Trump removes LGBTQ+ characters from TV screens.

Question

In the past few months, LGBTQ+ representation on television has sharply declined, with nearly half of all queer characters expected not to return next year due to show cancellations and series endings. Advocacy groups like GLAAD report that many trans-inclusive or LGBTQ-centered shows (Kaos, Clean Slate, Heartstopper, and And Just Like That) have been cancelled contributing to a massive drop in representation. Industry insiders say major studios, including Paramount, Disney, Amazon, and Warner Bros., are scaling back diversity initiatives following political and legal pressure, which has led to fewer and fewer queer stories being produced or renewed.

This trend is happening at the same time that Donald Trump’s administration has been dismantling federal DEI programs. Trump signed an executive order on his first day back in office targeting DEI in federal agencies, and his Department of Justice has begun pursuing companies for what it calls “illegal DEI mandates.” Lawsuits from conservative groups have further pressured studios to abandon diversity-focused hiring or storytelling. As a result, many creators say the industry has taken a sudden “U-turn,” becoming less willing to champion inclusive narratives producing an environment that ultimately results in fewer LGBTQ+ characters on screen.

Answer 1

The recent claims regarding the decline of LGBTQ+ representation on television are based on show cancellations and political pressure. However, my study reveals that the case is different in some aspects. According to GLAAD’s 2024–2025 Where We Are on TV report, there was a slight increase in LGBTQ+ characters this year, from 468 to 489, but a portion (41%) of these characters may not be back next season as their shows have been canceled or ended. This indicates that a significant drop could be looming, albeit it has not yet materialized. My main sources included the GLAAD report, which detailed the character counts and cancellation figures, and Trump’s executive order in January 2025 abolishing federal DEI programs, which has affected the corporate decision-making processes. The memo from Paramount regarding the cessation of DEI initiatives was indicative of how the studios are lessening their diversity efforts as a response to political and legal pressure. News from AP and The Washington Post provided additional context to these trends. All these sources have biases—GLAAD is interested in drawing attention to underrepresentation, the media may highlight the most dramatic findings, and the studios and the government sources present the changes in DEI to benefit their interests. The evidence that supports the claim includes the high number of queer characters not coming back and the noted decline of DEI initiatives in government and major studios. The evidence against it includes the total LGBTQ+ representation actually going up this year, and still some shows with queer characters being renewed. In general, the claim is somewhat true: decline is a risk, but it still has not completely happened.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-and-wasteful-government-dei-programs-and-preferencing/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://apnews.com/article/tv-glaad-2025-report-lgbtq-153f383bc27b0e6f0b17284b783e8556

Answer 2

This week, I looked into the claim that “Trump is removing LGBTQ+ characters from TV screens.” Paige Meador wrote this claim. Through research on both Google and LinkedIn, I was able to see that she is a student at the University of Oregon. She has been on News Detective for around two weeks. She has no prior posts on the site, meaning she has no confirmed expertise with the topic. Finally, her use of outside sources helps build her credibility and increase readers' confidence in the claim.

I think this claim is misleading in the sense that there is no direct evidence that connects President Trump directly to removing characters in the LGBTQ+ community. However, as mentioned above, there has been a large decrease in the number of returning LGBTQ+ characters. Additionally, we have seen restrictions in public content regarding this community. “It specifies that each agency must end all programs that promote or reflect gender ideology as outlined in the executive order by President Donald Trump, requiring federal agencies to "recognize women are biologically female, and men are biologically male” (Reuters). This website also illustrates that major health statistics are being kept in the dark and a lack of awareness: “CDC webpages that appear to have been removed include statistics on HIV among transgender people and data on health disparities among gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth” (Reuters). This highlights a shift in how the government and its officials speak about gender identification and their attempts to hide different aspects of this demographic. 

This claim focuses on the reduction in character diversity on television. I was unable to source any evidence that stated that this decrease stemmed from government regulations. There has been over a fifty percent reduction in characters, “Of all 489 LGBTQ characters counted across all platforms, 201 (41%) of them will not be returning due to series cancellations or endings, limited series format, or a character dying or leaving the show” (GLAAD). The reduction of half of fifty percent of this demographic illustrates that representation is being limited and characters will continue to disappear. The claim states that this was a result of federal decisions; however, we can see that it resulted from decisions made within the entertainment industry or by media professionals. 

This reduction must end soon because, without representation, the LGBTQ+ community may not feel seen and heard. According to Sarah Kate Ellis (CEO of GLAAD), “Nearly a third of non-LGBTQ Americans say that LGBTQ-inclusive media has changed their perception of our community” (GLAAD). This highlights the importance of representation and the awareness and understanding that result in diverse storylines in television. 

Overall, this claim is accurate by stating the reduction in LGBTQ+ characters in television and the negative impacts that result. However, we cannot say that these decisions were made by President Trump.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-health-agencies-scrubbing-websites-remove-gender-ideology-2025-01-31/ 

https://glaad.org/glaad-releases-20th-annual-where-we-are-on-tv-report/

Answer 3

I believe this claim could be true.

An article from “Daily Mail” reports that major Hollywood companies such as Paramount, Disney, Amazon Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery have reduced hiring and promoting transgender people in response to several lawsuits related to Trump’s efforts to eliminate what he considers illegal DEI mandates.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-15277443/lgbtq-characters-axed-tv-trump-dei.html

According to “Advocate”, Trump’s attitude toward LGBTQ+ people has shifted significantly between his first and second administrations.While he initially expressed indifference or even support for transgender people, he stated in his inaugural address in January 2025 that  his federal government would recognize only two genders: male and female. Some believe that the change in his stance on transgender issues since 2015 suggests that he views transgender people as a political tool to appeal to his anti-trans base.

https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-lgbtq-rights-history#toggle-gdprMedia Bias/ Fact Check website judges “Daily Mail” as right-leaning with low factual reporting and low credibility. https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/daily-mail/

Moreover, it is difficult to say that the decisions made by entertainment companies were influenced exclusively by the Trump administration; there are likely multiple factors. However, the government’s influence on the broader social climate is still significant.