Autumn arrives loaded with headlines that focus on how LGTBIQ+ representation advances and in some cases regresses in different cultural industries. Cinema, video games and new productions intertwine to show us the pulse of diversity both on the big screen and on console controls.
A recent GLAAD report set off alarm bells by revealing that LGTBIQ+ representation in films from major studios fell in 2024 to 23.6%, compared to 27.3% the previous year. Even more worrying is that trans characters practically disappeared from the productions analyzed, reduced to just two questionable appearances due to their casting or stereotypical treatment. The good news is that, for the first time, there was a balance between male and female characters within LGBQ representation, although the challenge remains to move from cameos and supporting roles to narratives where diversity is truly the protagonist.
Meanwhile, video games make a difference.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard won this year’s Game of the Year award at the Gayming Awards 2025 and was recognized for the creation of Rook, a main character whose identity can adapt to different expressions, including non-binary ones. The title has not only conquered critics and the public for its playability, but for demonstrating that inclusion is not a decorative addition, but part of the experience, the narrative world and the freedom that players feel when recognizing themselves on the screen.
On the national scene, LGTBIQ+ film production continues to grow and diversify.
Films like This Body of Mine, The Mysterious Gaze of Flamenco or the Rescue of Dressed in Blue offer stories that go beyond the cliché, exploring everything from trans memories to queer friendships in a contemporary key. In addition, there is already a list of highly anticipated premieres for 2025 that confirms the audience’s interest in diverse and original stories. The good news is that, in Spain, LGTBIQ+ cinema is not limited to festivals: it has more and more space in theaters and streaming platforms, reaching wider audiences.
What these trends show is that queer representation remains contested terrain. Commercial cinema still resists taking firm steps, while video games surprise with inclusive proposals and Spanish cinema seeks to consolidate its own voice on the international scene. Diversity is no longer an exception: it is part of the cultural present. And the question is not whether it should be there, but how to ensure that it is better represented, with more voices, more nuances and more authenticity.
At Rainbow we will continue celebrating achievements, pointing out setbacks and accompanying each advance, because telling our stories is also a way of existing, resisting and shining.
