LGBTQ TV Characters Drop 25% in 2025-26

GLAAD's annual report finds LGBTQ representation on scripted TV fell sharply, including a steep decline in transgender characters.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in LGBTQ+

Bold vector editorial illustration of identical rounded cabinet shapes in descending height on a cream field, suggesting a shrinking lineup of television characters. — GLAAD's annual report counted 369 LGBTQ characters on scripted TV in the 2025-26 season, down from 489, with transgender characters falling from 33 to seven. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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GLAAD's annual Where We Are on TV report counted 369 LGBTQ characters in scripted series in the 2025-26 season, down from 489 the prior season. The number of transgender characters fell from 33 to seven.

Why it matters

The decline spans the total number of LGBTQ characters, the share who are people of color, and transgender representation, which fell to its lowest level in the report's tracking. Advocates measure these shifts against GLAAD's benchmark of 50 percent nonwhite LGBTQ characters on screen.

GLAAD's count shows the total number of scripted series fell about 15 percent, while LGBTQ characters fell 25 percent, a steeper drop than the overall decline. The share of LGBTQ characters who are people of color fell to 44 percent, the lowest mark in eight years, and bisexual characters rose to 25 percent of the total.

The players

GLAAD

GLAAD is an American media advocacy organization that monitors LGBTQ representation in film and television and publishes its annual Where We Are on TV report.

FX is an American cable and streaming network owned by Disney that has produced several scripted series featuring LGBTQ characters.

The details

GLAAD counted LGBTQ characters across streaming, broadcast and cable series, and reported that the number of nonbinary characters grew in 2025-26. All seven transgender characters counted in the latest season appear on shows that are not returning this season.

2024-25 season: 489 LGBTQ characters counted in scripted series.
2025-26 season: 369 LGBTQ characters counted, a 25 percent drop.
Publication week: FX renewed Adults for a 16-episode third season.

Industry Dynamics

The 2025-26 drop extends the annual trend GLAAD tracks in its Where We Are on TV report, which measures LGBTQ characters against its benchmark of 50 percent nonwhite LGBTQ characters on screen. The season's 44 percent figure falls short of that target and marks the lowest share in eight years.

Viewers who follow LGBTQ storylines will find fewer such characters across scripted series in the 2025-26 season, and many transgender characters appear only on shows not returning this year. Subscription and broadcast viewers may notice the change in which programs remain available.

The takeaway

Representation data like GLAAD's annual count gives audiences a measurable way to track whether the stories they see reflect the full range of LGBTQ lives. Watching how the numbers change season to season shows whether the trend holds.