In time for Pride Month, GLAAD has unveiled the latest data for studio representation of queer stories onscreen — and the biggest strides are being made in the indie space.
Per the study, A24 was the only distribution and production company to receive a “Good” grade in the 2025 edition of the annual GLAAD Studio Responsibility Index (SRI) report. A24’s 2024 output also led to the company passing the $200 million mark at the domestic box office for the first time in its history — which included grosses for its queer films like “Love Lies Bleeding” and “I Saw the TV Glow.”
GLAAD’s Studio Responsibility Index (SRI) examines films released in the 2024 calendar year (from January 1 to December 31). This study centered on research and analysis for 10 top studio distributors, including A24, Amazon, Apple TV+, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Disney, and Warner Bros. Discovery, plus any of their subsidiary distribution labels and majority-owned streaming services. SRI looked at the “quantity, quality, and diversity” of LGBTQ characters onscreen, as the study states. The SRI highlights films that meet the basic standard for meaningful LGBTQ inclusion, as based on the Vito Russo Test, named after the queer icon and co-founder of GLAAD.
While the overall findings showed a decrease in LGBTQ characters in films (down overall roughly four percent from 27.3 percent in 2023 to 23.6 percent in 2024), A24 hit the mark. The studio distributed 16 total films in 2024, with nine deemed by GLAAD as “inclusive.” Those nine include “Love Lies Bleeding,” “Queer,” “Problemista,” and “I Saw the TV Glow.” The report also cited how the studio has a slew of more LGBTQ-inclusive films in 2025, such as February release “Parthenope,” and the upcoming “Mother Mary,” Sundance winner “Sorry, Baby,” and Cannes hit “Pillion.”
A24 was followed by Amazon, which had 25 total films released, eight of which were deemed LGBTQ-inclusive, like Megan Park’s “My Old Ass,” starring Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza.
The report pointed out that many of the standout titles throughout the survey are mid-budget films, having a production budget of between 15 and 90 million dollars.
Also cited in the report — for the first time in five years, gender parity was reached among LGBTQ characters, with 50 percent of LGBTQ characters being women, 48 percent men, and 2 percent nonbinary characters. However, there were only two films that GLAAD listed as having transgender characters, which is less than one percent of the 250 films tracked. That’s the same statistic as in last year’s report.
“This year’s findings are a wake-up call to the industry,” GLAAD president & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a press statement. “At a time when LGBTQ people are facing unprecedented attacks in politics and news media, film must be a space for visibility and truth. Representation isn’t about checking a box — it’s about whose stories get told, whose lives are valued, and creating worlds that mirror our own society today. When done authentically, LGBTQ representation builds audience and buzz, while humanizing LGBTQ people as those in power are actively working to take away our humanity.”
Nick Adams, the vice president of GLAAD Media Institute, added, “It is frustrating and alarming to see the continued near invisibility of transgender characters in films from major studio distributors, and even more alarming to see cisgender men cast to play transgender women and the inauthentic storytelling in the films in this year’s study. Because so few trans stories are told, each one has a significant impact on culture. At a time when transgender people are under attack on many fronts, both the lack of representation and offensive caricatures of trans people cause real harm. There are films from independent distributors, and scripts yet to be produced, that tell trans stories with heart, nuance, and intention. As studios look towards their upcoming slates, it is critical that they seek out trans stories that will both entertain audiences and portray trans people with authenticity and care. GLAAD is here to be a resource and we can help you identify powerful stories and storytellers.”
Megan Townsend, senior director of entertainment research and analysis at GLAAD, also said, “The LGBTQ community is a powerful and growing audience with significant buying power and cultural clout that can drive success for a film.”
According to GLAAD, nearly 1 in 10 American adults (9.3 percent) identify as LGBTQ, with 1 in five Gen Z U.S. adults (23.1 percent) identifying as LGBTQ.
