Viewers may be embracing queer-led hits, but LGBTQ representation on US scripted television is moving in the opposite direction. GLAAD counted 369 LGBTQ characters across broadcast, cable and selected streaming programmes in 2025–2026, down from 489 the previous season. The steepest drop was among transgender characters, raising fresh questions about what makes it on screen.

Essential Takeaways

  • Fewer characters overall: GLAAD counted 369 LGBTQ characters, 120 fewer than in the previous season.
  • Trans representation fell sharply: The count dropped from 33 transgender characters to seven, none of whom is expected to return.
  • Streaming remains the biggest platform: It accounted for about three-quarters of LGBTQ characters, but also saw the largest numerical decline.
  • Some popular titles buck the trend: GLAAD points to shows including Heated Rivalry and The Hunting Wives as examples of audience interest.

LGBTQ characters are disappearing from US television

The latest figures make for a jarring contrast: queer-led television can attract viewers and conversation, yet the total number of LGBTQ characters is falling. GLAAD’s annual Where We Are on TV study counted 369 characters in the 2025–2026 season, a drop of almost a quarter from the previous season’s 489.

The count covers scripted broadcast, cable and selected streaming programmes with new episodes between 1 June 2025 and 31 May 2026. According to GLAAD, the decrease is larger than the overall fall in US television premieres cited in its report, suggesting that fewer programmes alone may not explain the change.

Transgender roles take the sharpest hit

The most striking decline is among transgender characters. GLAAD counted seven, compared with 33 the season before, and none of the seven is expected to return next season. TheWrap also highlighted this near-disappearance, while noting that the characters appeared across a range of series.

Representation among characters of colour fell too. They accounted for 44 per cent of the total, down from 50 per cent in GLAAD’s figures; other reports put the previous season’s share at 51 per cent. However the comparison is stated, the direction is clear: the proportion has shrunk.

Streaming leads, but isn't immune

Streaming remains the largest source of LGBTQ characters, accounting for about three-quarters of the total. But it also recorded the biggest numerical fall: Them reports a loss of 96 characters year on year, compared with 17 on cable and seven on broadcast.

That matters because streaming can feel like the natural home for niche or distinctive stories, but the latest count suggests it isn't insulated from wider commissioning changes. GLAAD researchers cited by Wirtualne Media point to fewer series being made and a preference for established franchises and familiar formats.

Hit shows offer a different signal

The decline sits awkwardly beside the popularity of inclusive programmes. GLAAD’s president, Sarah Kate Ellis, points to Heated Rivalry, Pluribus and The Hunting Wives as examples of shows drawing audiences and sustaining public discussion. PinkNews reported that Heated Rivalry became HBO Max’s most-watched acquired scripted series, while The Hunting Wives doubled its viewership in its second week and was renewed.

Those examples don't erase the wider drop, but they do complicate the idea that audiences have lost interest. GLAAD argues that inclusive storytelling can help programmes attract and keep viewers. It's an advocacy organisation making a case from its own research, rather than an independent assessment of the industry's business decisions, so the figures and the interpretation are worth keeping distinct.

What the numbers mean for viewers

The headline count is a measure of scripted television, not every kind of programme or media. It also doesn't tell viewers how substantial a character's role is, or how the stories themselves are told. Still, it offers a useful yearly snapshot of who gets to appear on screen.

For now, the key comparison is between fewer roles overall and individual shows that appear to connect with audiences. If you're following representation in television, watch both: the annual totals show the broader pattern, while the fortunes of particular series reveal which stories are finding viewers.

The gap between audience interest and fewer on-screen roles is the story to watch.

Source Reference Map

Story idea inspired by: [1]

Sources by paragraph: