LGBTQ+ representation in U.S. produced movies decreased in 2021 according to a new report released on Thursday by GLAAD. The study found that racial diversity, LGBTQ+ representation and screen time dipped in 2021 compared to previous years. Both Lionsgate & Paramount received failing grades for not having a single LGBTQ+ character in their 2021 feature films.
There were no trans women or non-binary characters in any of the major Hollywood productions that premiered in 2021. Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” however, was the first Hollywood movie to feature a trans man in five years.
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation releases an annual report named the Studio Responsibility Index, in which they grade the country’s seven major studios on their movies’ LGBTQ+ inclusivity.
Universal Pictures, Warner Bros, Sony Pictures, The Walt Disney Studios & United Artists Releasing all received “poor” or “insufficient” grades.
Out of the 77 movies that were analyzed in the study, only 16 included LGBTQ+ characters. A 1.9% decrease compared to 2020.
The study revealed that there’s significantly fewer opportunities for female LGBTQ+ actors. Out of the 28 LGBTQ+ characters that were featured in the films that were analyzed, only 9 were played by women.
There were also big disparities in the amount of screen time LGBTQ+ characters got compared to their straight counterparts. While there were 28 LGBTQ+ characters in these 77 films, only seven of them appeared for more than 10 minutes on screen. 17 of them appeared on screen for less than five minutes and six of them didn’t even get one minute of screen time.