One out of every two queer characters on American TV dies or is killed. This is a wake-up call for the entertainment industry

GLAAD's latest 2023-2024 report, "Where We Are on TV," features a shocking statistic: 41% of LGBT characters featured in American TV series won't be returning for the new season. They either died, were killed, or their show was simply canceled — This is a wake-up call for the entertainment industry.

The report, released on November 6, 2025, analyzes 775 TV series across five platforms: broadcast, cable, premium streaming, non-premium streaming, and animation. During the 2023–2024 season, 119 new LGBTQ+ characters were introduced, while only 178 from previous seasons returned. The result: LGBTQ+ characters accounted for 10.6% of all regular and recurring roles. — a 1.5% increase compared to last year, but still a far cry from the actual diversity in the U.S. (where the LGBT community — about 7–10% of the population, according to Gallup).

Why is this important?

Such "losses" reinforce stereotypes: trans characters, for example, died in 20% of cases, and bi characters — 15%. GLAAD emphasizes that this is not an accident — Studios save on diversity in times of crisis. "We see progress in quantity, but the quality is frustrating: LGBT stories end too soon," — comments Sarah Keith Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD.

Key figures from the report:

Total number of LGBT roles: 392 (out of 3,694 recurring characters).

Breakdown by type: Gay/lesbian — 52%, bi/pan — 30%, trans — 8%, queer/non-binary — 10%.

Outlook for 2024–2025: a drop of 4% is expected due to the cancellation of shows like "The L Word: Generation Q".

Positive: A 21% increase in non-binary characters, with streaming platforms leading the way in diversity.

What's next? GLAAD is calling on studios to take responsibility: more multi-season contracts and narratives that challenge stereotypes. Netflix and HBO Max have already promised improvements.