Audiences and advertisers alike are flocking to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT)-inclusive programs. Representing 24% of broadcast primetime scripted and reality shows last season, these series garnered 28% of broadcast primetime TV viewing and 22% of ad dollars, according to Nielsen data.
Teen and Millennial viewers in particular dedicated over a third of their primetime scripted TV viewing to series depicting at least one regular or recurring LGBT character. Females 50+ were attracted to realities featuring LGBT cast-members, hosts, judges and/or competitors, dedicating a significant share of their reality TV time to these programs. Overall, one in four scripted series and one in five reality shows were LGBT-inclusive.
According to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the presence of regularly-appearing LGBT characters accounted for 3.9% of all scripted series regular characters (broadcast and cable) during the 2010-2011 season, reaching a record high. Show lists (see below) were determined by GLAAD as part of its “Where We Are On TV Report: 2011-2012 Season,” and includes scripted programs such as Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy, The Office, 90210, Glee and House, as well as reality shows such as Dancing with the Stars and Big Brother 12.
LEADING CHARACTERS – BROADCAST
| SHOW |
NETWORK
|
CHARACTER
|
ACTOR
|
ORIENTATION/ETHNICITY
|
|
Grey’s Anatomy
|
ABC
|
Callie Torres
|
Sara Ramirez
|
Bisexual/Latina
|
|
Happy Endings
|
ABC
|
Max Blum
|
Adam Pally
|
Gay/White
|
|
Modern Family
|
ABC
|
Mitchell Prichett
|
Jesse Tyler Ferguson
|
Gay/White
|
|
Modern Family
|
ABC
|
Cameron Tucker
|
Eric Stonestreet
|
Gay/White
|
|
Smash
|
NBC
|
Tom
|
Christian Borle
|
Gay/White
|
Total Count: 5
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS – BROADCAST
| SHOW |
NETWORK
|
CHARACTER
|
ACTOR
|
ORIENTATION/ETHNICITY
|
|
90210
|
The CW
|
Adrianna Tate- Duncan
|
Jessica Lowndes
|
Bisexual/White
|
|
Allen Gregory
|
Fox
|
Jeremy
|
Nat Faxon
|
Gay/White
|
|
Allen Gregory
|
Fox
|
Richard
|
French Stewart
|
Gay/White
|
|
American Dad
|
Fox
|
Roger
|
Seth MacFarlane
|
Bisexual/Other
|
|
Bones
|
Fox
|
Angela Montenegro
|
Michaela Conlin
|
Bisexual/API
|
|
GCB
|
ABC
|
Blake Reilly
|
Mark Deklin
|
Gay/White
|
|
Glee
|
Fox
|
Blaine Anderson
|
Darren Criss
|
Gay/White
|
|
Glee
|
Fox
|
Kurt Hummel
|
Chris Colfer
|
Gay/White
|
|
Glee
|
Fox
|
Santana Lopez
|
Naya Rivera
|
Lesbian/Latina
|
|
Glee
|
Fox
|
Brittany S. Pierce
|
Heather Morris
|
Bisexual/White
|
|
The Good Wife
|
CBS
|
Kalinda Sharma
|
Archie Panjabi
|
Bisexual/API
|
|
Grey’s Anatomy
|
ABC
|
Arizona Robbins
|
Jessica Capshaw
|
Lesbian/White
|
|
The Office
|
NBC
|
Oscar Martinez
|
Oscar Nuñez
