Despite the success of shows like “Heated Rivalry” and “Euphoria,” seeing queer people on screen is still rare. Only 9.3% of characters on American TV screens were identified as LGBTQ+ in the 2024-25 season. Around 41% of those characters are not scheduled to return for subsequent seasons, sounding alarms among those in the LGBTQ+ community about the drop in representation during a period of political uncertainty.
Despite media networks’ and streamers’ unsteady support for queer characters on TV, a few series have broken through the mainstream to demonstrate the impact that rich, explicitly queer-focused stories can have on viewers. One of them, “Heartstopper,” has been particularly touching for fans.
