LGBTQ Characters in Film Decline for Third Year

The number of LGBTQ characters in feature films has declined for the third year in a row, according to a new study released by GLAAD.

The advocacy organization published the 14th edition of a report that tracks LGBTQ representation in film — the study is now called Where We Are in Film after previously being dubbed the Studio Responsibility Index — based on data culled from films released by the 10 largest studio distributors from Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2025. The distributor lists includes A24, Amazon, Apple TV, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, Disney and Warner Bros., along with subsidiary distribution labels and majority-owned streaming services.

Of the 225 films released last year, 46 contained LGBTQ characters, or 20.4 percent. That marked a dip from 2024, when 59 out of 250 films contained LGBTQ characters, or 23.6 percent. It was a third straight drop from the record counted in 2023, when 28.5 percent of films featured a LGBTQ character. The number of characters also dropped, down to 112 from 181 the year before.

GLAAD also reported that there were no LGBTQ characters in the 19 films categorized as animated/family films rated PG and under, and no transgender characters featured in the crop of 225 films from the 10 largest studio distributors. Characters of color also decreased 36 percent from 2024’s data. Another significant dip came with bisexual characters: Of the 46 films that featured LGBTQ characters, 10 films, or 22 percent, had a bisexual character, down from 25 percent the year before.

The organization cited horror films as “bright spot” for LGBTQ inclusion by flagging entries such as I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Parenting, Companions, Weapons and more. It also reported that mid-budget films in the $15-90 million range “continue to be a place where GLAAD found significant representation of LGBTQ stories.”

“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,” warned Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD president and CEO.

Added GLAAD’s senior director of entertainment research and analysis Megan Townsend: “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, with Gallup reporting that more than one in five (23 percent) of Americans under the age of 30 are LGBTQ. 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.”

In addition to the report’s title change, which aligns with GLAAD’s Where We Are in TV study, the organization has also evolved its methodology by assigning characters a category based on narrative significance rather than screen time. The categories include lead, significant supporting, supporting and background. GLAAD has also ditched the grading system, which it previously used while being called the Studio Responsibility Index.

The full report can be found on GLAAD’s website.