Why Queer People Love Horror | A Horror Movie Video Essay

[@CodeNameX001]

I once read a comment that always sticks out in my head that said, paraphrased, "Trans people love body horror, because we know what it's like to watch out bodies change against our will, and become something strange and unrecognizable." And I think that was such a wonderfully visceral way to describe it.

[@dalellll]

god yes. its a minor example but im 99% sure my trypophobia is fear and disgust with my own facial and body hair.

[@MeonLights]

There is a great video on here called something like "The Incel to Trans pipeline in Inside Mari". This also deals with body horror. I believe the creator has more of that topic.

[@transsexual_computer_faery]

@Rotom0479 well, you tried. It's puberty that's the horror, not puberty2 (hormones)

[@dinosaysrawr]

This could also potentially explain why some trans people have fetishes or kinks related to particular bodily sensations or states, or experiencing humiliation or embarrassment when subjected to a particular sensation or state.

[@Peregrina]

​@Rotom0479The second puberty is a term for trans people who have gone through their puberty and then go through hormone treatment and possibly surgery to alter their bodies.

[@vv0sans693]

For queer people specifically, but for all oppressed peoples in general, horror is an intimate part of everyday reality.

[@transsexual_computer_faery]

@@vv0sans693 say that again

[@transsexual_computer_faery]

@Rotom0479 istg

[@lonlonmilck]

True

[@JacktheStripper-tc5pn]

Wtf are you talking about?

[@JacktheStripper-tc5pn]

There's something genuinely wrong with you

[@imjustasconfusedasyou]

i think horror will always be a place for anyone who is “othered” by society. nerudivergent, disabled, and queer people. the dramatics of it can be comforting to slip into and lose ourselves in that world. we can be comforted by seeing what WE feel on screen. we can see the monsters and see ourselves and our struggles in society

[@brianrunyon266]

Can relate to the disabled part, having a form of CP as well as being completely blind.

[@pennplayz]

this hits the nail on the head, having autism makes processing and understanding my own thoughts and emotions really hard sometimes and having external media represent aspects of my thoughts and fears helps me process it Outside of horror, for this purpose, Disco Elysium was such an eye opening and comforting experience. Genuinely helped demuddle my brain

[@SaberSin-mu4kt]

Or edgy teenagers who wanna feel edgy and special thinking they've experienced suffering and adversity despite having never gone through any true hardships their whole life.

[@tigerchild3676]

@@SaberSin-mu4kteveryone goes through hardships. It doesn’t mean that you can dismiss their experiences.

[@rai.2876]

@@SaberSin-mu4kt omg poor precious baby boohoo, you must have won the olympics for the one person who's suffered the most in the world! truly, no one else should be allowed to find themselves in dark fictional media because obviously they dont know what REALLLL PAIN AND SUFFERING looks like, like you do, oh tortured soul!

[@hank_430]

I never understood how anyone could watch creature from the black lagoon and NOT feel sorry for the creature. And the fact that it DIDN’T is what really made the movie stand out in my very young mind.

[@dinosaysrawr]

That the characters I found myself inherently relating to or sympathizing with were so often villains, monsters, and/or characters who suffered a tragic fate did *not* escape my notice as a kid.

[@EdgarCastillo-c6j]

Guillermo del Toro did which is why he created the Shape of Water.

[@Theguy493]

Yeah there is definitely an argument to be made that Mina Harker is bisexual. While she is engaged with and in love with Johnathan, she comments multiple times on Lucy's attractiveness. And is said to have been very close to her in her youth.

[@stephennootens916]

I notice that the last time I re read the book a couple of years ago as well. It is pretty clear she has a thing for Lucy.

[@st.anselmsfire3547]

A century of slash fic writers can't be wrong!

[@PoorMuttski]

I think this might be an issue with cultural shift over the past century. People used to be less homophobic than they are today. Or rather, what counted as “gay” was a lot different. Women commenting on each other’s looks or being physically close was not gay. Actually, in many parts of the world it is totally heterosexual for women to walk holding hands, being physically close, and other things. Things like public bathing and nudity is super common, particularly in Europe. Americans are super paranoid about intimacy, and will call anything and everything gay.

[@dylanfooler]

​@@PoorMuttski There's also the fact that women being intimate, even having intercourse, wasn't seen as the same level of queer as two men, bc women 'didn't have lust like men' and it was believed women weren't on the same level as men when it came to love/intimacy. It was expected that it was a phase and as long as they married a man it was just gals being pals

[@dhsf5937]

I read the book and Mina is not bi.

[@sternritternovad]

It is always quite amazing to see that horror binds a lot of groups who feel like "the other", it's also interesting to see if or when people say the monster or Villain was right.

[@Inurdot]

It's very rare for the villain to be right in horror films.

[@marigolden_mariposa]

​@Rotom0479huh?? your comment makes no sense.

[@kamikage9420]

In Australia there's a thriving indie horror scene, chock full of low-budget camp and homemade fake blood. Some of my earliest memories are of helping my parents and their friends put an indie horror film together, making fake intestines from stockings, shopping for pieces of outfits and making props with papier maché. In that experience as a baby trans I was able to try on wigs and zombie or vampire makeup and all these little instances of gender nonconformity, and in a more recent indie horror film called "Rib Spreader" I played the part of a crowd member at a punk show where the band was a real local queer punk band, hanging out with them and their mates before and after filming and learning how cool and accepting they were.

[@ChristopherSadlowski]

Did you get your ribs spread though?! If not I hope you get the chance to play a character that gets to play pretend dead. It looks like a lot of fun getting all the gore makeup on and acting terrified!

[@memoryisamonster]

No wonder Sam Reid is slaying as Lestat de Lioncourt..he is possessed by him

[@ArgyleDinosaur]

I've never really thought about it, but I think that as a queer person, one reason that I love horror so much is because people make me out to be a monster just for existing in an authentic way. When I watch horror, I tend to empathize with the monster, because I know how it feels to be "othered".

