Looking for a network that is both family-friendly and LGBT positive? Look no further. We've got the list for you.
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has released its evaluation of quantity, quality and diversity of images of LGBT people on broadcast and cable television. This year's edition is the fifth of its kind. Showtime is sliding in at second in cable channels with a “good” rating—37 percent of its programming included images reflecting “the ethnic and racial diversity of the LGBT community.” Among broadcast networks, the CW scored 33 percent and Fox, surprisingly enough, was at 29 percent.
Leading them all by a decent margin, however, is ABC Family, the second channel to ever receive an "excellent" rating. Fifty-five percent of their 103 hours of programming met the GLAAD standard. For the fourth year in a row, A&E (5 percent) and TBS (5 percent) both received "Failing" ratings for their lack of LGBT-inclusive images.
“As television audiences get to know our community and the common ground that we all share on the screen and in their own lives, acceptance is growing,” said Mike Thompson, acting president of GLAAD. “Inclusive programming is a hit with critics and audiences alike who cheered for Kurt and Blaine’s romance on Glee or watched the wedding of Callie and Arizona on Grey’s Anatomy.”