Why Studios Fear Putting Gay Characters in Movies Like #StarWars and #Avengershttps://t.co/EIP57c4HIfpic.twitter.com/JjEfgJYix7
— Variety (@Variety) May 2, 2016
GLAAD released a new report urging “Star Wars” to introduce gay or lesbian characters into the franchise.
The push comes after an annual survey of depictions of LGBT characters in major studio releases and Disney was one of two studios to feature no gay or lesbian characters in any of their films last year. The other was Paramount.
The movie was praised for featuring a female and a black lead, but they say the diversity push needs to be more expansive.
Out of the 126 major movies released last year, only 22 of them (17.5%) featured LGBT characters. No change from 2014.
And the one reason that won't happen is fear
They are scared of the marketing to foreign audiences, especially in Russia and China, where LGBT citizens face discrimination, legal challenges and violence.
During the press tour for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” J.J. Abrams made the point that he wanted the new franchise to be more inclusive, saying “It’s important people see themselves represented in film”.
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