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    Netflix

    Colman Domingo and Aml Ameen as Bayard Rustin and Martin Luther King Jr in Rustin
    Rustin. (L to R) Jeffrey Mackenzie Jordan as Courtney and Colman Domingo as Bayard Rustin. Cr. Parrish Lewis/Netflix © 2023

    SUMMARY

    Considering the quality, quantity, and diversity of films distributed under the Netflix banner, GLAAD has given Netflix a FAIR grade.

    Netflix saw some standout films this year featuring leading LGBTQ characters: Rustin, the story of gay civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, giving the historical figure his due; Nimona, an animated kids and family film featuring a gay love story in the center of a fantasy world; and Nyad, the story of a lesbian athlete overcoming the odds.

    Beyond these films, though, Netflix’s programming still needs significant improvement in terms of LGBTQ representation, specifically in films where LGBTQ characters are relegated to supporting roles. This is most prominent in romantic comedies, where queer stories simply exist to bolster straight narratives, such as in Happiness For Beginners, You People, and Your Place or Mine. As GLAAD specifically called out this issue in the previous study, it is particularly disheartening that Netflix did not feature any films in this genre with LGBTQ leads.

    HISTORY

    Netflix Inc.’s streaming platform launched in 2007 and has been distributing original films since 2015’s Beasts of No Nation. Due to the COVID pandemic shutting down theaters in 2020, the streamer purchased and released numerous films originally scheduled for theatrical release. In 2021, Netflix announced an agreement with Sony Pictures Entertainment for a first-look deal for future direct-to-streaming films produced by Sony Pictures. As of 2022, Netflix originals made up half of its library in the United States. In September 2023, Netflix officially discontinued its DVD-by-mail service.

    Previous LGBTQ-inclusive films from the streaming giant consist of GLAAD Media Award nominees and recipients Tig (2015), The Boys in the Band (2020), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020), The Half of It (2020), The Old Guard (2020), Alice Júnior (2020), Disclosure (2020), Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado (2020), Tick, Tick… Boom! (2021), The Mitchells Vs. The Machines (2021), Single All the Way (2021), Pray Away (2021), The Fear Street Trilogy (2021), Do Revenge (2022), Stay on Board: The Leo Baker Story (2022), and Wendell & Wild (2022), among others.

    Note: Many Netflix films had theatrical runs before going to the streaming service which were widely reported on; GLAAD has counted those titles as theatrically released films. Netflix does not share their theatrical release numbers publicly and the company declined to provide this information for this study, as such these numbers cannot be cited in this study and are listed as “Unknown.”

    A Tourist’s Guide to Love

    Straight to Streaming Release

    Vito Russo Test: FAIL

    This romantic comedy follows a woman who falls in love on a trip to Vietnam. In her tourist group is a Black lesbian couple, Sam and Dom, who have a daughter. While it is important to show that this tourist group is made up of many identities, and that queer families exist in this world, Sam and Dom had no real bearing on the plot and were mostly relegated to the background. GLAAD urges Netflix to include Black queer characters in more significant roles than just filling out the world.

    Happiness for Beginners

    Straight to Streaming Release

    Vito Russo Test: PASS

    Happiness for BeginnersHappiness for Beginners follows protagonist Helen taking a survivalist course along the Appalachian trail, where she falls for Jake. Another hiker is Hugh, a gay man, who becomes close with Helen. Hugh falls into the “gay best friend” role in a romantic comedy, though there is a brief moment where his advice for Helen does propel the plot forward. Hugh is also the least athletic and outdoorsy person on the hiking trail, and a scene where he gets injured is initially played for laughs, although it is eventually taken seriously. While having an Asian American gay man as a significant character is exciting, it is disappointing that nearly all of his story revolves around the straight white woman who leads this romantic comedy.

    Luther: The Fallen Sun

    Widest Theatrical Release: Unknown

    Vito Russo Test: PASS

    Luther The Fallen SunThe continuation of the Luther series included one gay character, Derek Standish, who was blackmailed and catfished by the serial killer antagonist. Standish was communicating online with someone he thought was into the same form of sexual submission that he was, when in reality, the killer was setting up Standish to sexually assault a stranger, and for Standish to think it was consensual, as the other man did not say the safe word. While this situation exists to show the depravity of the killer, the fact that the only gay person in the film was associated with these dark sexual acts feeds into misinformation and harmful narratives about gay men committing sexual assault.

