A record 10 percent of all recurring characters on TV this year were LGBTQ, according to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation’s (GLAAD) annual “Where We Are on TV” report. In addition, 47 percent of all recurring characters in 2019 were people of color.
LGBTQ representation increased by 2 percent from last year, fulfilling the organization’s call to have at least 10 percent queer characters by 2020; of those characters, 128 were bisexual and 38 were trans. GLAAD included recurring talent on both cable networks and online streaming services.
Among the biggest contributors to the spike in diversity are FX’s Pose and The L Word but several shows not centered around the LGBTQ experience included queer characters; among them are The Politician, American Horror Story, Euphoria, and Elite.
Here are some memorable characters from the past year who were LGBTQ, but whose entire identity did not revolve around their queerness.
Hunter Schafer of Euphoria
Ben Platt of The Politician
Rebecca Henderson of Russian Doll
Omar Ayuso of ELITE
Now, GLAAD aims to have 20 percent LGBTQ representation by 2025, which accurately represents the portion of Millennials and Gen Z who identify as queer.
