Gays Get Blown Off by CBS, and Not in a Good Way

The number of LGBT characters on scripted broadcast TV shows continues to rise steadily in the 2009-10 season, according to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation's 14th annual report on "Where We Are on TV?," despite the fact that CBS has ZERO regular characters.

For this upcoming season, ABC continues to lead the other broadcast networks in LGBT representation, with eight LGBT characters out of 168 total series regular characters (5 percent), the highest number and percentage of LGBT characters of any network for the 2009-2010 season. FOX, which only two years ago featured zero series regular LGBT characters at the launch of the season, now offers four LGBT series regulars out of 105 (4 percent). NBC has three series regular LGBT characters (3 percent) out of a total of 126. The CW is showing gradual improvement with two LGBT series regular characters out of 69 (3 percent). Read the full report HERE.

Key stats:

Quantity of LGBT characters on prime time broadcast is up for the second year in a row to 3 percent of all series regulars, despite the fact that CBS has zero regular characters among its 132 series-regulars this season.

There is only one lesbian (Dr. Arizona Robbins on "Grey’s Anatomy") and four LGBT people of color among series regular characters.

While the quantity is up, the storylines are also becoming more realistic -– Americans now see teens coming out on "Glee," couples getting married on ABC’s "Brothers & Sisters" and gay couples adopting children on ABC’s "Modern Family."

The number of characters on cable is down from 32 to 25.