I think we sometimes think network television is gayer than it really is. I know i do. Among my favorites, there's Kevin Walker on "Broithers & Sisters" and now his uncle Saul is coming out...on "Ugly Betty," there's Michael Urie's Mark and Betty's nephew Justin (he's too young to be out, but we know where it's going) and on "Desperate Housewives," we have Andrew Van de Kamp and now a gay couple is set to move onto Wisteria Lane.
So it's pretty gay, right?
Apparently that's pretty much it. According to a report released today by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. In the 2007-08 TV season, broadcast series will feature seven regularly seen characters who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, down from nine characters in 2006 and 10 the season before, GLAAD said. Most are on one network — ABC.
The new figure represents 1.1% of all regular characters on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CW, compared to 1.3% in 2006. A total of 87 comedies and dramas with 650 characters were analyzed. By comparison, cable shows will feature 40 gay characters as series regulars.
Said GLAAD President Neil Giuliano: "While we acknowledge there have been improvements made in how we are seen on the broadcast networks, most notably on ABC, our declining representation clearly indicates a failure to inclusively reflect the audience watching television."

The seven broadcast characters appear on five shows, including "Brothers & Sisters," "Desperate Housewives," "Ugly Betty," "The Office" and the new midseason series "Cashmere Mafia." ABC shows are home to six of the seven, with one on NBC. There were no lead or supporting gay or transgender characters set to appear on CBS, FOX or CW, GLAAD found.
Last year, the characters were spread among five networks. However, there will be an additional 13 gay characters seen occasionally on broadcast TV shows this season, compared to five recurring characters last year. That increase "suggests that producers and writers are showing a guarded interest in being inclusive without making the characters lead or supporting," GLAAD said in a release, noting that gay characters on "Ugly Betty" and "Desperate Housewives" first appeared as recurring before being added to the regular cast.
The picture is far gayer on cable.
The 40 regular characters depicted on 21 scripted shows on cable channels including HBO, Showtime and FX represents 15 more characters than last year.