Where We Are on TV 2023-2024

• GLAAD counted 327 LGBTQ characters on scripted original series this year, made up of 208 series regular characters and 119 recurring characters. This is a decrease of 29 characters (0.8 percent) from the previous year.
• Of these 327 LGBTQ characters, 150 (46 percent) are men, 158 (48 percent) are women, and 19 (six percent) are nonbinary. This is a slight shift toward parity from last year’s 46 percent men, 51 percent women, and three percent nonbinary characters.
• There are once again more gay men than any other demographic on streaming, with 108 (33 percent) gay men counted here. This is a decrease of 22 characters and four percentage points.
• There was also a decrease of lesbian characters on streaming. Of the 327 LGBTQ characters counted on streaming, 79 (24 percent) are lesbians, a decrease of 28 characters and six percentage points.
• Bisexual+ representation slightly increased on streaming with 81 (25 percent) bi+ characters. This is a decrease of three characters, but an increase of one percentage point. Of the 81 bi+ characters, 53 are women, 24 are men, and four are nonbinary.
• Forty-three characters (13 percent) are queer and do not use any other label for their sexual orientation. This is an increase of 24 characters and eight percentage points.
• Four characters (one percent) counted are asexual, a steady number and percentage as last year. As was true last year, all four are on Netflix.
• Of the 327 LGBTQ characters counted on streaming, 19 (5.8 percent) are transgender. This is an increase of three characters and 1.3 percent year over year. Of the trans characters, nine are women, four are men, and six are nonbinary. Nine of the trans characters are queer, five are straight, three are bi+, and two are undefined.
• Half of the LGBTQ characters on streaming are characters of color, with 164 of the 327 (50 percent) being POC. This is down three percent and 23 characters from the previous year.
• Of the 327 LGBTQ characters on streaming, 119 (36 percent) will not return due to series endings, cancellations, or miniseries/anthology format.

As with all of the platforms, streaming series were affected by the WGA and SAG strikes with many series being delayed until after this research period. Many streamers also used the strikes as a scapegoat for their own programming decision to cancel series prematurely.

As has been the case for the last several years, Netflix counts the highest number of LGBTQ characters with 155 LGBTQ characters (47 percent of all LGBTQ characters). This is almost half of the entirety of streaming characters counted in this report. This number has decreased from last year’s 183, but several high profile inclusive shows will not be returning this research period, including Stranger Things, The Umbrella Academy and XO, Kitty. It is also worth noting that 59 of these characters (38 percent of the Netflix characters) will not return due to series endings, cancellations, or miniseries/anthology format.

Highlights from Netflix include the final season of Sex Education, a show that consistently increased inclusion throughout its four seasons. The final season introduced Roman and Abbi, two trans characters who were in a relationship, and asexual character O, while continuing to tell the story of nonbinary student Cal and established queer characters Eric and Adam. Sex Education ending is a huge loss for LGBTQ young adult inclusion, specifically on a show that talked so openly and positively about sex and identity. Popular Swedish teen show Young Royals is also coming to a close. The show has always followed the queer relationship between Prince Wilhelm and his classmate Simon, and, as with Sex Education, has continued to introduce more queer characters as the series progresses. Spanish-language hit Elite aired its seventh and penultimate season in summer 2023, which now follows gay lead Omar off at university, and includes Nico, a trans man, in the ensemble.

Young adult series that have not yet ended on Netflix include Australian hit Heartbreak High, which will return for season two this spring. The series boasts a diverse cast that includes a nonbinary character, an asexual character, an autistic lesbian, and more in the main ensemble. Already renewed is cultural phenomenon and fan favorite Heartstopper, which aired its second season this summer. The show follows the romance between teen boys Nick and Charlie as well as their group of friends, which include trans teen Elle, asexual teen Isaac, lesbian couple Tara and Darcy, and new trans characters added this year. Netflix also premiered and then canceled the new series Everything Now, whose lead Mia is in a love triangle with two other women and features additional queer characters in the cast.

New content from Netflix this year includes miniseries Fall of the House of Usher, an adaptation of several Edgar Allen Poe stories, which documented a wealthy family’s downfall. Many of the Usher siblings were queer as well as the district attorney who served as the framing device of the show. Netflix also adapted the popular graphic novel series and film Scott Pilgrim vs The World into the animated Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, which changes the plot of the book series and film to make bisexual character Ramona Flowers the protagonist of the series. Other major characters include Scott’s gay roommate Wallace, and Ramona’s ex Roxie. Netflix also released and then abruptly canceled Glamorous, which focused on Marco, a young make-up enthusiast who landed a dream job for a beauty company. At the end of the season, Marco comes out a transgender woman. Another new series from Netflix is Tore, a Swedish series which follows the titular Tore, a gay man whose grief leads him on a journey of self-discovery.

