GLAAD Releases First Annual Report On LGBTQ Representation In Video Games
LGBTQ media advocacy organization GLAAD has released its first annual report on LGBTQ representation in video games, finding that the games industry is lagging compared to the average gamer’s opinions on representation.
In a study conducted with partner Nielsen Gaming, GLAAD polled gamers to find out how many identified as LGBTQ, as well as asking their opinions on representation. The survey revealed that around one in five, or 17% of active gamers are part of the LGBTQ community. This is an increase of 70% on a Nielsen Gaming report from 2020, which reported 10% of gamers were LGBTQ.
Despite the increasing numbers of LGBTQ gamers, only 2% of games include LGBTQ characters. “It is time to move past the idea that LGBTQ-inclusive games are a separate, niche category,” GLAAD associate director of gaming, Blair Durkee said on the findings. “All games should strive to reflect the people who play them. And when 1 in 5 gamers are LGBTQ, any game with five or more characters has no excuse for lacking LGBTQ inclusion.”