Celebs, including Alan Cumming, Bowen Yang and Lena Waithe, unite to launch foundation supporting LGBTQ filmmakers

A coalition of high-profile LGBTQ figures has announced the launch of The Necessary Foundation, a new non-profit dedicated to funding, mentoring and elevating emerging queer filmmakers at a time when industry support for diverse storytelling is under renewed political pressure.

The foundation - spearheaded by Alan Cumming, Bowen Yang, Lena Waithe, and Adam Goldman, who will also serve as executive director - was unveiled this week, with organisers stressing the urgent need to protect and nurture LGBTQ voices in film as major studios roll back diversity initiatives.

The move comes amid reports that entertainment companies have reduced investment in projects featuring queer representation, particularly following the political shift in the United States. Since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, studios have increasingly removed or sidelined LGBTQ‑inclusive storylines.

Goldman described the current climate as one defined by “enormous political pressure to delete queer people from American media”, warning that early‑career filmmakers face barriers that threaten to push them out of the industry entirely.

The Necessary Foundation will provide annual grants of $20,000 to early‑career LGBTQ filmmakers creating pilots, short films or other proof‑of‑concept projects. Recipients will also gain access to mentorship from established creatives including John Cameron Mitchell, Raphael Bob‑Waksberg and Indya Moore, with additional industry support such as festival submission fees and curated screenings in New York and Los Angeles.

Bowen Yang emphasised the importance of giving queer artists not permission, but opportunity: “Queer filmmakers don’t need permission, but they do need opportunity. That’s what the Necessary Foundation is building.”

Alan Cumming described the present moment as a “crisis”, warning that LGBTQ representation on screen will continue to diminish unless concrete action is taken to support new queer and trans voices.

The foundation launches against a backdrop of decreasing on‑screen queer representation. According to GLAAD’s Studio Responsibility Report, only 23.6% of the 250 films released by major distributors in 2024 included an LGBTQ character - a 3.7% drop from the previous year. Of those characters, 37% appeared on screen for less than one minute, raising concerns about the marginalisation of LGBTQ narratives. 

Industry experts warn that representation may fall even further as a result of long-term production timelines and the ongoing rollback of DEI programmes.

The founders say their aim is not just to fund filmmakers but to foster a networked community capable of resisting political and cultural pressure. The foundation also boasts an advisory board including Bruce Cohen, Andrea Lawlor, Richard Konigsburg, and Lilly Wachowski, further strengthening its ties to queer Hollywood. 

Lena Waithe underscored the collective responsibility to uplift LGBTQ storytellers “Writers and storytellers need our support. I’m always happy to lend it.”