

When Syfy received a failing grade from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation two years ago for its lack of including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered major characters in its original programming, the cable channel publicly vowed to do better.

And it did. “Stargate: Universe” premiered with a lesbian character, Camile Wray (played by Ming-Na), and “Caprica” introduced us to a married gay couple, with one of them — Sam Adama (Sasha Roiz) — playing the non-traditional mobster hitman.

In its most recent report, GLAAD credited Syfy with its efforts, including featuring another same-sex couple in its 2009 airing of “Riverworld.”

But there is a problem. “Riverworld” isn’t coming back, and neither is “Caprica.” And none of Syfy’s upcoming winter/spring slate seems to include any major characters from the LGBT community, so where does that leave the cable channel as it revamps some of its original programming?

The cancellation of “Caprica” means that Syfy has eliminated two-thirds of its LGBT characters (if you include the bisexual Clarice Willow, played by Polly Walker), said Ryan Lawrence, who operates Caprica Times, a fan website dedicated to the “Battlestar Galactica” spinoff, which has since turned into what will likely be an ill-fated push to save the show.

Lawrence has even gone as far as suggesting Syfy change its tagline to “Imagine Straighter,” what he says “embodies Syfy’s current narrow-minded programming choices and business strategies.” It’s not just the reduction in gay and lesbian characters that has angered Lawrence, however. It’s what he says is Syfy’s dramatic change in programming style, which he says includes eight reality shows, five fantasy shows and one sci-fi show.

However, a current tally of Syfy programming by Airlock Alpha reveals five scripted sci-fi shows and six reality shows.

If Syfy’s current programming remained intact, how would GLAAD observe its character diversity next summer when it releases its annual network responsibility index? Its “sister” channel, USA Network, received a failing grade this year for brief appearances of a lesbian character in “White Collar” as well as a supporting gay character in “The Starter Wife.” However, even with the expansion of the “White Collar” character to full-time next season, GLAAD is anticipating USA could end up with a failing grade.

The same may end up being true of Syfy. None of its major programs — “Warehouse 13,” “Eureka,” “Haven” and “Sanctuary” — feature prominent LGBT characters. The only show that does, now that “Caprica” has been cancelled, is “Stargate: Universe.”

There has been no discussion yet on if Syfy’s newest show, “Being Human,” will feature any LGBT characters in major roles, although initial indication is that it won’t.

Obviously, no network or cable channel should be expected to include any specific groups all the time, and that’s not what GLAAD asks for. Instead, the group is looking for some diversity. Having just one gay character in six scripted shows may not do it for Syfy, and it might be time the cable channel better fulfills its promise made in 2009 and Imagine Diversity in 2011.