific networks like Logo). I may have half in jest pondered whether a certain bathroom sign should be changed to be more inclusive of LGBT families—but the fact is, representations matter. They help us feel like an accepted part of the broader culture. They help expose the broader culture to us. Granted, there are vast differences between TV and reality. My life is nothing like that of Bette on The L Word. But someone who’s seen positive LGBT (or black, or Hispanic, or . . .) characters on TV at least has a starting place from which to build further awareness.
Now if only some network, perhaps one of the LGBT ones like Logo or Here!, would come up with a pre-school series that includes LGBT families. There are only so many times one can show the Postcards from Buster “Buster’s Sugartime” episode. (Though I’ve also always suspected Wendy from Bob the Builder has a few secrets under her toolbelt. . . .) My son has an infinite capacity for watching the same video over and over, but I don’t.
On a final note, I’m glad to see lesbian mom Dr. Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes) remaining on ER, and hope NBC will further develop her story.
For a fuller analysis, including diversity rankings by network and a look at reality programming, visit the GLAAD site.
(Photo credit: James Sorensen / NBC)