The series have more LGTBIQ+ characters, but fewer women and some stereotypes
The collective LGTBIQ + It is increasingly represented in series and movies. According to him ODA Report 2022, 9.3% of characters that appear in this type of productions have some connection with the collective. On the other hand, the presence of women has been reduced.
The presence of characters from series and movies represent people LGBTIQ + has grown both in percentages and in absolute numbers, going from 83 characters in 2020 that meant 7,1% of the total, 106 which represent 9,3% of all the characters analyzed in 2021.
This is highlighted by the results of the ODA Report 2022 Analysis on the representation of diversity in Spanish fiction of 2021 in cinema and television of theObservatory of Diversity in Audiovisual Media which has analyzed a total of 1.141 characters, 51 films and 46 seasons of 43 fiction series.
106 characters LGTBIQ +
The most notable increase has occurred in cinema, which in 2021 has portrayed a total of 35 collective characters LGTBIQ +, in front of 11 of the preceding year.
In the cinema, almost two thirds of these LGBTIQ+ characters are in 3 movies and in serial fiction almost half of the 71 characters in this report belong to 6 rows of the 43 analyzed. Most of these productions are geared toward younger viewers, according to the study.
The representation of women is reduced
In relation to female representation, the data from the report indicate that it is once again less than male representation in cinema, go from 52.5% presence in 2020 to 44.8% in 2021. As for the series, 44.8% in 2020 goes to 44.2% this year. The presence of lesbian women in Spanish fiction has increased, representing 25.7% of the total LGTBIQ +.
Regarding lesbian characters, the number of characters in this representation has grown from 17 in 2020 to 26 sapphic characters this year. The increase occurred above all in cinema, with 9 representatives compared to 3 last year. “Something positive to highlight this year is that many of these characters are relevant in the productions”, highlights the study, which points out that in cinema 5 out of 9 lesbians have their own plot, while in series they are 9 out of 15 in total.
The presence of gay characters grows
The gay presence has also grown in 2021, which increased to 39 representatives against the 28 last year. The most pronounced growth was made in the cinema, where it went from 4 characters to 12. “Undoubtedly the appearance of Lost fagot is an incomparable contribution to the history of representation of the collective”, emphasizes the investigation.
The report reveals that, for the first time, the numbers of bisexual representation are similar to those of gay representation. Of the characters analyzed, a total of 38 are identifiable as bisexual, 14 appear in the cinema and 24 in series.
Trans representation in series
Regarding trans representation in the audiovisual world, the researchers highlight the “great contribution” that has had the arrival of All the other, which portrays the life of a trans woman “outside the common stereotypes”. In 2021, the 3 trans representations in the cinema are interpreted by trans people, while in the case of the series, 1 of the 7 characters is trans.
In this sense, the study reveals a “fhigh male trans representation”, because of a whole year of fiction there has been a transmasculine character, played by a cisgender person.
Another of the report's conclusions is that there are still no asexual characters or intersex representation on television or in Spanish cinema.