[@vanslickereviews8435]

@Rotom0479I’ve seen you reply to quite a few people In what seems to be a negative way, may I ask, what’s negative of going against social norms? They are only social, they aren’t laws, they aren’t morals, hell it anit an argument of ethics. You hurt nobody by being gay,Trans,etc, so I really dont understand your aggression, it would appear you just don’t like that some people are different than you, and that you can’t wrap your brain around it causing you to only have negative feelings because you can’t accept that other people exsist. Which is just idk immature and stupid.

[@Ilovebrushingmyhorse]

​@@vanslickereviews8435 the little bch deleted their comment so i thought you were responding to the original commenter the entire time instead of a reply, so i was confused the entire time reading it lol

[@ArgyleDinosaur]

@@Ilovebrushingmyhorse Nah, the original commenter said something about how maybe I am monstrous if existing authentically means people treat me like I'm "other" and why can't I just be more normal or something like that, but they did comment on A LOT of people's comments with very similar rhetoric. So if you really want ot see the kind of garbage they were spewing, I'm sure you can find it as a response to other people's comments.

[@Blast2224]

I realized I was gay around 10/11. Before age 12, I was *extremely* frightened of horror movies. It wasn’t until I begged my mother to watch SCREAM 2 from start to finish on cable one cold evening in January 2005. Watching Neve’s character *fight back* at the end changed my perspective. I was terrified of Freddy and Jason and Michael because they were unkillable and unstoppable. But Ghostface was unmasked every movie and still a flesh and blood villain you could destroy. And suddenly all my fear melted away. Sidney HELPED me grow up and mature. I wasn’t that scared little kid anymore. I loved the Final Destinations and Evil Deads and Halloweens. I loved American Werewolf and Hellraiser. And considering Scream goes into campy territory and grand drama monologue, it appealed to a young gay me, who appreciated the “performance” of it.

[@amandamarinovich6164]

Please talk about Clive Barker. I love his take on the monstrous. The monsters are not the villains and that is a very queer perspective. And of course there is his weaving in bdsm

[@breadsnjam2326]

my favorite (and in my opinion) the best horror author of all time. I take so much inspiration from his work for my own stories its crazy

[@TheoRae8289]

Clive is such a humble man. He thanked me for existing once. :,)

[@TheAllieBuba]

Honestly, LOVE this take. I truly believe many of the best horror is when the character cant figure out whats 'wrong' with them

[@TheAllieBuba]

I say this as a bi woman so I know there is absolutely NOTHING wrong

[@filmwitchpod]

It’s so fascinating to me that the NOSFERATU trailer dropped right after you posted this and Eggers himself clearly has the same rumination as Carpenter on his mind, as Lily-Rose Depp’s alternate Mina says “does evil come from within us, or from beyond?” in that trailer. Your finger was right on the pulse with this one, awesome!

[@agramuglia]

The timing was incredible

[@Ariane004]

Having worked on horror films before, I always found them fun to be on during actual production. Everyone’s always pretty nice and there’s usually at least something interesting going on, even on slow days.

[@MelissaMayhem99]

Mind if I ask what movies you worked on???

[@breadsnjam2326]

@@MelissaMayhem99 seconding this

[@PrincessOzaline]

My biggest issue with Silence of the Lambs is the "he's not trans, but he thinks he is." it really stings when trans people are accused of not knowing who they are all the time. Combined with the idea that trans people are passive Buffalo Bill seems like the writer wants to have their cake and eat it too. Lots of queer horror stories that I adore but I loathe Silence of the Lambs, even if it has no ill intent.

[@Inurdot]

The thing is, Buffalo Bill jumps from different opinions and experiences. He was a Nazi at one point. So, this is just the next thing he latched onto to understand himself. After the trans phase, he could potentially move onto something else and use that as an excuse to kill people. The worst part is that he isn't aware of this pattern.

[@dinosaysrawr]

Meanwhile, I think Sleepaway Camp is marvelous, campy fun, even though it's certainly regressive, homophobic, and transphobic in its messaging.

[@katiem5415]

I think it’s a lot deeper than “he’s not trans, but thinks he is.” Seeing as Buffalo Bill is a reflection of Ed Gein, I think BB’s gender identity is more tied to a mother(his own), rather than simply being a trans woman. Just as Gein wasn’t just someone who go thought they were trans, he wanted to be his mother. Buffalo Bill wants to be HIS MOTHER, not himself as a woman, but his own mother. This has always bothered me as well because Buffalo bill doesn’t think he is trans, he wants to become his mother. EDIT: having thought a bit more about this, it’s definitely possible BB isn’t necessary trying to be his mother, but it’s more likely that he just doesn’t want to be himself. Trans people want to be themselves, but the opposite gender. Buffalo Bill misses that part of being trans, being yourself, as he wants to be anyone but himself.

[@SashaS-s2z]

Silence of the Lambs does have ill intent. The writer of the original books was quite open about his prejudice against queer people.

[@katiem5415]

@@SashaS-s2z that’s depressing:/

[@kurathchibicrystalkitty5146]

VerilyBitchie did a great bunch of videos on the queer history of Dracula, and the lesbian vampire movies modeled after Carmilla. Well worth a watch!

[@kurathchibicrystalkitty5146]

@Rotom0479 Yeah, they're terribl....y spooky.

[@kurathchibicrystalkitty5146]

@Rotom0479 You don't like VerilyBitchie, either. Duly noted.