    Maestro

    Widest Theatrical Release: Unknown

    Vito Russo Test: PASS

    MaestroA biopic of infamous composer Leonard Bernstein, Maestro takes place over the course of several decades of Berstein’s life. The film’s focus, rather than Bernstein’s innumerable contributions to music, is his relationship with his wife Felicia. This relationship is shown as strained, as the audience meets Bernstein when he is sleeping with men, and later on, sees him cheating on his wife with his lover, Tommy, and eventually leaving her, until he and Felcia reconcile once she is diagnosed with cancer. The way this film portrays Berstein’s sexuality is mostly focusing on his shame and how much it affected his relationship with Felicia, which is disappointing, given that Berstein in real life became a fierce advocate during the HIV and AIDS crisis, and was quite open about his sexuality. Using queerness as an obstacle in a straight marriage falls into old tropes and ways of centering heterosexuality even in a film about a queer artist.

    While this, of course, is a better option than erasing Bernstein’s sexuality, the portrayal failed to capture the nuances of the real life Berstein, and one of the great queer artists of the 20th century. 

    May December

    Widest Theatrical Release: Unknown

    Vito Russo Test: PASS

    May DecemberThis drama takes place 20 years after a ripped-from-the-headlines affair between Gracie and Joe, who were a teacher and her student at the time. Gracie and Joe are still together when Elizabeth, an actress set to portray Gracie in a film adaptation, comes to town asking questions. One of the people Elizabeth talks to is Georgie, Gracie’s adult son from a previous marriage who is generally outspoken and doesn’t have a relationship with his mother. Georgie briefly mentions giving a hand job to another boy when he was younger. This is the only time his sexuality is mentioned, but he does play a significant part in the film.

    Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie

    Straight to Streaming Release

    Vito Russo Test: FAIL

    This continuation of the Miraculous Ladybug series had the opportunity to feature a myriad of queer characters that appear in the show and showcase their identities. Sadly, this was not the case. While the movie included characters Max Kante and Alix Kubdel, who are confirmed to be asexual and aromantic respectively in the series, their identities were not mentioned, and further queer characters from the series were not featured at all. GLAAD aims to see any future Miraculous Ladybug films showcase the LGBTQ characters in the original show.

    Nimona

    Widest Theatrical Release: Unknown

    Vito Russo Test: PASS

    NimonaThis animated film, based on the graphic novel of the same name, follows the titular Nimona, a shapeshifter who works for former knight Ballister Blackheart. The film starts with Blackheart being framed for murder as he is about to be knighted. At the ceremony, he is with his boyfriend, Ambrosious Goldenloin, and the audience gets confirmation that the two are lovers before everything goes awry. Blackheart and Goldenloin’s relationship as lovers then nemeses and eventually finding their way back to each other is a very large part of the film. A queer romance as a driving force of an animated fantasy film is a very exciting development, especially when the characters are shown with nuance and heart. Stories of knights and queens have so often had a heterosexual lens, and it’s refreshing to see the genre reframed. GLAAD urges more films aimed at young audiences to center queer love stories.

    Nyad

    Widest Theatrical Release: Unknown

    Vito Russo Test: PASS

    NyadNyad follows the true story of 64-year-old swimmer Diana Nyad making the choice to swim from Cuba to Florida, a journey that had never been made before. The film portrays Nyad as a lesbian, along with her coach and best friend Bonnie, with an offhand remark that they briefly dated, before realizing they were much better as friends. Bonnie also tries to set Nyad up with another woman, which does not work out due to Nyad’s ego and obsession with swimming. Overall, the film showed a rarity in two older queer women as the main characters without any romance, but a strong lifelong bond. Diana Nyad’s story also showcases one of the great athletes of our time, and casually included her identity as a part of who she is.

    Old Dads

    Straight to Streaming Release

    Vito Russo Test: FAIL

    This comedy follows three men in their 50s who realize they are out of touch with the world and young people. To demonstrate this, the lead characters often say things that can be interpreted as offensive. Specifically, there are several instances of anti-trans bigotry that are spoken and then excused simply because the men are older and ignorant, despite the fact there are real consequences for anti-trans rhetoric. There is one gay character in the film, Ed, who the audience doesn’t find out is gay until the end. Having this one character, who barely had a minute of screen time, is not enough to offset the fact that there were more jokes at the expense of the LGBTQ community than representation of the community itself.

