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GLAAD: FOX, ABC Family receive highest ratings for LGBT representation

By Marilyn Malara
ABC Family earned top ratings from GLAAD for their representation of LGBT characters. Photo by ABC Family
ABC Family earned top ratings from GLAAD for their representation of LGBT characters. Photo by ABC Family

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- Fox and ABC Family are among this year's top networks in terms of LGBT representation, according to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

In the organization's ninth edition of its Network Responsibility Index, Fox was rated highest for its LGBT-inclusive content, dedicating almost half of its programming to gay, lesbian, queer and ethnically diverse characters. Shows like Empire -- which features a gay African-American character -- helped the network earn the rating.

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ABC Family received GLAAD's highest score to date with its third "Excellent" rating and a 32 percent jump of LGBT-inclusive programming.

"Not only did an impressive 74 percent of its original programming hours include LGBT impressions," the report read, "but thanks to programs like The Fosters, 79 percent of those were made by lesbian characters, 49 percent were made by people of color, and the network featured a transgender character played by a transgender actor."

CBS and NBC were among the lowest-rated television networks with a 27 percent and 28 percent score respectively. "Like in past years, the majority of [CBS'] LBGT-inclusive hours (53 percent) came from unscripted or reality programming like The Amazing Race and Big Brother.

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NBC saw a drop in LGBT-representative programming, but an increase in its ethnic diversity of existing LGBT characters due in part to American Odessey.

A&E and the History channel both earned GLAAD's "failing" score. None of the History Channel's 362.5 hours of original programming featured any LGBT representation, the report said.

A&E failed GLAAD's NRI because the only show to regularly feature LGBT characters was The Returned, which was canceled after one season. Another issue for the network, according to the organization, is how LGBT characters are portrayed in the reality program Beyond Scared Straight.

"One episode clearly fell into the old offensive territory of presenting the [LGBT] inmates as a cautionary freak show," the report read.

GLAAD CEO and President Sarah Kate Ellis also announced the introduction of the new report annual diversity report called "Where We Are on TV."

"As representation of LGBT people in popular media continues to flourish, pushing networks to make those representations more diverse is essential," Ellis wrote. "We need to push media companies and creators to represent the full diversity of humanity of the LGBT community," she continued.

"No character should be reduced to a token."

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