The number of gay
characters depicted on TV is falling on network series
but rising on cable, a study by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation found.
In the
2007-2008 TV season, broadcast series will feature
seven regularly seen characters who are gay, lesbian,
bisexual, or transgender, down from nine characters in
2006 and 10 the season before, GLAAD said. Most are on
one network, ABC.
The new figure
represents 1.1% of all regular characters on ABC, CBS,
NBC, Fox, and CW, compared with 1.3% in 2006, according to
the study to be released Monday. A total of 87
comedies and dramas with 650 characters were analyzed.
By comparison,
cable shows will feature 40 gay characters as series
regulars, GLAAD said.
''While we
acknowledge there have been improvements made in how we are
seen on the broadcast networks, most notably on ABC, our
declining representation clearly indicates a failure
to inclusively reflect the audience watching
television,'' GLAAD president Neil G. Giuliano said in
a statement.
The seven
broadcast characters appear on five shows, including
Brothers and Sisters, Desperate Housewives, Ugly
Betty, The Office, and the new mid-season series
Cashmere Mafia.
ABC shows are
home to six of the seven, with one on NBC. There were no
lead or supporting gay or transgender characters set to
appear on CBS, Fox, or CW, GLAAD found.
Last year the
characters were spread among five networks. However, there
will be an additional 13 gay characters seen occasionally on
broadcast TV shows this season, compared with five
recurring characters last year.
That increase
''suggests that producers and writers are showing a guarded
interest in being inclusive without making the characters
lead or supporting,'' GLAAD said in a release, noting
that gay characters on Ugly Betty and Desperate
Housewives first appeared as recurring before
being added to the regular cast.
ABC, Fox, and CW
declined requests for comment, while NBC and CBS did not
immediately respond.
The ''real
advances'' in gay depiction on TV are being made on cable
channels, GLAAD said.
The 40 regular
characters depicted on 21 scripted shows on cable
channels, including HBO, Showtime, and FX, represents 15
more characters than last year, the study found.
GLAAD has issued
its ''Where We Are on TV'' report on gay characters for
12 years. For the past three years the organization also has
looked at representation of minorities, men, and women
on broadcast TV.
Whites make up
77% of network series regular characters, up 2% from last
year. Blacks remained steady at 12% and Asian-Pacific
Islanders at 3%, while Latinos dropped from 7% to 6%.
Male characters
outweighed females 58% to 42% on network shows.
CW, although
lacking gay characters, ranked first in overall diversity,
with ethnic minorities making up 32% of its series regulars,
the study found. (AP)