Hollywood is less gay-friendly than expected, survey finds

Hollywood is less gay-friendly than many of us might have expected, according to a new survey.

The survey, carried out by SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists), asked over 5,700 members about their experiences of homophobia within the entertainment industry.

The survey found that over half of LGBT performers have heard anti-gay language being used in the workplace, while 53% of respondents believe that directors and producers may not hire someone for a role based on their sexuality.

Meanwhile, nearly one in eight of straight people who took the survey said they have witnessed some form of discrimination against LGBT performers in the workplace. The survey also found that over a third of all respondents have witnessed “disrespectful treatment” to LGBT performers.

According to the survey, gay men are more likely to be victims of anti-gay discrimination in Hollywood than gay women, with one in five reporting a negative experience while in the workplace.

“Although our industry is heading in the right direction, there is clearly work left to do as certain attitudes and behaviours persist and continue to put pressure on actors to stay in the closet,” said the co-chairs of the SAG-AFTRA LGBT Committee, Traci Godfrey and Jason Stuart, in response to the survey’s findings.

“We are confident that this unprecedented study will have profound ramifications for the entertainment industry as a whole. By utilising the data it contains as it reflects the realities performers face, we can identify the obstacles to equal employment opportunities and full inclusion,” they added.

Meanwhile, Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black shares his take on being gay in Hollywood in Attitude‘s latest issue, saying that he “doesn’t see beards in Hollywood any more” – read the full story here.