Queer Representation in Horror
"Norman Bates Reminder" by Barstow Steve is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Horror has long perpetuated stereotypes of oppressed groups, but some of the most prominent misrepresentation remains of the LGBTQ+ community. Queerness has been considered “perverse” for centuries, which seems to be a large reason that horror uses it. The very origins of horror are said to be based heavily on homophobia.
The Bad
Modern interpretations of Bram Stoker's iconic Dracula point to its homophobic messaging. Dracula is a feminine creature of the night that has an unquenchable thirst. Vampires are often tied to lust, and portrayed as being sinful monsters that only appear human. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has also been viewed as a queer novel. Dr. Frankenstein’s repressed homosexuality is often thought of as a reasoning behind his creation, and his relationship with Walton also comes into question. Frankenstein’s monster is ostracized like many in the queer community, especially trans people.
The Hays Codes added a new level to the queer-coding in horror as well. Because horror utilizes the shock factor, it often tries to show the things audiences don’t normally get to see. When the Hays Codes ensured that nothing “unusual” could be shown in film, it opened the door for queer-coding. Horror films made queer-coded monsters to get around these rules. Basically, they made antagonists with stereotypically queer traits but didn’t officially state that they were queer. This reinforced the idea that queerness was perverted and should be feared. And while the Hays Codes ended, queer-coding is still very prevalent today. Slasher films, for example, tend to have queer killers that murder as a result of their repressed queerness. Norman Bates, perhaps the most well known queer-coded slasher, seems to use his mother as a personification of his own internalized homophobia/transphobia (dressing as her when he feels ashamed). More recently, Stranger Things’ Billy Hargrove and American’s Psycho’s Patrick Bateman both seem to antagonize due to their repressed sexualities.
Trans representation in horror is also a huge issue. Horror is one of the only genres that has any trans characters to begin with, but they are rarely portrayed in a good light. Buffalo Bill is one of the most well known trans characters. While it’s stated that he isn’t actually trans, he is still considered trans by most. The film’s messaging suggests that trans women are just mentally disturbed rather than actually trans. Similarly, the big reveal at the end of Sleepaway Camp (spoilers ahead) that Angela Baker is actually a trans woman once again cements this idea that trans women are predators. This is an argument used by many to invalidate and exclude trans women. When the media uses being transgender as a motive for murder/violence it turns those in the trans community into monsters. Being trans is not a mental illness, and as creators we must do better to not portray it as one.
The Good
Despite queer-coding, horror films are actually very beloved in the LGBTQ+ community. Queer people are no strangers to feeling like freaks, and horror often offers relatable outcast characters. Final girls in particular are favorites in the queer community. Seeing someone beat the odds and stand up to their bully is incredibly inspiring and many in the community can appreciate the underdog to hero ark.
Jesse Walsh from Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge is one of the most influential queer characters in horror. Jesse may be queer-coded, but I believe he is awesome representation for the community. Jesse is the final boy, he survives Freddy and is a genuinely moral person.Jesse is very isolated in the film (especially from his parents) which is something many in the queer community relate to. Many argue that Freddy personifies Jesse’s internalized homophobia as he mostly appears in situations where Jesse would be questioning his sexuality. I thought this was an awesome way to present how literally terrifying internalized homophobia is.
Horror is a genre for people that don’t fit in. It often tells queer stories (intentionally or not) when other genres won’t. However, as a community we should be working harder to undo the stereotypes enforced by horror in the past. That means not blaming a character’s actions on their queerness and writing strong queer characters. It also means supporting more queer horror creators! We can all be doing better to create good queer representation in horror. Happy Pride!
