Study of 2012 Movies Finds Few Gay Characters on Screen

In its first substantial study of releases from the major film studios, the media watchdog group Glaad faulted Hollywood for its lack of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender characters last year. This study, issued by Glaad on Wednesday and titled “2013 Studio Responsibility Index,” found that of 101 films from the six major studios in 2012, 14 included characters who were identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual, and none who were transgender.

Glaad, formerly known as the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, gave failing grades to 20th Century Fox, which had no representation in any of the 15 films it released last year, and to Walt Disney, which included only the openly gay MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts, who plays himself in a cameo in “The Avengers.” Ratings of adequate were given to Paramount (which featured a pair of lesbian parents in the teen comedy “Fun Size”), Universal (which had gay and lesbian characters in films like “Pitch Perfect” and “Ted”) and Warner Brothers (which included gay characters in “Cloud Atlas” and “Rock of Ages”).

Sony Columbia was also given a grade of adequate in the Glaad study, which counted Javier Bardem’s villain from the James Bond movie “Skyfall” as a bisexual character. But, the study said, “while it’s good to see an LGBT character in such a high-profile role in a major franchise, depicting a bisexual person as villainous is an unfortunate cinematic tradition, and raises the question of whether a major studio would ever depict a male protagonist of an action franchise as anything other than straight.”

Glaad, which also publishes annual assessments of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender characters on television, criticized the motion-picture industry for failing to keep pace with its sibling medium.

“As television has become increasingly inclusive - including a record high percentage of LGBT characters in the 2012-2013 broadcast season - the film industry is lagging behind,” Glaad said in its film report. “Though indie film still produces some of the most groundbreaking LGBT stories, major film studios appear reluctant to include LGBT characters in significant roles or franchises.”