    Pain Hustlers

    Widest Theatrical Release: Unknown

    Vito Russo Test: FAIL

    Pain Hustlers is a crime drama that follows single mother Liza, who “saves” a pharmaceutical company by bribing doctors to prescribe fentanyl to their patients. One of the sales representatives at the company, Ryan, specifically sleeps with a male doctor to get him to buy their product. Ryan is also seen with a female doctor, falling into an overused and dangerous bisexual+ trope of sleeping with people of different genders as a means to an end. There is a montage toward the end of the film of people who have suffered a loss as a direct result of the drug and one includes a man holding up a picture of another man, while the voiceover reads, “Sam Walter, Husband,” implying that this man was married to the deceased Sam Walter. None of these inclusions have a serious effect on the plot of the movie, and in the case of Ryan, feeds into unfortunate narratives.

    Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire

    Widest Theatrical Release: Unknown

    Vito Russo Test: FAIL

    This first installment of the space opera Rebel Moon introduces the audience to a whole new galaxy created for the series. The only gay character is barely a character; he is a predatory, grotesque alien who tries to buy another man for sex, only to be rebuffed, get into a fight, and eventually die in his minute and a half of screen time. It is disappointing that the only representation of a man being attracted to another man is a violent attempt to buy him. There was online discussion of the character Millius being nonbinary, but no pronouns were ever used for this character. Hopefully future iterations of this series actually represent the LGBTQ community, or at least have more flattering portrayals, as this first film is woefully behind the times.

    Rustin

    Widest Theatrical Release: Unknown

    Vito Russo Test: PASS

    RustinRustin tells the story of activist Bayard Rustin, one of the organizers of the civil rights march on Washington in 1963, where Martin Luther King Jr. gave the infamous “I Have a Dream” speech. Rustin was gay, and this film does not shy away from his sexuality, showing him with lovers including Elias Taylor and the fictional Tom Kahn. The film also shows that though many of his close relationships knew of his sexuality, given the time period, many were still worried about his sexuality affecting the march’s success. Rustin is never shown being ashamed of his sexuality, even though others, including the married Taylor, were. Being gay does end up leading to Rustin both getting fired and being arrested, with the film showing the time period consequences while also showing Rustin’s unique advocacy and pride. Rustin ends with text on screen saying how he fell in love with Walter Nagle and was with him until he passed.

    Bayard Rustin is one of the leading civil rights activists who does not often get the recognition he deserves due to his sexuality. This biopic shone a much needed life on Rustin as a proud gay Black man who significantly influenced a movement. GLAAD is looking forward to more films that portray nuanced LGBTQ people who are so often overlooked by history.  

    The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die

    Straight to Streaming Release

    Vito Russo Test: PASS

    The Last KingdomThis film finale of The Last Kingdom series follows the medieval war over who shall claim the throne of England. Aethelstan, who becomes the rightful king early on in the film, has an advisor, Ingilmundr, who is also his lover. Midway through the film, it is revealed that Ingilmundr is a spy for the Danes and is using his relationship with Aethelstan to manipulate him politically. When Aethelstan finds this out, the two former lovers meet in battle and Aethelstan prevails. When Ingilmundr is about to be executed, Aethelstan asks him if any of their relationship was real. Ingilmundr says he was fond of Aethelstan, but his love for his people prevailed. Then Aethelstan’s soldiers kill him. Despite one of the two gay characters being a villain who ended up dying, none of this was due to his queerness. This romance and betrayal was treated with the same gravitas that a straight couple in the genre would face, and a gay man ended up being one of the heroes and the king of this film.

    You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah

    Straight to Streaming Release

    Vito Russo Test: FAIL

    There are no LGBTQ characters in this comedy, but a few references to the community. Popular girl Kym casually says, “some of us are straight too” about her group of friends, implying that a good amount of the popular girls are queer, but there is no confirmation as to which ones. Another girl also mentioned having two moms. While it is good to acknowledge that this world is one with casual LGBTQ people, this point could have been further elaborated on by having actual LGBTQ characters.

    You People

    Straight to Streaming Release

    Vito Russo Test: PASS

    You PeopleThis comedy follows the culture clash between the families of Ezra, a white Jewish man, and Amira, a Black Muslim woman, who start dating. Ezra’s parents continually brag about how progressive they are, including touting out Liza, Ezra’s sister who is a lesbian. Ezra’s podcast co-host Mo is also a lesbian and is Ezra’s main confidant in the film, giving him advice and suggesting he meet Amira’s family. Overall, the inclusion is relatively minor, as the story revolves around a straight couple and their families.

