A television report tracking LGBTQ representation is built on more than its final figures. GLAAD’s 2024–25 Where We Are on TV study examines scripted programmes across broadcast, cable and streaming, while its acknowledgements page credits the researchers, editors and designers behind the work. Here’s who helped shape the report, and why the research matters.

Essential Takeaways

  • A milestone report: GLAAD’s 2024–25 study is its twentieth annual Where We Are on TV report.
  • A broad TV picture: The research tracks LGBTQ regular and recurring characters in original scripted television across broadcast, cable and streaming.
  • A named research team: Raina Deerwater is credited as lead author and researcher, with Nick Adams as editor and contributor.
  • More than research: GLAAD’s Media Institute connects representation research with education, consultation and advocacy.
  • Sponsor noted: The acknowledgements page says the research was supported by SKITTLES, a division of Mars Inc.

Behind the figures is a team effort

Research reports can look polished and self-contained on the page, but they’re made by people doing different kinds of work. GLAAD’s acknowledgements name Raina Deerwater, Associate Director of Entertainment Research and Analysis, as lead author and researcher, with Nick Adams, Vice President of Entertainment, as editor and contributor.

The team also includes Sarah Feldman and Brandon Grabowski in research roles, alongside art direction by Roho Yniguez and web design by Heidi Spillum. The list gives the study a human shape: not just a set of findings, but a project involving research, editing and presentation. [3]

What GLAAD’s TV report measures

The twentieth annual Where We Are on TV report tracks LGBTQ regular and recurring characters in original scripted television across broadcast, cable and streaming. Its research covers representation by sexual orientation, gender identity, race and disability, with methodology explaining how series and characters are counted and categorised.

GLAAD’s announcement says the 2024–25 research period ran from 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025 and covered primetime broadcast, cable and scripted streaming programmes. That scope matters: comparing representation across several kinds of television offers a wider view than looking at one platform alone. [2][3]

Representation research has a wider purpose

GLAAD describes itself as an LGBTQ media advocacy organisation working to shape public narratives and encourage fair, accurate and inclusive representation. Its television research fits into that broader mission, bringing a measured account of representation into conversations about how LGBTQ stories appear on screen.

The GLAAD Media Institute supports that work through research, education and consultation. Its role is a reminder that representation isn’t only a matter of counting characters; the quality and nuance of the stories matter too. [4][5]

The acknowledgements show how the work comes together

Alongside the named research and design contributors, GLAAD offers special thanks to a further group of colleagues and supporters. The page also states that the research was supported by SKITTLES, a division of Mars Inc.

There’s some wider context for that partnership: a SKITTLES press release describes Pride activities carried out with GLAAD. However, that announcement doesn’t independently confirm support for this particular report, so the acknowledgements page remains the direct source for the specific sponsorship statement. [7]

A report with a public-facing life

GLAAD’s report is intended to track representation, but its findings also travel beyond the research document. The Associated Press covered the study as a measure of LGBTQ characters across broadcast, cable and streaming, giving readers an independent account of its wider significance.

For anyone curious about the detail, GLAAD’s full report is the place to look for its methodology and platform-specific findings. The acknowledgements, meanwhile, offer a useful reminder: behind a study designed to count visibility are people responsible for researching, shaping and presenting it. [2][6]

Explore the report for the data, and the acknowledgements for the people behind it.

Source Reference Map

Story idea inspired by: [1]

Sources by paragraph: