LGBTQ+ in film

Representation Matters: Hollywood’s Multifaceted Lack of LGBTQ+ Diversity

The film industry does a remarkable job with story-telling and depicting unique, one-of-a-kind tales. We constantly see many different types of films set in varying time periods- magnificent stories of love, hilarious comedy flicks, bustling action tales, and so much more. However, most films have followed heteronormative standards. Constantly showing heterosexual couples, Hollywood has unfairly left out the LGBTQ+ community in their movies.

Even productions that include LGBTQ+ characters often follow predictable stereotypes. For example, the “gay best friend” is an overplayed trope that portrays a sassy and flamboyant sidekick to the main character. Usually when “...a queer character exists in this fictional ecosystem, it is to respond to the emotional or sartorial needs of a straight protagonist,” (Ellis, 2018). Furthermore, typical LGBTQ+ characters are often defined by their sexual orientation or gender identity, leaving viewers wondering about the depth in their personality and other unique character traits.

In their 2019 Studio Responsibility Index, GLAAD reported an increase in LBGTQ+ representation in film. In fact, 18.2% of movies released in 2018 by top studios included characters that identified as LGBTQ+ (Brown, 2019). For major studio films released in 2019, GLAAD reported another slight increase in LGBTQ representation, with 18.6% of movies containing characters that identified as LGBTQ+ (GLAAD, 2020). Movies like Love, Simon and Call Me By Your Name are fan-favorites, but with these stories, the film industry’s underlying disparities are brought to our attention.

While a slight rise in LGBTQ+ representation in film is promising, many groups are still experiencing inequalities. Notably, there is a lack of people of color, as well as transgender or non-binary characters. GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis expresses her frustration with the film industry, stating that while “...the film industry should include more stories of LGBTQ+ people of color and transgender people, studios are finally addressing the calls from LGBTQ+ people and allies around the world who want to see more diversity in films,” (Brown, 2019). The erasure of diversity in film is harmful, as it deletes the voices of those who often go unheard. 

By holding major film studios accountable for their lack of LGBTQ+ representation, we can begin to produce more inclusive LGBTQ+ representation in film. Hopefully in the near future, we will be able to see a film industry that mimics what we see in real life. Check out this list of films and movies that do a great job in representing the diversity within our LGBTQ+ community: https://www.advocate.com/film/2019/12/23/30-best-lgbtq-films-decade

References: 

Ellis, P. (2018, October 11). It's Time to Do Away With the Gay Best Friend Stereotype. Retrieved from https://www.manrepeller.com/2018/10/gay-best-friend-stereotype.html.

Brown, T. (2019, May 23). GLAAD report: LGBTQ representation in films is up, but less diverse. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-lgbtq-representation-glaad-studio-responsibility-index-20190523-story.html.

2020 GLAAD Studio Responsibility Index. (2020, July 16). Retrieved from https://www.glaad.org/sri/2020.

Helena Habtemariam