Of the 225 films released last year, 46 contained LGBTQ characters, or 20.4 percent. That marked a dip from 2024, when 59 out of 250 films contained LGBTQ characters, or 23.6 percent. It was a third straight drop from the record counted in 2023, when 28.5 percent of films featured a LGBTQ character. The number of characters also dropped, down to 112 from 181 the year before.

GLAAD also reported that there were no LGBTQ characters in the 19 films categorized as animated/family films rated PG and under, and no transgender characters featured in the crop of 225 films from the 10 largest studio distributors. Characters of color also decreased 36 percent from 2024’s data. Another significant dip came with bisexual characters: Of the 46 films that featured LGBTQ characters, 10 films, or 22 percent, had a bisexual character, down from 25 percent the year before.

The organization cited horror films as “bright spot” for LGBTQ inclusion by flagging entries such as I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Parenting, Companions, Weapons and more. It also reported that mid-budget films in the $15-90 million range “continue to be a place where GLAAD found significant representation of LGBTQ stories.”

“If the industry doesn’t prioritize investing in films with LGBTQ characters, it risks losing a generation that will go elsewhere to find entertainment that does include our community,” warned Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD president and CEO.