Media portrayal of LGBT people: Difference between revisions

Historically, the portrayal of [[lesbian]], [[gay]], [[bisexual]], and [[transgender]] ([[LGBT]]) people in [[Mass media|media]] havehas been largely negative if not altogether absent, reflecting thea general cultural intolerance of LGBT individuals; however, from the 1990s to present day, there has been an increase in the positive depictions of LGBT people, issues, and concerns within mainstream media in North America.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |title=Invisibility, homophobia and heterosexism: Lesbians, gays and the media |journal=Critical Studies in Mass Communication |date=1993 |issn=0739-3180 |pages=395–422 |volume=10 |issue=4 |doi=10.1080/15295039309366878 |first1=Linda |last1=Steiner |first2=Fred |last2=Fejes |first3=Kevin |last3=Petrich}}</ref> The LGBT communities have taken an increasingly proactive stand in defining their own culture, with a primary goal of achieving an affirmative visibility in mainstream media. The positive portrayal or increased presence of the LGBT communities in media has served to increase acceptance and support for LGBT communities, establish LGBT communities as a norm, and provide information on the topic.<ref name=":0" />

Although [[lesbian]], [[gay]], [[bisexual]] and [[transgender]] individuals are generally indistinguishable from their straight or [[cisgender]] counterparts, media depictions of LGBT individuals often represent them as visibly and behaviorally different. For example, in many forms of popular entertainment, [[gay men]] are portrayed [[stereotype|stereotypically]] as promiscuous, flashy, flamboyant, and bold, while the reverse is often true of how [[Media portrayal of lesbians|lesbians are portrayed]]. Media representations of bisexual and transgender people tend to either completely erase them, or depict them as morally corrupt or mentally unstable. Similar to race-, religion-, and class-based caricatures, these stereotypical [[stock character]] representations vilify or make light of marginalized and misunderstood groups.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Stereotype or success? Prime-time television's portrayals of gay male, lesbian, and bisexual characters |journal=Journal of Homosexuality |date=2006-01-01 |issn=0091-8369 |pmid=16901865 |pages=19–38 |volume=51 |issue=2 |doi=10.1300/J082v51n02_02 |first1=Amber B. |last1=Raley |first2=Jennifer L. |last2=Lucas |s2cid=9882274}}</ref>

The first representation of same-sex interactions was a portrayal of two men dancing with each other to violin music in 1895, with Edison Short's silentca. 17 second long early experimental sound film ''[[The Dickson Experimental Sound Film|The Gay Brothers]]''.,<ref name=":0" /> though both that title for the film and whether it actually was meant to have any homoerotic undertones is disputed.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}} Through the early twentieth century, portrayals of homosexuality in media was uncommon, and when represented it was often used as a comic device; for example ''Sissy Man'' in [[Stan Laurel]]'s silent film ''[[The Soilers]]'' in 1923.<ref name=":0" />

This happens especially often in television shows.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/bury-your-gays-why-are-so-many-queer-women-dying-n677386|title='Bury Your Gays': Why Are So Many Lesbian TV Characters Dying Off?|publisher=[[NBC News]]|date=November 4, 2016|accessdate=March 29, 2022}}</ref><ref name="THR"/> According to ''[[Autostraddle]]'', which examined 1,779 [[Screenplay|scripted]] U.S. television series from 1976 to 2016, 11% (193) of them featured lesbian or bisexual female characters, and among these, 35% saw lesbian or bisexual characters dead, while only 16% provided a happy ending for them. Similarly, among all lesbian or bisexual characters in ended series, 31% ended up dead, and only 10% received a happy ending.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hogan |first1=Heather |title=Autostraddle's Ultimate Infographic Guide to Dead Lesbian Characters on TV |url=http://www.autostraddle.com/autostraddles-ultimate-infographic-guide-to-dead-lesbian-tv-characters-332920/ |access-date=3 April 2016 |website=[[Autostraddle]] |date=25 March 2016 |language=en-US}}</ref> In a study of 242 character deaths in the 2015–2016 television season, ''[[Vox (website)|Vox]]'' reported that "A full 10 percent of deaths [were] queer women."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Framke |first1=Caroline |last2=Zarracina |first2=Javier |last3=Frostenson |first3=Sarah |title=All the TV character deaths of 2015-'16, in one chart |url=https://www.vox.com/a/tv-deaths-lgbt-diversity |website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] |date=June 1, 2016 |access-date=December 1, 2017}}</ref> In one month of 2016, four lesbian or bisexual women were killed in four shows, further showcasing the prevalence of this occurrence on screen.<ref name="THR">{{Cite web|last1=Snarker|first1=Dorothy|last2=Snarker|date=2016-03-21|title=Bury Your Gays: Why 'The 100,' 'Walking Dead' Deaths Are Problematic (Guest Column)|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/bury-your-gays-why-100-877176/|access-date=2022-02-09|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en-US}}</ref> Such statistics led ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' to conclude in 2016 that "the trope is alive and well on TV, and fictional lesbian and bisexual women in particular have a very small chance of leading long and productive lives".<ref name="learn">{{cite news |last1=Ryan |first1=Maureen |title=What TV Can Learn From 'The 100' Mess |url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/opinion/the-100-lexa-jason-rothenberg-1201729110/ |access-date=3 April 2016 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=14 March 2016 |language=en-US}}</ref> [[GLAAD]]'s 2016 TV report stated: {{blockquote|While much improvement has been made and TV remains incredibly far ahead of film in terms of LGBTQ representation, it must be made clear that television – and broadcast series more specifically – failed queer women this year as character after character was killed. This is especially disappointing as this very report just last year called on broadcast content creators to do better by lesbian and bisexual women after superfluous deaths on ''Chicago Fire'' and ''Supernatural''. This continues a decades-long trend of killing LGBTQ characters – often solely to further a straight, cisgender character's plotline – which sends a dangerous message to audiences. It is important that creators do not reinvigorate harmful tropes, which exploit an already marginalized community.<ref>{{cite web|title=GLAAD Report: 2016 Was A Year Of Representation But Also, Mostly, Murder For Lesbians On TV|url=https://www.autostraddle.com/glaad-report-2016-was-a-year-of-representation-but-also-mostly-murder-for-lesbians-on-tv-357312/|work=[[Autostraddle]]|date=November 3, 2016|accessdate=March 29, 2022}}</ref>}}

