Canadian media has enormous power to drive 2SLGBTQIA+ acceptance and shape social change. But, in order to do so, we need meaningful representation.
Many Canadians don’t see themselves reflected on screen. When they do, it’s often through stories that focus on stereotypes, trauma, or painful coming out narratives. These depictions leave little space for explorations of the depth and breadth of 2SLGBTQIA+ experiences, for celebrations of 2SLGBTQIA+ joy, for authenticity, for pride. The PTP Pink Paper intends to change that.
Supported by the Canada Media Fund and Telefilm Canada, Pink Triangle Press has set out to research and report on 2SLGBTQIA+ representation across four sectors of the Canadian media industry: film, television, online streaming services, and videogames. Who tells the story matters as much as the story itself, so this project looks not only at what we see on our screens but also who gets to be behind the scenes. The PTP Pink Paper not only identifies gaps and barriers across industries but also recognizes opportunities and strategies for more nuanced, diverse, and authentic 2SLGBTQIA+ representation.
Our findings are at once celebratory and critical. We recognize how far the industry has come over the last few decades even as we acknowledge that there is still pressing work to be done to combat transphobia, homophobia, and other forms of systemic oppression in film, television, streaming, and videogames. This is a much-needed first step toward catalyzing cultural conversations. Our overarching goal is to help the media industries move beyond tropes, tokenism, and surface-level representation and toward more meaningful 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion.
– Alex Custodio, author & researcher
Below are some of the most remarkable findings from the 2024 PTP Pink Paper:
- 93% of industry professionals agree that 2SLGBTQIA+ representation on Canadian screens is extremely important to them.
- 90% of media professionals agree that on-screen representation increases understanding and drives acceptance of 2SLGBTQIA+ people in society at large.
- 82% of respondents believe 2SLGBTQIA+ representation is uneven. Gay men are seen as significantly less underrepresented than any other group. Gay men are also less likely to perceive underrepresentation of 2SLGBTQIA+ identities on screen.
- People who are Two-Spirit, trans, and gender diverse are the most underrepresented. It is difficult to find work that features intersex and asexual characters, even outside mainstream broadcast networks and publishers.
- Only 10% of 2SLGBTQIA+ characters in top-rated shows have speaking roles.
- Although we now see more 2SLGBTQIA+ representation on Canadian screens, these portrayals are often understood to be inaccurate. The vast majority of respondents feel that 2SLGBTQIA+ representation is often superficial and troublingly reliant on tropes and stereotypes.
- Intersectionality remains a significant gap. Only 4% of the most popular English productions and 2% of French ones featured BIPOC 2SLGBTQIA+ characters.
- Top barriers were identified to be the lack of 2SLGBTQIA+ decision makers, cautious industry executives, storytelling tropes and stereotypes, tokenizing professionals, lack of financial support, and few mentorship and career opportunities.
- Among other areas to continue working on are better marketing of 2SLGBTQIA+ created content, safer working environments, and intersectional representation across various genres.