GLAAD’s 2024 Studio Responsibility Index report was released this morning and shows that Hollywood film studios are still falling behind when it comes to LGBTQ+ representation.
GLAAD’s study analyzed 256 films distributed by U.S. studios in 2023, focusing on the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters. Films with a runtime of 65 minutes or more, were reviewed for the number of LGBTQ+ characters, screen time, race/ethnicity, disability status, sexual orientation and gender identity.
The films were also assessed for instances of anti-LGBTQ language, jokes and stereotypes. “Such issues must be considered in context and will be highlighted in the qualitative analysis where applicable, but this language is not quantified in this study,” said the report.
The Scores
According to the report, out of the ten studios profiled, seven received ratings of insufficient, failing or poor:
• Insufficient: A24, Lionsgate, Paramount Global, Sony, Walt Disney Company
• Poor: Warner Bros. Discovery
• Failing: Apple TV+
Among the studios that scored higher, Amazon was the only one to receive a rating of Good while NBC Universal and Netflix scored Fair.
Key Findings
Out of the 256 films released last year by these studios, 70 featured LGBTQ+ characters, a 1% decrease from the previous year.
56% of LGBTQ+ characters were men, 39% were women and 5% were nonbinary.
LGBTQ+ characters were predominantly white (52%) with Black characters representing 17%, multiracial characters at 10% and Latine and AAPI characters at 8% each. There was no Indigenous queer or trans representation, and only 2% of characters were Middle Eastern/North African.
GLAAD raised alarm bells about the lack of trans representation, with only two trans characters featured out of the 256 films. Additionally, both characters were subjected to mockery or harassment. Sony’s “¡Que viva México!” featured a trans character played by a cisgender male actor.
“Given that over 600 anti-trans laws have been introduced in 2024 alone, the danger of these one-dimensional and/or offensive, transphobic narratives reaching the big screen cannot be overstated,” the report said. “Hollywood must do better by telling stories about transgender people that portray them as complex individuals with full and complicated lives just like everyone else.”