LGBTQ representation in scripted TV series has grown along with the footprint of streaming services, according to an annual study by the advocacy group Glaad. “TV is leading entertainment in telling LGBTQ stories,” Sarah Kate Ellis, president and chief executive of Glaad, said in the “Where We Are on TV” report on the 2021-2022 season that was released this week. In recognition of the increased number and profile of streaming services, the study added five relative newcomers to the trio – Amazon, Hulu and Netflix – included in previous Glaad diversity tallies. The study also looks at representation of women, people of colour and those with disabilities. Netflix, which has consistently topped its streaming competitors in LGBTQ inclusivity, according to Glaad, ranked first again, with 155 regularly seen or recurring characters on its original comedy and drama series. After the coronavirus pandemic reduced the TV industry’s output in 2021, the Glaad report expressed satisfaction that the rebound didn’t leave behind LGBTQ depictions. China’s ‘boys’ love’ dramas dance around LGBTQ censors The growth in streaming services, including Apple TV+, Disney+ and HBO Max, opened the door for more inclusive fare. According to the report, there were 358 regularly seen and recurring LGBTQ characters in series offered by the eight streaming services included in the study – an increase of 217 from last year’s total found on three streaming services. (Last year, only Amazon, Hulu and Netflix were tracked.) Helping Netflix retain its lead in LGBTQ depictions are foreign-language dramas with queer stories, the report said, including Young Royals from Sweden, Rebelde from Mexico and Elite from Spain. They join the inclusive Netflix comedies Never Have I Ever , Q-Force and Sex Education . HBO Max, which launched in spring 2020, landed in second place in its first Glaad tally. The service “quickly built a reputation for stand-out LGBTQ-inclusive comedy series”, the report said, with most its 71 LGBTQ characters found on comedies, including the Emmy-winning Hacks , The Sex Lives of College Girls and Sort Of .