The 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards nominations were announced on January 8, and this year’s selections included several incredible projects showcasing positive representations of the bisexual+ community.
According to GLAAD’s Where We Are on TV 2019-2020 report, there was a slight decrease in the percentage of bisexual characters on television in the past year, but up to 128 characters from 117 in the previous report. Despite the lingering appearances of harmful tropes about bisexual people in the media, there are still many positive and worthy representations throughout this year’s nominees for the 31st GLAAD Annual Media Awards.
This year, NBCs Brooklyn Nine Nine is again nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series. Following a diverse group of detectives based in New York, the show features two LGBTQ leads – including a bisexual Latina detective named Rosa Diaz, who is portrayed by bisexual actress Stephanie Beatriz. Throughout the series, Rosa’s character is unapologetic about her sexuality while also facing many of her own personal challenges, including coming out to her parents and striking a balance between her love for work and her love for her girlfriend.
Schitt’s Creek returns to the 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards as a nominee for Outstanding Comedy Series. Emmy-nominated showrunner, writer, and actor Dan Levy stars as David Rose, one of the first openly pansexual characters depicted on television. The show captures a wealthy dysfunctional family that loses everything and must rebuild in Schitt’s Creek. When he recently received GLAAD’s Davidson/Valentini Award at the 2019 GLAAD Gala San Francisco, Levy said that the vision behind Schitt’s Creek was “to create a place where everybody fits in, where love is celebrated and peoples differences are a way to start conversations.”
Breaking barriers for the LGBTQ community and people of color, Vida highlights the importance of bisexual visibility and acceptance in Hollywood. Melissa Barrera and Mishel Prada portray the captivating story of two Latina sisters restarting their lives in their childhood home after the death of their mother. Barrera portrays Lyn, who fearlessly lives her truth as a bisexual woman after finding out her late mother identified as queer as well. Nominated once again for Outstanding Comedy Series, ‘Vida’ promotes open conversation about the bisexual+ community and cultural acceptance. Vida won the GLAAD Award for Outstanding Comedy Series at the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards.
Apple TV+ received its first nomination this year for Dickinson, which sees Hailee Steinfeld graciously portray Emily Dickinson, one of the greatest poets of all time. Dickinson explores Emily’s romantic relationships with men and women, and how these relationships connect to her growth as a poet in the 1850s. The Outstanding Comedy Series nominee pushes the conversation for understanding, acceptance, and equality for women and the bisexual community.
MTV’s Are You the One – nominated for Outstanding Reality Program – made history this past season with its first ever sexually fluid cast. During the season, sixteen LGBTQ strangers from around the world live together in Hawaii while trying to find their perfect match for the chance to win one million dollars. Each week, the contestants have the opportunity to mingle and match with anyone in the house or they risk saying losing all that money. This season includes open and accepting conversations about underrepresentation of bi+ people in media.
Another series nominated this year for Outstanding Reality Program this year is Bachelor in Paradise. This past season, Demi Burnett became the first openly bisexual contestant to ever appear on the show. Bachelor in Paradise is an ABC dating show that brings singles from previous seasons of The Bachelor to paradise for a second chance at love. On the show, Demi Burnett unapologetically came out as bisexual and created room for a more inclusive conversation about sexuality.
With her talk show A Little Late with Little Singh, comedian Lilly Singh became the first openly bisexual person, as well as the first person of Indian descent, to host an American major broadcast network late night talk show. In her segment “Lilly is Struggling to Date Women” – which is nominated for Outstanding Variety or Talk Show Episode – Singh is honest about her new experiences as she becomes more familiar with dating women. As a result, Lilly continues to not only combat stereotypes about bisexuality, but also increases visibility and representation for LGBTQ people of color.
In August 2019, 27 year old NFL free agent Ryan Russell revealed he is bisexual and appeared in an ESPN segment titled “Ryan Russell Reveals His Truth,” where he shared his story with the hope of inspiring and influencing other LGBTQ athletes around the world. In the segment, which is nominated for Outstanding TV Journalism Segment, Russell talks about losing his best friend in 2018, and how that inspired him to decide to live his truth and come out as bisexual. Set free, Russell’s story of triumph has helped to create a greater conversation surrounding LGBTQ inclusion in the NFL and beyond.
The 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards f ature several other series, films, and projects that highlight bisexual representation, including Batwoman, Euphoria, Killing Eve, The L Word: Generation Q, The Politician, and Shadowhunters, Adam, Rent: Live, Transparent: Musicale Finale, Mrs. Fletcher, Tales of the City, and The Loud House. For a full list of nominees for the 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards, click here. A tip sheet with a breakdown of nominations by media and trends among the nominees is also available here.