A new study by advocacy group Glaad reveals that LGBTQ+ representation in major feature films declined for the third consecutive year in 2025.
The annual Where We Are In Film report found that only 46 of 225 analyzed movies included LGBTQ+ characters, representing 20.4% of releases.
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This marks a drop from the 28.5% high recorded in Glaad's 2023 study.
Sarah Kate Ellis, Glaad president and CEO, warned that the industry risks losing a generation of viewers if it does not invest in LGBTQ-inclusive films.
"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," she said.
Despite the overall decline, mid-budget films and horror movies proved successful for queer representation.
Inclusive horror titles such as The Parenting, Companion, and Weapons each earned more than double their production budgets at the box office.
"When our stories are centered, those films are seeing success," the report states.
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Transgender Characters Completely Absent
The study highlighted an absolute lack of transgender representation across all films analyzed. This exclusion occurs amid ongoing political attacks on transgender individuals.
"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 says.
Glaad's research tracked the ten largest film distributors, including Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, Netflix, and A24, while noting smaller distributors for breaking boundaries.
Megan Townsend, Glaad senior director of entertainment research and analysis, emphasized that ignoring queer audiences is a poor business strategy.
"Gen Z represents the largest share of moviegoers in North America," she said.
Townsend cited Gallup data showing that more than 23% of Americans under 30 identify as LGBTQ.
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"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," she added.
