Why LGBTQ+ Representation in Film Is Disappearing. Why Queer Stories Still Matter

It sometimes feels like LGBTQ+ representation is everywhere.

There are queer characters on streaming platforms, gay storylines in popular shows and more openly LGBTQ+ actors than many of us saw growing up. That can make it seem as though representation is constantly improving.

But the latest figures tell a different story.

GLAAD’s 2026 Where We Are in Film study looked at 225 films released by ten major distributors during 2025. Only 46 of those films included an LGBTQ+ character. That works out at just over one in five films and marks the third consecutive year that LGBTQ+ representation in film has declined.

Even more concerning, the study found no transgender characters across the films examined.

That matters because queer representation is about more than seeing a

rainbow in the background or a minor gay character delivering one funny line.

Representation shapes what feels possible

For many LGBTQ+ people, film and television provide the first opportunity to see someone living a life that resembles their own.

A gay teenager might see that growing up does not have to mean hiding forever. A trans person might see a future that contains friendship, work, love and ordinary happiness. Someone questioning their sexuality might realise that they are not alone or broken.

That is why genuine queer stories can be so powerful.

Good LGBTQ+ representation does not need every character to be perfect, heroic or endlessly happy. Queer characters should be allowed to be complicated, funny, messy, sexual, romantic, unlikeable, ambitious and ordinary.

The problem begins when LGBTQ+ people disappear altogether or appear only as stereotypes, side characters and tragic plot devices.

Visibility is not the same as meaningful representation

A film technically containing an LGBTQ+ character does not automatically make it representative.

Sometimes a character’s identity is only implied. Sometimes their scene is so brief that it can be removed for release in another country. Sometimes the queer character exists only to support the straight lead.

GLAAD uses the Vito Russo Test to assess whether representation has real substance. A film must include an identifiable LGBTQ+ character who is not defined solely by their identity and who matters enough to affect the plot.

It is a deliberately basic standard, yet many films still struggle to meet it.

Real representation means queer people being part of the story rather than decoration around its edges.

Trans people are being left behind

The complete absence of transgender characters in the films studied is particularly difficult to ignore.

Trans people remain highly visible in political arguments and hostile media coverage, yet are often absent from the fictional worlds created by major studios. They are discussed constantly without being given the opportunity to exist on screen as complete human beings.

That imbalance allows misinformation and stereotypes to fill the gap.

Trans representation should not be limited to stories about transition, discrimination or trauma. Trans people should appear in romances, comedies, horror films, thrillers and everyday dramas. They should be allowed to play friends, villains, heroes, neighbours and love interests without their identity becoming the entire plot.

Audiences clearly want queer stories

The decline cannot simply be explained by audiences losing interest.

GLAAD highlighted several films that placed LGBTQ+ characters closer to the centre and were received positively. Its research also found encouraging representation among some horror films, mid-budget productions and independent distributors.

Queer cinema continues to attract committed audiences through organisations and events such as BFI Flare, independent cinemas and specialist distributors including Peccadillo Pictures.

The demand exists. The issue is whether major studios are willing to invest in it consistently.

Queer audiences also notice when support disappears. A company cannot build loyalty through Pride campaigns and then quietly remove LGBTQ+ stories when the political climate becomes uncomfortable.

Gay culture deserves more than nostalgia

There is a risk that queer culture becomes something mainstream media only celebrates in retrospect.

We repeatedly return to Stonewall, the AIDS crisis, Section 28, historic protests and the first openly gay characters on television. Those stories are essential, but LGBTQ+ life did not stop developing after those moments.

Gay culture is being created now.

It exists in friendships, dating apps, nightclubs, sports groups, online communities, drag, music, fashion and the private ways people build chosen families. Modern queer stories should document the lives we are living today rather than treating LGBTQ+ culture as a completed historical chapter.

Platforms such as Brodar cannot replace film or television, but community-led gay spaces can give people more control over how they represent themselves. Users can choose their own tags, find people who share their interests and connect without waiting for a studio to decide which version of gay life deserves to be visible.

Representation also happens when LGBTQ+ people are able to speak for themselves.

What can audiences do?

Supporting queer cinema does not have to mean watching every film with an LGBTQ+ character.

It can mean buying a ticket for an independent queer release, following LGBTQ+ filmmakers, attending a local film festival or recommending something worthwhile to friends. It can also mean questioning shallow representation rather than praising a studio for doing the minimum.

Seek out stories made by queer writers and directors. Look beyond the biggest streaming homepage. Support independent distributors that continue releasing LGBTQ+ films even when major studios become cautious.

Most importantly, talk about the stories that genuinely connect with you.

The film industry pays attention to what audiences watch, share and financially support.

Queer stories still matter

Representation is not about forcing every film to include every identity.

It is about ensuring that LGBTQ+ people are not gradually edited out of mainstream culture. It is about giving queer characters the same range, complexity and humanity routinely offered to everyone else.

We have already seen what meaningful representation can do. It can make someone feel recognised, challenge the assumptions of people outside the community and preserve parts of queer life that might otherwise be forgotten.

LGBTQ+ representation in film should be moving forward.

Right now, the evidence suggests it is moving backwards.

That is exactly why queer representation and queer stories still matter.

Resources:

GLAAD — LGBTQ representation in entertainmenthttps://glaad.org/reference/entertainment/

BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festivalhttps://whatson.bfi.org.uk/flare/

Five Films for Freedomhttps://film.britishcouncil.org/about/work/fivefilmsforfreedom

Peccadillo Pictures — LGBTQ+ films in the UK and Irelandhttps://peccadillo.film/

Sources:

GLAAD — 2026 Where We Are in Filmhttps://glaad.org/2026-where-we-are-in-film/observations-and-recommendations/

The Guardian — LGBTQ+ inclusion in film at a three-year lowhttps://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jul/09/lgbtq-film-representation-glaad-study

GLAAD — LGBTQ representation in entertainment and gaminghttps://glaad.org/reference/entertainment/

BFI — BFI Flare through the yearshttps://www.bfi.org.uk/features/bfi-flare-through-years