GLAAD released the findings of its 13th annual edition of its Studio Responsibility Index (SRI), which examines films released in the 2024 calendar year from January 1 – December 31. This study centers research and analysis on 10 top studio distributors – A24, Amazon, Apple TV+, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, and Warner Bros. Discovery – including any of their subsidiary distribution labels and majority-owned streaming services.
GLAAD’s SRI maps the quantity, quality and diversity of LGBTQ characters in film. The study also serves as a road map for studios, identifying priorities and opportunities to increase and improve fair, accurate and inclusive LGBTQ representation and storytelling in film.
Read the full Index including studio ratings HERE
Key Findings:
- LGBTQ-inclusive films in 2024 dropped to 23.6% of major studio releases, down from 27.3% in 2023 and a record high 28.5% in 2022. Films tracked in the SRI include Drive-Away Dolls (NBCUniversal), Love Lies Bleeding (A24), Mean Girls (Paramount Pictures), My Old Ass (Amazon), Problemista (A24) and more.
- Only two films (less than 1% of all films tracked) featured transgender characters, and both included either harmful stereotypes or inauthentic casting.
- 37% of LGBTQ characters had less than one minute of screen time, relegated to insignificant and background roles.
- Only 27% of LGBTQ characters had over 10 minutes of screen time, a major decrease from 38% in the previous year.
- LGBTQ characters of color made up just 36% of all LGBTQ characters, down from 46% in 2023 — the lowest since 2019.
- There were no LGBTQ characters living with HIV in any of the 250 films tracked, marking a continued absence of this critical health and identity narrative.
- Only seven LGBTQ characters (4%) counted had a disability.
- Only two kids and family films featured LGBTQ characters, and all of those characters were minor and lacked narrative importance.
- The number of bisexual+ characters dropped to 10% of LGBTQ characters, despite bisexual+ people being the majority within the LGBTQ community.
- Only four nonbinary characters were identified, with none receiving more than 10 minutes of screen time.
- For the first time in five years, gender parity was reached among LGBTQ characters, with 50% of LGBTQ characters being women, 48% men, and 2% nonbinary characters.
- A24 was the only studio to receive a “Good” rating, releasing the highest percentage of LGBTQ-inclusive films and breaking its own box office record in the process.
The SRI highlights films that meet the basic standard for meaningful LGBTQ inclusion, as outlined by GLAAD’s Vito Russo Test, named after a founder of GLAAD. Titles that passed the Vito Russo Test included Love Lies Bleeding (A24), Problemista (A24), My Old Ass (Amazon), Drive-Away Dolls (NBCUniversal), Mean Girls (Paramount Pictures), Fancy Dance (Apple TV+), Good Grief (Netflix), Rez Ball (Netflix), Sweethearts (Warner Bros. Discovery), Housekeeping for Beginners (NBCUniversal), The Radleys (Lionsgate), Ricky Stanicky (Amazon), Between the Temples (Sony Pictures Entertainment), Prom Dates (The Walt Disney Company) and more. This year’s study also points to glaring disparities in the representation of transgender people, LGBTQ people of color, those with disabilities, and LGBTQ people living with HIV.
The Index arrives amid escalating political and cultural battles targeting LGBTQ people, particularly the transgender community and people of color. While inclusive storytelling has been proven to build empathy, shift public opinion, and drive revenue, the entertainment industry is increasingly falling short of its responsibility to the diverse audiences it serves.
From GLAAD President & CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis:
“This year’s findings are a wake-up call to the industry. At a time when LGBTQ people are facing unprecedented attacks in politics and news media, film must be a space for visibility and truth. Representation isn’t about checking a box — it’s about whose stories get told, whose lives are valued, and creating worlds that mirror our own society today. When done authentically, LGBTQ representation builds audience and buzz, while humanizing LGBTQ people as those in power are actively working to take away our humanity.”
From Megan Townsend, Senior Director, Entertainment Research & Analysis:
The LGBTQ community is a powerful and growing audience with significant buying power and cultural clout that can drive success for a film.
