New YouGov data, commissioned by Audible, reveals half of the nation believes LGBTQIA+ representation in storytelling is important in tackling prejudice.
Almost half of UK adults (45%) said they believe LGBTQIA+ representation in storytelling is important in tackling prejudice. Of those who recall reading literature with LGBTQIA+ characters, two fifths (42%) agree that reading such stories has made them a better ally to the community.
Of those polled from the LGBTQ+ community, almost half (49%) agreed that LGBTQIA+ literature helped them to figure out their gender or sexuality.
The project has explored the UK’s attitude to and consumption of LGBTQIA+ literature and today releases new YouGov data, which reveals that, compared to ten years ago, people in the UK feel they are seeing more LGBTQIA+ characters in literature (52%), more positive storylines for queer characters (52%) and broader representation of the LGBTQIA+ community (62%).
Encouragingly, the LGBTQIA+ community also recognises these changes, with three quarters of those surveyed stating they can see more characters (75%), more positive storylines (78%) and broader representation (82%) in literature now compared to ten years ago.
Additional findings bring to life the real-world importance of diversifying the stories we consume, as almost half of Brits (45%) said they believe LGBTQIA+ representation in storytelling was important in tackling prejudice, with this number almost doubling (82%) among those surveyed from the LGBTQIA+ community.
Allyship of the LGBTQIA+ community is also affected by representation in modern storytelling. Of those who recall reading literature with LGBTQIA+ characters, two fifths (42%) agree that queer literature has made them a better ally to the community, whilst over a third (34%) said it made them more accepting of LGBTQIA+ people. Within the community itself, 65% also agreed that reading or listening to LGBTQIA+ stories has widened their perspectives.
Importantly, representation can also be revelatory for some, almost half (49%) of those surveyed from the LGBTQIA+ community felt that queer literature had helped them affirm their gender or sexuality. -
While Brits feel there is more representation compared to ten years ago, the data also suggests more must be done to represent the full LGBTQIA+ community in modern storytelling. Of those who have read literature with LGBTQIA+ characters, around 7 in 10 could think of a gay (76%) or lesbian (69%) character, much fewer could recall bisexual (54%) or transgender (38%) characters, with fewer still able to recall non-binary (23%) asexual (19%) or intersex (9%) characters from literature they have consumed.
If you have any questions about this research or want to share your experience with us, email our Director, Paul Bradley, contact@outonthepage.co.uk