GLAAD study finds LGBTQ representation in film fell in 2017
LOS ANGELES — Despite high-profile Oscar wins for art house films like “Call Me By Your Name” and “A Fantastic Women,” LGBTQ representation in films from the seven biggest Hollywood studios fell significantly in 2017 according to a study released Tuesday by the advocacy organization GLAAD.
GLAAD said in its sixth annual report that of the 109 major releases surveyed from 2017, 12.8 per cent included LGBTQ characters, down from 18.4 per cent the previous year. None of the major films had a transgender character either, although there was an increase in the racial diversity of LGBTQ characters after two years of decline.
Individually none of the studios received higher than the “insufficient” rating given to 20th Century Fox and Universal Pictures. Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures and Walt Disney Studios all received “poor” ratings, and both Lionsgate and Warner Bros. got “failing” grades.
As usual, independent and art house releases included more LGBTQ characters. Of the 40 films released by Focus Features, Fox Searchlight, Roadside Attractions and Sony Pictures Classics, which distributed both “Call Me By Your Name” and “A Fantastic Woman,” 28 per cent were LGBTQ-inclusive, up from 17 per cent in 2016.