Gays Underrepresented on British TV

A study by the UK based gay advocacy group Stonewall reports gays and lesbians are underrepresented on British TV.

A survey conducted for the group monitored 120 hours of programming and showed that just 46 minutes portrayed gay people “positively and realistically.” The rest of the time was spent painting gay people mostly as “promiscuous, predatory, or figures of fun.”

Of the shows found to be portraying gay people in a positive light, the BBC show EastEnders and the character of Syed Masood (pictured) got the highest marks.

"It's tragic that in 2010 broadcasters are still underserving young people in this way, particularly when young people themselves say they want to see real gay people's lives on TV,” Stonewall chief executive Ben Summerskill said in a statement.

The survey scanned programming on the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV1. In response to the survey, representatives from the BBC are expected to conduct their own survey into how gay people are portrayed.