Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer characters may be breaking through on U.S. English-language TV, but the same is not true yet for U.S. Spanish-language networks, reports a new study by GLAAD.

In a study of 516 characters across Univision, Telemundo and MundoMax from July 15, 2015 through June 30, 2016, GLAAD found that only 10 were gay men and two were bisexual.

GLAAD executives said that while attitudes toward LGBTQ characters may not be changing on Spanish-language television, they are changing among young Latinos. According to GLAAD, citing poll data, 74% of U.S. Latinos support laws disallowing discrimination of LGBTQs and 56% of Latino Catholics support gay marriage.

“The majority of scripted programming on Spanish-language television in the United States does not appropriately represent the LGBTQ Latinx experience,” said Monica Trasandes, director of Spanish-language and Latinx Media at GLAAD, according to Variety. (Latinx is a gender-neutral term).

“Spanish-language media content creators and executives have an opportunity to tell stories that connect with a rich, diverse and complex region and its diasporas by writing non-stereotypical characters and storylines that include people of various racial and ethnic ancestry, sexual orientations, gender identities, and disabilities. This report shows that Spanish-language media makers have not yet lived up to the promise of full inclusion but it is our hope they will soon. It’s good for business and it’s very good for our society.”

READ MORE: Variety

Tags:


  Save as PDF