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Monday August 21, 2006 9:52 pm

Study Finds Fewer Gay Characters on TV

Will & Grace cast OK, so here’s a curious study—finding that the number of homosexual characters on television has decreased for the 2006-2007 season. Only nine homosexual characters will be on network-TV series, down from 10 last year. This information was released from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Interesting, I suppose, since the study looked at 679 series lead or supporting characters in the new season, and only about 1.3 percent are gay, lesbian or bisexual. GLAAD looked at the 95 new prime-time comedies and dramas from six major networks. While shows like Ellen and Will & Grace paved the way for more diverse roles, the numbers are still relatively low when looking at the total number of characters that the study analyzed. The characters were identified on the following shows: Help Me Help You (ABC), The Class (CBS), Brothers & Sisters (ABC), Fashion House” (MyNetworkTV), and Hidden Palms on the CW network. Returning shows include Desperate Housewives (ABC), The Office (NBC), and ER (NBC). Recurring gay, lesbian or bisexual characters are also in the series Ugly Betty, Big Day, The Simpsons, The War at Home and Grey’s Anatomy. GLAAD president Neil Giuliano commented on the study, saying, “It’s clear that the broadcast networks have a long way to go before they accurately reflect the diversity of their audience and our society.”

Read More | CBS News

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