GLAAD Reports Decrease in LGBTQ+ Representation in Film
While GLAAD celebrates 40 years of inclusive storytelling, they have been conscious as ever, continuing to pursue the mission of humanizing the LGBTQ+ community in the media.
As GLAAD’s annual Studio Responsibility Index for 2025 reported, 2024 was the second year we have seen a decrease in inclusive and representative films within entertainment industries. Huge film companies such as Netflix, Walt Disney, Amazon and more had insufficient to poor ratings in representing the LGBTQ+ community authentically or even at all. This drop is so significant and worrisome due to the large discrimination and false information spread about the community by politicians, the media, etc.
Studio A24 had a “Good” rating of 9/16 films being LGBTQ+-inclusive. To mark this study’s history, A24, a major studio, crossed the benchmark of over half of their films being LGBTQ+-inclusive last year. GLAAD looks forward to this studio’s plans and future films of representing the community.
Sony Pictures Entertainment had one of the more disappointing ratings being “Insufficient” for the seventh year now. Of the 33 total films by Sony Pictures last year, only 12% were LGBTQ inclusive. While there is credit to give towards, Fly Me to the Moon, Tarot, and Between Two Temples, the LGBTQ characters in these films get little screen time and recognition, which leads to almost no sense of identity and development surrounding their sexual orientation. All this to say, Sony Pictures has many opportunities to represent the community with upcoming films and ideas, so it’s no use to lose hope or give up on this studio.
To represent someone or something is to normalize and humanize one’s experience. It is no secret, the LGBTQ+ experiences so much hate, criticism, and backlash. But the amazing thing about choice, is we can shift the narrative using tools like media, film, and pop culture to spread knowledge and to hear other peoples experiences. Sharing stories breaks stigma!
Photo courtesy of Zoey Kang (A24)