The death of [[Lexa (The 100)|Lexa]] in the CW's ''[[The 100 (TV series)|The 100]]'' sparked viewer outrage and widespread controversy, becoming one of the first deaths to draw mainstream attention. Fans took to the internet to voice their frustrations and spearheaded initiatives to help bring about change.<ref name="learn"/><ref name="change">{{cite news|last1=Framke|first1=Caroline |title=Queer women have been killed on television for decades. Now The 100's fans are fighting back.|url=https://www.vox.com/2016/3/25/11302564/lesbian-deaths-television-trope|access-date=April 3, 2016 |website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|date=25 March 2016}}</ref> ''The 100'' showrunner [[Jason Rothenberg]] later admitted to his mistake of perpetuating the trope, stating: "I would've done some things differently."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Prudom|first=Laura|date=2016-03-27|title='The 100' Creator on Lexa Controversy: 'I Would've Done Some Things Differently'|url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/the-100-lexa-dies-lesbian-death-tropes-jason-rothenberg-wondercon-1201740032/|access-date=2022-02-09|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="learn"/> In an attempt to combat this, the writers of the show ''[[Saving Hope]],'' in collaboration with LGBTQIA+ activist organization [[The Trevor Project]], established the Lexa Pledge, a plea to showrunners and TV writers to do better by their LGBTQIA+ characters. The pledge details numerous ways that writers can better represent the LGBTQIA+ community by providing queer characters with meaningful storylines and to avoid killing them off in order to forward the plot of a straight character.<ref>{{Cite web|title="The Lexa Pledge" makes a promise to LGBTQ fans|url=http://feministing.com/2016/05/02/the-lexa-pledge-makes-a-promise-to-lgbtq-fans/|access-date=2022-02-09|website=Feministing|languagedate=en-US2 May 2016 }}</ref> The pledge was met with support with writers from shows like ''[[The Catch (TV series)|The Catch]]'' and ''[[Rookie Blue]]'' signing the pledge. However, some showrunners, most notably ''[[Grey's Anatomy]]'' showrunner [[Krista Vernoff]], acknowledged the importance of the pledge in raising awareness but felt it could limit storytelling abilities and halt progress in terms of onscreen representations of queer characters.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stanhope|first=Kate|date=2016-06-11|title=Bury Your Gays: TV Writers Tackle Trope, the Lexa Pledge and Offer Advice to Showrunners|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/bury-your-gays-atx-festival-901800/|access-date=2022-02-09|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en-US}}</ref> When the final season of ''[[She-Ra and the Princesses of Power]]'' premiered in 2020, showrunner [[ND Stevenson]] said that he could not "see another gay character die on TV for the moment. Maybe one day we can have a tragic gay romance again, but that has been, like, the only norm for so long."<ref name="latimes">{{cite web|last1=Brown|first1=Tracy|date=May 15, 2020|title=Once 'so secret,' a queer Netflix series finally puts all its cards on the table|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2020-05-15/netflix-she-ra-princesses-of-power-noelle-stevenson-finale|url-access=limited|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200516180501/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2020-05-15/netflix-she-ra-princesses-of-power-noelle-stevenson-finale|archive-date=May 16, 2020|access-date=May 16, 2020|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> The pledge and subsequent reaction added nuance to the ongoing conversations surrounding onscreen representations of queer people, changing the way people think about diversity and queer representation.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

LGBT characters also go through similar things in other fiction, such as [[LGBT themes in video games|video games]], where, according to ''[[Kotaku]]'', LGBT characters are "largely defined by a pain that their straight counterparts do not share". Facing challenges that "serve as an in-world analogy for anti-LGBTQ bigotry", these characters are defined by tragedy that denies them a chance at happiness.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Alexandra |first1=Heather |title=Let Queer Characters Be Happy |url=https://kotaku.com/let-queer-characters-be-happy-1827147707 |access-date=8 July 2018 |work=Kotaku}}</ref> While games like ''[[The Last of Us]]'' or ''[[Life Is Strange (video game)|Life Is Strange]]'' forward LGBTQIA+ representation in the gaming sphere by featuring queer lead characters, they still fall victim to tragedy or death. [[The Last of Us: Left Behind|''The Last of Us'' DLC]] features lead character Ellie engaging in a brief moment of queerness not long before her love interest dies, and the game's sequel features Ellie as an openly queer woman yet continues to emotionally torture her.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wright|first=Steve|date=2020-06-12|title=The Last of Us Part 2 Review: Bury your gays, emotionally|url=https://stevivor.com/reviews/the-last-of-us-part-2-review-bury-your-gays-emotionally/|access-date=2022-02-09|website=Stevivor|language=en-AUえーゆー}}</ref>

Increasing awareness and criticism of the trope has influenced creators to attempt to avoid it. In 2018, ''[[Star Trek: Discovery]]'' aired an episode in which a gay character played by [[Wilson Cruz]] was killed. Immediately after the episode aired, Cruz, GLAAD, and the showrunners released reassuring statements intimating that the character's death may not be final, with specific reference to avoiding the cliche.<ref name="CulberStatement">{{cite web |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2018/01/star-trek-discovery-culber-stamets-bury-your-gays-spoilers-1201915322/ |title='Star Trek: Discovery' Fans, Here's Why 'Despite Yourself' Didn't 'Bury Its Gays' |last=Miller |first=Liz Shannon |work=[[IndieWire]] |date=January 8, 2018 |access-date=July 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627004213/http://www.indiewire.com/2018/01/star-trek-discovery-culber-stamets-bury-your-gays-spoilers-1201915322/ |archive-date=June 27, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> In the following season, Cruz's character returned from the dead by science-fictional means, and Cruz was added to the main cast. Elsewhere, ''[[Schitt's Creek]]'' writer and creator [[Dan Levy (Canadian actor)|Dan Levy]] acknowledged that he wanted the relationship between David and Patrick to steer clear of tragedy and heartbreak in an open response to the growing trend of unhappy queer characters across the media landscape.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-02-02|title=Schitt's Creek: Why Patrick's and David's love story is so important|url=https://stand.ie/schitts-creek-why-patricks-and-davids-love-story-is-so-important/|access-date=2022-02-09|website=STAND|language=en-GB}}</ref> Cast members of the show ''[[Yellowjackets (TV series)|Yellowjackets]]'' were relieved to hear that the show chose to avoid the killing or mistreating of LGBT characters unfairly and were willing to take a stand in order to ensure the appropriate treatment of the onscreen queer characters.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lutkin|first=Aimée|date=2022-01-14|title=Jasmin Savoy Brown and Liv Hewson Bring the Gay Agenda to 'Yellowjackets'|url=https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a38760726/jasmin-savoy-brown-liv-hewson-yellowjackets-interview/|access-date=2022-02-09|website=ELLE|language=en-US}}</ref>