    Your Place or Mine

    Straight to Streaming Release

    Vito Russo Test: PASS

    Your Place or MineYour Place or Mine is a romantic comedy that follows best friends Debbie and Peter as they swap houses for a week. One of Peter’s good friends is Alicia, who supports and advises him to finally act on his feelings for Debbie. Alicia has one brief mention of a female partner, but beyond that, she exists in the context of supporting her straight friend. This is another situation of queer characters in romantic comedies not getting their own narrative, but propping up straight love stories.

    Documentary Film:

    Netflix released 20 documentary films in 2023, four of which include or represent LGBTQ people. Wham! tracks the rise of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, who make up the titular pop duo, as they find success and themselves along the way. Throughout much of the documentary, George Michael was struggling with his sexuality both in terms of career and family, and whether or not he could find success in the industry as an out gay man. Netflix also released Money Shot: The Pornhub Story, which delves into a lawsuit levied against MindGeek, Pornhub’s parent company, alleging that the company was not working to prevent sex-trafficking content and child pornography on their site. In this look into the world of sex work writ large, the filmmakers interview a number of queer sex workers, including Wolf Hudson, Cherry DeVille, Johnny Hill, Gwen Adora, and Natassia Dreams, as well as queer porn advocate Mike Stabile. Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me touched on the famous model and celebrity’s bisexuality, with one of the interviewees claiming that they had a lesbian relationship. However, the documentary appears to paint the now late Anna Nicole Smith as untrustworthy and duplicitous, when she was exploited and sexualized by the industry and the world right up until her death. This harmful rhetoric is often used to stereotype bisexual people. Finally, Netflix released Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America, in which survivors and experts recount the Boy Scouts’ decades-long cover-up of sexual abuse cases. One survivor, Drew Tessier, discusses his personal experiences with homophobia and shame as a closeted Scout, citing the organization’s frequent conflation of pedophilia with homosexuality.

    OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD

    Early in 2024, Netflix released Good Grief, a story about an artist grieving the loss of his partner, written, directed by, and starring queer actor Dan Levy, as well as gay actors Luke Evans and Arnaud Valois, and nonbinary actor Emma Corrin. Also released earlier in 2024 was romantic comedy Players, which features a bisexual character, Bran, as part of the central group in the film, and comedy Mother of the Bride, which features Scott and Clay, a married gay couple.

    The second film in Zack Snyder’s epic space series Rebel Moon Part II: The Scargiver continues to feature Milius, who will hopefully be portrayed as explicitly nonbinary in the sequel. The Old Guard 2 is set to include Joe and Nicky, two important characters from the first film, who were in a relationship. The Witcher: The Sirens of the Deep includes Jaskier in the cast, who is confirmed as queer in the television show. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will be released in 2025, and will see the return of gay detective Benoit Blanc. This presents an opportunity to see more of his relationship with his partner in this film, which is also set to feature gay actor Andrew Scott. Netflix also has the rights to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, whose titular character is bisexual and includes other queer characters in the ensemble, such as her lover Celia and her ex-husband and good friend Harry. The movie Uglies, based on the popular young-adult book series, will feature trans actress Laverne Cox, although it is not clear whether or not her character is transgender. Netflix is also releasing another film in its Fear Street series, titled Fear Street: Prom Queen. This series has historically been rich with LGBTQ characters, and GLAAD hopes to see Netflix continue this trend with the new film.

    For the purposes of this study, GLAAD is counting domestically ordered Netflix originals released directly to their platform, as well as films that received theatrical distribution under the streamer.

    Summary of 2023 Findings

    40

    Total films released in 2023 under studio and official imprints

    14

    Total number of LGBTQ-inclusive films

    35%

    Percent of LGBTQ-inclusive films of studio total releases

    10

    Number of films that pass the Vito Russo Test

    theatrical

    21

    Total theatrical films released in 2023 under studio and official imprints

    9

    Total number of theatrical LGBTQ inclusive films

    43%

    Percent of theatrical LGBTQ-inclusive films of studio theatrical releases

    7

    Number of theatrical films that pass the Vito Russo Test

    streaming

    19

    Total streaming only films released in 2023 under studio and official imprints

    5

    Total number of streaming LGBTQ inclusive films

    26%

    Percent of LGBTQ-inclusive of studio total streaming releases

    3

    Number of streaming films that pass the Vito Russo Test

    STUDIO RATING OVER TIME

    2023

    FAIR

    2022

    FAIR

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