A new report has shown that more than 50% of people polled had heard directors and producers make anti-gay comments about actors on set.
The survey by the Williams Institute for the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, has shown that 53% of respondents believed that directors and producers are biased against LGBT performers in hiring and nearly 20% of gay men and 10% of bisexual men had experienced discrimination in their profession.
Nearly 6000 members of the SAG-AFTRA were surveyed.
The study, which was undertaken in 2012, aimed to expand the research on diversity and inclusion in the entertainment industry – and to provide insight into how sexuality and gender identity influence performers’ experiences within the industry.
The survey also found that LGBT respondents were less likely to than straight actors to have an agent, which might put LGBT performers at at disadvantage when looking for work. Despite this gay men and women had the most days worked in the previous 12 months, with 34 days for gay men, vs. 30 for straight and 41 for lesbians vs. 26 for straight women.
Earlier in the year actor Daniel Franzese who starred in Mean Girls said that he hit a ‘gay glass ceiling’ after the role in the film and was repeatedly turned down by Hollywood casting directors who were looking for more masculine actors.
The survey was funded by the Screen Actors Guild.