[@vanslickereviews8435]

@Rotom0479found you again, leaving another negative comment for no reason

[@JacktheStripper-tc5pn]

​@@vanslickereviews8435Mabey he was just using his "free will" that you hate so much to not enjoy a video that makes no sense

[@B4K4xNi]

Frankenstein is a story about how you need to own up to and embrace all the weird experimentation you did in college or it will destroy your life. It's about how if you feel like you're different, like youre kind of a freak, you really should just live that and love that because it will come following you if you don't, angry and warped by the contempt you feel for that part of yourself.

[@ShortandSweet54]

On your subject of vampires, even look at animated vampires like Dio who is canonically Bi, even as current as Astarion who might be Pansexual because he refers to Sébastien an NPC vampire he kinda had feelings for that he was forced to bring to his master. Edit because I also forgot Lady D in RE8 who is a "vampire" (really just a BOW) based on her affection towards female characters, but despises male characters

[@burner555]

​@Rotom0479 Araki, the author himself, confirmed Dio is bisexual

[@leekalba]

I had to searching for wtf a "BOW" was and the first plausible thing before finding the right one, was "bitch on wheels"

[@Dhampire1976]

Lady Dimitrescu has been confirmed to be a lesbian canonically so that's another W

[@raphaelmarquez9650]

The LGBT+ retrospective of the Chucky series has really made Phelous and Nostalgia Critic's dual review of the first 3 films age poorly. I also find it funny how this video was uploaded right after Universal uploaded their Dark Universe/Classic Monsters preview video for their upcoming Epic Universe theme park in Orlando.

[@darafeth]

It's been a while since I watched that review though I've never been a huge fan of nostalgia critic but I would love to hear you expand on your thoughts about it

[@raphaelmarquez9650]

@Rotom0479 The reviews were calling Chucky a goofy villain while nitpicking the story on how nonsensical it is and the charactrs making irrational decisions to get themselves killed. They never mentioned how queer coded Chucky is.

[@theasexualvampire13]

I know, there was a time when everybody was shitting on it (Seed of Chucky that is) for the very reasons why it's a cult classic among queer audiences.

[@TextbookSadass]

​@@raphaelmarquez9650 Tbf, Chucky wasn't queer coded in the first 3 films, it wasn't until Bride that the themes began

[@rsfilmdiscussionchannel4168]

@@raphaelmarquez9650 Their POVs aren't representative of the majority opinion on those films but I don't think that the gay themes (which were subtext at best in the early movies) outright mean that you couldn't make those criticisms.

[@jonathanaarhus224]

I would just like to add that the first horror novel in the modern sense "The Castle of Otranto" was written by Horace Walpole, who was very queer.

[@amandamarinovich6164]

Interesting. Is it worth checking out?

[@jonathanaarhus224]

@@amandamarinovich6164 Yeah. It's not a masterpiece, but it's fairly interesting enough to be worth checking out.

[@agramuglia]

That's technically the first gothic novel, which is a bit different than horror, imo

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

Good to note.

[@mr.dirtydan3338]

One of the first vampire stories ever written was about a lesbian vampire from the 1800s. Carmilla

[@dalellll]

A lot of horror by trans women centres around having like one foot in the grave and since realising i was trans i've been looking back on the stuff i've always been drawn to and realised it's like, deeply rooted (a lot of us seem to have gone through a Wicca phase too which was shocking to find out so many queer people have had similar preoccupations, i used to wear the name of a death goddess around my neck). There's a great video by Lily Alexandre called Girls Own The Void that just captures it perfectly. Even non-horror trans fiction like Detransition, Baby literally opens with like, a whole thing about self-annihilation, or comics like The Filth that Morrison wrote as part of their exploring the Tree of Death in mysticism. And the trans superheroine in The Invisibles has a special relationship with the Mexican god of death (she tells him a joke and it endears her to him, and her encounter with him is tied up in her actively seizing the right to her gender by literally facing death directly).

[@transsexual_computer_faery]

as a trans woman, can you give some examples of movies pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[@dalellll]

@@transsexual_computer_faery I cant offer any movies unfortunately, they may be out there but i've generally avoided any older trans-themed movies, unlike books and comics they are way more likely to be just made purely by cis people so i think i've subconsciously just avoided them

[@SuperFlashDriver]

I also do wonder, for those in the LGBTQ+ community, would some of them also be thinking more of "Atheism" instead of the normal religions of "Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Shintoism, and Islamism"???......I'd be curious to know if some feel that way considering you mentioned wicca & witchcraft, which that is relate dto "Paganism"....

[@heeeeresjohnny799]

reanimator not being mentioned is criminal!! very good video tho

[@theasinclaire52]

I know, right? I read Herbert as asexual but I've heard people say they see him as homoromantic asexual. That works too.

[@heeeeresjohnny799]

@@theasinclaire52 no matter how you read it, they’re very queer movies!

[@theasinclaire52]

@@heeeeresjohnny799 From Beyond is also an accidentally queer movie!

[@bluespacecadet]

I simply love the thought that Herbert is a gay man, and Dan's fascination with him throughout the film is his questioning whether he might be attracted to another man for the first time. Dan really gives bisexual disaster energy imo. Watching the film through that lense adds an incredible layer of entertainment lol

[@jovic_sawyer]

Talking about Hitchcock, one word: Rope. That movie screams queerness.

[@dillon1037]

Not to steal away from the queer narrative, or I guess I am sort of although I don't doubt this would be relatable to a lot of queer folk as well. Anyways, I'm Neurodivergent and either legitimately the ugliest person on the East Coast or I have body dysmorphia and I gotta thank you for touching on the social isolation that permeates Frankenstein and its inspired works. The Bride of Frankenstein has always hit particularly hard because I've had the exact though that even someone somehow tailor made to love me would ultimately find me repulsive like everyone else.

[@agramuglia]

It's all the same game in the outsider community there.

