By Tessa Stayton
GLAAD, the media advocacy organization, recently released their annual report detailing the representation rates of LGBTQ+ characters in the media (entitled “Where We Are on TV”) for the 2023-2024 season. Whereas last season saw 596 LGBTQ+ characters represented in the media, this year has yielded only 468 (GLAAD). This represents a significant drop of nearly 22%. Furthermore, only 24% of these characters are bisexual+, despite bi+ identifying individuals making up 58% of the LGBTQ+ community (Gallup).
One encouraging development has been the considerable increase in media representation of bi+ men. The 2023-2024 season has seen an increase from 26% to 34% of LGBTQ+ characters representing bi+ men, many of whom are lead protagonists in their respective series rather than neglected side characters (including Loki from Loki and Nick Nelson from Heartstopper) (GLAAD). Since bi+ representation has a history of being strongly skewed towards women, this is a welcome change.
Naturally, there is still considerable room for improvement. The majority of bi+ characters continue to be white (53%), and discontinuations or cancellations of LGBTQ+ shows remain a significant issue: at least 27% of this season’s LGBTQ+ characters will not be returning for this reason (GLAAD). And yet, compared to the measly 1.3% of LGBTQ+ characters present in the media when GLAAD first began documenting this information during the 2006-2007 season, it is important to recognize how far LGBTQ+ representation has already come while simultaneously advocating for further advancements.
Tessa Stayton is a rising senior at Connecticut College in the U.S. and a summer intern at Bi Women Quarterly.