GLAAD Knocks Lack of LGBTQ Representation in Superhero Movies

By George Marston

 

In its 2018 Responsibility Index, GLAAD has outlined which media offers the best and most diverse representation of members of the LGBTQ community, with the organization particularly calling out superhero movies as lacking in LGBTQ representation.

GLAAD describes its Responsibility Index as a measure of "the quantity, quality, and diversity of LGBTQ people in films released by the seven largest motion picture studios and their subsidiaries during the 2017 calendar year." GLAAD's report states that superhero movies have been particularly lax in outward representation of LGBTQ characters. GLAAD particularly takes issue with the tendency of superhero films to not openly portray on film the identities of characters who are explicitly queer in comic books or other media.

“With wildly successful films like Wonder Woman and Black Panther proving that audiences want to see diverse stories that haven’t been told before, there is simply no reason for major studios to have such low scores on the Studio Responsibility Index,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD President and CEO in a statement. “At a time when the entertainment industry is holding much needed discussions about inclusion, now is the time to ensure the industry takes meaningful action and incorporates LGBTQ stories and creators as among priorities areas for growing diversity.”

All seven major studios received unfavorable ratings on the Index, with 20th Century Fox and Universal Pictures each rating as "Insufficient," while Paramount Pictures, Sony Entertainment, and Walt Disney received "Poor" ratings. Lionsgate Entertainment and Warner Bros. each received a rating of "Failing."

 

Source: Newsarama