More gamers are LGBTQ, but video game industry lags in representation, GLAAD report finds

The first-ever report on LGBTQ inclusion in video games, by GLAAD, a nonprofit LGBTQ advocacy organization, helps tear down the stereotypes of who gamers are and what they look like.

About 17% of active gamers — nearly 1 in 5 — are LGBTQ, according to a report by GLAAD, a non-profit LGBTQ advocacy organization, which conducted the survey in partnership with Nielsen Games. That is "a 70% increase from the 10% counted in Nielsen’s 2020 report."

There is an even higher percentage of LGBTQ gamers among younger age groups, with "23 to 28% of gamers under 35 identifying as LGBTQ," the report said.

And they are dedicating quite a bit of time to their video games, according to the survey, with the "majority (69%) of LGBTQ gamers playing 4-plus hours per week on PCs or consoles, compared to 64% of non-LGBTQ gamers."

But the games don't exactly reflect the LGBTQ community that is playing them and appears to be lagging behind other media when it comes to inclusivity and representation.

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GLAAD counted the games tagged as having LGBTQ content and notes that, as of November 2023, "these games account for less than 2% of Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo’s total digital libraries. For Steam, it is less than 2.5%, but drops to just 1.7% when adult-only games are excluded."

The GLAAD study also found that LGBTQ gamers were more likely to play on Nintendo's Switch consoles, but that the Nintendo Switch eShop, by their count, "has the lowest percentage of available games that contain LGBTQ characters or storylines."

It's not clear why there is such a lack of inclusion when LGBTQ gamers make up a critical part of the gaming audience, but the GLAAD report offers these possible reasons why in a statement: "Some reasons for exclusion are passive. Often, game companies have not considered that they should represent LGBTQ people, nor do they see us as a major part of the core gaming audience. Some reasons for exclusion are active. Companies worry about pushing away a core audience that they assume are resistant or hostile to LGBTQ content."

But seeing characters that have their identity or orientation can have a big positive impact on LGBTQ gamers, in particular younger players, while having little negative impact on non-LGBTQ gamers.

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Harmful stereotypes in games, however, affect both groups. According to the study, "70% of LGBTQ gamers and 46% of non-LGBTQ gamers are less likely to buy or play a game if it contains harmful tropes or stereotypes about the LGBTQ community. Notably, 51% of heavy/core gamers are less likely to buy or play such a game."

The GLAAD report offers recommendations for the video game industry, suggesting that:

• the percentage of games with LGBTQ representation should be proportional to the numbers of gamers who are LGBTQ
• developers should strive for representation that promotes inclusivity and acceptance
• the industry should take responsibility for making gaming communities more inclusive
• companies should consult LGBTQ media content experts
• there should be more hiring of LGBTQ game industry workers in positions of authority