Girl and dog watching a horror movie (Texo Morica (123RF))
October is LGBT History Month, and it’s also spooky season. With that in mind, I wanted to focus on the Hayes code and queer coding in horror films.
The Motion Picture Production Code was a set of industry guidelines for self-censorship of content that applied to most films released by major U.S. studios from 1934 to 1968. This is commonly known as the Hayes Code, named after Will H. Hayes served as chairman of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA) from 1922 to 1945.
The Production Code detailed the permissible and non-permissible content of films produced for public audiences in the United States. One of the aspects they censored was sexuality. Therefore, if a film wanted to depict sexuality, it had to try different and more elaborate methods to imply the act.
Homosexuality was a big taboo. Therefore, any queer reading of the film was done through its subtext or queer coding. Additionally, positive depictions of homosexual characters were prohibited, and only fictional characters who identified as homosexual took on the role of evil and were punished throughout the work. Therefore, the villain had effeminate features, actions, or gestures that could be perceived as LGBTQ.
Many examples can be taken from Disney (Gaston and LeFou in the 1991 film Beauty and the Beast, Jafar in the 1992 film Aladdin, and the openly gay actor Andreas Deja). The trend of queer-coding villains in prominent media and films extends beyond the corporate world.
Werewolf with full moon and night view (Leorintan (123RF))
Most monster movies from this era (The Wolfman, Cat People) are queer-coded and rely on stereotypical characters to imply that the characters are LGBTQ. Themes often included fear of repressed identities becoming known and resistance to committing to a heteronormative marriage. Additionally, notable horror films such as “Frankenstein” and “Bride of Frankenstein” (James Whale), “Nightbreed” and “Hellraiser” (Clive Barker) were also made by gay directors.
Alfred Hitchcock may not be the first person that comes to mind when you think of queer allies, but his filmography includes Rope, Psycho, Rebecca, The. There is a surprising amount of queer representation. The lady disappeared. Although some of the queer representation in his films isn’t great, it’s important to remember that Hitchcock intentionally added queer elements to his films. “Psycho” focuses on two interconnected stories: Norman’s effeminacy and cross-dressing as a mother, and the own sexuality of actor Anthony Perkins, who plays Norman. Perkins died of AIDS in 1992. His story is a sad one. I encourage you to do your own research on Perkins and check out Psycho 2 and 3, which he directed and starred in.
The Hays Code had a negative impact on queer representation in pop culture, largely cementing the social norm of queer-coded villains. Even after demonetisation, movies continued to malign the community till the 1990s, which became harmful and problematic. Some of the post-abolition queer-coded representation was done by gay directors such as The Lost Boys (Joel Schumacher) and Child’s Play (Don Mancini), but others It still portrayed the community as villains because of its homophobia (Sleepaway Camp, Silence of the Lambs, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Dressed to Kill, Ace Ventura). These films perpetuate the dangerous cinematic myth that gender dysphoria and homicidal impulses are somehow connected. Movies like “Jennifer’s Body” still feature queer villains, but we don’t confuse their evil with their queerness.
This is a brief history of queer coding, the Hayes Code, and queer media. This LGBT History Month, we encourage you to do your own research. Then you might just find out that one of your favorite horror movies is queer-coded.
“I saw TV Glow” flyer (KMC Pride)
Speaking of movies, join KMC Pride on November 16, 2024 for a free screening of the new hit movie “I Saw the TV Glow” at Brit Bar.
