Irreversible portrays a gay club and its inhabitants as central to its themes of extreme violence, nihilism, and despair. LGBTQ+ characters are depicted as victims or associated with a dangerous, bleak lifestyle, with no counterbalancing positive elements. The film uses queer spaces to amplify its brutal narrative, resulting in a problematic and negative overall portrayal.

Irreversible features a transsexual character, La Tenia, who is depicted as a violent rapist and the film's primary antagonist. This portrayal reinforces harmful stereotypes, presenting the character as predatory and without dignity or complexity. The net impact of this depiction is overwhelmingly negative, lacking any affirming or neutral elements.