LGBT communities have been targeted by marketers who view LGBT people as an untapped source of [[Disposable and discretionary income|discretionary spending]], as many couples have two income streams and no children. As a result, companies are advertising more and more to LGBT people, and LGBT activists use advertisement slogans to promote community views. [[Subaru]] marketed its "Forester" and "Outback" models with the slogan "It's not a choice. It's the way we're built", which was later used in eight United States cities on streets or in gay rights events. This statement has been used for years by LGBT people before the company decided to use the slogan.<ref>{{cite web |author=Fetto, John |title=In Broad Daylight - Marketing to the gay community - Brief Article |work=BNet |date=February 2001 |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4021/is_ISSN_0163-4089/ai_75171025/ |access-date=9 November 2009 |archive-date=8 July 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.istoday/20120708033959/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4021/is_ISSN_0163-4089/ai_75171025/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> LGBTQ representation in advertising is measured in the ''LGBTQ Inclusion in Advertising & Media'' study by GLAAD and [[Procter & Gamble]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-27 |title=LGBTQ Inclusion in Advertising & Media {{!}} GLAAD |url=https://glaad.org/inclusion/ |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=glaad.org }}</ref>

There are currently very few representations of non-binary people or characters in the media.{{When|date=August 2020}} Most of the non-binary representation happens in communities made by and for people who are non-binary, and contain largely self-made content, often about the content-maker.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/genderqueer |title=r/genderqueer |work=Reddit}}</ref>{{Better sourcecitation needed|date=AugustMay 20202023}}

Also in the late 1920s and 1930s was The Pansy Craze.<ref name="one" /> This was when openly gay performers suddenly became popular in major city nightclubs.<ref name="one" /> Two of the most popular performers to emerge from this craze were [[Jean Malin]], who sang "I'd Rather Be Spanish Than Mannish", and [[Bruz Fletcher]] in 1937 with "She's My Most Intimate Friend".<ref name="one" />

From the 1990s onwards, there appeared many queer singers, songwriters and musicians that belong to many genres.<ref name="two">Clay, Andreana. "'Like an Old Soul Record': Black Feminism, Queer Sexuality, and the Hip-Hop Generation." Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism 8.1 (2008): 53–73. Web. 7 Nov..</ref> One example of a well-known queer artist is [[Meshell Ndegeocello]], who entered the hip-hop scene in the 1990s.<ref name="two" /> During this time [[Bill Clinton]] was elected president, and the gay and lesbian movement was still in full force from collective organization against AIDS in the 80s.<ref name="two" /> Her song "Leviticus: Faggot" talks about the sexist and misogynist violence experienced by young, black, gay men due to their identities.<ref name="two" /> Some other more recent artists include [[Against Me!]] with their album ''Transgender Dysphoria Blues'', ONSIND, Fridge Scum and Spoonboy.

The show [[Sirens (2014 TV series)|''Sirens'' (US version)]] portrays asexuality through one of the main female characters, nicknamed Voodoo, and her asexuality is recognized and talked about throughout the series.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2015/04/14/asexual_and_intersex_tv_characters_how_sirens_and_faking_it_brought_them.html |title=Asexuality and Intersex Conditions Are Television's New Frontier |last=Thomas |first=June |date=2015-04-14 |work=Slate |access-date=2017-06-21 |language=en-US |issn=1091-2339}}</ref>

"Popular television shows including ''[[Will & Grace]]'', ''[[Sex and the City]]'', ''[[Brothers & Sisters (2006 TV series)|Brothers and Sisters]]'', and ''[[Modern Family]]'' routinely depict gay men. Yet the common characteristic among most televisual representations of gay men is that they are usually white."<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite journal |author=Martin, Alfred L Jr |url=https://cinema.usc.edu/archivedassets/31_2/7_Martin.pdf |title=TV in Black and Gay: Examining Constructions of Gay Blackness and Gay Crossracial Dating on GRΣしぐまΣしぐまK |editor=Julia Himberg |journal=Spectator |volume=31 |issue=2 |date=Fall 2011 |pages=63–69}}</ref> Having both a queer and black or non-white character is creating multi-faceted "otherness", which is not normally represented on television.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> Additionally, while many shows depict LGBT people of color, they are often used as a plot device or in some type of cliche. [[Santana Lopez]], for example, from the teenage dramedy ''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]'', is a queer woman of color; however, she is often characterized as a Latina fetish and over-sexualized.<ref name="Jacobs, Jason 2014">{{cite journal |author=Jacobs, Jason |title=Raising Gays On Glee, Queer Kids, and the Limits of the Family |journal=GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies |volume=20 |issue=3 |year=2014 |pages=319–352 |doi=10.1215/10642684-2422692 |s2cid=145109923 |url=https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/fe3decfc8da19686e3e49be5554a7df53913a3db}}</ref> In Season 6 of ''Glee'', Santana Lopez marries [[Brittany Pierce]], a white bisexual. Along with these two characters, [[Blaine Anderson]] and [[Kurt Hummel]] are two important LGBT characters in ''Glee''. [[Darren Criss]], who portrays Blaine, is half-Asian, while [[Chris Colfer]], who portrays Kurt, is white. In conjunction, [[Callie Torres]], who was one of the first bisexual Latina characters on mainstream television, was first depicted as a "slut", and this Latina stereotype was used as much of her single plot-device.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Meyer, Michaela DE |title=Representing bisexuality on television: The case for intersectional hybrids |journal=Journal of Bisexuality |volume=10 |issue=4 |year=2010 |pages=366–387 |doi=10.1080/15299716.2010.521040 |s2cid=145197012}}</ref>

