Kian Alvane, a playable LGBTQ+ character from “Dreamfall Chapters,” a critically acclaimed five-part episodic game released by Norwegian developers Red Thread Games.
GLAAD Report Reveals Surprising Information About LGBTQ Representation in Gaming
A new GLAAD report reveals that there are around 17% of gamers who identify as LGBTQ, however there is less than 2% of queer representation in video games.
As reported by Variety, the 2024 GLAAD Gaming Report, published Tuesday found that 1 in 5 active gamers are LGBTQ.
“GLAAD’s finding that 17% of active gamers are LGBTQ, and the growth from 10% of active gamers being LGBTQ from Nielsen’s Games360 study in 2020, proves their tremendous influence on the gaming industry,” explained Stacie de Armas, Nielsen’s senior vice president of diverse insights and initiatives. “The study shows that for LGBTQ gamers, a safe and inclusive environment goes beyond the game itself – with nearly 70% indicating they are less likely to buy from a studio with a history of mistreating LGBTQ workers.”
What does that mean? According to GLAAD, 72% of those LGBTQ gamers said seeing characters with their sexual orientation or gender identity “makes them feel better about themselves,” and that percentage increases to 78% for the 13-17-year-olds.
LGBTQ gamers are also 1.4 times more likely to buy a game because it allows them to play as a character that matches their gender identity.
“We developed this report and the GLAAD Media Institute’s Gaming program as a resource for the critical need to increase the representation and options for LGBTQ characters and storylines in games,” said GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “Games should include an array of characters and stories, including LGBTQ ones, and every gamer should be safe.”
Report data was collected by Nielsen between June and August 2023 from a self-reporting behavior survey.
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