[@JacktheStripper-tc5pn]

​@@agramuglia You do know that there are other outsiders other than queer people right? Like neuro divergent people, Immigrants and even people who are simply "ugly" also did you seriously say "Dracula is sexual because he sucks blood"? You're using some twelve year olds joke as a point in an argument

[@rickw9291]

The Lost Boys is one of my favorites that I see as queer. I always like to think that Michael joined the lost boys for Star but stayed for David

[@ThomasWake1]

When you grow up being villainized by mainstream society, you start to identify with villains from modern stories to reclaim these insults. Unrelated but look at every Disney villain they’re all queer coded

[@echedp8903]

Excision is a queer horror movie that I often think on. The main lead is heavily coded as asexual as well as aegosexual and it is the only film I'm aware of that dwells on the disconnect for that sexuality between fantasy and actual physical wants. Of course making the lead characters sexual fantasies so dark and morbid in nature can not be called anywhere close to good representation, but I do feel a great pull towards the film in just knowing that they have the same sexuality I do, even though their version of it is so much more dark, twisted and disturbed.

[@Bagelthealmightydeity]

Branching further (I’m not sure if I worded that right) into the Dracula queer context(?) there is a part in the story where after Dracula walks into his wives trying to or feeding off of (I don’t remember exactly) Harker, he says something along the lines of “get away from him, don’t touch him, he’s mine”; here’s the actual quote, “How dare you touch him, any of you? How dare you cast your eyes on him when I have forbidden it? Back, I tell you all! This man belongs to me!”

[@jsc315]

Nightmare on Elm Street 2 made me realize I was Bi. And it's absolutely true what you've said here. You what have a excellent voice for commentary. Very pleasant to listen to.

[@dakotamcclung2988]

I have loved horror movies since i was a kid. I've never thought to make this connection. It makes sense. I enjoyed Sleepaway Camp a lot for this reason. Angela, who was traumatized by her sister and father's death and traumatized again by her aunt, was then traumatized through bullying. I always felt for her character because she was so misunderstood, and she knew that she was an outcast, so that's why she pushed people away most of the time. Im sure people demonize her character, but her story is a representation of the horrors a lot of trans/queer people go through. And i always felt bad for Carrie because she, too, did not deserve the hate and bullying. Another misunderstood character and a representation of kids who have to endure toxic families.

[@IAmBored347]

I am not part of the LGBTQ community, nor have I been big into different genres. If a story's premise sounds interesting I'll enjoy it. If there is one thing I want to say, as a person with disabilities I can relate and pity with some of the villains even though I don't condone their actions. Out of all the horror films I relate to Carrie because as a person with disabilities I had to ignore or get used to fitting in. I did had friends but sometimes it was frustrating to fit with a bunch of neurotypical people. She may not be neurodivergent like me, but I relate to how the students treated me. Not like over the top bullies but indifference. It doesn't help that as a person with the spectrum aka autism, one student who had autism was named Issac trying to fit in. I tried my best to be nice, befriend him even or try to understand him. But it's frustrating when many people tell him to stop even when he tried to bond with others with special interests. During a group project I wanted to understand him, yet to the students who wanted him to "shut up" he complied. I wanted to help him but I was unsure what to do and many students urged me to not be associated with him so I sadly complied. It got even worse when I got into High School. One day I had a bad day after struggling with Algebra as well as stress. I had to go to the clinic and because the nurse was unavailable I needed to check my blood sugar. So the vice principal offered to help me. Until the principal misinterpreted I was swearing at her and punished me and forced me to eat there. Was even worse was the Vice Principal I had was the same science elmentary teacher. And it was even worse that she accidentally used her power over me. Because of that incident I was recommended by my Kaiser Doctor and Psychologist for ABA and yeah ABA was the equivalent of LGBTQ conversion therapy. I was unaware I was forced to act like a Neutrotypical and because of that my mental health is now a slippier slope. Today after I got into an emotional breakdown from College and I quit College because I was terrified I would be made fun of as an Autistic person. Which is why I feel terrified revealing my condition especially with many people saying, "Oh she's not autistic" or "She acts normal to me". Which is why I understood Carrie and I understand why it resonated with me. That I had to follow authority and dealing with people who didn't know it, and despite trying to fight back I would be seen as a disobedient girl. There's also Heriditary where while my family situation isn't as bad as the main characters, I feel lost with family. Ever since the mocking and terrible Mega Churches are rising, and fake pastors and horror stories in the church I slowly became disillusioned with religion as a former christian. I decided to be an agnostic and not associate with religion heavily. There's also me trying to make my parents proud yet it gets draining as the only child. That's why it's hard for me. Sorry this isn't from an LGBTQ person, I come from a Religious family and my family isn't discriminatory against LGBTQ. Just indifferent or aware of it. They do tolerate it thankfully but even then they get confused with pronouns I had to correct them. I never knew Horror resonated with LGBTQ like how The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Nightmare on Elm Street's Second Movie, or Hellraiser. So if you're seeing this to those of LGBTQ I understand why you guys love horror media and I understand your points on horror. Horror is still not my favorite but I'm happy you guys resonate to its themes and stories. I hope someday society would be more welcoming for us with different oritentations and disabilities.

[@IAmBored347]

Also I hope my comments are useful. I never commented nor tried to state ny opinions on KZbin. It wasn't long until I feel maybe I need to speak up. Especially since everyone is into online now so I decided why not try to express my thoughts on things. I was kind of a loner during school and the 2020 event that happened made me decide to enter online now and communicate.

[@Para2normal]

@@IAmBored347 Thank you for telling your story, seems you've had some horrible and frankly, unforgivable experiences and yet you have kept going. Please reconsider your quitting your College course as many Uni's are much more welcoming and understanding than you might think. Always been a "loner" myself , so I get that part too.