A recent exception to the lack of LGBT people of color on television represented in a realistic, non-fetish or race-neutral way, is the ABC Family show, ''[[The Fosters (2013 TV series)|The Fosters]]''. ''The Fosters'' depicts a blended family of one biological child, two adopted children, and two foster children being raised by a lesbian, multi-racial couple. Two of the children are Latino and have struggles and storylines relating to that. The couple, around whom the show is based, also struggles with race as source of conflict on top of their LGBT storyline.<ref>{{cite thesis |author=Hochhalter, Johannah Maria |title=Latina/o representation on teen-oriented television: marketing to a new kind of family |type=Diss. |year=2013 |url=https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/23623/HOCHHALTER-THESIS-2013.pdf?sequence=1 |publisher=The University of Texas at Austin}}</ref> Another example of a show with LGBT people of color includes Netflix's show ''[[One Day at a Time (2017 TV series)|One Day at a Time]]'' that includes a Latina lesbian character who has many storylines that do not revolve around her LGBT identity.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-02-05 |title=Isabella Gomez on Playing Queer in 'One Day At A Time' |url=https://www.out.com/television/2019/2/05/isabella-gomez-playing-queer-one-day-time |access-date=2020-10-15 |website=www.out.com |language=en}}</ref>

On December 30, 2020, Donnie Lopez published an article on ''[[Black Girl Nerds]]'', lamenting the lack of an "animated gay Latino male superhero being the lead of his own show," saying that while there has been an increase in the number of "LGBT+ folks being presented on family animated superhero shows," this has mainly focused on lesbian and bisexual characters, without "gay male Latino/Hispanic superhero animated leads."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lopez |first=Donnie |date=December 30, 2020 |title=Creating Gay Latino Animated Superhero Leads Still Seems to Be Hollywood's Kryptonite |url=https://blackgirlnerds.com/creating-gay-latino-animated-superhero-leads-still-seems-to-be-hollywoods-kryptonite// |url-status=live |access-date=December 31, 2020 |website=[[Black Girl Nerds]] |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201230192604/https://blackgirlnerds.com/creating-gay-latino-animated-superhero-leads-still-seems-to-be-hollywoods-kryptonite/ |archive-date=December 30, 2020}}</ref> Lopez added that maintaining, popularizing, and creating gay characters can start to assuage harmful attitudes, noting that shows seldom "give gay male POC characters the title roles" in [[Children's television series|children's animation]], leading them to perpetrate the idea that "gay male characters cannot be standalone titular characters." Even so, he gives the example of [[Kaldur'ahm|Aqualad]] in [[Young Justice: Outsiders|Season Three]] of ''[[Young Justice (TV series)|Young Justice]]'' who is a bisexual Black man, while qualifying this by saying that Aqualad is "not the principal character of the show" and noting that while ''[[Super Drags]]'' did make gay men the protagonists, it "reinforced negative stereotypes" and hoped that the "lack of gay representation" in these animations could be remedies in the future.

Over the past five years, there has been an increase in the number of regular and recurring LGBT characters in mainstream American media.<ref>{{cite web |title=GLAAD's Where We Are on TV Report 2014 (p. 24) |work=issuu |date=October 2014 |url=http://issuu.com/glaad/docs/wwatv14_16_optimized/24}}</ref> Each population has experienced general growth in representation, some more than others. Gay characters are the most frequently depicted of the LGBT communities by a wide margin, followed by lesbian, bisexual, and transgender characters.<ref name="glaad1">{{cite web |author=Kane, Matt |title=2014 Where We Are On TV |publisher=GLAAD |location=New York |year=2015 |url=http://www.glaad.org/files/GLAAD-2014-WWAT.pdf |access-date=9 December 2014 |archive-date=31 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031040949/http://www.glaad.org/files/GLAAD-2014-WWAT.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> However, heading into the new season, this trend will change in cable television with the number of bisexual identifying characters surpassing the number of lesbian characters for the first time. Additionally, the transgender community is the only one of the four to lose representation in media, declining from 2013 to 2014 on cable networks while losing representation entirely on broadcast networks.<ref>{{cite web |title=GLAAD's Where We Are on TV Report 2014 (p. 26) |work=issuu |date=October 2014 |url=http://issuu.com/glaad/docs/wwatv14_16_optimized/26}}</ref> In terms of [[gender identity]], a majority of the LGBT characters in media are male, though female characters follow within a close margin. Only one percent of characters identified as FtM ([[Trans man|female-to-male transgender]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=GLAAD's Where We Are on TV Report 2014 (p. 14) |work=issuu |date=October 2014 |url=http://issuu.com/glaad/docs/wwatv14_16_optimized/14}}</ref>

Other shows with LGBT characters include ''[[Modern Family]]'', ''[[Pretty Little Liars]]'', ''[[Orphan Black]]'', ''[[Wynonna Earp]]'', Nomi Marks, Amanita Caplan, Lito Rodriguez, and Hernando on ''[[Sense8]]'', ''[[Shadowhunters]]'', ''[[The Bold Type]]'', ''[[One Day at a Time (1975 TV series)|One Day at a Time]]'', ''[[The Real O'Neals]]'', ''[[The Fosters (2013 TV series)|The Fosters]]'', ''[[Degrassi: The Next Generation]]'', ''[[Stranger Things]]'', ''[[Cobra Kai]]'', ''[[Ellen (TV series)|Ellen]]'', ''[[Love, Victor]]'', ''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]'', ''[[Riverdale (American TV series)|Riverdale]]'', ''[[Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt]]'', ''[[The L Word]]'', ''[[Lost Girl]]'', ''[[Queer as Folk (U.S. TV series)|Queer as Folk]]'', and ''[[Heartstopper (TV series)|Heartstopper]]'', and ''[[Black Mirror]]''{{'}}s "[[San Junipero]]" episode.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/black-mirror-director-san-junipero-ending-spinoffs-season-4-947617/|title='Black Mirror' Director Shares His Take on "San Junipero's" Ending and Ideas for a Spinoff|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=November 23, 2016|access-date=January 23, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/opinion-san-junipero-s-emmy-win-says-queer-people-can-n802411|title=Opinion: 'San Junipero's' Emmy Win Says Queer People Can Live Happily Ever After|publisher=[[NBC News]]|date=September 18, 2017|access-date=January 23, 2024}}</ref>