|
Gay/Latino
|
|
The Playboy Club
|
NBC
|
Alice
|
Leah Renee
|
Lesbian/White
|
Total Count: 14
RECURRING CHARACTERS – BROADCAST
| SHOW |
NETWORK
|
CHARACTER
|
ACTOR
|
ORIENTATION/ETHNICITY
|
|
90210
|
The CW
|
Teddy Montgomery
|
Trevor Donovan
|
Gay/White
|
|
American Dad
|
Fox
|
Terry Bates
|
Mike Barker
|
Gay/White
|
|
American Dad
|
Fox
|
Greg Corbin
|
Seth McFarlane
|
Gay/White
|
|
The Cleveland Show
|
Fox
|
Terry
|
Jason Sudeikis
|
Bisexual/White
|
|
Desperate Housewives
|
ABC
|
Bob Hunter
|
Tuc Watkins
|
Gay/White
|
|
Desperate Housewives
|
ABC
|
Lee McDermott
|
Kevin Rahm
|
Gay/White
|
|
GCB
|
ABC
|
Booth Becker
|
Denton Blane Everett
|
Gay/White
|
|
The Good Wife
|
CBS
|
Owen Cavanaugh
|
Dallas Roberts
|
Gay/White
|
|
The Good Wife
|
CBS
|
Sophia Russo
|
Kelli Giddish
|
Bisexual/White
|
|
Revenge
|
ABC
|
Tyler
|
Ashton Holmes
|
Gay/White
|
|
Rules of Engagement
|
CBS
|
Brenda
|
Sarah Rue
|
Lesbian/White
|
|
The Playboy Club
|
NBC
|
Sean
|
Sean Maher
|
Gay/White
|
|
The Simpsons
|
Fox
|
Patty Bouvier
|
Julie Kavner
|
Lesbian/White
|
|
The Simpsons
|
Fox
|
Waylon Smithers
|
Harry Shearer
|
Gay/White
|
Total Count: 14
LEADING CHARACTERS – CABLE
| SHOW |
NETWORK
|
CHARACTER
|
ACTOR
|
ORIENTATION/ETHNICITY
|
|
Happily Divorced
|
TV Land
|
Peter Lovett
|
John Michael Higgins
|
Gay/White
|
|
Pretty Little Liars
|
ABC Family
|
Emily Fields
|
Shay Mitchell
|
Lesbian/Multi-racial
|
|
Shameless
|
Showtime
|
Ian Gallagher
|
Cameron Monaghan
|
Gay/White
|
|
Southland
|
TNT
|
Officer John Cooper
|
Michael Cudlitz
|
Gay/White
|
|
Torchwood: Miracle Day
|
Starz
|
Jack Harkness
|
John Barrowman
|
Bisexual/White
|
Total Count: 5
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS – CABLE
| SHOW |
NETWORK
|
CHARACTER
|
ACTOR
|
ORIENTATION/ETHNICITY
|
|
Archer
|
FX
|
Pam
|
Amber Nash
|
Bisexual/White
|
|
Archer
|
FX
|
Ray Gillette
|
Adam Reed
|
Gay/White
|
|
Boardwalk Empire
|
HBO
|
Angela Darmody
|
Aleksa Palladino
|
Bisexual/White
|
|
Degrassi
|
TeenNick
|
Fiona Coyne
|
Annie Clark
|
Lesbian/White
|
|
Degrassi
|
TeenNick
|
Zane Park
|
Shannon Kook-Chun
|
Gay/API
|
|
Degrassi
|
TeenNick
|
Riley Stavros
|
Argiris Karras
|
Gay/White
|
|
Degrassi
|
TeenNick
|
Adam Torres
|
Jordan Todosey
|
Straight/White
|
|
Entourage
|
HBO
|
Lloyd Lee
|
Rex Lee
|
Gay/API
|
|
HawthoRNe
|
TNT
|
Kelly
|
Vanessa Lengies
|
Lesbian/White
|
|
Hung
|
HBO
|
Damon Drecker
|
Charlie Saxon
|
Bisexual/White
|
|
Love that Girl!
|
TV One
|
Adonis
|
Mark Adair-Rios
|
Gay/Multi-racial
|
|
Love that Girl!
|
TV One
|
Fabian
|
Peter Oldring
|
Gay/White
|
|
Nurse Jackie
|
Showtime
|
Dr. Eleanor O’Hara
|
Eve Best
|
Bisexual/White
|
|
Nurse Jackie
|
Showtime
|
Thor Lundgren
|
Stephen Wallem
|
Gay/White
|
|
Single Ladies
|
VH!
