It didn't happen all at once. It rarely ever does. However, slowly but surely, characters across the LGBTQ spectrum have begun repopulating the small screen in prominent roles this year.

They're front and center in the year's first breakout reality TV hit. They're making history in superhero shows. They're making us laugh in family comedies. And they're giving members of an historically underrepresented community the opportunity to truly see themselves on television, some for the very first time.

Call it a rainbow revolution. Call it whatever you want. But one thing you can't do is ignore the rising ranks of TV's new LGBTQ generation or the impact they're making.