GLAAD Tallies the Disappearing Gays

Professional gay organization GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, recently released their 20th annual “Where We Are On TV” report, which they claim creates “a clearer picture of the stories and images being presented by television networks” with the intent to “work alongside the networks and content creators to tell fair, accurate, and inclusive LGBTQ stories on screen.” If only.

Predictably, the results are dire. Said GLAAD President and CEO Kate Ellis:

“Today, we are at a critical juncture, with hateful rhetoric running unchecked from politicians and news media and given a falsely amplified platform, even as the majority of this country overwhelmingly supports the LGBTQ community. With so many diverse, entertaining and impactful series being canceled at an alarming rate, it is imperative that networks and streamers do not back down.”

Just how damaging is this purported bloodbath? According to GLAAD, this year there were 489 LGBTQ regular or recurring characters, of which 201, or 41%, will be let go due to shows being cancelled or otherwise ending (e.g., series finale or limited programming) or where the character exited.

GLAAD, for those unaware, is a multimillion-dollar “nonprofit” racket. In 2024, according to ProPublica, they had revenues of $13.6 million, expenses of $22.5 million, and a war chest of $45.5 million. Despite losing millions last year, executive compensation exceeded $2 million, with Ellis earning over $600,000. This on top of GLAAD covering $20,000 to remodel her home office, $25,000 to rent a summer home in Provincetown, and one trip to Cannes Lions that cost almost $22,000, all of which even the New York Times found egregious enough to highlight. GLAAD, it seems, has followed an all-too-familiar pattern in nonprofits -- an organization founded to do good that has done very well indeed. Advocacy as a priority is now a distant second to perpetuating a need for their existence and funding the lifestyles of those in its orbit. The theatrics of this annual report are more fundraising propaganda than true call to action.

There is also a first-world absurdity in counting fictional characters by sex organs, what biological sex they pretend to be, skin color, STD infections, and who they take to bed. GLAAD notes that of the 489 characters, 33 were transgender, including twenty-four trans women, seven trans men, and two nonbinary characters. There were also 98 bisexuals, including 70 women, 27 men, and one nonbinary character. Just over half were racial minorities. A single character had HIV. One can only imagine the significant resources wasted in tallying such nonsensical data points that would have been much better spent helping those in the LGBTQ community that GLAAD purports to champion.

The entertainment media, despite the incessant left-wing virtue signaling, is a ruthlessly capitalistic industry. While there are certainly those who seek out television shows and movies primarily for LGBTQ content, any audience who would make that their primary or only consideration is at best insignificant. Shows live or die based on overall viewership, which translates into ad revenue or streaming subscription dollars. Kate Ellis demanding that television broadcasters and streaming services continue to waste finite resources on underperforming shows with small viewership is at best a self-serving way to sustain their grift.

GLAAD's report isn't so much the crisis they herald as it is the free market correcting course. With tens of millions at their disposal, it is past time for them to put their own money towards the programming they so desire instead of mandating others do so on their behalf. Perhaps their donors will also enjoy funding such a folly.