Today, GLAAD unveiled the first-ever Studio Responsibility Index (SRI), which examines how LGBT people were depicted in the films released by six major studios. What we found was staggering.
Out of 101 releases from major studios in 2012, only 14 of them included LGBT characters. And the vast majority of these characters were no more than cameos or minor roles.
Now, we need your help to send Hollywood the message that including LGBT people in the stories it tells is important. We've written an open letter to Hollywood filmmakers that you can sign on to. Read the letter below, and visit http://glaad.org/tellhollywood to sign it!
To the filmmakers of Hollywood:
The films you create do more than just entertain; movies can lift our spirits and even change the hearts and minds of millions. And woven together across the years, movies ultimately tell the story of our culture. I am asking you to remember that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are part of that story.
Hollywood films often give us some of our first glimpses of the world and people outside our own communities, but also provide reflections of ourselves. However, not everyone gets to experience that. For LGBT people looking for images of themselves on the big screen in the films Hollywood produces, there is usually very little for them to find.
But when LGBT moviegoers do finally find those characters they can relate to, it affirms that they're an important part of our shared society, and that they also have stories worth telling. It shows them that you, as some of our culture's greatest storytellers, recognize that as well.
And it's not just those in America who ultimately benefit. Hollywood films are one of our most prolific cultural exports, and they can inspire others around the world. In countries where LGBT people face danger from oppressive laws and public persecution, your films can have a great impact simply by depicting LGBT characters as people worthy of dignity and respect.
Please consider this as you develop and produce new films, and know that simply by making more inclusive movies, you can affect positive change.