Report Shows Decrease In LGBTQ Characters Represented In Films, Per GLAAD

A new report from GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) claimed that there’s been a decrease in what it labeled LGBTQ representation in films, down from a high the previous year.

According to the advocacy group’s 2024 Studio Responsibility Index, the study — which tracks the “quantity, quality and diversity” of LGBTQ characters in movies — found that of these 256 films in 2023, 70 contained an LGBTQ character. The report bemoaned that this was down from the 100 LGBTQ characters that appeared in 350 movies the organization tracked in 2022.

It looked at the movies from the ten major studios, listed as Netflix, The Walt Disney Studios, A24, Amazon Studios, Warner Bros. Discover, Apple TV+, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Paramount Global, Sony, and their subsidiaries, GLAAD noted.

GLAAD’s Studio Responsibility Index Finds Decline in Overall LGBTQ Representation, But More Lead Roles and Racial Diversityhttps://t.co/BISh3FabKG

— Variety (@Variety) September 17, 2024

The report analyzed how each of these studios did representing the LGBTQ community and the results are pretty shocking. Despite having numerous films that fit this criteria, GLAAD gave most an “insufficient” or “fair” rating.

For example, Walt Disney, who it said produced 14 “LGBTQ-inclusive” films out of 37, was given an “insufficient” score. A24 created 5 “LGBTQ-inclusive” films out of just 16 movies, and also was considered “insufficient.”

In one section of the report, the organization bemoaned the fact that there hadn’t been enough LGBTQ characters in kids/family entertainment, writing that “the overall lack of representation in the kids and family genre is disappointing.”

“Last year, GLAAD called for more representation in this area, and rather than stepping up, studios told even fewer LGBTQ stories in kids and family films this year,” it added.

Earlier this year, The “Where We Are on TV” report from GLAAD noted that 468 LGBT characters appeared on TV shows last year compared to 596 the previous year, as previously reported. It found that 36% of those characters would not be returning for the upcoming season.

GLAAD reported 39 LGBT regulars on 64 primetime series, representing a decrease of 44% (31 characters) compared to the previous year. However, this reduction could be partly due to fewer primetime shows across the spectrum.

On cable, the watchdog organization noted 77 LGBT characters, a 45% drop from last year. Those 77 will be further reduced next year as 38 will leave due to canceled shows or characters dying or being written off. 

Despite recent decreases, LGBTQ representation has definitely increased since the first Studio Responsibility Index report in 2013. At that time, 14 films out of the 101 it looked at from major studios in the 2012 calendar year, “contained characters identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual. There were no films containing transgender characters.”

Amanda Harding contributed to this piece.

Related: If It Feels Like LGBTQ Characters Are Everywhere On TV, GLAAD Just Confirmed It