GLAAD’s Cable TV Report Card: HBO and Showtime leading the way in LGBT representation

LGBT characters do exist on television as more than reality show contestants- at least on cable television (and on ABC)!

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) released its annual reports on LGBT representation on broadcast and cable television and HBO ranked tops among all networks due to characters on such shows as True Blood, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and Entourage.

HBO had 42 percent representation of LGBT characters, a 16 percent increase from last year. Virtually all non-sports original HBO series included LGBT content. On True Blood, the most prominent is  the gay African American character Lafayette Reynolds who has a major presence in every episode.

There were also several other gay characters, including Eddie,  a gay vampire taken prisoner by Jason Stackhouse’s vampire  blood-addicted girlfriend. Most significantly, openly gay creator Alan Ball has used  the persecution of vampires on True Blood as a thinly veiled allegory for obstacles faced by the LGBT community.

“This year, programming was not only inclusive of LGBT people, but networks like HBO are beginning to reflect the broad diversity within our community,” said Rashad Robinson, senior director of media programs at GLAAD. “With upcoming fall programming and new story lines, there is a tremendous opportunity for networks to share the stories of all members of our community.”

HBO with 42 percent representation of LGBT characters, a 16 percent increase from last year. Virtually all non-sports original HBO series included LGBT content,

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency premiered this season with significant LGBT content due to the presence of major gay character BK.  Set in the African nation  of Botswana, the series centers on the country’s first and only female-owned detective agency, which is right next-door to  BK’s hair salon.

Showtime was down by 8 percent in terms of gay-inclusive hours compared to last year but still had a strong showing. Boosting its numbers was the new series The United States of Tara features the gay teen character of Marshall Gregson (Keir Gilchrist) as the son of series lead Toni Collette. Marshall falls in love with one of his high school classmates and I loved watching that because we’ve all been through it! It shows what can be done with this opportunity and should be an example to others shows that wouldn’t even have to give the mother three alternate personalities!

Also, The L Word continued  to be the most LGBT-inclusive series on television with a  cast filled with LGBT characters. Unfortunately, this was the show’s final season and Showtime took a pass on a proposed spin-off – a fact made .embarrassingly clear buy creator Ilene Chaiken at this year’s GLAAD Awards in LA who used her long-winded speech as a pitch.

But hey, she gave us great TV for many years and let’s hope something she proposes does get picked up soon!

With The L Word now gone, GLAAD notes that Showtime could easily make some of its shows – Californication for example – more LGBT inclusive.

GLAAD states that FX was a big disappointment this season with the biggest drop  in LGBT content among cable networks, dropping from 45 percent to to 13 percent and losing their status as the leading cable network in  LGBT representations.

This is partly attributed to cancellation of its LGBT inclusive series The Riches and Dirt.

But FX remained on the gaydar thanks mainly to Nip/Tuck – every episode featuring at least one LGBT character. There were two strong LGBT storylines this season. One being Dylan McNamara’s ex-wife Julia (Joely Richardson) relationship with her girlfriend Olivia (Portia de Rossi), and another in which lesbian anesthesiologist Liz Cruz (Roma Maffia) questioned her sexual orientation.

TNT was put on the LGBT mao with the character of law clerk Charlie Sagansky (Jonathan Scarfe) on the legal drama Raising the Bar. Charlie spent the beginning of the season in the closet and ultimately got a boyfriend. Since Charlie waited until the end of the first season to come out to  his colleagues, this will allow the show to address gay issues more extensively in the show’s second season.

Meanwhile, TNT’s The Closer has added a recurring lesbian character in Det. Mikki Mendoza and it is revealed that the coroner, Dr. Morales, is gay.

USA Network was also largely dependent on a single regular LGBT character: Rodney (Chris Diamantopoulos) on the now-canceled  The Starter Wife. His character was an interior decorator and BFF of the Debra Mssing and Judy Davis characters and gets to have a secret relationship with a closeted action movie star.