Apple TV+ has a ways to go for film representation of the LGBTQ+ community — and they’re not alone.
The studio behind 2023 original releases like “The Family Plan,” “Flora and Son” and “Ghosted” was the only studio of the 10 named in GLAAD’s 12th annual Studio Responsibility Index on LGBTQ representation to receive a failing grade, the media watchdog announced Tuesday. Of its six total films released in 2023 under Apple TV+ and official imprints, only one featured LGBTQ characters and both of them were onscreen for less than a minute — a development that GLAAD categorized in its study as “highly disappointing.”
While Apple TV+ received the only failing grade with 17% of its studio releases featuring LGBTQ characters, several others in the Studio Representation Index didn’t fare much better. Warner Bros. Discovery received a “Poor” grading; A24, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony and Walt Disney Company received an “Insufficient”; NBCUniversal and Netflix received a “Fair”; and Amazon was the only studio to receive a “Good” rating.
“The slate of Amazon Studios and its subsidiaries included several high-profile LGBTQ-inclusive films such as GLAAD Media Award-winning raunchy comedy ‘Bottoms,’ and GLAAD Media Award nominees biographical drama ‘Cassandro,’ romantic comedy ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ and satire ‘American Fiction,’” the study reads of its “Good” studio rating. “These stories all put LGBTQ people front and center, and spanned a number of different genres, with many of them having nuanced and interesting queer people of color at the forefront. While other films released by Amazon had smaller roles for LGBTQ people, it is exciting to see over a third of Amazon’s releases include the community.”
According to a GLAAD spokesperson, all studios listed in the Studio Responsibility Index receive the findings of the report prior to release, along with information on the nonprofit’s existing resources, best practices and how to partner with its teams year-round.
Representatives for Apple TV+ did not respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Big-picture takeaways from the annual SRI report, which can be read in full here, additionally determined a mixed bag of representational advances and setbacks. Of the 256 studio features tracked, 27.3% were LGBTQ-inclusive, a slight 0.8% decrease from 2022. Of the 70 LGBTQ-inclusive releases, there were 180 LGBTQ characters, a decrease of 122 characters from 2022. And transgender representation also dropped with just two total characters featured compared to 2022’s 13. But increases were seen in racial diversity within all LGBTQ characters, with 6% percent more characters of color being seen on screen compared to last year.
Of the 170 LGBTQ characters counted, 95 were men (56%), 67 were women (39%) and eight were nonbinary (5%). And of the 170 LGBTQ characters counted, none were portrayed as living with HIV as half of Americans and only a third of Gen Z adults say they feel knowledgeable about the virus, according to GLAAD’s 2024 State of HIV Stigma Report.
“Though there is inconsistent progress on LGBTQ representation from major distributors year to year, recent films with LGBTQ leads prove that our stories can absolutely be both critical and commercial successes — when they have the full support of the studio behind them,” GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. “As the film production and distribution model continues to evolve, major distributors must deepen investment and intention in storytelling efforts to retain the attention of growing young diverse audiences, who crave stories that reflect their experience and their values.”
“If LGBTQ representation continues to decline in major releases, these companies will lose relevance with a crucial buying audience,” the CEO concluded. “GLAAD is committed to continuing and deepening our work with studios and the creative community to ensure we meet this moment together.”
GLAAD’s Studio Responsibility Index is produced by the organization’s entertainment and research team within the GLAAD Media Institute, its training, research and consulting division. Read the full index, including studio ratings, here.
