Marvel and DC under fire for failing to represent LGBTQ characters, stories on the big screen
GLAAD, a dynamic media force that aims towards incorporating LGBTQ acceptance, has come out with its annual “Studio Responsibility Index” and the report is rather disheartening, especially with more prominent film franchises failing to represent the diversity.
To be specific, the report has mentioned Hollywood's two major studios — Marvel and Warner Bros — before calling them out for the lack of representation. Ironically, there's no dearth of LGBT characters in the comic iterations and both the studios, unsurprisingly, have inculcated the diverse storyline in their TV universe.
However, when it comes to the big-screen iterations, neither of them have introduced any LGBT character or plot, thus scoring low on GLAAD's Studio Responsibility Index for the year.
“At a time when the entertainment industry is holding much needed discussions about inclusion, now is the time to ensure the industry takes meaningful action and incorporates LGBTQ stories and creators as among priorities areas for growing diversity,” Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD, was quoted as saying by CBR.
In an attempt to highlight the issue further, the report also made note of the tremendous box-office success that some of the latest releases have witnessed including DC's Wonder Woman and Marvel's Black Panther.
“With wildly successful films like Wonder Woman and Black Panther proving that audiences want to see diverse stories that haven’t been told before, there is simply no reason for major studios to have such low scores on the Studio Responsibility Index,” added Ellis.
Incidentally, the report also took notice of a newer franchise led by the R-rated anti-hero Deadpool, which has made a conscious effort of portraying a same-sex relationship on the big screen.
It read: "Though wide release films this year like Love Simon, Annihilation, Blockers, and Negasonic and Yukio’s relationship in Deadpool 2, have raised the bar for LGBTQ images, studios must still do more to ensure that LGBTQ storylines and characters are included in fair and accurate ways."
