LGBTQ+ TV Characters Drop 25%, Trans Roles Vanish Entirely

LGBTQ+ characters on scripted television fell 25% in one year, from 489 to 369, according to GLAAD's 2025–2026 "Where We Are on TV" report released Thursday. The decline hit transgender characters hardest. Only seven trans characters appeared in the tracked season, down 79% from 33 last year. None of them will return in the 2026–2027 season.

What does the report measure?

GLAAD, the LGBTQ+ media advocacy organization, tracked scripted primetime broadcast, cable, and streaming original series that aired new seasons between June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026. The count covers 369 LGBTQ+ characters. It does not track out LGBTQ+ performers in the industry.

The trans decline is structural. Of the seven trans characters, two were series regulars and five were recurring roles. Three appeared in series that have since been canceled. Four appeared in limited series (shows built to run one season). That leaves zero trans characters confirmed for 2026–2027, though new or returning shows could still cast some.

The report also flags casting practice. Two of the seven trans characters were played by cisgender male actors (cisgender means identifying with the sex assigned at birth). GLAAD argues this denies trans women industry work and reinforces the perception that trans women are "really" men in disguise. "That lie feeds the narrative underlying every attack, both political and physical, against trans people," the report states. Both series — Squid Game and The Dead Girls — were produced outside the US.

Why is representation falling?

Overall US television production contracted, with 11% fewer new series premiering in 2025 than in 2024. But LGBTQ+ representation fell more than twice as fast, at 25%. The gap points to decisions beyond market contraction. GLAAD also reports that 38% of all LGBTQ+ characters will not return in the 2026–2027 season, which makes further decline likely.

Raina Deerwater, associate director of entertainment research and analysis at the GLAAD Media Institute, connects the numbers to the political climate. "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," Deerwater said in a statement reported by The Hill. "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."

The report places the moment against history. Nearly 15 years ago, then-Vice President Joe Biden credited NBC's Will & Grace with shifting public opinion toward acceptance of gay people. Today, GLAAD argues, the same mechanism runs in reverse: "Authentic trans characters on television can be a bridge to show audiences that transgender people are their friends, co-workers, family, and neighbors. And yet, at a time when it's needed most, TV executives have turned away."

Does the decline match audience demand?

The data says no. The report names HBO Max's Heated Rivalry, Apple TV's Pluribus, and Netflix's The Hunting Wives as some of the biggest shows of the previous season. All three centered LGBTQ+ characters.

The demographic pressure is measurable. Research cited in the report indicates nearly 25% of viewers aged 18 to 29 identify as LGBTQ+. It also finds 58% of Gen Z viewers say authentic LGBTQ+ representation in TV and movies is important to them.

GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis framed the business case directly. "If the streamers and the networks want to keep these young eyes on their content, something needs to change," Ellis said. "These companies need to listen to their viewers, instead of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric that is further and further removed from what audiences want to see."

For marketers and network strategists, the gap between audience demand and programming supply is the operative fact: a shrinking young demographic pipeline sits against a 25% annual contraction in LGBTQ+ storytelling, with no trans characters confirmed for the season ahead.