Gays On Fall TV Lineup

After a promising network pilot season that saw many new shows developed with gay and lesbian characters, the actual number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) representations on the six major broadcast networks will comprise less than two percent of all characters on the networks’ 2005-06 schedule, according to an analysis conducted by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).
GLAAD counts only 16 “series regular” and recurring gay, lesbian and bisexual roles (there continue to be no transgender characters) scheduled to appear on 14 different scripted programs (out of 110 total) on the broadcast networks.

While this number is up from the 11 characters counted last season, the lack of representation is still cause for concern. “Out of 710 ‘series regulars’ that will appear this season on the broadcast networks, gay, lesbian and bisexual characters make up less than two percent,” says GLAAD Entertainment Media Director Damon Romine. “This is a shocking misrepresentation of reality and of the audience watching these programs.”

Of these 16 characters, 13 are male and three are female; 13 are white, with one gay character each representing African Americans, Latinos and Asian Pacific Islanders. “If you’re looking at network television to see a good cross section of our community, you’re not going to find it. What you will find is primarily gay white males,” Romine says.

In addition, many of the characterizations of gays and lesbians on the networks fall into minor, supporting or recurring roles, leaving much to be desired in GLAAD’s quest for fair, accurate and diverse portrayals.

“The LGBT community wants to see itself represented on television. It’s that simple. We want to see our stories told and we want to know that our lives matter,” Romine says. “Television is a reflection of society, but the broadcast networks are not doing enough to fairly represent the diversity of their audience. We are still too often portrayed as stereotyped caricatures, and the reality of our lives and relationships is largely ignored.”

Cable, meanwhile, continues to traverse boundaries by exploring our lives, families and careers in multi-dimensional ways. GLAAD counts 25 LGBT characters that will appear on cable series in the 2005-06 season. “At this critical juncture in our struggle for equality, television’s potential for driving public understanding of who we are and what we’re fighting for is more important than ever,” Romine says. “Since network television still captures a much larger audience than cable, GLAAD will continue to advocate for richer and more diverse representations from the broadcast networks.”
from The Gay Alliance