LGBTQ+ Film Representation Hits Record High in 2022

Hollywood's biggest studios released more LGBTQ+ characters in 2022 than ever before, and the stars bringing these stories to life say it's changing everything about how they work.

GLAAD's 2023 Studio Responsibility Index tracked films from the 10 largest distributors and found that 28.5% included queer characters. Even more striking, 12 films featured transgender characters and 10 included non-binary characters, both record numbers that signal a genuine shift in storytelling.

Elliot Page experienced this transformation firsthand. The actor starred in nearly 50 projects before coming out as transgender in 2020, but his 2023 film "Close To You" marked his first role playing a trans man. "The way I get to feel working now is far more embodied," he told People, adding that complete improvisation would have been "close to impossible" before.

Over in television, "Yellowjackets" won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series, and star Jasmin Savoy Brown praised how the show handles queerness. "The trauma of our show isn't the queerness," she explained backstage at the awards. "It happens to be one of the only pockets of joy."

Kristen Stewart brought unapologetic queer energy to "Love Lies Bleeding," a crime thriller that's also an epic love story. She described the creative process with co-star Katy O'Brian as driven by "pure curiosity and desire," adding, "What I want is so gay and queer, and here we are being gay and queer, like, unapologetically."

The Ripple Effect

Beyond individual performances, artists are using their platforms to amplify others. Grammy winner Janelle Monáe, who identifies as non-binary, received the "Spirit of Soul" award after the Soul Train Awards degendered their "Lady of Soul" category in their honor. Their advice to people exploring identity? "Open up your mind to different possibilities, and listen to folks who are saying 'hey, this is who I am.'"

British comedian Tom Allen celebrated the 10th anniversary of same-sex marriage in England and Wales with "Big Gay Wedding," a documentary highlighting LGBTQ+ trailblazers. "Why do I talk about being gay all the time?" he asked. "Because I wasn't allowed for half of my life."

Hannah Gadsby took representation into their own hands with Netflix special "Gender Agenda," sharing the stage with seven genderqueer comics. For Gadsby, it wasn't about lecturing but introducing audiences to distinct voices. "When you get a group of us together, the diversity is just apparent," they told the LA Times. "It's just a bunch of individuals with such distinct individual lives."

These numbers represent real people seeing themselves reflected on screen for the first time, and artists finally able to work from a place of authenticity.