A latest report from GLAAD shows that LGBT representation in Hollywood movies has gotten worse in 2015. The statistics revealed that LGBT people had shockingly few roles in major studios movies.
The 2016 GLAAD Studio Responsibility Index (SRI) reports than LGBT people had shockingly few roles in films made by major studios released during 2015. Furthermore, those roles were only given marginal screen time, as reported by Towleroad.
The statistics revealed that only 22 out of 126 film releases from major studios in 2015 included LBGT characters. That makes up only 17.5 percent of the total films. In that sense, the number is not worse than the 2014 report which shows the same percentage.
However, the diversity among LGBT-identified characters fell drastically in 2015 movies. The report reveals that only 25.5 percent of LGBT characters in 2015 movies were people of color, lower than 32.1 percent from the 2014 movies. In 2015 movies reviewed by GLAAD, 72.3 percent were White, 5 percent were Latino/Latina, only 8.5 percent were African American, and 6.4 percent were Asian/Pacific Islander.
Furthermore, the report elaborates that the most represented group from LGBT-identified characters in 2015 movies were gay and white people. 77 percent of the LGBT characters were gay male, compared to 23 percent lesbian and 9 percent were identified as bisexual. As for transgender, only one major movie in 2015 featured such character.
According to Vanity Fair, the GLAAD report also shows that none of the major studios received a "Good" rating this year. Lionsgate was rated to be the most inclusive studio and received "Adequate" ratings, along with Fox, Sony, and Universal. On the other hand, Warner Bros., Paramount, and Disney were given the "Failing" ratings, as none of those studios featured an LGBT-identified character in their 2015 movies.
The report shows how underrepresented the LBGT community is in Hollywood movies. GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis noted that Hollywood's films are so far behind from any other form of media in its portrayals of LBGT characters. "Too often, the few LGBT characters that make it to the big screen are the target of a punchline or token characters. The film industry must embrace new and inclusive stories if it wants to remain competitive and relevant," she said, as quoted by USA Today.
In the report, GLAAD also suggests films to include LGBT characters in more roles and reflect the wide diversity of the community. The report, based on major studio movies released in 2015, has failed every single major studio over its portrayal of LGBT characters.
