By MARK KENNEDY

NEW YORK (AP) — TV shows like “Abbott Elementary,” “Hacks,” “Heartstopper,” “The Last of Us” and “Yellowjackets” helped increase the ranks of LGBTQ+ characters on prime time by 4% over the previous season, according to a new study by the advocacy group GLAAD.

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This year’s “Where We Are on TV” study, released Thursday, counted 489 LGBTQ characters across scripted prime-time broadcast, cable and streaming shows — up 21 additional characters. It marks a boost after two years of decline, but remains far below the 2021-2022 record high of 637 characters.

Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of the group, warned that those numbers could still decrease soon: More than 200 of the LGBTQ+ characters counted this year — in shows like “Heartstopper,” “Harlem” and “El

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