|
Omar
|
Travis Winfrey
|
Gay/Black
|
|
Spartacus: Vengeance
|
Starz
|
Lucretia
|
Lucy Lawless
|
Bisexual/White
|
|
True Blood
|
HBO
|
Pam De Beaufort
|
Kristin Bauer
|
Lesbian/White
|
|
True Blood
|
HBO
|
Lafayette Reynolds
|
Nelsan Ellis
|
Gay/Black
|
|
True Blood
|
HBO
|
Tara Thornton
|
Rutina Wesley
|
Bisexual/Black
|
|
True Blood
|
HBO
|
Jesus Velasquez
|
Kevin Alejandro
|
Gay/Latino
|
|
Warehouse 13
|
Syfy
|
Steve Jinks
|
Aaron Ashmore
|
Gay/White
|
|
White Collar
|
USA
|
Diana Barrigan
|
Marsha Thomason
|
Lesbian/Black
|
Total Count: 22
RECURRING CHARACTERS – CABLE
| SHOW |
NETWORK
|
CHARACTER
|
ACTOR
|
ORIENTATION/ETHNICITY
|
|
American Horror story
|
FX
|
Character 1
|
Zachary Quinto
|
Gay/White
|
|
American Horror Story
|
FX
|
Character 2
|
Teddy Sears
|
Gay/White
|
|
Being Human
|
Syfy
|
Emily
|
Alison Louder
|
Lesbian/White
|
|
The Big C
|
Showtime
|
Lee
|
Hugh Dancy
|
Gay/White
|
|
The Closer
|
TNT
|
Dr. Morales
|
Jonathon Del Arco
|
Gay/Latino
|
|
Children’s Hospital
|
Adult Swim
|
Dr. Brian
|
Jordan Peele
|
Bisexual/Black
|
|
Game of Thrones
|
HBO
|
Renly Baratheon
|
Gethin Anthony
|
Gay/White
|
|
Game of Thrones
|
HBO
|
Loras Tyrell
|
Finn Jones
|
Gay/White
|
|
Mad Men
|
AMC
|
Joyce Ramsay
|
Zosia Mamet
|
Lesbian/White
|
|
Pretty Little Liars
|
ABC Family
|
Maya St. Germain
|
Bianca Lawson
|
Lesbian/Black
|
|
The Secret Life of the American Teenager
|
ABC Family
|
Griffin
|
Brando Eaton
|
Gay/White
|
|
The Secret Life of the American Teenager
|
ABC Family
|
Nora Underwood
|
Anne Ramsay
|
Lesbian/White
|
|
Shameless
|
Showtime
|
Bob
|
Carlease Burke
|
Lesbian/Black
|
|
Shameless
|
Showtime
|
Kash
|
Pej Vahdat
|
Gay/API
|
|
Shameless
|
Showtime
|
Jess
|
Missy Doty
|
Lesbian/Black
|
|
Shameless
|
Showtime
|
Monica Gallagher
|
Chloe Webb
|
Bisexual/White
|
|
Shameless
|
Showtime
|
Mickey Milkovich
|
Noel Fisher
|
Gay/White
|
|
South Park
|
Comedy Central
|
Mr. Garrison
|
Trey Parker
|
Bisexual/White
|
|
Teen Wolf
|
MTV
|
Danny
|
Keahu Kahuanui
|
Gay/API
|
|
True Blood
|
HBO
|
Naomi
|
Vedette Lim
|
Lesbian/White
|
|
True Blood
|
HBO
|
Nan Flanagan
|
Jessica Tuck
|
Lesbian/White
|
|
Weeds
|
Showtime
|
Zoya
|
Olga Sosnovska
|
Bisexual/White
|
Total Count: 22
ADDENDUM:
These characters were not announced or identified as LGBT in time to be included in the Where We Are on TV report
|
SHOW
|
NETWORK
|
CHARACTER
|
ACTOR
|
ORIENTATION/ETHNICITY
|
STATUS
|
|
Glee
|
Fox
|
Sebastian
|
Grant Gustin
|
Gay/White
|
Recurring
|
At the launch of the 2011-2012 television season, GLAAD estimates that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) scripted characters represent 2.9% of all scripted series regular characters on the five broadcast networks: ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox, and NBC. This is a decrease from last year, with 19 series regular characters identified as LGBT.
The number of scripted LGBT series regulars found on mainstream cable networks has also fallen slightly to 28 in the upcoming season. GLAAD counted 26 additional recurring characters on cable.
Audiences for LGBT-inclusive shows were as diverse as the programs themselves, though certain demos appear to have been more exposed to LGBT images. Within the 25-49 age demo, LGBT-inclusive programs (and its advertisers) were most likely to reach:
College-educated white females
Small white collar households
Budding families (those with 3 or fewer members)
Non-white, professional Millennials without children also tended to watch LGBT-inclusive shows more frequently than primetime in general.
LGBT-Inclusive characters were incorporated into shows that skewed towards Eastern and Pacific viewers and were less watched by Midwesterners. This differential was most pronounced among 18-24 year olds in the Midwest, especially when compared to 18-24 year olds in other regions of the U.S.
Advertisers
LGBT characters and plots were woven into some of the most popular broadcast primetime programs last season, and advertisers were investing their budgets there too. Motion pictures and department stores were the top categories that drove advertising on LGBT-inclusive programming, devoting 28.3% and 27.6% of their ad dollars, respectively.
Credit cards, telephone, and tech companies also spent a significant share of ad dollars with LGBT-friendly programs. Of the top 10 overall advertising categories, retail and pharmaceuticals dedicated less of their ad budgets to these shows than they did on the average for all categories.