[@IAmBored347]

@@Para2normal Thanks it's not easy. Worst yet this isn't my worst time. One time I was going to a mall with my Mom and my Mama elected an Uber driver, she thought he was nice based on the five star ratings. So when we got in the guy at first was friendly and chatted with my Mom. Me on the other hand was too busy thinking things, until the man said this that made my point that some people never enjoyed neurotypical people. "Hey Lady Stop Being Quiet and Start Talking." He said to me but I was oblivious. My mama thankfully corrected the Uber Driver I had autism and that I have some technical issues with communication. So the guy decided to say, "Oh sorry I didn't know I have ADHD." Whether or not he had ADHD, my Mama was mad after we gor dropped in Ala Moana. She was angry he instantly excused his disability as a defense card. Maybe he didn't know but my Mom was upset so mad she was almost about to sue the Uber Driver. That's all I have to say... Response: Also the College I was Dealing with was during the 2020 event and it was the most loneliest experience ever. I'm planning to do Vocational for the time being, got treated horribly by an art professor.

[@Para2normal]

@@IAmBored347 Oof, I used to be a Taxi Driver, not Uber, and I would never have said that to a passenger despite being a chatty buffoon myself. Vocational courses can be absolutely wonderful, and deeply rewarding. In fact you sound just the sort of person the world needs in a vocational post.

[@IAmBored347]

@@Para2normal Thanks. That's all sorry I just blurted things out or wasted or time. But thank you.

[@Laezar1]

Haven't watched the rest of the video yet but I want to react to that quote at the start too, cause there is also the horror of the world being indifferent to your own existence, where there is no evil and danger is just... there, not malicious, it simply exists. And this feels very tied to a queer experience in the cosmic horror kind of way of realizing the world is just not designed with us in mind, there is some maliciousness at play but there is also a scarier part about simply not having room to exist. This generally feels more deeply tied to disability from my experience of both but it's also present with queerness (and on the opposite end of the spectrum can be what biggots fear too, having a world that doesn't revolve around them anymore, that is neutral and indifferent to them)

[@gracekinsley3142]

that was truly amazing, I don't read much in the way of comics, but your movie and TV analysis are always so good, and this may be one of my favorite analysis of the year, Would love to see more about Clive Barker, and in general your take on queerness, and underrepresentation being more represented in the media, Thank you again

[@kurathchibicrystalkitty5146]

Recommending the Claymore manga on the basis of being classified as 'dark fantasy horror' and a fair amount of queer-coding [the lesbian subtext is as strong as their swords] and a nuanced examination of different kinds of love and humanity, but only to those who can handle graphic violence and some really messed up body horror.

[@Para2normal]

Never read the Manga but I loved the Anime of Claymore, except for the whiny (male) sidekick.

[@kurathchibicrystalkitty5146]

@@Para2normal The anime is a bit of a hot mess and doesn't have the full story. The Japanese voice actors are quite good, but the story is piecemeal at certain points and ends halfway through the manga with a completely fabricated ending. Raki is significantly less annoying in the manga. I so wish the anime would get the Brotherhood treatment. I feel sad when people only watch the anime and never get the full story or see the characters grow and develop in ways they never get to do in the anime.

[@sabbathjackal]

​@kurathchibicrystalkitty5146 I love the claymore anime. easily my top 10 favorites. Aside from the shitty ending. I never read the Manga either

[@kurathchibicrystalkitty5146]

@@sabbathjackal I'm glad that you like it so much. Would you like to know what happens in the manga and/or the biggest differences in characterization and plot developments?

[@kurathchibicrystalkitty5146]

@Rotom0479 You seem to be malfunctioning. Did your circuits short out?

[@devourlordasmodeus]

As bad as it is I have to thank Ace Ventura for one of my early sexual awakenings, that and Rocky Horror which my mother thought was appropriate for a 8 year old

[@devourlordasmodeus]

@Rotom0479 Listening to my mom when she said she had a cool movie to show me

[@devourlordasmodeus]

@Rotom0479 I don't know man, I'm not my mom.

[@vanslickereviews8435]

@Rotom0479awe it’s cute you think you have a say in how other people parent their kids, or that you have any room to judge. For example I was raised by my grandparents and from age six to 13 I was watching Alien,Lethal weapon, exorcist, Beverly Hills cop, etc with them during movie nights for the exact reason. They were cool movies and I understood that.

[@Peregrina]

​​@Rotom0479There are far worse movies to watch as an eight year old tbh.

[@JacktheStripper-tc5pn]

​@@vanslickereviews8435 Omg you're granny and grandpa let you watch Alien when you were thirteen! I don't think Alien is anywhere near Rocky horror

[@godshounds]

i am subscribing specifically because i really, really want to see your clive barker video. i read imajica a few months ago & have not stopped thinking about it since. just like, the way gentle & pie's relationship is treated in that book + pie's gender (or lack thereof) is fuel for 45 minutes alone. great work!

[@LoneRanger-et7gq]

Just stumbled upon your channel, I really enjoyed this in-depth examination of horror films through a queer lense. Something I wanted to note about Fright Night in conjunction with the relationship between Jerry (antagonist vampire) and his overseer-- is the queer codedness of the protagonist best friend/frienemy, Ed. Ed is presented as a loner and outcast; a third wheeler to his friends' hetero relationship. His other-ness is even seductively acknowledged-- and weaponized-- by the Vampire; Jerry tells Ed that once he capitulates-- "no one would ever make fun/bully him again." To add, Ed's brutal and sad end/ fate, is in line with the "tragic gay" trope, which dominated any storyline that attempted to explore queerness. Lastly, the fact that the actor who portrays Ed, actually identifies as a gay man-- really drives this point home, in my opinion.