More than 1 in 5 (23.1%) Gen Z U.S. adults – a key ticket and subscription buying audience – are LGBTQ. Further, LGBTQ Americans 13-39 are more likely than non-LGBTQ peers to say they are a “diehard fan” of something, rating movies as the top thing they fan over. Our stories have universal appeal to audiences across the board with supermajorities of LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ 18-24 year olds (93% and 85%, respectively) reporting actively seeking out queer media. It’s clear that companies who are looking to grow their revenue should be deliberately courting this community with inclusive storytelling, targeted and specific marketing, and merchandise. When studios don’t tell LGBTQ stories, they’re ignoring an audience that represents over one trillion per year in U.S. spending power, and leaving profit on the table.
From Nick Adams, Vice President, GLAAD Media Institute:
It is frustrating and alarming to see the continued near invisibility of transgender characters in films from major studio distributors, and even more alarming to see cisgender men cast to play transgender women and the inauthentic storytelling in the films in this year’s study. Because so few trans stories are told, each one has a significant impact on culture. At a time when transgender people are under attack on many fronts, both the lack of representation and offensive caricatures of trans people cause real harm. There are films from independent distributors, and scripts yet to be produced, that tell trans stories with heart, nuance, and intention. As studios look towards their upcoming slates, it is critical that they seek out trans stories that will both entertain audiences and portray trans people with authenticity and care. GLAAD is here to be a resource and we can help you identify powerful stories and storytellers.
Creating a Diverse, Fair and Accurate Representation in Hollywood:
As consumers demand more diversity in films and distribution models evolve, GLAAD is committed to meeting the industry in this moment by serving as a resource, consulting on content, spotlighting promising projects and creators, and holding the industry accountable for stories which reflect the diversity of the LGBTQ community:
- The GLAAD List: A curated list of the most promising unmade LGBTQ-inclusive scripts in Hollywood. These scripts represent the type of LGBTQ-inclusive stories that GLAAD would like to see studios producing to increase LGBTQ visibility on-screen. Four scripts from The GLAAD List have been released as feature films: Prime Video’s Anything’s Possible, Paramount’s Three Months, Universal’s Knock at the Cabin and Epic Pictures’ Before I Change My Mind, with four more released as proof-of-concept shorts. Several other GLAAD List scripts are currently in development at production companies.
- GLAAD’s Communities of Color Department: A leading force driving equitable and accurate representation of Black LGBTQ people, people living with HIV (PLWH), and queer Communities of Color in entertainment and media. This team has launched exciting new opportunities for underrepresented creatives including the Equity in Media and Entertainment Initiative (EMEI), which just wrapped its second cohort of Black LGBTQ talent, and the Black Queer Creative Summit, which brought dozens of Black LGBTQ filmmakers and storytellers together to connect and learn from industry leaders.
- Continued impact of The GLAAD Media Institute (GMI): GLAAD’s division for external consultation & training, education & advocacy, research and portfolio of subject matter experts, covering all areas of media and entertainment, continues to meet the needs of an ever-expanding media landscape to ensure LGBTQ people are fairly and accurately represented. Whether it’s production of world class research, providing feedback on scripts and casting, or providing specialized coaching and consulting for individuals or companies to become better equipped to include LGBTQ voices, the GLAAD Media Institute recognizes that accelerating acceptance for LGBTQ people must be holistic to be truly impactful.
- GLAAD’s Research, including the latest Accelerating Acceptance study, 2024 GLAAD Gaming Report, inaugural GLAAD Advertising Visibility Index and our legacy Studio Responsibility Index (SRI) and Where We Are on TV (WWATV) studies shape GLAAD’s advocacy work year round and propel international conversations about LGBTQ lives and storytelling. Recent SRI and WWATV studies were honored at both the Anthem Awards and Shorty Impact Awards.
GLAAD’s Studio Responsibility Index is produced by GLAAD’s entertainment research & analysis team within the GLAAD Media Institute, GLAAD’s training, research and consulting division of the organization.