By 2021, 10.2% of all U.S. primetime TV characters are expected to be LGBT, says a report from the LGBT organization GLAAD.
The stated goal of GLAAD, a media organization founded in 1985, is to influence and shape public narratives. In this way, it is hoped that a societal cultural shift towards acceptance of the LGBTQ lifestyle will be achieved.
The Where We Are on TV Report is published annually and lists how many of the series regulars are LGBT characters. The report covers both primetime television providers and streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu.
As a result, of the 879 series regulars, 90 series characters are LGBT. Last year, there were 75 series characters. This corresponds to an increase of 1.4 percentage points. The 10.2% percentage achieved is the highest GLAAD has ever counted.
GLAAD’s report also examines the gender distribution of the characters, as well as their race and ethnicity. Thus, the representation of African American, Latino, or Asian Pacific Islander characters in the series is also considered.
The report also formulates goals for the future. According to the report, by 2025, 20% of all primetime series characters will be LGBT. Moreover, half of all characters are supposed to be non-white. This is to ensure that “entertainment reflects the world in which it is created and the audience that consumes it.”