GLAAD Says LGBTQ Representation is at an All-Time High
Representation of LGBTQ individuals in film is not where it needs to be, but according to one report, things are getting better.
Representation of LGBTQ individuals in film is not where it needs to be, but according to one very important annual report, things are getting better. In fact, representation in media hasn’t been as good as it is right now in more than a decade.
According to GLAAD’s annual Studio Responsibility Index (SRI) report, which takes a hard look at the portrayal of LGBTQ characters in major movie releases, LGBTQ representation in film reached its highest point in 11 years in 2022.
To compile the report, the organization looked at 350 films released in 2022 by 10 of the top film distributors, such as NBCUniversal, Netflix, Amazon, and others, including streaming platforms in the roundup for the first time.
GLAAD reports in its annual message that 100 of the movies it surveyed, or 28.5%, included at least one character who identified as LGBTQ. The 350 films featured a total of 292 LGBTQ characters.
40% of those LGBTQ characters are people of color. 163 of them were men, 119 were women, and 10 were nonbinary. Additionally, six transgender men and seven transgender women were part of the character count. The report also explained that just 11 of the hundreds of LGBTQ characters had disabilities. That’s a paltry sum, but believe it or not, it’s also actually a record high.
Just one LGBTQ character was living with an HIV diagnosis. One single character.
The report also noted that while there may be hundreds of LGBTQ characters in these movies, the vast majority of them only appeared on screen for less than five minutes.
Only three of the film distributors surveyed, A24, Disney, and NBCUniversal, received a “good” rating from GLAAD. The report also points out that in the 11 years that the organization has been conducting and publishing this these report, no company has ever received an “excellent” rating.
It’s clear that Hollywood still has a long way to go before LGBTQ representation in film matches the real world, but at least things are improving in this space. Hopefully, the report that will be published a year from now will include even more optimistic numbers.
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