GLAAD Media Institute

Overview

The GLAAD Media Institute (GMI) is the training, research, and consulting division of GLAAD, the U.S. organization dedicated to advancing LGBTQ representation and acceptance in media. Founded in 1985, GLAAD has spent nearly four decades tracking, evaluating, and consulting on how LGBTQ people appear in film, television, and gaming. If you are a studio, production company, or individual creator working on content with LGBTQ characters or storylines, the GLAAD Media Institute is the primary organization that will both evaluate your work publicly and provide consulting resources to improve it.

The GMI operates through three pillars: training, consulting, and research. Its research reports are the industry standard for measuring LGBTQ representation, and its consulting services have demonstrable impact. According to GLAAD, films tracked in the previous three editions of its film report for which the organization consulted on story, character, and/or design showed a 68% increase (1.7 times higher watch time) compared to those where GLAAD solely did promotional work. Review the GLAAD Media Institute consulting page for program details.

Where We Are in Film (2026 Report)

In 2026, GLAAD rebranded its annual Studio Responsibility Index as "Where We Are in Film," aligning its film reporting with its two-decade-long television reporting brand. The 2026 report tracks 225 films released theatrically and direct to streaming in 2025 by 10 distributors: A24, Amazon Studios, Apple TV+, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount Skydance, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, and Warner Bros. Discovery.

Key findings from the 2026 report:

This marks the third consecutive year of declines from the 2022 record high of 28.5%. The 20.4% figure is the lowest percentage since GLAAD added streaming services to its methodology in 2022. The report notes that zero trans characters appeared in any of the 225 films tracked. Read the full 2026 Where We Are in Film report.

Where We Are on TV (2024-2025 Report)

GLAAD's Where We Are on TV report tracks LGBTQ representation in scripted broadcast, cable, and streaming television. The annual report provides a comprehensive census of LGBTQ series regulars and recurring characters across all television platforms. The 2024-2025 edition continues the longitudinal data collection that has documented both the substantial increase in LGBTQ representation over two decades and persistent gaps in racial diversity within LGBTQ representation. Read the Where We Are on TV 2024-2025 report.

Consulting and Training Programs

Entertainment Industry Consulting

GLAAD provides consulting services to studios, networks, and streaming platforms on LGBTQ storylines, character development, and language use. Consulting ranges from script review for specific projects to broader guidance on building diverse LGBTQ representation across a studio's slate. Writers' room consultants and LGBTQ cultural advisors connected through GLAAD provide productions with specific expertise for portraying LGBTQ experience.

The GLAAD Media Institute also works with the television and film industries to ensure casting reflects current demographics and that LGBTQ character presence is authentic. For writers and producers working on projects with LGBTQ content, GLAAD's consulting resources provide access to expertise that helps avoid both inadvertent harm and the reputational risks of representation that the LGBTQ community finds demeaning or inaccurate.

GLAAD Gaming

GLAAD Gaming, part of the GMI, works with the video game industry to create authentic LGBTQ representation in games, more LGBTQ-inclusive workplaces for game companies, and better player experiences for LGBTQ gamers. The team consults on characters, story, plotlines, worldbuilding, UI, feature design, and environmental storytelling. GLAAD has worked with Electronic Arts on The Sims 4 across multiple updates including customizable pronouns (2021) and sexual orientation options (2022).

The 2024 GLAAD Gaming Report found that while a substantial portion of gamers identify as LGBTQ, the games themselves do not adequately reflect this reality. The report demonstrates that inclusion is a net positive for the bottom line. In 2026, GLAAD Gaming launched the Queer Emerging Developers (QED) program, supported by Logitech, providing LGBTQ game developers with mentorship, a GDC 2026 conference pass, and a $2,000 USD travel stipend.

Equity in Media and Entertainment Initiative (EMEI)

The GMI's Communities of Color and Media department runs the EMEI program, launched in 2022 with support from Gilead Sciences. The 2025 cohort (third year) focuses on Black LGBTQ creatives working in photography, mixed media, and related disciplines. Each of the 10 selected participants receives $10,000 to fund a new creative project, monthly mentorship sessions with visual artist Mickalene Thomas and other leading artists, professional development workshops, and a final showcase between December 2025 and February 2026.

Training and Advocacy

The GMI runs in-person media training sessions across U.S. cities, equipping LGBTQ community leaders with resources to combat anti-LGBTQ disinformation and enhance positive storytelling in local media. 2025 training stops included Asbury Park NJ, Newark NJ, Boston MA, Richmond VA, and Omaha NE. Participants who complete training become GLAAD Media Institute Alumni, joining a network of 20,000 LGBTQ and allied spokespeople.

The Vito Russo Test

GLAAD applies the Vito Russo Test to LGBTQ characters in film, inspired by the Bechdel Test for women characters. To pass the test, a film must meet three criteria: the character must be identifiably LGBTQ, must not be solely or predominantly defined by their sexual orientation or gender identity (meaning they are tied into the plot in a way that their removal would have a significant effect), and must matter to the narrative beyond serving as a prop or background character. The test provides a baseline for evaluating whether LGBTQ representation is substantive or merely tokenistic.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For directors and writers: GLAAD's published guidelines on LGBTQ representation, including specific guidance on language, the "Bury Your Gays" trope, and authentic LGBTQ storytelling, provide a practical reference for creative choices. The Vito Russo Test is the minimum standard your work will be evaluated against. Zero trans characters appeared in any of the 225 films GLAAD tracked in 2025, meaning there is both a documented gap and an opportunity for projects that include trans characters authentically.

For producers and studios: GLAAD's annual reports provide the public accountability framework against which LGBTQ inclusion commitments are evaluated. The 2026 report explicitly states that "studios are leaving money on the table by failing to invest in LGBTQ stories," citing data showing that films with GLAAD consultation had 1.7 times higher watch time. Understanding what GLAAD measures helps translate general diversity commitments into specific creative and hiring decisions with measurable outcomes.

For game developers: GLAAD Gaming provides consulting at no cost to studios of all sizes. The 2024 Gaming Report provides a data-driven business case for LGBTQ inclusion in games. Submissions for the GLAAD Media Awards gaming category are open approximately September to November each year.

See Also

For gender equity research on screen content, see Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media in this directory. For racial representation advocacy, see Color Of Change Entertainment in this directory. For estimating production budgets that include diversity consulting costs, use the Indie Film Budget Calculator.