|2012–2013<ref name=":03">{{Cite news |url=http://www.glaad.org/publications/whereweareontv12 |title=Where We Are on TV Report: 2012 - 2013 Season |date=2012-10-04 |work=GLAAD |access-date=2017-03-26 |language=en}}</ref>

|2013–2014<ref name=":13">{{Cite news |url=http://www.glaad.org/whereweareontv13 |title=Where We Are on TV Report 2013 |date=2013-10-10 |work=GLAAD |access-date=2017-03-26 |language=en}}</ref>

|2014–2015<ref name=":23">{{Cite news |url=http://www.glaad.org/whereweareontv14 |title=GLAAD's Where We Are on TV Report 2014 |date=2014-09-30 |work=GLAAD |access-date=2017-03-26 |language=en}}</ref>

|2015–2016<ref name=":34">{{Cite news |url=http://www.glaad.org/whereweareontv15 |title=GLAAD - Where We Are on TV Report - 2015 |date=2015-10-23 |work=GLAAD |access-date=2017-03-26 |language=en}}</ref>

|2016–2017<ref name=":43">{{Cite news |url=http://www.glaad.org/whereweareontv16 |title=GLAAD - Where We Are on TV Report - 2016 |date=2016-10-31 |work=GLAAD |access-date=2017-03-26 |language=en}}</ref>

|2017–2018<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |url=https://glaad.org/files/WWAT/WWAT_GLAAD_2017-2018.pdf |title=GLAAD - Where We Are On TV Report - 2017. |date=2017–2018 |website=GLAAD |access-date=20 April 2020 |archive-date=5 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200405160821/https://glaad.org/files/WWAT/WWAT_GLAAD_2017-2018.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

|2018–2019<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |url=https://glaad.org/files/WWAT/WWAT_GLAAD_2018-2019.pdf |title=GLAAD - Where We Are On TV - 2018 |date=2019 |website=GLAAD |access-date=20 April 2020 |archive-date=10 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200410224649/https://glaad.org/files/WWAT/WWAT_GLAAD_2018-2019.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In ''[[Will & Grace]]'', [[Will Truman]] is presented as "straight passing" gay man who fits in with heteronormative society. Will's friend Jack, on the other hand, was used as comic relief and was presented as flamboyant and non-threatening. He was represented the other stereotypical gay character and the opposite of Will. Because of ''Will & Grace'', there are now more gay characters on television. ''Will & Grace'' also showed a wider audience that television shows with gay characters do not have to be all about the gay community, but can deal with more mainstream problems such as romance and fights with friends. Now, more television shows have gay characters without focusing on their sexuality, but rather making it another facet of the character such as their hair eye color or age.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jack-myers/will-grace-the-tv-series-that-changed-america_b_5543315.html |title=Will & Grace : The TV Series That Changed America |last=Myers |first=Jack |date=2014-07-01 |website=Huffington Post |language=en-US |access-date=2017-03-27}}</ref>

Starting in 2013, GLAAD started releasing a Studio Responsibility Index at the beginning of each year which reported on the quality, quantity, and diversity of LGBT characters in films released by 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Sony Columbia, Universal Pictures, the Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Brothers the previous year.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.glaad.org/sri/2013 |title=2013 Studio Responsibility Index |date=2013-08-20 |work=GLAAD |access-date=2017-03-27 |language=en}}</ref>

A few of the most notable LGBT films are ''Brokeback Mountain'', ''Carol'', ''Boys Don't Cry'', ''Blue is the Warmest Color'', ''Paris is Burning'', ''Hedwig and the Angry Inch'', ''The Kids are All Right'', ''Milk'', ''Victor/Victoria'', ''Rent'', and ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.indiewire.com/2014/06/readers-poll-the-25-most-important-lgbt-films-214110/ |title=Reader's Poll: The 25 Most Important LGBT Films {{!}} IndieWire |last=/bent |website=www.indiewire.com |date=6 June 2014 |language=en |access-date=2017-03-27}}</ref>

The term [[New Queer Cinema]] (NQC) was first coined by the academic [[B. Ruby Rich]] in ''[[Sight & Sound]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wwwwww2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/features/new-queer-cinema-b-ruby-rich |title=New Queer Cinema |date=September 1992 |publisher=Sight & Sound |access-date=January 12, 2020}}</ref> magazine in 1992 to define and describe a movement in [[queer]]-themed [[independent film]]making in the early 1990s. In ''New Queer Cinema'', author Michele Aaron states that films created during this time must meet the following requirements in order to be considered NQC:<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last=Aaron |first=Michele |title=New Queer Cinema: A Critical Reader |publisher=Rutgers University Press |year=2004 |location=New Brunswick, NJ |pages=3–14}}</ref><blockquote>The film must give voice to marginalized or underrepresented LGBT stories, defy cinematic conventions, resist positive imagery, disregard historical stereotypes, and defy death often in terms of [[HIV/AIDS|AIDS]].</blockquote>Aaron states that much of the progress seen within the Hollywood film industry is due to the work of filmmakers and crews of NQC. Consequently, shifts in marketing have been implemented to target LGBT audiences.<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Benshoff, Henry M. |first=& Griffin, Sean. |title=Queer Images: A history of gay and lesbian film in America. |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2006 |location=Lanham, MD |pages=Chapters 8, 11, and 12}}</ref>

There have been increased occurrences of LGBT characters and themes in children's shows across channels such as [[Nickelodeon]], and [[Disney Channel]]. Inclusion of these themes prompted the Parent's Television Council to release a report ranking [[Nick at Nite|Nick at Night]] and Disney Channel near-perfect in terms of [[Age appropriateness|child-appropriateness]] and rating accountabiliy. Although not exclusively for children, "Animation has a long history of flirting with queerness... mostly through sissy characters and otherwise effeminate men... Depictions of female queerness are far rarer and more benign."<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://gawker.com/heres-a-brief-history-of-queer-cartoon-characters-1590469916 |title=Here's a Brief History of Queer Children's Cartoon Characters |last=Juzwiak |first=Rich |website=Gawker |language=en-US |access-date=2016-03-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323212403/http://gawker.com/heres-a-brief-history-of-queer-cartoon-characters-1590469916 |archive-date=2016-03-23}}</ref> Since 2010, cartoons have related to these general trends, particularly ''[[The Legend of Korra]]'', ''[[SheZow]]'', ''[[Adventure Time]]'', and ''[[Steven Universe]]''.

