2024 Studio Responsibility Index

Overview of Findings

Films with LGBTQ Characters

27.3% (72.7% FILMS WITHOUT)

Of the 256 films released theatrically and direct to streaming by the ten distributors counted in this study in 2023, 70 feature LGBTQ characters (27.3 percent). This is a decrease of 1.2 percentage points from the record high of 28.5 percent in the previous study.

Of the 170 LGBTQ characters counted, 95 are men (56 percent), 67 are women (39 percent), eight are nonbinary characters who are not explicitly identified as transgender on screen (five percent). Two of the women are transgender (one percent).

Gender of LGBTQ Characters

LGBTQ-inclusive Film Breakdown of Characters

Of the 70 LGBTQ inclusive films released in 2023, 38 included gay men (54 percent), 22 included lesbians (31 percent), 19 included bisexual characters (27 percent), two included transgender characters (three percent), and three included queer characters that don’t fall specifically into those other labels (four percent).

Identity Breakdown of LGBTQ Characters

Of the 170 LGBTQ characters counted, 82 are gay men (48 percent), 50 are lesbians (29 percent), 26 are bisexual+ (15 percent), five are queer characters that don’t fall specifically into those other labels (three percent), one is straight, and six have undefined sexual orientations.

Race of LGBTQ Characters

*Note: an additional four characters are non-human

Of the 170 LGBTQ characters counted, 78 are characters of color (46 percent). Of all the LGBTQ characters, 88 are white (52 percent), 29 are Black (17 percent), 14 are Latine (eight percent), 14 are API (eight percent), 17 are multiracial (10 percent), four are MENA (two percent), and none are indigenous. Four further characters are non-human (two percent).

Transgender Characters

Of the 170 LGBTQ characters counted, only two are transgender (one percent).

Of the 170 LGBTQ characters found this year, only two characters had a disability (one percent).

Screentime of LGBTQ Characters

Of the 170 LGBTQ characters, 64 appeared in over ten minutes of screentime (38 percent), 21 had between five and ten minutes of screentime (12 percent), 38 had between one and five minutes of screen time (22 percent), and 47 clocked under one minute (28 percent).

LGBTQ-inclusive Film by Genre

This year, once again, comedy was the most inclusive genre of films by percentage and number.

COMEDY

72 TOTAL / 31 INCLUSIVE (43%)

DRAMA

62 TOTAL / 18 INCLUSIVE (29%)

HORROR

31 TOTAL / 9 INCLUSIVE (29%)

ANIMATED/FAMILY

27 TOTAL / 4 INCLUSIVE (15%)

ACTION/SCI-FI/FANTASY

64 TOTAL / 8 INCLUSIVE (13%)

Gender of LGBTQ Characters with Significant Screentime

Of the 64 LGBTQ characters that had over ten minutes of screentime, 33 were men (52 percent), 28 were women (44 percent), and three were nonbinary characters who are not explicitly identified as transgender on screen (five percent).

Race of LGBTQ Characters with Significant Screentime

*Note: an additional three characters are non-human

Of the 64 LGBTQ characters that had over ten minutes of screentime, 29 are characters of color (45 percent). In total, 32 are white (50 percent), seven are Black (11 percent), four are Latine (six percent), 10 are API (16 percent), six are multiracial (nine percent), two are MENA (three percent), and no characters are indigenous. Three additional characters were non-human (five percent).

Theatrical Films with LGBTQ Characters

28.5% (71.5% FILMS WITHOUT)

Of the 256 films released in 2023, 187 were theatrical releases. Of those theatrical films, 53 were LGBTQ inclusive (28.3 percent).

Of the 256 films released in 2023, 69 were streaming releases. Of those streaming films, 17 were LGBTQ inclusive (9.1 percent).

Streaming Films with LGBTQ Characters

9.1% (90.9% FILMS WITHOUT)

View Past Years’ Reports

MEASURE THE MOVEMENT

Your gift allows us to track the impact of our work, helping us better understand the state of acceptance and address the gaps with advocacy — like pushing for more trans representation in movies.

Support Our Program

More Publications from GLAAD

Asian Pacific Islander Resource Kit

The media are covering the lives, stories, and issues of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people more frequently, and often in a more fair, accurate, and balanced manner. Repeatedly, however, Asian Pacific Islander Community LGBT voices, perspectives, and opinions are left out of the picture.

Communities of African Descent Resource Kit

The media are covering the lives, stories, and issues of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people more frequently, and often in a more fair, accurate, and balanced manner. Repeatedly, however, black LGBT voices, perspectives, and opinions are left out of the picture.

Sweeps Week Resource Kit

Community organizations play a vital role in responding to sensational sweeps coverage with their own anti-defamation campaigns. With this Sweeps Weeks Toolkit, GLAAD encourages community members to contact stations that air sensational coverage about the LGBT community and tell them how such stories spread inaccurate or defamatory myths about us.

Immigration Inequality Resource Kit

Following the reintroduction of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) in Congress on May 8, GLAAD calls on journalists to explore the real life consequences of discriminatory immigration policies on LGBT- and HIV-positive people and their families.

Join GLAAD and take action for acceptance.

What's Hot