Getty Images has announced an exclusive partnership with
GLAAD, the LGBTQ media advocacy organization, working together to challenge harmful and cliched visual stereotypes of the LGBTQ community, through the launch of their first collaborative effort, a set of guidelines aimed at improving the visual representation of the transgender community. As part of a broader commitment, this new partnership encourages the creation of authentic, diverse imagery and videography, aiming to empower the media and advertising industries to choose visuals which authentically represent the LGBTQ community.
"Imagery that focuses on the everyday moments of LGBTQ people's lives is essential in demonstrating that LGBTQ people are visible and valuable members of society," said Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD. "This partnership with Getty Images will help to create global content depicting LGBTQ people as everyone should be — namely, as dynamic, multi-dimensional, and authentic."
"In the LGBTQ community, where many have faced discrimination and bias, it's important to connect through imagery that feels real," said Guy Merrill, Global Head of Art at
Getty Images and
iStock. "Trans people, by and large, simply don't exist in the world of advertising and commercial imagery, and together, we're seeking to thoughtfully fill that void."
Coming on the heels of Transgender Awareness Week, the first collaboration includes a comprehensive set of guidelines designed to support Getty Images and iStock photographers and videographers globally as they endeavor to better represent the diversity of transgender people. With that goal in mind, the Getty Images and GLAAD Transgender Guidelines include accurate terminology for use in tagging and captions, clichés to avoid, as well as ways to create a safe, welcoming set.
There's also visible demand for this kind of inclusive representation. In Getty Images' latest Visual GPS (https://creativeinsights.gettyimages.com/en/visual-gps ) market research, over two–thirds of consumers say it's important to them that the companies they buy from celebrate diversity of all kinds. Global customer searches on Gettyimages.com and iStock.com increased year-over-year by
129% for 'Transgender',
334% for 'non-binary', and
212% for 'Queer'.
In the coming months, Getty Images and GLAAD will create similar content guidelines around the representation of gay, lesbian, and bisexual people, actively seeking to push for better, more diverse depictions of the broader LGBTQ community. Getty Images will also provide resources and opportunities to help content creators broadcast their vision.