This week is Lesbian Visibility Week, and honestly, it feels like a pertinent time to be talking about LGBTQ+ representation and visibility. After a period of relative increase, we were finally beginning to see LGBTQ+ characters represented in the mainstream. In 2026, this is beginning to recede again. LGBTQ+ stories are being pushed back out of the mainstream.
LGBTQ+ Representation on TV
And no, this trend is not just in my head; the stats show it too. In 2026, GLAAD have estimated that 41% of queer characters from TV shows in 2025 will not be returning to TV this year. This comes from shows being cancelled and characters being written out of the shows.
None of this happens loudly and explicitly. We don’t get told “this show is queer, I am going to cancel it” out loud. But when you look at the trends, it’s hard not to see that shows with queer main characters are not as present as they were in the last couple of years. It is also not the case that the shows are not getting enough views; often, the shows being pulled are getting high views.
Think this is only a US problem? Think again. Look at a show like ‘I Kissed a Girl (or Boy)’, the first fully women-loving women reality show in the UK. This got huge numbers of viewers both nationally and internationally because it’s one of like 5 reality shows with lesbians on. Last year, this was cancelled after filming only two seasons because of “financial issues”. Yet we’ve had 10 seasons of ‘Don’t Tell the Bride’, and how many seasons of Love Island? And some of the Love Island seasons were literally 40 episodes long.
Writers pitching new shows for TV are regularly being told that now is not the right time for LGBTQ+ shows. The decrease in representation is happening silently, but it is a clear trend. LGBTQ+ storylines are being taken off the TV and are also not being commissioned. And, as always, queer characters of colour are removed first. Lesbian representation is also one of the most affected.
Lesbian Pop Stars Disappearing
For a while, there was a really big influx of LGBTQ+ pop stars and celebrities, particularly queer women; think Chapel Roan, Fletcher, Jojo Siwa, and Billie Eilish. And everyone seemed to be emphasising their queerness. Fast forward to now, and things have changed.
Someone like Fletcher billed herself for years as the first Lesbian popstar. Her songs were so explicitly queer, and she was a lesbian icon. Last year, she realised she was in love with a man and is in fact bisexual. Completely fine, it happens. However, she then systematically deleted any and all of her Lesbian content on social media (where she posted regularly) and released a song called Boy. Talk about rebranding. Jojo Siwa did a similar thing.
Now this is not about the individuals and what they have and haven’t done. It points to a trend of LGBTQ+ representation being “sanitised” and the “normal” being reinstated within pop culture. Clearly, artists are deciding that it is not worth the hate or being outspokenly LGBTQ+, which, honestly, in this climate, I understand. But this just shows that we are taking giant leaps back in representation, just as we were finally getting somewhere.
Brands Jumping Ship
While I have never been a big fan of brands using Pride, or LGBTQ+ identities as a way to position themselves as “likeable” on the market: rainbow capitalism, it is noticeable that in the last couple of years a lot of brands that were big supporters of Pride or had large LGBTQ+ ranges of clothing, are cutting these all over the place: MasterCard, Ford, Nissan, Rituals, Target, PwC, Deloitte. The list goes on.
Many of these companies have cited, as the reason, not wanting to get into controversy. In other words, they are giving in to activist pressure from the anti-LGBTQ+ lobby. I mean, to be fair, this does show exactly where their alliances were in the first place. Money! But the fact that it is getting more controversial to support the LGBTQ+ community, not less, does scare me, to be honest.
Why Should We Care?
LGBTQ+ representation is obviously only one aspect of the queer experience. But even this has a huge impact on the LGBTQ+ experience.
Data shows that when there is more queer visibility and representation in mainstream media, there is less prejudice and more acceptance. Seeing queer relationships normalises them and stops them from being the big bad unknown. This is especially relevant now in a time when the right wing has thrown endless accusations at the lGBTQ+ community (particularly trans people) of being paedophiles.
The San Francisco AIDS Foundation has documented how less representation of queer stories and less queer visibility ends up lowering access to important life-saving care and information around AIDS. I have also seen this repeated by an AIDS charity in Malaysia, but I cannot find it again!
Seeing LGBTQ+ stories represented and normalising LGBTQ+ experiences has a hugely positive effect on queer people’s mental health. It boosts self-esteem and can be hugely validating. In a population that is 2.5 times more likely to make attempts on their life, mental health is hugely important.
LGBTQ+ Representation is Just a Marker of Other Things
While queer representation might be seen as quite a superficial thing to worry about, it is a very clear marker of attitudes to LGBTQ+ people in other aspects of life. If we look at the UK, where representation has decreased significantly, we can also see other worrying trends. So much so that the UK has dropped to its lowest ever ranking in the European LGBTQ+ rights and quality of living map made by ILGA. It dropped six places in one year.
Creating an environment where there is LGBTQ+ representation as a norm, not as a special thing, is part of creating an environment where it is safe both physically and mentally to be LGBTQ+.
Lesbian Visibility Week 2026
So, as it is Lesbian Visibility Week, it’s time to go and be visible! Hello, I am here, and I am a lesbian. Perceive me!
Ps Supporting my blog and social media means you are actively supporting queer representation because my story is a queer story. Hooray. It’s that easy.
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