[@vanslickereviews8435]

@Rotom0479go to therapy

[@spicelord3006]

@Rotom0479 you sound repressed as fuck

[@bluboy4ver2]

Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles are very queer, I think general public only know about the first book but Lestat is an explicitly queer character. His two main Loves are his first boyfriend Nicki who he meets before he becomes a Vampire and Louis who is his life long love. Lestat's mother could easily be described as gender queer or nonbinary Vampire and Armand's romantic feelings towards Lestat and Louis causes the major conflict of the second half of Interview. Armand also has one of the most beloved relationships of the series when he makes the young writer Daniel his immortal lover.

[@dramonmaster222]

Once again, another great video essay. I Never realized just how queer themed horror could be.

[@vanslickereviews8435]

@Rotom0479god shut up, I can’t tell if you’re rage bait or not, if you dislike this creator and you dislike lgbt things the best way for you to live is to ignore it, yet here you are commenting on everyone’s comments to make sure they know you’re a miserable bastard.

[@JacktheStripper-tc5pn]

​@Rotom0479 The whole channel is full of bad videos, I can't find a good one and believe me I'm trying but he's making it very hard to like him and his videos

[@spicelord3006]

@@JacktheStripper-tc5pn then why are you here

[@spicelord3006]

@Rotom0479 then why are you here

[@weaselstew3572]

@@JacktheStripper-tc5pn find something else to watch then. If it's not for you then that's fine. Just move on.

[@ladyredl3210]

Watching this in the middle of my Hannibal hyperfixation is amazing! I’d recommend Penny Dreadful to everyone here, it’s pretty darn queer and definitely horror.

[@sassylittleprophet]

Are you watching through Hannibal? One of my favorite shows.

[@duru_mii]

!!! seconded! penny dreadful and hannibal are two of my fav shows. eva green's performance in penny dreadful is amazing

[@existentialpotato]

fun fact billy and stu from scream were based on a real life gay serial killer couple AND scream was written by a gay man (kevin williamson). so that’s why it’s so gay-it is supposed to be. also wanna shout out a24 for taking horror to a whole new level of queerness, both explicit and implicit.

[@PeakeABoo]

For more on clive barker and hellraiser, may I suggest the video by "in praise of shadows" and as a warning it is like a 2-3 hour long deep dive video essay. Really well done.

[@carmina-solis]

yessss his stuff is so good

[@zebdykas2558]

Love the video, and would definitely love to see a Clive Barker deep dive. Horace Walpole is worth mentioning within the queer horror timeline. He, at the very least, popularized Gothic Horror w/ Castle of Otranto (1764), and was ever so gay.

[@oliverstewart784]

first time viewer of your work, this was wonderful! i am currently navigating some identity challenges and my partner is very queer and very into horror, this felt made for me! thank you for your work

[@EmilXOM]

What a wonderfully insightful video! With a lot of horror media, I've never stopped to view them from a queer angle, but it makes a lot of sense, and is deeply fascinating, now that I can look back at some of these with a different lens.

[@stephennootens916]

James Whale brough the old dark house (A brilliant film more people need to see) and The Invisable Man to Universal to avoid to make The Bride movie.

[@frankenfreakie]

Fantastic video!! Take my subscription lol One duo of queer coded movies I'm kind of sad to see you didn't talk about in the Frankenstein section was Re-Animator and Bride of Re-Animator (i ain't gonna even think ab the third one 💀). Definitely not a perfect set of movies by any means - it's treatment of women is not the best, especially in the original where you've got the infamous "head gives head" scene, but also the fact they cut out most of the scenes that actually made you CARE about Meg AND scenes that really added SO MUCH to the queer subtext of the film, seriously the uncut version of Re-Animator is superior to the video release in every way and I stand by that - but it is absolutely oozing with queerness, ESPECIALLY Bride. a lot of people joke about how the second movie is basically a gay couple going through a very messy divorce. Hope to see you cover those films one day bc they're a favorite

[@jdlara7774]

I always love when Robert Lewis Stevenson's work's get brought up in literature discussion, as a resident of the town he lived in when trying to recover from Tuberculosis, I can't help but think of how the science of the times influeced his work. Part of me gets giddy as a queer from that same town thinking about how that great author who's home I've stepped into is interrpreted as a writer of queer fiction.

[@jorgehernandez4098]

Lot of people that are not horror fans think that horror is toxic masculinity. But it’s actually the opposite, horror is hyper feminine. At least for my generation of queer males, 90’s kids, we grew up on slashers were it was her feminine strengths and qualities that helped the final girl survive the killer. Laurie, Nancy, Sydney, Ripley, Sally are all incredibly strong and queer horror icons. And now a days we’ve had movies exploring female rage, Suspiria (remake), US, VVitch, Barbarian, Mid Sommar, a lot of those themes really appeal to queer males because of these close relationships we tend to develop with straight women and we can identify with these characters.

[@jorgehernandez4098]

@Rotom0479 general audiences literally look down at horror because the think horror is just Masked Men brutalizing over sexualized women who make stupid decisions. Scream even makes a joke about it.

[@JacktheStripper-tc5pn]

"Toxic masculinity" is not a real thing, there are only toxic people. Sydney isn't queer btw

[@shelbyherring92]

Man, must've said some good shit - the spammers were activated.

[@jorgehernandez4098]

@Rotom0479 You don’t have to be queer to be a queer Icon. Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Diana Ross, Paula Abdul, Judy Garland are all queer icons but are not queer women. Final girls are to horror gays, as Pop divas are to regular gays.

[@jorgehernandez4098]

@@JacktheStripper-tc5pn … “sure Jan”

[@to_be_consumed]

I've always loved vampires, and there is something so innately queer about them that delights me. And its almost strange, I have no issue with vampires in heterosexual relationships, but most things I see where vampires are explicitly heterosexual are sort of lacking. Your telling me he's been alive for hundreds of years and he only likes women? I feel like when you're no longer mortal that mortal ideals sort of cease to apply to you

[@rlunafernandez8951]

Really enjoyed this. Please do work on Clive Barker. He was truly a great horror writer. Thank you for your film analysis. Much luck. ✨💫✨

[@princerex9790]

now that I kow Mary Shelly's franknstein is queer coded makes me love Lisa Frankenstien all the more!!!!!

