In a popular 19th century novel that predated Bram Stoker's 'Dracula,' both the vampire and the victim were women. The Phantom of the Opera hides both himself and his forbidden, unrequitable love.
Frankenstein has been read as an allegory for a gay man, hunted down and ostracized by his community for who he is. In this moment, who better than the Babadook to represent not only queer desire, but queer antagonism, queer in-your-faceness, queer queerness? - Michael Bronskiīronski said a longstanding connection exists between the horror/fantasy genres and queerness. In the '70s, it was Bette Midler and Cher, then Madonna in the '0s and '90s, and Lady Gaga in the 2000s. 'She was proud of who she was,' Bronski said. In the 1960s, it was Barbra Streisand, who unapologetically embraced both her gay fans and her Jewish identity. Her place in gay culture was so well-known that referencing her out loud became a code word to indicate that you were part of it, Bronski said: You might ask another man, 'Are you a friend of Judy's?'
In terms of gay icons, he said, the community has adopted plenty of people who weren't openly gay or gay at all.