Amazon Prime counts the next highest LGBTQ characters on any streamer with 54. This is an increase of 11 characters from the previous report. Many of these characters can be seen on Australian murder-comedy Deadloch, whose protagonist is Dulcie, a lesbian detective, with an ensemble that includes her wife and the prominent lesbian community of their small town. Amazon also debuted multiple adult animated series that included queer characters at the center, including Hazbin Hotel, a musical comedy featuring a queer protagonist trying to rescue others from hell, and The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy, which features several LGBTQ doctors in this science fiction medical show.

Also on Amazon is Good Omens, which expanded on the novel source material in the second season to include an explicit romance between its leads: the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley, as well as a secondary lesbian romance. The steamer also aired the second season of The Wheel of Time, which features bisexual protagonist Moraine. Amazon aired the second and final season of With Love in 2023, which features a strong LGBTQ ensemble, including the lead gay couple Jorge and Henry, as well as Sol, Jorge’s trans cousin who had a romance of their own. Of the 54 characters on Amazon, 16 (30 percent of all Amazon characters) will not return.

Max has 38 LGBTQ characters counted for the 2023-2024 season, four more than the previous report. Several of these are on the second season of canceled comedy Our Flag Means Death. The series followed fictionalized versions of famous pirates and centered a queer romance between Stede Bonnet and Blackbeard. The show had a large ensemble which also featured nonbinary pirate Jim. Another show that is ending from Max is Canadian comedy Sort Of, which follows Pakistani trans nonbinary lead Sabi, navigating their life in Toronto and amassing a community of LGBTQ people around them. Both these shows are massive losses for the streamer.

Returning series on Max include Harley Quinn, which continues to tell the antics of the villains in Gotham, with the romance between Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy at the center. And Just Like That… aired its second season this summer, and continues to explore Miranda’s sexuality, as well as nonbinary character Che Diaz, though it has been confirmed that Che will not return for the third season. New series include Adventure time: Fionna and Cake, which features couple Marshall Lee and Gary Prince, the gender bent version of Marceline and Princess Bubblegum from the original cartoon. Comedy Hacks will return this spring, whose cast includes bisexual protagonist Ava, and gay supporting character Marcus. Nineteen of the 38 characters on Max (50 percent) will not return.

Hulu counts 25 LGBTQ characters, 12 fewer than last year. These are featured on new series Culprits, where lead character Joe has a husband and child, and is trying to hide his criminal past. FX on Hulu also aired miniseries The Full Monty, a continuation of the film, which includes gay and lesbian characters in the ensemble. New series Black Cake and Such Brave Girls include queer women among their cast, as well as the cancelled series Death and Other Details. Returning adult animated comedy Solar Opposites also included a special this year where lead characters, an alien couple named Korvo and Terry, got married.

Paramount+ counts 21 LGBTQ characters on their streaming service, an increase of 11 characters from the previous year. Many of these are on the final season of Star Trek: Discovery, which has been a flagship series for inclusion over its run, with gay couple Paul Stamets and Hugh Culber returning, as well as transgender character Adira. There are also several LGBTQ characters on Canadian medicine show SkyMed, including queer couple Lexi and Stef, whose romance was a large part of season two. Other Paramount+ series that featured queer characters include the final season of iCarly, teen drama School Spirits, FBI drama Special Ops: Lioness, and more.

There are 11 characters counted on Apple TV+, the same as the previous year. This was the only streamer that did not answer GLAAD’s questions about which shows were returning, so there may be omissions on this list, as it is based only on publicly available information. Period drama The Buccaneers included a lesbian couple in their ensemble of young women in the 19th Century. Popular drama The Morning Show’s third season continued to explore the relationship between bisexual lead Bradley and her love interest Laura. The second season of comedy Loot will return this spring which features prominent gay character Nicholas. Other LGBTQ inclusive Apple TV+ shows include Acapulco, The Big Door Prize, Foundation, and more. Peacock also counts 11 LGBTQ characters, 13 less than the previous report. These characters include the leads on British drama Vigil, supporting characters in comedy Ted, kids’ show Superbuns, and further shows that will air later in this research period.

Disney+ counts only 10 characters, a decrease of four from the previous year. A majority of those appeared on the final season of teen series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, which introduced more and more LGBTQ characters as the series progressed. Its loss will be significant for the streamer. Disney+ also counts queer leads in the upcoming season of Doctor Who, as well as Marvel hit Loki.

Of the 327 characters counted on streaming, 164 (50 percent) of them are characters of color. This is a decrease of 23 characters and three percent from the previous year. Even so, streaming is the only platform to meet the goal of 50 percent characters of color.