AfterEllen recently posted an entertaining article about network TV’s sudden love affair with gays and lesbians. For the first time since never, GLBT folk are being featured in non-sassy-best-friend-you-go-girl roles. Not only are the numbers of gay and lesbian characters on soaps, comedies and dramas on the rise, the numbers of “real life” queers on the telly are multiplying, too.

As AfterEllen blogger Stuntdouble writes:

Who did CBS turn to when the very fabric of our society — the celebration of famous people — was in trouble? King of the Gays, Neil Patrick Harris. Who did Fox turn to when the top-rated show in the history of television began to dive in ratings? Queen of the Gays, Ellen DeGeneres. During last year’s U.S. presidential election, who did MSNBC turn to when they needed to rescue political punditry? Geek of the Gays, Rachel Maddow. And when everyone’s money caught fire during the Great Depression 2.0, who did [Oprah] choose for council? Richest of Gays, Suze Orman.

Encouraging facts, to be sure. But lest we get too excited, let’s not forget that recurring GLBT characters comprise just 2.6% of all scripted series regulars on the big five broadcast networks: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and The CW. And that percentage was calculated earlier this year, when The L Word and South of Nowhere (two lesbian-laden programs) were still alive and kicking.

Still, there’s no denying that the times they are a-changin’ … after all, it wasn’t that long ago when the closest thing to a homosexual romance on TV was lots and lots (and LOTS) of “subtext” on Xena: Warrior Princess.

(Photo via Blog of All Trades)