LGBT Characters On TV At Record Highs

The number of lesbian, gay and transgender characters on U.S. television shows have reached record highs, and campaign group GLAAD said on Thursday that their stories were more important than ever given moves in the United States to roll back LGBT acceptance.

In it annual report on diversity on the small screen, GLAAD found 329 regular and recurring LGBTQ characters across all broadcast, cable and streaming TV platforms, including the first asexual and non-binary characters.

Reuters reports GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis said TV was a critical place for the portrayal of LGBTQ characters and their lives.

The GLAAD report found that LGBTQ regulars on the main U.S. broadcast channels in TV shows like “Riverdale,” “Empire” “Designated Survivor” made up 6.5 percent of all characters, making the highest percentage in 22 years of GLAAD tracking.

Netflix’s dark comedy “Bojack Horseman” and Freeform’s supernatural “Shadowhunters” brought audiences the first asexual characters on television.