[@maca76]

you ignored The Vampyre, but it was written by a lover of lord Byron based on him, at the same time and placee Shelley was writting Frankestein

[@timothygenewong]

Well done overview/retrospective. I've been thinking a lot about the intersection of horror and queerness personally. This has been a good way to orient and give a historical context to the way this community and genre are related.

[@timothygenewong]

@Rotom0479 Lots of ways to spend your time, friend. I'm happy to spend mine in reflection and scholarship.

[@timothygenewong]

@Rotom0479 What's your goal, friend? What do you hope to achieve by picking fights and denying the experiences of others? I doubt you'll be changing many minds.

[@timothygenewong]

@Rotom0479 What ruination is that? And how does this prevent that? Please be clear.

[@timothygenewong]

@Rotom0479 I wish you would use proper nouns rather than pronouns like "it." That practice would help with clarity. Are you saying that inclusion of queerness (queer characters, experiences, and themes) is resulting in less sataifactory media for you personally? Am I correct in understanding, you feel that pop culture is the foundation of "human civilization"?

[@timothygenewong]

@Rotom0479 In entertaining your premise in good faith, I wonder how you distinguish your personal feelings about media (general and specific) from the "vast majority" as stated? Is it possible you personally feel discomfort or dissatisfaction compared to say a "large percentage" of users/consumers? What metrics are available to make this determination? How do such polling tools define dissatisfaction (reviews, changes in purchasing/consumption)? And how do we attribute it to "queer content" as opposed to market changes, greater offering competition, other product elements like overall quality, etc.

[@AlyRoad]

i'd say with Barker, Imajica or The Great and Secret Show/Evervile. I feel those two get over looked way too often and there's so much going on there.

[@j.g.michael3229]

In some ways I think certain entries that are representative of LGBTQ+ horror get focused on too much as SOLELY LGBTQ+ horror. Movies like BUTCHER BAKER NIGHTMARE MAKER and TV shows like CHUCKY are chockful of LGBTQ themes, but I think people forget that those same movies/shows have elements that can be related to even if you're not LGBTQ+. But that probably just goes without saying.

[@j.g.michael3229]

That's not meant to say "hey, this doesn't belong to the LGBTQ+ community" btw but rather that even within that context these works have universally applicable themes.

[@ryolioz]

My favourite horror icons have the same mental problems as me and sometimes similar trauma, that’s why I understand them and empathise with them to a certain point. But yes, as a gay guy, I see some things in different aspects too.

[@lizinacan151]

This was a wonderful retrospective into the history of horror and how queer folks relate to the genre. Very well done, very well said, and very well researched.

[@CheziahKatt]

nababy the "roomie" in fright night wasnt a werewolf. he was a servent, similar to renfield. also the actor playing the vamp jerry called the vampire (fondly) a fruitbat. it was a wink to the queer subtext. also peter vincents character is named for queer actors!

[@marcsoren7]

Another example I can think of that is horror-adjacent is Denise Bryson from Twin Peaks played by David Duchovny. Not much horror happens in the scenes involving her, but for the time it was pretty progressive with a few hiccups here and there

[@SarahBabe]

I completely stumbled upon this video and I am HOOKED. This is a great video essay and I LOVE IT. Thank you!

[@cnashford2]

This is the 1st video of yours that I've come across. The topic brought me in and your pacing, editing, etc. kept my attention. Thanks so much! - a new subscriber

[@vanslickereviews8435]

@Rotom0479than don’t watch…

[@bunniesrock9]

Whichever movies you decide to do more videos on I'll be elated to watch, also thanks for reminding me I still need to watch I saw the TV glow lol

[@thespacebat]

If you ever read the original Frankenstein it holds up incredibly well for how old it is, it's one of my favorite books of all time.

[@josebro352]

Frankenstein's monster wasn't a monster at all. He was really just a gentle soul who was misunderstood and feared out of ignorance. He never asked to be created and his existence was tragic. I always found it to be more of a sad story than a horror story.

[@NoLuck666-sx9it]

NOW i get why i love horror movies.... damn it makes so much sense now.

[@Damiana_Dimock]

More Clive Barker is always a good thing! Jennifer’s Body is great as well, and I def would watch that video but I feel like because the Hellraiser sequels become so awful (I just finished binging the series-I needed if the post-Bloodline films were really that much worse,) & all the nonsense that happened around Nightbreed and it’s different cuts, Barker’s works are likely less known than even Jennifer’s Body. Anyway, this video was great, thanks 🙏🏼☺️

[@julius-stark]

I just want to say that I like giving videos like this a try even though many I've seen haven't been very well done, but this one was. As an outsider (ie not gay/queer), my love of horror comes from the fact it's probably the only genre where you can address cultural taboos by disguising it as something else and get away with it. One of my biggest issues with more recent horror is that the gay characters tend to have no real personality past the fact they're gay, whereas in the past they had to sorta lampshade it by having that character stand out in other ways. This was by biggest problem with They/Them, that and the movie didn't have the guts to kill off any of the good characters. A movie that was not mentioned in the video I sorta interpreted as gay was Daniel Isn't Real. It seemed to be very much inspired or riffing off of Nightmare 2.

[@vanslickereviews8435]

@Rotom0479reading your comments make me think you’re the snow flake

[@MistarZtv]

Shout out to Shudder's Slasher and its unapologetically queer stories and casting

[@jamesneale2978]

Love this video! So insightful. Oh and please do a video on Clive Barker

[@bjorkyorke]

You have made me want to write. This is big. Thank you. I love queer people and horror!

