LGBTQ representation down in Hollywood for 3rd straight year—with NO gay, trans characters in animated, family films

LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD has put out their latest "Where We Are in Film" report, which is an analysis of LGBTQ "inclusion from top film distributors." For years, GLAAD has been at the forefront of insisting that Hollywood producers and storytellers bring more lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer characters and plotlines to the screen. But this year, GLAAD says there were "significant decreases" in that representation.

GLAAD's study covered 10 distributors and the 225 films they collectively released in 2025. Those were A24, Amazon Studios, Apple TV, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, and Warner Bros. Discovery.

"Of those 225 films," GLAAD wrote, "46 contained LGBTQ characters," or 23.6%. This is a 3% decrease from 2024, which saw 23.6% percent of films from these distributors feature LGBTQ characters and stories. "There were zero transgender characters counted in the 2025 slate of films," GLAAD stated.

Even among those films that did feature LGBTQ characters, there was a decrease in the number of those characters in those films. In 2024, GLAAD counted 181 LGBTQ characters, but in 2025, it was only 112.

"This is the third year in a row to see a decrease in the percentage of LGBTQ inclusive films from a record high 28.5% of films in our 2023 study," GLAAD noted. There were less minorities represented among the LGBTQ characters in the 2025 slate of films as well.

While the number of characters has gone down in live action entertainment products, with most of those LGBTQ characters being supporting and background characters and only 16% in leading roles, there was "a complete absence of LGBTQ inclusion in the 19 films categorized as animated/family films."

The study notes that this "genre includes animated and live action children’s and family films rated PG and under." Significant advocacy from parents' rights groups and groups that oppose the sexualization of children through media have been fighting to remove this kind of content from children's programming.

"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 President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis.

Senior Director of Entertainment Research & Analysis Megan Townsend offered similar concerns about not showing LGBTQ content to young people, saying, "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."

GLAAD gives awards to films and television shows that feature LGBTQ characters and storylines. In 2026, those awards went to Stranger Things, Palm Royale, Heated Rivalry, and Kiss of the Spider Woman. The awards began in 1990. They use their lists and awards to encourage more LGBTQ characters in Hollywood.