Studios fall short in LGBTQ characters

LOS ANGELES— Despite high-profile Oscar wins for art-house films such as Call Me by Your Name and A Fantastic Woman, LGBTQ representation in films from the seven biggest Hollywood studios fell significantly in 2017 according to a study released Tuesday by the advocacy organization GLAAD.

GLAAD said in its sixth annual report that of the 109 major releases surveyed from 2017, 12.8 per cent included LGBTQ characters, down from 18.4 per cent the previous year. None of the major films had a transgender character either, although there was an increase in the racial diversity of LGBTQ characters after two years of decline.

Individually, none of the studios received higher than the “insufficient” rating given to 20th Century Fox and Universal Pictures. Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures and Walt Disney Studios all received “poor” ratings and both Lionsgate and Warner Bros. got “failing” grades.

As usual, independent and art-house releases included more LGBTQ characters. Of the 40 films released by Focus Features, Fox Searchlight, Roadside Attractions and Sony Pictures Classics, which distributed both Call Me by Your Name and A Fantastic Woman, 28 per cent were LGBTQ-inclusive, up from 17 per cent in 2016.

The organization is calling on the industry to commit to hitting a target of 20 per cent of major releases including LGBTQ characters by 2021 and 50 per cent by 2024.

GLAAD notes that 2018 is off to a more promising start.