The studio's a cappella sensation 'Pitch Perfect' is praised for including a non-white lesbian, Ester Dean's character, in the story.
- Aug 22, 2013
AceShowbiz - The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has released its first annual Studio Responsibility Index report regarding LGBT characters in films released by 6 major motion picture studios during the 2012 calendar year. Universal Pictures tops the list with 25|percent| of its 16 releases featuring characters representing LGBT community. 20th Century Fox, meanwhile, gets failing grades with 0|percent|.
"As a major influence in American culture and one of our nation's largest media exports abroad, the lack of LGBT characters in big-budget films needs to change," says Wilson Cruz, GLAAD spokesperson. The report also finds that the said characters were apparently "no more than cameos or minor roles." Cruz adds, "Moviegoers should be able to see LGBT people as integral players in the stories told by leading Hollywood studios."
The organization finds that only 14 of the 101 flicks released in 2012 had a character identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. None of them had any transgender character. These characters were commonly found in comedies, where nine of the 24 releases were inclusive. Among movies that receive the highest marks are "Pitch Perfect" for Ester Dean's non-white lesbian character and "Cloud Atlas" for its same-sex love story, featuring Ben Whishaw.
Paramount Pictures and Sony Columbia more or less tie for second place, with 21|percent| each. Out of its 24 movies, Warner Bros. only featured LGBT characters in 8.3|percent|. Walt Disney, meanwhile, had "The Avengers" as its only pic that passed the test, with a cameo appearance from openly gay MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts.
