Closet Monsters: Queer Identity and Representation in Horror Film
Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor
Deliberately or otherwise, the horror genre has always intertwined with ideas of queer theory, identity and representation. From representations of tragic “otherness” in James Whale’s Frankenstein, to the coded lesbian desire in The Seventh Victim, to controversial conflations of monstrousness and queerness in the likes of Silence of the Lambs, there are myriad ways in which horror can be understood, celebrated and criticised from a queer perspective. Over the decades, queer identity in horror movies has moved increasingly from subtext to text, but the relationship between the two remains a fraught and fascinating one.
As part of Stockport’s LGBT+ History Month a free online panel and Q&A will walk us through and attempt to untangle some of the histories, talking through LGBTQ+ horror, from representation to creation to fandom. Titled ‘Closet Monsters: Queer Identity and Representation in Horror Film’, the panel is hosted by Robyn Adams, a trans actress and contributor to an upcoming Shudder queer history documentary. She will be joined by filmmakers James Swanton and Selene Kapsaski, as well as Andrew Scott and Mark Waters. An online after party will be held via the Manchester’s Grimmfest Facebook group.
