ABSTRACT
Queer representation in the horror genre – in literature as well as in film and TV – has long been part of a cultural narrative of punishment and invisibility. Deviant sexuality has been posited as the cause of the murderous madness of characters such as Norman Bates in Psycho and Jame Gumb in The Silence of the Lambs, a trope that may be traced back to the lesbian vampires of Le Fanu’s Carmilla. This gave way to the stereotype of the gay supporting character, typically among the first to be killed off. In horror, even gender-nonconforming characters not specifically identified as LGBT have tended not to survive to the end of the film or the season. In the years leading up to the Trump regime, however, queer representation has taken another turn, this time away from capital punishment for existence and toward narratives of survival and resilience (Fear the Walking Dead and American Horror Story). Numerous examples now exist of LGBT characters having the strength, the stamina, and the adaptability to fend for themselves. This may have its origins in a shift in societal attitudes, but it is also likely attributable to the growing gay and lesbian presence in the entertainment industry. A number of the current generation of LGBT filmmakers and writers are old enough to remember more hostile times – and in some cases to have survived the devastation of the early HIV/AIDS years. Moore argues that this trend of resilience is unlikely to change.