In 2008–2015, ''[[The Girl Bunnies]]'' by ''[[Françoise Doherty]]'' became the first children's animated series to have all of its lead characters LGBT. These leads include lesbian and transgender children. The 4 short musical animated films have screened in 21 countries and have garnered awards in Montreal and Paris.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=MacLeod |first=Kirsteen |date=January–February 2017 |title=Filmmakers. Four local artists putting Kingston on the map as a film-friendly city. |url=http://eedition.kingstonlife.ca/doc/kingston-life/kingston-life-january-2017/2017011201/#20 |journal=Kingston Life |volume= |pages=20 |via= |access-date=14 April 2021 |archive-date=16 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180416073531/http://eedition.kingstonlife.ca/doc/kingston-life/kingston-life-january-2017/2017011201/#20 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The first example is Nickelodeon's original show, ''[[The Legend of Korra]]'', the last five episodes of which were only available online.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dailydot.com/geek/legend-of-korra-goes-digital/ |title='Legend of Korra' goes digital after Nickelodeon takes it off the air |website=The Daily Dot |date=24 July 2014 |access-date=2016-03-25}}</ref> Reaching towards adult audiences, it tells "some of the darkest, most mature stories ever committed to screen by an animated program".<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/merrillbarr/2013/11/23/has-the-legend-of-korra-created-a-new-television-genre/#6f63cda72311 |title=Has 'The Legend Of Korra' Created A New Television Genre? |website=Forbes |access-date=2016-03-25}}</ref> The show ends with main characters [[Korra]] and [[Asami Sato|Asami]] deciding to go "on vacation" to the spirit world together, "while romantic music plays".<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/25/yep-korra-and-asami-went-in-the-spirit-portal-and-probably-kissed.html |title=Yep, Korra and Asami Went in the Spirit Portal and Probably Kissed |last=Leon |first=Melissa |date=2014-12-25 |website=The Daily Beast |access-date=2016-03-25}}</ref> They walk away holding hands, then stand facing each other in a "climactic spirit portal moment" that did much more than "denote mere friendship". This "groundbreaking... earth-bending" shot "changed the face of TV".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/12/korra-series-finale-recap-gay-asami |title=How a Nickelodeon Cartoon Became One of the Most Powerful, Subversive Shows of 2014 |last=Robinson |first=Joanna |date=2014-12-19 |website=Earth Bending |publisher=Vanity Fair |access-date=2016-03-25}}</ref> Writer of the series, Mike Dimartino, confirmed that Korra and Asami did in fact have romantic feelings for each other.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Korrasami Confirmed |url=https://mikedimartinostory.com/2014/12/22/korrasami-confirmed/ |website=Mike DiMartino |access-date=2016-02-15 |first=Mike |last=DiMartino |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921211238/https://mikedimartinostory.com/2014/12/22/korrasami-confirmed/ |archive-date=2016-09-21 |url-status=dead}}</ref> "The message sent is that queer people are no less wholesome, no less natural, no more implicitly or explicitly sexual, and no more dangerous for kids to see than straight people."<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.denofgeek.us/tv/the-legend-of-korra/242329/the-significance-of-the-legend-of-korra-finale |title=The Significance of The Legend of Korra Finale |website=Den of Geek |date=23 December 2014 |access-date=2016-03-25}}</ref> Fans of the show have even inserted a kiss animation to the final seconds.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://io9.gizmodo.com/now-this-is-how-the-legend-of-korra-really-should-have-1673635230 |title=Now THIS Is How The Legend Of Korra Really Should Have Ended |last=Davis |first=Lauren |website=io9 |date=20 December 2014 |language=en-US |access-date=2016-03-25}}</ref>

