LGBTQ+ representation on TV drops by 25%, grim GLAAD report finds
Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov in Heated Rivalry. (Sabrina Lantos/HBO)
Despite the success of Heated Rivalry and The Hunting Wives, GLAAD’s ‘Where We Are on TV’ report details the worrying trend of a significant overall drop in LGBTQ+ characters over the past year.
The 21st edition of the ‘Where We Are on TV’ tracks TV seasons that premiered from June 1, 2025 to May 31, 2026. GLADD’s report tracks LGBTQ characters on scripted broadcast, cable, and streaming television.
GLAAD counted 369 LGBTQ characters in total for 2025-2026. That is a decrease of 120 characters (25%) from the 489 LGBTQ characters counted in the previous season.
Unfortunately, the bad news for LGBTQ+ representation continues when it comes to trans characters. There are only seven (2%) trans characters out of the 369 LGBTQ+ characters.
This is a massive decrease from the 33 transgender characters counted last year. These characters are six women and one man.
Add to this decrease the fact that none of these trans characters will be returning next year.
That decrease in returning characters is also true of the wider 369 LGBTQ+ characters.
“This study has seen a year-over-year decline in the number of transgender characters on television,” said GLAAD Media Institute Vice President Nick Adams.
“Meanwhile, trans people are under attack from local, state, and federal politicians who are enacting laws and policies which threaten the civil rights and safety of transgender Americans.
“Authentic trans characters on television can show audiences that transgender people are their friends, co-workers, family, and neighbours. And yet, at a time when those stories are needed most, TV executives have turned away.”
‘TV executives have turned away’
Of the 369 LGBTQ characters, 141 of them (38%) will not be returning. This could be due to series cancellations or endings, limited series format, or a character dying or leaving the show.
Furthermore, 161 of 369 (44%) are characters of colour, down from 51% last year – an eight-year low.
Elsewhere in GLAAD’s report, LGBTQ-inclusive shows are highlighted to have had a major cultural impact.
For instance, Heated Rivalry was HBO Max’s most-watched acquired scripted series ever, peaking at 52x average demand. The show follows two closeted queer ice hockey players as they navigate an illicit romance.
The Hunting Wives doubled its viewership in its second week after release. The show also topped the Netflix charts and was renewed for a second and third season. The show follows a high-society group of women in a murder mystery, entangled with seduction and obsession.
Stranger Things and Hazbin Hotel were the two most in-demand series of this research period at 174x and 73x demand, respectively.
Speaking about the new report, GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis shared: “Hollywood is slashing LGBTQ stories and characters even while demand is increasing.
“It’s a bad business decision and one of the drivers turning audiences away from traditional TV and streaming platforms.
With the wild success of Heated Rivalry, Pluribus, The Hunting Wives, Stranger Things, and more, the message from viewers could not be more clear: authentic representation is television’s most powerful growth engine.”
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