A GLAAD report finds there are more LGBTQ characters of color than LGBTQ white characters on broadcast television, and we are celebrating these strides in diversity.
Representation in film and television is important, and, we all know that there is still a long way to go. While there is more diversity in broadcast television than there used to be, there are always more diverse stories that can be told.
But, while criticism and analysis are important, it’s also good to take the time to celebrate positive changes. According to GLAAD’s annual “Where We Are on TV” report, there are more LGBTQ characters of color than white LGBTQ characters when it comes to broadcast television. This is an exciting fact, and, while maybe it shouldn’t have taken us so long to get to this point, it’s great to see efforts in telling diverse queer stories being made.
According to the report, LGBTQ characters of color were around 50 percent of all of the LGBTQ characters on television. White characters made up 49 percent of these roles. It’s also worth noting that there were more black queer characters than ever before at 22 percent. Last year, queer black characters only made up 18 percent of these roles, so there was a significant jump.
It’s important to note that the category of characters of color includes a huge range of ethnicities and races meaning that white people still are the race that is most represented, but it’s still a huge change from how things used to be.
The report also looked at how many LGBTQ characters were on television as series regulars and found that queer characters made up around 8.8 percent of these roles. While this might seem pretty low, it’s also a big improvement from even a year ago when the number was 6.4 percent.
It’s always fascinating to see these statistics and what they reflect. The changes from just one year ago seem to show a concerted effort to show more stories about LGBTQ people and to have those stories be more diverse. Hopefully, next year’s report will show even more diversity and more stories being told.
You can also look at all of the statistics and the full report right here.