[[SheZow]], much like [[superhero]] precursor [[Captain Marvel (DC Comics)|Captain Marvel]] (or [[Captain Marvel (DC Comics)|Shazam!]]) is a crime-fighter with a [[magic ring]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=45799 |title=Obie Scott Wade Gender Bends The Hub with Superheroic "SheZow" |website=Comic Book Resources |date=31 May 2013 |access-date=2016-03-25}}</ref> However, it is a woman's ring, so it turns [[List of SheZow characters|Guy]], a 12-year-old boy (not his twin sister [[List of SheZow characters|Kelly]], president of the SheZow fanclub) into a female superhero.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.newsarama.com/18025-delving-into-she-zow-the-cross-dressing-superhero-animated-series.html |title=Delving Into SHE-ZOW, the Cross-Dressing Superhero Animated Series |website=Newsarama.com |access-date=2016-03-25}}</ref> A Christian group, [[American Family Association|One Million Moms]], protested, "The media is determined to pollute the minds of our children... desensitizing them through a cartoon program... [whose] superhero represents both genders by [[cross-dressing]] and being [[transgender]]ed{{sic}}."<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/one-million-moms-protests-gender-bending-kids-cartoon-shezow-97440/ |title=One Million Moms Protests Gender-Bending Kids Cartoon 'SheZow' |website=Christian Post |date=6 June 2013 |access-date=2016-03-25}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/television/2013/07/08/shezow-bends-gender-enrages-one-million-moms |title='SheZow' Bends Gender, Enrages One Million Moms {{!}} Advocate.com |date=2015-11-17 |website=www.advocate.com |access-date=2016-03-25}}</ref> However, show creator [[Obie Scott Wade]] called it a show about "[[Moral responsibility|responsibility]]" and "not so much about [[gender]]", stating "Guy does learn many things about himself by becoming SheZow... as an ordinary [[slacker]] who is suddenly forced to save the world, but with a unique story element that adds a lot of comedy."<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |url=http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/television/2013/07/08/shezow-bends-gender-enrages-one-million-moms |title=Shezow bends gender enrages one million moms |date=8 July 2013 |access-date=2016-03-25}}</ref> Guy does not "identify as [[Transsexual|transexual]] [sic]",<ref name=":2" /> and whether or not children perceive him as such, "from an adult perspective... [[Secret identity|secret identities]] were and still are, a huge part of what it meant to be a lesbian, gay, bi or transgender person."<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://grungecake.com/5-reasons-why-i-still-think-shezow-can-help-break-the-ice-on-trans-identities/ |title=5 Reasons Why I Still Think SheZow Can Help Break The Ice On Trans Identities |website=GrungeCake |languageaccess-date=en2016-US03-25 |accessarchive-date=8 April 2016 |archive-03url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408060429/http://grungecake.com/5-25reasons-why-i-still-think-shezow-can-help-break-the-ice-on-trans-identities/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Another show with very strong LGBT themes is Cartoon Network's ''[[Steven Universe]]'' created by [[Rebecca Sugar]]. ''Steven Universe'' has been called "one of the most unabashedly queer shows on TV" by ''[[The Guardian]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2016/jan/12/steven-universe-censorship-cartoon-networks-lgbtq |title=Steven Universe censorship undermines Cartoon Network's LGBTQ progress |last=Thurm |first=Eric |date=2016-01-12 |newspaper=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |access-date=2016-03-25}}</ref> According to Erik Adams "gender is at the forefront of... ''Steven Universe''" but there are plenty of other queer themes within the series as well.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.avclub.com/review/iia-cartoon-with-an-iadventure-timei-pedigree-brea-105068 |title=A cartoon with an Adventure Time pedigree breaks down barriers |website=www.avclub.com |date=4 November 2013 |access-date=2016-03-25}}</ref> In the episode "[[Alone Together (Steven Universe)|Alone Together]]" the main character Steven and his friend Connie fuse to become [[Stevonnie]]. When asked about the gender of the character Stevonnie, Sugar replied that "Stevonnie is an experience, the living relationship between Steven and Connie."<ref name="towleroad.com">{{Cite web |url=http://www.towleroad.com/2015/05/steven-universe-creator-rebecca-sugar-opens-up-about-creating-stevonnie/ |title='Steven Universe' Creator Opens Up About Creating Gender-Fused Character, Stevonnie - Towleroad |website=Towleroad |date=20 May 2015 |language=en-US |access-date=2016-03-25}}</ref> She also says that "Stevonnie challenges gender norms as an individual, but also serves as a metaphor for all the terrifying firsts in a first relationship."<ref name="towleroad.com"/> In a public service announcement about self-esteem and self-image on social media posted to Cartoon Network's Twitter and Instagram accounts, Stevonnie's status as intersex and non-binary was confirmed.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-06-26 |title=Cartoon Network Confirmed This 'Steven Universe' Character Is Intersex |url=https://www.pride.com/geek/2019/6/26/cartoon-network-confirmed-steven-universe-character-intersex |access-date=2020-08-20 |website=www.pride.com |language=en}}</ref> On July 6, 2018, the show depicted the first same-sex wedding on a Cartoon Network series, between the female characters Ruby and Sapphire.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-03-26 |title=How Steven Universe's Same-Sex Wedding Changed Every Cartoon Network Show |url=https://www.cbr.com/steven-universes-same-sex-wedding-changed-cartoon-network/ |access-date=2020-08-20 |website=CBR |language=en-US}}</ref> There are many more queer themes that arc across many episodes of this show, as well as its sequel series ''[[Steven Universe Future]]'', such as a depiction of a non-binary character named Shep as the new partner of a recurring character,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.pride.com/geek/2020/1/09/meet-shep-indya-moores-nonbinary-steven-universe-character#:~:text=Steven%20Universe%3A%20Future%20introduced%20a,new%20love%20interest%20and%20bandmate. |title=Meet Shep, Indya Moore's Nonbinary 'Steven Universe' Character |date=9 January 2020}}</ref> as well as the unrequited love Pearl had for Rose,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://io9.gizmodo.com/why-i-fell-in-love-with-the-brilliant-steven-universe-1711666770 |title=Why I Fell In Love With The Brilliant Steven Universe, And You Will Too |last=Whitbrook |first=James |website=io9 |date=16 June 2015 |language=en-US |access-date=2016-03-25}}</ref> and the relationship between Bismuth and Pearl.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-03-11 |title=Steven Universe: Two Gems Just Took a Major Step Toward a Surprise Romance |url=https://www.cbr.com/steven-universe-two-gems-took-step-toward-surprise-romance/ |access-date=2020-08-20 |website=CBR |language=en-US}}</ref>

Cartoon Network's popular children's television show ''[[Adventure Time]]'', created by [[Pendleton Ward]], also has queer themes. One way that this show represents the LGBT community is through its deconstruction of [[heteronormativity]]. Australian media commentator [[Emma Jane]] says that ''Adventure Time'' is "a program which subverts many traditional gender-related paradigms."<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Jane |first=Emma A. |date=2015-04-03 |title="Gunter's a Woman⁈"— Doing and Undoing Gender in Cartoon Network's Adventure Time |journal=Journal of Children and Media |volume=9 |issue=2 |pages=231–247 |doi=10.1080/17482798.2015.1024002 |s2cid=143659358 |issn=1748-2798|url=https://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/bitstreams/83560707-e329-44b3-8802-778c3935038c/download }}</ref> Jane also discusses the idea of gender fluidity within the show by pointing out characters that lack a fixed gender (i.e., BMO or Gunther) as well as characters possessing many traits that are traditionally gendered (i.e., eyelashes and hair) but those traits not having any bearing on their actual gender.<ref name=":3" /> The final episode of the show showed a kiss between the two female characters of Princess Bubblegum and Marceline the Vampire Queen.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fleenor |first=S. E. |date=2019-06-17 |title=The awesome (and unexpected) queering of Adventure Time |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-awesome-and-unexpected-queering-of-adventure-time |access-date=2020-07-15 |website=SYFY WIRE |languagearchive-date=en29 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429133611/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-awesome-and-unexpected-queering-of-adventure-time |url-status=dead }}</ref>

