Despite the breakout success of Heated Rivalry and multiple Emmy wins for Pluribus, the 2025-26 season was a down year for LGBTQ representation on television.
GLAAD‘s annual “Where We Are on TV” report on the state of LGBTQ characters in scripted series shows a steep 25 percent drop in representation last season. The report counted 369 LGBTQ characters in shows on streaming, broadcast and cable outlets, down from 489 in the 2024-25 season.
The decline among transgender characters was particularly noticeable, going from 33 in 2024-25 to just seven last season — all of them on shows that are not returning this season. That doesn’t necessarily mean there will be zero trans characters on TV this season, just that the shows those seven characters appeared on in 2025-26 aren’t continuing, either because they were limited series, were canceled or ended ongoing runs.
“In the last couple years, trans people have been scapegoated by the media. They have been targeted in ways that are offensive and dangerous. Lives have been lost,” said Raina Deerwater, lead author of the report and associate director of entertainment research and analysis for the GLAAD Media Institute. “Often we see media reflecting that, and because of a lot of the political conversation, it’s not a surprise to see trans representation falling on TV. But it’s very disheartening, especially when there are so many great trans artists that are telling wonderful stories. At the moment, their shows aren’t being greenlit, so they have to tell them outside of traditional venues.”
Nick Adams, vp of the GLAAD Media Institute, said in a statement, “Authentic trans characters on television can show audiences that transgender people are their friends, co-workers, family, and neighbors. And yet, at a time when those stories are needed most, TV executives have turned away.”
The percentage of LGBTQ characters who are people of color also fell off, from 51 percent of all such characters in 2024-25 to 44 percent last season, the lowest mark in eight years. GLAAD advocates for a 50 percent benchmark for nonwhite LGBTQ characters on screen.
GLAAD’s report notes that some of the decline in the total number of LGBTQ characters can be attributed to a lower volume of shows produced last season. Still, the number of LGBTQ characters declined at a higher rate (25 percent) than the total number of series (about 15 percent).
Rainwater told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview that the overall decline in production may have made executives more risk-averse, leaning on familiar or recycled IP rather than original stories that might be more inclusive. Some of the decline also might be the aftereffects of the industry’s reaction to a perceived cultural shift following the 2024 presidential election.
“Because production takes so long, what happens sometimes is things get greenlit in a certain era and then don’t come out until later,” she said. “So it does feel a little bit like we’re behind the times like at this very moment.”
The flip side is that those winds can change, as seen by huge Democratic gains — often in the face of anti-LGBTQ, and specifically anti-transgender messaging — in last week’s midterm elections. “Art does reflect politics, and a lot of the conversations around the midterms are like, ‘We have a lot of work to make up,’” said Rainwater. “Looking at these numbers and the erosion of trans representation and queer characters of color hitting an eight-year low, we also have a lot of work to make up [on screen].”
There are some hopeful notes in the report: The number of characters who identify as nonbinary grew in 2025-26, and bisexual characters were a greater percentage of the total (25 percent) than a year earlier.
Rainwater also pointed to the successes of Heated Rivalry and Pluribus — whose lead character is lesbian — and Wednesday’s renewal of FX’s Adults for a 16-episode third season (several of its core characters are queer) as reasons for optimism.
“We have a lot of research that shows Gen Z specifically wants queer representation. They want new stories,” said Rainwater. “A show like Adults getting renewed is obviously top of mind, but it does show that people want to be reflected on screen. That show is also just good and funny, and putting queer people in a classic hangout sitcom and then giving them more episodes is a sure-fire way to success. It’s great to see that.
“The numbers are down, but this was also a year that a lot of queer-inclusive shows were breakaway hits. Obviously, there’s the Heated Rivalry of it all, so it’s definitely a thing of ‘Hey, take note of one of the biggest hits that managed to be monoculture in today’s divided attention economy.’ That’s really impressive. … We want to make sure that these shows are appreciated and [highlight that] these shows are breaking through in a way that not much TV is.”
Original Article on Hollywood Reporter