LGBTQ representation took a hit in 2021, though the year also saw the first transgender character in a major release in five years, according to a new report from GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy group.
On Thursday, the organization released the 10th edition of its Studio Responsibility Index. The annual report analyzes the quantity, quality and diversity of queer and trans roles in Hollywood.
Of the 77 films theatrically released by the seven major Hollywood studios last year, 16 (20.8%) featured LGBTQ characters. The list included some serious Oscar contenders, including “Licorice Pizza,” “No Time to Die” and “West Side Story.”
That’s a drop of nearly 2% when compared to figures from 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic drastically reduced the number of theatre releases. Of the 44 films released that year, 10 (22.7%) featured LGBTQ characters.
All seven major Hollywood studios received bad grades in this year’s report.
Sony Pictures, United Artists Releasing, Universal Pictures, and The Walt Disney Studios received a grade of “insufficient;” while Warner Bros. was rated “poor.”
Both Lionsgate and Paramount Pictures received a grade of “failing” for not containing any LGBTQ characters in their films.
None of the studios received a “good” or “excellent” grade.
The report also found a “significant decrease” in screen time for LGBTQ characters in major films, with only seven out of a total of 28 featured for 10 minutes or longer.
There was also a drop in the percentage of LGBTQ characters of color and LGBTQ women in 2021. Additionally, for the second consecutive year, GLAAD found no LGBTQ characters with a disability or living with HIV.
Despite the grim assessment, 2021 saw the first transgender character in a major release in five years: Anybodys, from Disney’s “West Side Story,” played by 32-year-old nonbinary actor Iris Menas.
The organization also noted the “significant progress” Hollywood has made over the past 10 years when it comes to inclusivity and a more fair and accurate representation of LGBTQ people.
“The percentage of LGBTQ-inclusive films has grown by 50%” over the past decade, GLAAD CEO and President Sarah Kate Ellis wrote in the report.
She also noted “there is still a huge opportunity for groundbreaking storytelling which highlights the full spectrum of our community and spotlights new voices.”
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