''Adventure Time'' is not alone in revealing a queer relationship in its finale. The final episode of the animated Disney Channel show ''[[Gravity Falls]]'' revealed two male cops, Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland, as a romantic pair.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-02-18 |title=Disney cartoon Gravity Falls confirms gay romance |url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2016/02/18/disney-cartoon-gravity-falls-confirms-gay-romance/ |access-date=2020-07-15 |website=[[PinkNews]] |language=en-GB}}</ref> The finale of the 2018 Netflix original series ''[[She-Ra and the Princesses of Power]]'' featured a romantic confession and kiss between the two female leads, Adora/She-Ra and Catra.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=Scherer |first1=Jenna |date=2020-06-12 |title=Inside the Groundbreaking Queer Reboot of 'She-Ra' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-features/she-ra-reboot-netflix-queer-creator-interview-1013623/ |access-date=2020-07-15 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref> The show also featured a recurring lesbian relationship between supporting characters Spinnerella and Netossa, a gay couple as the dads of supporting character Bow, and a non-binary character named Double Trouble as an antagonist.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-06-23 |title=LGBTQ+ Representation in 'She-Ra and the Princesses of Power' |url=https://www.indiependent.co.uk/lgbtq-representation-in-she-ra-and-the-princesses-of-power/ |access-date=2020-07-15 |website=The Indiependent |language=en-GB}}</ref>

The Netflix original ''The Dragon Prince'' also displays LGBT themes. In Season Two, the show received criticism over the deaths of two lesbian characters, Queens Annika and Neha, die, leaving behind a child.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Graham |first=Sheena-kay |date=2019-10-07 |title=Dragon Prince Season 2: Burying The Gays (And Women) |url=https://medium.com/@sheenakgraham/dragon-prince-season-2-burying-the-gays-and-women-25772523cd2e |access-date=2020-10-15 |website=Medium |language=en}}</ref> The following season, the show revealed the male character Runaan to be in a relationship with another male character, Ethari.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-11-25 |title=Netflix's 'The Dragon Prince' releases third season, adds even more LGBTQ characters |url=https://watermarkonline.com/2019/11/25/netflixs-the-dragon-prince-releases-third-season-adds-even-more-lgbtq-characters/ |access-date=2020-10-15 |website=Watermark Online |language=en-US}}</ref>

Disney's first ever gay kiss appeared in their animated series ''[[Star vs. the Forces of Evil]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Disney's First Gay Kiss Airs on Animated Series |url=https://ew.com/tv/2017/03/03/disney-first-gay-kiss-star-vs-forces-of-evil/ |access-date=2020-07-15 |website=EW.com |language=EN}}</ref> The series also showed supporting character Jackie Lynn Thomas in a lesbian relationship<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jackie Lynn Thomas |url=https://lgbt.wikia.org/wiki/Jackie_Lynn_Thomas |access-date=2020-07-15 |website=LGBT Info |language=en}}</ref>

In July 2020, [[CBBC (TV channel)|CBBC]] aired an episode of ''[[The Next Step (2013 TV series)|The Next Step]]'' featuring two teenage girls kissing. Prior to the scene, characters Cleo (Dani Verayo) and Jude (Molly Saunders) were written to confess their feelings for each other, and begin a relationship together.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://metro.co.uk/2020/07/24/cbbc-airs-first-teenage-sex-kiss-world-didnt-implode-13033797/ |title=CBBC airs its first teenage same-sex kiss and the world didn't implode |work=[[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]] |access-date=25 July 2020}}</ref> The scene made history as the first same-sex kiss to be aired on the channel.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/53536242 |title=CBBC's The Next Step's first same-sex kiss! |work=[[BBC News]] |date=25 July 2020}}</ref> Amidst both praise and criticism, the BBC defend the scene by stating: "CBBC is proud to reflect all areas of children's lives, including age appropriate representation of same sex relationships".<ref name="Moore Jul 2020">{{cite web |last1=Moore |first1=Matt |title=CBBC series The Next Step airs its first same-sex kiss |url=https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/culture/cbbc-series-the-next-step-airs-its-first-same-sex-kiss/ |website=Gay Times |date=25 July 2020}}</ref> The moment generated over 100 complaints, to which the BBC defended it, saying: "We believe that the storyline, and the kiss, was handled with sensitivity and without [[sensationalism]], following as it did the portrayal of Jude and Cleo's developing relationship and I am afraid we do not agree that it was inappropriate for the audience age".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/08/03/bbc-says-lesbian-kiss-scene-next-step-important-inclusivity/amp/ |title=BBC says lesbian kiss scene in the Next Step was important for inclusivity message, following 100 complaints |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=5 August 2020 |url-access=limited}}</ref>

On December 15, 2020, Petrana Radulovic of ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' argued that 2020, when it came to all-ages animation, was a "glorious gay celebration that was unheard of just five years ago," including the love confession of Adora and Catra in the last episode of ''[[She-Ra and the Princesses of Power]]'', Amity's romantic crush on Luz in ''[[The Owl House]]'', the ending of ''[[Steven Universe]]'', and the gay love story between Troy and Benson in ''[[Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts]]'', and the development of Marceline and Bubblegum's relationship in the "Obsidian" episode of ''[[Adventure Time: Distant Lands]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Radulovic |first=Petrana |date=December 15, 2020 |title=2020 was animation's biggest, gayest year so far |url=https://www.polygon.com/animation-cartoons/2020/12/15/22174955/2020-animated-shows-lgbtq-representation |url-status=live |access-date=December 15, 2020 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201216025621/https://www.polygon.com/animation-cartoons/2020/12/15/22174955/2020-animated-shows-lgbtq-representation |archive-date=December 16, 2020}}</ref> She specifically said that Obsidian was a "perfect end to this big gay year in animation," while noting that there is still work to do going forward. David Opie, Deputy TV Editor of ''[[Digital Spy]]'' said that he saw himself reflected in the final episode of ''[[She-Ra and the Princesses of Power]]'', saying it was the first time he had "seen two lead characters enjoy queer domestic bliss so openly and without fear of reprisal," and said that he had long "settled for stories with ambiguous queer undertones" but this show went beyond that, part of an effort to create a better world.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Opie |first=David |date=December 15, 2020 |title=Best TV of 2020 – from Normal People to David Tennant's Des |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a35011367/best-tv-2020/ |url-status=live |access-date=December 20, 2020 |website=[[Digital Spy]] |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201218184001/https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a35011367/best-tv-2020/ |archive-date=December 18, 2020}}</ref>