According to a survey by The Ankler, LGBTQ+ representation on TV declined by 36 percent in 2024, with the cancellation of several coming-of-age series such as High School and A League of Their Own. Creators and activists attribute this decline to political pressures–the latest example of this being Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s order to remove Harvey Milk’s name from a Navy ship–and increasing caution on the part of studios to produce inclusive content.
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) organization, which represents a broad spectrum of LGBTQ+ identities, reports a 14 percent increase in anti-LGBTQ+ attacks over the past year, underscoring the importance of queer stories as a tool against misinformation and hate.
Megan Townsend, senior director of entertainment research and analysis at GLAAD, explained, “In recent editions of our annual Where We Are on TV report, we have observed that inclusive series are being canceled faster than new ones are being produced.”
Despite the progress made during the so-called “Peak TV” era, the decline in LGBTQ+ representation began even before the 2023 strikes. For Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO of GLAAD, this is a major missed opportunity, especially considering that 20 percent of Generation Z identifies as LGBTQ. “Hollywood is getting drawn into the culture war,” she said, “and I’m concerned about the loss of representation.”
“We are seeing a growing threat against our community, fueled in part by the rhetoric of the White House. The antidote to that rhetoric is storytelling, and the way to counter misinformation is to tell our stories through these characters,” Ellis added. “Hollywood’s retreat at such a critical time represents a real recipe for disaster for our community.”
