Hollywood has been making steady progress toward including more LBGTQ characters into its storylines, according to the latest report from GLAAD, but SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher says that those gains are in jeopardy because of the studios’ intransigence in reaching a fair deal to end the ongoing strikes by actors and writers.
GLAAD, the nation’s leading LGBTQ civil rights organization, is teaming up with SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild to unveil its new “Studio Responsibility Index” at a press conference later this morning. SAG-AFTRA’s press invitation noted that it would be a “joint event … to challenge film studio leadership on their commitments to the LGBTQ community and audiences at-large and outline the critical need to reach a fair deal and get striking creators and writers at all levels back to work, or risk erasing gains made in LGBTQ representation in recent years.”
“Right now, there’s a very tiny but loud segment of our population that’s hard at work spreading hate and fear while attempting to squash all storytelling that showcases the full, beautiful reality of the human experience,” Drescher said in a statement. “Seeing diverse representation on screen is vital for empowering everyone to embrace their authentic selves.
“Sadly, the longer the AMPTP companies keep the entertainment industry shut down by refusing to come back to the bargaining table, the more risk there is for disrupting the progress that’s been made in terms of inclusive representation. Let’s make a deal and end this stalemate so we can continue sharing diverse stories and create a more hopeful, empathetic society for today’s young people.”
According to GLAAD’s latest report, “Over the last decade, the percentage of LGBTQ-inclusive films grew by 50%, or 1.5 times, in large part due to GLAAD’s annual study, alongside work with studio leadership and creatives.”
Of the 350 films surveyed from last year, 100 (28.6%) included at least one identifiably LGBTQ character, which according to the report are “the highest number and percentage recorded in the 11 years GLAAD has conducted this study.” The report notes, however, that this must be considered through “the context that the number of films tracked has exponentially increased this year under new methodology,” which for the first time includes the streaming services.
Other “record highs” attained in 2022 included the number of non-binary characters portrayed in a single year (10); the number of transgender characters (12), and the number of LGBTQ characters portrayed with disabilities (11). The report, however, noted that at only 4%, this “vastly underrepresents the actual population of queer people with disabilities.” And only one of those characters was living with HIV.
Based on the overall quantity, quality, and diversity of LGBTQ representation in a company’s total slate of films, a grade was then assigned to each distributor: Excellent, Good, Fair, Insufficient, Poor, or Failing.