LGBTQ+, fat and disabled characters only make up 10% of film roles

LGBTQ+, fat and disabled characters overall make up just 10% of the 100 top-grossing U.S. films, according to a new study released Tuesday by the Geena Davis Institute.

The institute’s 2024 GDI film study, titled “Charting Progress in Film Diversity,” examines children’s and family programming to “better understand the influence of media on young viewers who are most vulnerable to media effects.”

“Our goal is to drive change in the industry by giving creators the data and insights they need to improve the representation of gender, race, LGBTQIA+ identity, disability, body size and age on screen,” says the study.

The study was presented exclusively at TheWrap’s 2024 Power Women Summit in Los Angeles on Tuesday as part of a panel sponsored by the Geena Davis Institute. The key speakers included Dr. Meredith Conroy, vice president of research and insights for the institute; Madeline Di Nonno, President and CEO of the Institute; Janine Jones-Clark, EVP of Filmmaking and Content Strategy at Universal Filmed Entertainment Group; and Ramsey Naito, president of Paramount and Nickelodeon Animation. Ellie Austin, deputy editorial director of Most Power Women at Fortune, moderated.

Looking at films rated G, PG, or PG-13, produced for $10 million or more, in English, and intended for theatrical or streaming release, the study finds that LGBTQ+ -Characters accounted for 1.5% of film roles with disabilities. Characters accounted for 2% and bold characters accounted for 6.5%. Additionally, female characters make up 37.8% of film roles and non-white characters make up 40.5%. The study also found that characters aged 50 and over are an underrepresented group on screen, accounting for just 18.7%.

Regarding the use of the word “fat” in the study, the study clarified that it is used as a value-neutral descriptor to distinguish “obese” or “overweight” because these terms are “rooted in medical practices that often reinforce. “Stigma and bias against larger bodies,” and “fat” also does not suggest that one is outside of some kind of “norm” or “average” (e.g., “plus size” or “bigger”).

Other key findings included that women are five times more likely to be objectified on screen than men and that they are three times more likely to be depicted in sexually revealing clothing than men. Even when it comes to women’s careers in film or television, women are less likely to hold a job, but are just as likely as men to take on leadership roles and just as likely as men to work in business, blue-collar jobs, education, the arts, and the government or the royal family.

TheWrap’s Power Women Summit is the must-see gathering of the most influential women in entertainment and media. The aim of the event is to inspire and empower women in all areas of their professional careers and personal lives. Under the motto “Aspire”, this year’s PWS offers a day full of keynotes, panels, workshops and networking. For more information, visit thewrap.com/pws. For all of TheWrap’s 2024 Power Women Summit coverage, click here.