LGBTQ+ characters are slowly disappearing from film, with a disproportionate impact on queer people of color, according to a report published today by the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization Glaad. The annual study found that just 46 of 225 films released in 2025 contained LGBTQ+ characters, representing only 20.4% of last year's movies. This marks the third consecutive year of decline, following a record high of 28.5% in Glaad's 2023 study.
Industry risks losing younger audiences
“If the industry doesn’t prioritize investing in films with LGBTQ characters, it risks losing a generation that will go elsewhere to find entertainment that does include our community,” said Glaad’s president and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis, in a press release. The report highlights that Gen Z, the largest share of moviegoers in North America, has the highest percentage of LGBTQ identification, with Gallup reporting that more than one in five (23%) Americans under 30 are LGBTQ.
Glaad senior director of entertainment research and analysis Megan Townsend emphasized the business imperative: “Gen Z represents the largest share of moviegoers in North America. Gen Z also has the highest percentage of people who say they are part of the LGBTQ community... If studios want to stay relevant with younger audiences and bring in box office dollars, they can’t afford to ignore nearly one-quarter of their most enthusiastic ticket buyers.”
Bright spots in mid-budget and horror films
Mid-budget films were a bright spot for LGBTQ+ representation, with the report praising titles such as Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, After the Hunt, and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Horror films were particularly inclusive last year, with The Parenting, Companion, and Weapons all featuring queer characters, and each earning more than double their production budget at the box office.
While LGBTQ+ characters mainly occupied supporting roles, Glaad praised Nia DaCosta’s Hedda, the Ethan Hawke-starring Blue Moon, and Eva Victor’s Sorry, Baby as films that prominently featured queer characters and were warmly received by critics. “When our stories are centered, those films are seeing success,” the report reads.
Trans representation nonexistent
The study noted a particularly bleak outlook for trans representation, with zero trans characters found across the more than 200 films analyzed. “The misrepresentation and exclusion of transgender characters and stories in entertainment, while politicians and anti-LGBTQ activists are fixated on targeting trans people through misinformation, anti-trans legislation and violence, is unconscionable,” the study stated.
Smaller distributors lead the way
While Glaad’s report focuses on the 10 largest distributors, including Sony Pictures Entertainment, the Walt Disney Company, Netflix, and A24, it also acknowledged that smaller companies released “incredible LGBTQ-inclusive films that are breaking boundaries and deserve recognition.” Among the smaller distributors singled out for praise are Mubi (The History of Sound, Mother Father Sister Brother), Bleecker Street (The Wedding Banquet), Magnolia Pictures (Plainclothes), and Blue Harbor Entertainment (A Nice Indian Boy).
