Where We Are on TV 2023-2024

Representation of LGBTQ Multiracial Characters

According to the 2020 US Census, the population of people who are multiracial is growing rapidly, with people who selected two or more races being the youngest of any race category, an increase of over 200 percent between the 2010 and 2020 censuses. This population is also growing on TV, with over ten percent of roles on broadcast, cable, and streaming being multiracial, according to UCLA’s 2023 Hollywood Diversity report.

As for multiracial LGBTQ representation this year, broadcast counted four (six percent) multiracial characters out of 64 LGBTQ characters. This is a decrease of six characters and four percent from last year. These include Dennis on ABC’s Not Dead Yet, Travis on ABC’s Station 19, Roxy on CBS’s FBI: Most Wanted, and Lucy on The CW’s Family Law.

On scripted primetime cable, there is one multiracial character out of 77 (one percent). This is a decrease of five characters and three percent. That character is Eliza on Freeform’s now canceled Praise Petey.

Of the 327 characters counted on scripted streaming originals, 32 (ten percent) of them are multiracial. This is an increase of 23 characters and seven percent. Highlights include trans character Sol on Amazon’s With Love and nonbinary teen Darren on Heartbreak High, as well as lead Ed “Blackbeard” Teach on Max’s Our Flag Means Death and lead Mia on Netflix’s Everything Now, which have both been canceled.

Of the total 468 characters counted across all platforms 37 (eight percent) are multiracial, an increase of 12 characters and double the percentage of last year.

Representation of Multiracial LGBTQ Characters

Of the 64 LGBTQ characters counted on the five broadcast networks, six percent (four) are multiracial.
Of the 77 LGBTQ characters counted on cable networks, one percent (one) are multiracial.
Of the 327 LGBTQ characters counted on eight streaming services, ten percent (32) are multiracial.
Of the 468 LGBTQ characters counted on all platforms, eight percent (37) are multiracial.

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More Publications from GLAAD

Where We Are On TV Report 2019 – 2020

The Where We Are on TV report analyzes the overall diversity of primetime scripted series…

GLAAD releases Stonewall 50 guide for journalists

Stonewall 50: A Journalist’s Guide to Reporting on the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall and the Legacy of Pride seeks to inform journalists about the history of the Stonewall Uprising and its impact on the LGBTQ movement into the modern day. The guidebook covers several topics: story ideas when covering Stonewall 50, a history of the Stonewall Inn, an overview of significant events in the modern LGBTQ movement, and a focused discussion on the issues the LGBTQ movement faces today– both in the USA and around the world.

Accelerating Acceptance 2019

Fifty years after the Stonewall uprising, the LGBTQ community has great reason to celebrate the many advancements that have created greater visibility and legal protections for LGBTQ Americans, but the fight for 100% acceptance is far from over.

Last year the Accelerating Acceptance Index, a national survey among U.S. adults conducted on GLAAD’s behalf by The Harris Poll, saw an erosion in LGBTQ acceptance. Although this year’s Index reports that the drop in LGBTQ acceptance has been stemmed, a growing number of young people ages 18-34 report being less comfortable around LGBTQ people in certain personal situations. At the same time, the Trump administration continues to attack the LGBTQ community through discriminatory policies and targeted rhetoric, and LGBTQ Americans are becoming more vulnerable to hate crimes and violence, which GLAAD documents here. GLAAD’s Accelerating Acceptance Report provides us with an urgent reminder that LGBTQ people and allies should continue to remain visible and vigilant on the fight for 100% acceptance of LGBTQ people.

2019 GLAAD Studio Responsibility Index

The GLAAD Studio Responsibility Index (SRI) maps the quantity, quality and diversity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) characters in films released by the seven major motion picture studios during the 2018 calendar year. GLAAD researched films released by 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros., as well as films released by four subsidiaries of these major studios. The report is intended to serve as a road map toward increasing fair, accurate and inclusive LGBTQ representation in film.