GLAAD Suggests Worrying Picture For LGBT Representation On Screen In Annual Report

Every year GLAAD produces its Studio Responsibility Index where it breaks down LGBT representations in the films released by the major studios the year before, giving each company a grade – Failing, Adequate or Good. This year’s report has been released, and it presents a rather mixed and worrying picture.

Although technically the number of films with LGBT characters increased this year from 14 to 17, the real picture is that it has stagnated, as this is the first year Lionsgate was counted and that distributor released three LGBT inclusive movies.

GLAAD counts all LGBT characters, and while there were 25 in total, many of them were on-screen for just a few seconds, others were just cheap comic relief, and some were downright defamatory. The cheap laugh element is evidenced by the fact that nearly half the movies that included at least one LGBT character were comedies. And while genre films (action, sci-fi, fantasy etc.) made up the majority of releases, only four were LGBT inclusive.

Perhaps most worrying of all what that not a single film of the 102 released by the major distributors had an LGBT lead character in any genre.

In terms of trans* representation things have arguably gotten worse – which is impressive considering there were no trans* characters at all in any of the films counted in last year’s report. This year there were two, but neither was a positive depiction, with one ‘trans woman very briefly depicted in a jail cell, while the other was an outright defamatory depiction included purely to give the audience something to laugh at’.

Only Sony Pictures was rated Good, thanks to the fact it released LGBT inclusive films in the US such as Mortal Instruments and Battle Of The Year. 20% of its movies included LGBT representation and two passed GLAAD’s ‘Vito Russo Test’, which looks for gay and trans characters who are more than just window dressing.

Unfortunately there’s were more two studios given a failing grade. Warner Brothers had three LGBT inclusive films (We’re The Millers, The Hangover III and Grudge Match), but all of them were problematic, using gay characters and situations as the butt of cheap jokes. Paramount was also given a failing grade thanks to negative depictions of LGBT characters in Wolf Of Wall Street and most noticeably Pain & Gain.

GLAAD has once more called for the studios to think carefully about how they represent LGBT people and to ensure not just that more gay and trans* characters are included in their films, but they are given more substansive roles in a wider variety of movies.

It once more seems that while society is increasingly seeing LGBT people as simply another part of society, Hollywood is stuck in a more old-fashioned mindset, where gay and trans* people are fine to laugh at, but unless they’re a ‘point’ to including them, it’s best to pretend they don’t exist.

Take a look below for some of the results GLAAD came up with. You can read the full report on the GLAAD website.