GLAAD Ranks HBO as Most Gay-Friendly

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation's third annual Network Responsibility Index ranks HBO as the top network for gay-friendly programming, Reuters reports.

The study evaluates the quantity, quality and diversity of images of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people on five broadcast and ten of the highest-rated cable networks.

Not one of the networks earned the top ranking of "excellent" and five received a "failing" classification.

According to Entertainment Weekly, HBO got the top spot because this year's report found that 42 percent of HBO's prime-time programming featured gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. Cable network Showtime came in second place with 26 percent. ABC was the highest-ranking broadcast network with 24 percent.

Among the "failing" networks were broadcast networks NBC and CBS with 8 and 5 percent, respectively.

Fox, one of the networks that received a "failing" grade, moved up 7 percent and to an "adequate" ranking with 11 percent, thanks to bisexual characters on "House" and "Bones." But GLAAD also took note of Fox's "problematic LGBT content," including Nigel Lythgoe's "homophobic critique" on "So You Think You Can Dance" and an "offensive" gay-themed episode of "Family Guy."

CBS had the greatest decline among broadcast networks, dropping to last place among them and FX, last year's leader with 32 percent, had the biggest overall decline.