Over 50% of LGBTQ+ Characters in Film and TV Have Less Than 5 Mins Screen Time, GLAAD Report Finds
A new report released by LGBTQ+ advocacy group GLAAD has found that over half of LGBTQ+ characters in modern television and cinema have less than five minutes of screen time. The report, titled the 2023 Studio Responsibility Index, was supported by the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA). It highlights the continued need for improvement in LGBTQ+ representation in film and TV.
The GLAAD report analyzed the quantity and quality of LGBTQ+ representation in the media, comparing it to the previous year. It also serves as a road map for media studios to identify areas for improvement in their approach to LGBTQ+ representation.
According to the report, just over 28% of films from major studios include an LGBTQ+ character, but over half of them are on screen for less than five minutes. While this percentage is the highest recorded in over a decade, GLAAD acknowledges that it needs to be considered in the context of tracking a higher number of films in 2023 with new methodology.
Out of 100 films, a total of 292 LGBTQ+ characters were featured, with 40% of them being characters of color. However, GLAAD noted that this percentage has remained static from the previous year. The report also found that only 12 of the films included transgender characters, accounting for 12% overall, and there were just 11 LGBTQ+ characters with disabilities.
To assess LGBTQ+ character portrayal, GLAAD introduced a method similar to the Bechdel Test, called the Four-Point Vito Russo Test. This method considers four criteria: the inclusion of an LGBTQ+ character, the avoidance of defining the character solely by their gender or sexual orientation, meaningful integration into the plot, and the absence of outwardly offensive stereotypes.
Of the LGBTQ-inclusive films examined in the report, 77% passed the Four-Point Vito Russo Test. The report also highlighted research from The Trevor Project, which found that 89% of LGBTQ+ young people consider LGBTQ+ inclusion as one of the top factors in gender or sexual orientation affirmation.
SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher emphasized the importance of diverse representation on screen for empowering individuals to embrace their authentic selves. Drescher also urged studios and the entertainment industry to come to an agreement and end the ongoing strike, as it poses a risk to the progress made in terms of inclusive representation.
GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis emphasized the need to hold film studios accountable for how the LGBTQ+ community is portrayed on-screen, particularly in the face of cultural and political attacks. GLAAD commended the efforts of SAG-AFTRA and the WGA in promoting fair and accurate storytelling integral to the LGBTQ+ movement.
The GLAAD report sheds light on the need for increased LGBTQ+ representation in film and TV and serves as a call to action for the industry to strive for more authentic and meaningful LGBTQ+ storytelling.
