GLAAD issues damning report of Hollywood Studios on LGBT people

GLAAD has issued its 4th Studio Responsibility Index report which condemns 3 of the top Hollywood Studios on how they’ve represented LGBT people in films.

The latest report found that there is a lack of LGBT characters portrayed in big productions produced by the 7 major studios. GLAAD also highlights how there has been a reduction in the “racial diversity of LGBT characters.”

In the past year there was a rise in “offensive depictions” along with “defamatory stereotypes” that undermined the image of LGBT people and were considered to be non-inclusive by the organization. In particular, the report noted that Kevin Hart’s “Get Hard” and “The Wedding Ringer” contained “blatant and incessant gay panic humor.”

Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures were rated as “failing” for having completely excluded any LGBT characters in their films for their 2015 slates. Warner Bros was also singled out in the report as “failing” while 20th Century Fox, Sony, Universal Pictures and Lionsgate were rated “Adequate.”

GLAAD also highlighted how the industry as a whole had taken a step back on LGBT characters in the past year and that Hollywood was “shockingly far behind other media” when it comes to depicting LGBT characters.

“Filmmakers should examine what message they are really sending when they rely on thoughtless humor to exploit an already marginalized community.” - GLAAD

The study also found that 75% of LGBT characters had less than 5 minutes on screen, and are included in a majority of cases as minor roles lacking substance or purpose, often for the sake of laughs or punchlines.

Following this year’s Oscars, Hollywood studios and production companies have faced increased scrutiny when it comes to diversity and casting. With the backlash and subsequent Oscar membership change, the industry has begun to change its hiring practices to create a more inclusive workforce. However, this process is still in its early stages and may take several years to fully address inequalities including the way LGBT characters are portrayed in movies.

Log on to the official GLAAD website to find the full report.