YOUR FAVORITE LOGO TV SHOWS ARE ON PARAMOUNT+

Annual GLAAD Report Finds Onscreen LGBT Representation At Record Low, Calls Out Mainstream Studios

Only 12% of major film releases from 2017 included queer characters.

Despite the success of queer-friendly blockbusters like Love, Simon and Annihilation, GLAAD's sixth-annual "Studio Responsibility Index" report revealed a record-low number of LGBT-inclusive films from the previous year.

Of 2017's 109 major film releases, GLAAD found that only 14 (12.8%) included LGBT characters. That's about a 6% decrease from last year's report and the lowest percentage the nonprofit has reported since it began tracking LGBT inclusion in films in 2012.

There was some progress made in terms of racially diverse representation: Of the 28 reported LGBT film characters, 16 (57%) were people of color. Notably, there were no Asian or Pacific Islander queer characters in any major studio films from 2017.

20th Century Fox

The annual report uses the Vito Russo test, named after the iconic film critic and GLAAD co-founder, to score films. To pass the test, LGBT characters must be identifiably queer; not solely defined by their gender identity or sexuality; and integral to the film's plot in some way.

"With wildly successful films like Wonder Woman and Black Panther proving that audiences want to see diverse stories that haven’t been told before, there is simply no reason for major studios to have such low scores on the 'Studio Responsibility Index,'" GLAAD CEO and President Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. "At a time when the entertainment industry is holding much needed discussions about inclusion, now is the time to ensure the industry takes meaningful action and incorporates LGBT stories and creators as among priorities areas for growing diversity."

The findings are a stark contrast to GLAAD's 2017 television report, which recorded more LGBT characters on the small screen than ever before.

Now, GLAAD is calling upon Hollywood execs to make sure that 20% of annual major studio releases include LGBT characters by 2021—and that 50% of films include LGBT characters by 2024.

Latest News