[@Wendisoph]

Damn the conservatives in the comments really got their panties in a twist

[@shelbyherring92]

I'm pretty sure over half of them 12 year old kids...

[@burner555]

​@@shelbyherring92 and the other half manipulates them

[@gerard.fil3s]

ive always related sm to Frankensteins monster as a trans man; to be created and idolised for just a moment, to then vehemently hated/feared not only by society but by the man that created him. the intense ostracisation he experiences and how he tries so hard to observe/understand/and even replicate the world around him. falling in love with humans but humans never loving him. and even how his complicated, emotional story gets watered down to "arrgh fire bad, throw child in lake" in modern media reflects how conservatives vilify trans people out of sheer lack of knowledge. needless to say i have a tat of him and the bride and i love them sm :)

[@Dantalliumsolarium]

This is such a lovely video! I’m just getting deep into horror and queer media so this was really interesting and would love more!

[@BadaBadger]

I ended up learning this from Dead by Daylight.

[@Bench-n9s]

Guys I can’t watch horror movies, have I been lying about being gay 😰

[@maggiephilson1667]

Please do a video on Jennifer’s Body.🙏🏻 I love that movie and would love to hear your thoughts on it.

[@laurentfranco8075]

I think that horror traditionally attracts people who feel like an outcast or misfit.

[@fruity_delirium]

Thank you for your videos! Always excited when I get a notif you have a new one out. Have a comment for the algorithm! More people needle to see your work. :)

[@serenitysfirefly]

I agree with most of your points, and thank you for disclosing that Norman Bates is not in any way good plural representation. I'm not gonna lie, there was a serious lack of editing in this video in regards to the interviews, and it made things drag out due to the guests' full uncut ramblings running on unnecessarily.

[@jonathonriddle9922]

Some recommended films not mentioned in this video: Rebecca, Strangers On A Train, Daughters of Darkness, The Lost Boys, and Dahmer.

[@AntoinettexKitten]

Emma from The Vampire Lovers was in Theatre Of Blood

[@WeirdSage-ym2cf]

A few queer movie suggestions I personally like is sleepaway camp, a story of kind of an acceptance of being a trans women at the end. Heretitary, in some way was accepting that her daughter was now her son. 1974 Texas chainsaw massacre, leatherface is bit of a drag queen(I cant back up my reasons for this very well). And obviously pink flamingo following a drag queen as a protagonist.

[@KuruSeed]

i really don't appreciate removing the audio from one ear randomly

[@Sebastian_Niedermeier]

Since you didn't mention it, I would like to add that the hole Glenn/Glennda naming convention in Chucky is a hommage to queer director Ed Woods arguably most personal film.

[@KrissyChan]

Yes please do a video on Clive Barker! I really enjoyed this video and would love to see you talk about him as he is my favorite author.

[@jonhinson5701]

There are many lesbian and gay female vampires but we need more gay male stories. I realize that bi and gay men are far more threatening to the audience, especially straight men ( and they basically rule things) but we really need some male-male couples

[@randomperson4561]

This was such a fascinating and informative video, excellent work!

[@KE-yq2eg]

Makes sense. People who grew up in traumatic homes love traumatic entertainment.

[@loreshansmith3560]

Personally, I love horror because I can see my experiences within the “monsters”. They’re often outcasts and are only monsters because people say they’re monsters. They’re different and people are scared of anything that they perceive as different.

[@tkauff713]

Great video clive barker is one of my favorite painters get the book visions of heaven and hell it is great. A few years ago I saw some originals they where just prelims but they made a huge impression on my art. If you make that video on barker I will defiantly watch it. There's a lot in that art book as far as I know it's the only one it will help get into his head most of it is not horror but weird fanticy in every colur but normal skin tones.

[@DoctorLazers]

For fun, a little backstory on the word, 'gay' and how it came to mean 'homosexual.' People commonly say the gay used to mean happy. This isn't wrong necessarily, but it didn't just mean happy. Specifically, it meant carefree and lighthearted. What is the implications there? Gay meant carefree which over time came to mean, uninhibited. Which over time came to mean sexually uninhibited. It started to be associated with prostitution in the 1800s. A 'gay' woman was a term for a prostitute. So the idea that Gay = Homosexual was based on the belief that gays are immoral and deviant. Hedonistic and uninhibited. So I kind of love the implication that the dudes who decided this came to the conclusion that the key difference between them and homosexuals was restraint.

[@alonsosandoval4805]

Love the "Huesera" mention. Mexican queer and feminist horror movie. I recommend it very much!

[@AntoinettexKitten]

If silence of the lambs film had gone more in depth with bill's background his motives make more sense

[@caitycat66]

I would love to hear what you have to say about Clive Barker. He’s truly on of the greats of horror, especially his books.

[@egg_bun_]

This autoplayed for me, and I'm so fucking excited to watch. 👀 What a treat to be surprised by this🥰💞💯

[@spicelord3006]

@Rotom0479 but you're still here

[@terezacarvalho3392]

In my opinion, the most wonderfully queer film ever made is Freaks (1932, Tod Browning). The question is whether it is a horror film, or simply a completely queer film. Unfortunately difficult to find. Whoever can, watch and cry.

[@witchigo]

I played renfield a few years ago in a stage production of Dracula and I very much viewed renfields relationship with dracula as a tragic romantic codependency where renfields unrequited love is manipulated by Dracula

[@mjolnirfan]

I'd like to see a video on Dracula's Daughter underrated movie in my opinion, honestly, I'd like to see the Universal Monsters as a whole get a video but that one specifically.

[@ladystein2246]

I like it when a show or movie doesn't point out the gay characters. They just show it and that the characters around them don't make a fuss about it.

[@zacharybosley1935]

this is going to be one for the books, I can feel it

[@das-apfel]

What an incredible video! Thank you so much 💜