Is It Possible Hollywood Is Losing Its Itch to Please LGBTQ Lobbyists?

Tim Graham on Jul 17, 2026

Is it possible that the Republican war on so-called diversity, equity and inclusion is having an effect on the movies? The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is expressing alarm at the decline of LGBTQ characters at the movies -- it's at 20.4% of 2025 films in their latest tally, down from 28.5% in 2022.

Worse yet for the GLAAD squad, none of the 19 films in the animated/family film category had any LGBTQ characters in it, which they find alarming. Last year, the ratio was 2 out of 26.

They warn that President Donald Trump's FCC has opened a public inquiry into whether the TV ratings system for children should include a warning for parents about plots with transgender and nonbinary characters. Because the Left wants to push their libertine agenda on the youngest, most vulnerable humans they can find. To warn anyone about it is a disturbing outbreak of homophobia, transphobia and all kinds of phobias.

It's highly unlikely that people making movies today are Trump-supporting Republicans. However, they could decide that seeking to please GLAAD first and foremost might not be the best business decision. It may alienate a significant portion of their potential audience, and hence their profits. GLAAD naturally insists that it's a savvy business decision to include sexual-minority characters in plots.

GLAAD also found it "extremely disappointing" that none of the 225 films in their tally from last year featured a transgender character. They demanded "authentic and inclusive media representation" of people who deny their authentic biological gender.

If you oppose the transgender revolution, then you are associated with "misinformation" and violence. GLAAD argued: "The misrepresentation and exclusion of transgender characters and stories in entertainment, while politicians and anti-LGBTQ activists are fixated on targeting trans people through misinformation, anti-trans legislation, and violence, is unconscionable."

Transgenderism isn't a target of misinformation. It traffics in misinformation, insisting that everyone should embrace "gender-affirming" delusions.

Another reason to avoid LGBTQ characters is the way GLAAD types judge them. They have what they call a three-part "Vito Russo Test," named for the GLAAD co-founder and author of the book "The Celluloid Closet." Characters can't be "solely or predominantly defined by sexual orientation or gender identity" -- they need a deeper personality, they need more dimension. That's not difficult.

Next, the character "must matter" to the plot, that their "removal would have a significant effect." They can't just be there "simply to provide colorful commentary, paint urban authenticity, or set up a punchline." Finally, the LGBTQ character's story "must not be outwardly offensive, avoids defaulting to well-known tropes or stereotypes."

Obviously, these demanding judges don't care if the "homophobes" are demeaned with "well-known tropes." That's probably encouraged. What GLAAD clearly wants is "affirming" plots and characters, which would naturally include negative depictions of anyone critical of their identity.

GLAAD also looked forward to forthcoming films. For example, they expressed hope that the third animated "Spider-Verse" film from Sony would expand upon the character Gwen Stacy (Spider-Woman) having a "Protect Trans Kids" sticker in her bedroom. This offers "an opportunity to expand this message of support for trans youth to include actual trans characters."

In GLAAD's view, Hollywood should be pressured each year to be an incessant "ally" on the silver screen, forcing their ideological narratives into entertainment products so the libertine left can win their cultural revolution. The nightmare for GLAAD is the idea that Americans might be able to go to the theater and enjoy an entire movie without once thinking about their radical identity politics.

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Tim Graham is director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org. To find out more about Tim Graham and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.