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Most stories that prominently feature LGBTQ+ characters are horror stories. Looking at this, it might be easy to say that the reason that much of the media that centers on LGBTQ+ characters, either canonically or subtextually, is part of the horror/supernatural genre is because that is what fans like. Shows like Hannibal and Killing Eve have a large online presence and a dedicated community of fans, on and offline, but the idea that queer horror exists because that is what LGBTQ+ fans want is not true. Rather, historically, the perceived otherness of queerness has meant that it has been depicted in genres that carried that same âothernessâ, such as Gothic horror. Furthermore, as media consumption evolved, the same stereotypes did as well. The same queer coding that was used to further emphasize the âunnatural othernessâ in literature continued in films. In horror movies, the queer coding of characters allowed for directors to further heighten the fear of âotherâ that horror movies prey on.
Queerness has long been used as a method to denote otherness, impurity, and deviance in horror, and centuries later, the same stigmas persist, but despite this, the LGBTQ+ community has begun to reclaim many of the queer villains and stereotypes that were originally used to demonize them.
Through this blog, I hope to unpack not only the harm that the practice of othering queer people has but also how reclaiming these queer villains is an important step in the right direction to a more nuanced and holistic depiction of the queer experience. It is important to acknowledge this harmful relegation because stigmas persist outside of the screen. By continuously painting LGBTQ+ characters as a villain, people start to associate stereotypically queer characteristics (dressing or acting a certain way for example) with stereotypical villainous characteristics (such as being predatory or psychotic). Even if itâs unconscious, there are centuries of media enforcing these untrue ideas, so it is important to not only understand and dismantle these biases but also work towards a more holistic approach to the user experience.
This is not to say that queer characters shouldnât be allowed in horror, but rather that queer characters should have characterization outside of just being characters. Characters can be queer and evil, but it is important to distinguish the two as different parts of the same person rather than directly related traits. Through this blog, I hope to explore how deeply rooted these stereotypes are (see Dracula), how dangerous these stereotypes can be (see Psycho), and the progress that's being made in both reclaiming these stereotypes and creating better representation (see Jennifer's Body and Hannibal).
If you have any more suggestions for media or think I missed an important piece of queer horror, feel free to send me a message!















