For me, the television show ER has more significance than my former dreams of a medical career or the weekly chance to see George Clooney on the small screen. It was the program that brought the first same-sex lip lock into the home of a small, conservative Southern family in the ‘90s. As a sheltered, closeted youth in the days before Will & Grace and Brothers & Sisters, I sat and thought that one day such characters like Dr. Weaver and firefighter Sandy Lopez would be staples on all television programming, more appropriately depicting the important diversity of our world.
This past week, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) released a study showing that this fall’s broadcast prime-time series will have 16 gay and bisexual characters – more than double the seven in last year’s roster. GLAAD calls it a “positive sign” as networks begin to become more representative, understanding there’s still plenty more to be done – and I couldn’t agree more.
The study also found that:
- FOX has nearly a third of the total number, with five regular gay characters
- Of CBS’s 126 regular characters, none are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender
- ABC has seven gay men or bisexual women
- NBC has three gay characters
- CW has one gay character
- Mainstream cable network (excluding LGBT-oriented Logo and here! Networks) regular LGBT characters dropped from 40 to 32 this year
- This year’s 16 gay and bisexual characters represent 2.6 percent of all regular TV series characters, up from 1.1 percent in 2007
- There are no regular lesbian characters this year
Gay characters, when portrayed accurately and not bent towards over-simplified or inappropriate stereotypes, communicate positive values and concepts to viewers of all ages and backgrounds. These values drive greater acceptance and understanding between the LGBT community and others, fostering safer, more vibrant communities for us all.
And who knows, they also give greater probability for a young questioning or closeted child to see the personification of a gay, lesbian or bisexual individual – and give them hope for a more accepting tomorrow.
SUBSCRIBE