#this entire speech was so queer coded

[lynlovesspn]

“dean winchester is straight!” dean winchester:

[idkplzhalp]

What do you know about Caroline in full? /genq

Some background for those who don't know, Caroline from Portal 2 is my favorite character as of 6 years and at some point I started keeping a big list in which I document everything such as info during development, things from devs/voice actors, debunking theories, literally any of her appearances anywhere and other silly stuff too. I also made an image folder with any potential reference or appearance to her in the series/behind the scenes, which i started to upload to a google drive folder and i need to finish it. When I finally make the entire Caroline post & drive folder, I'd wanna post it to my Valve fact blog @thatvalvefanatic. I'm super into getting canon/official facts about things and Caroline is the funnest for me to do as she's so obscure.

So here's some facts (know I have way more but this is already long enough..) since it'll be awhile since I do the big complete analysis post (or the Caroline lore bible, as I call it) that I've been promising for like 3 years lol!!!

Her heels are red! (This is her face model, Laura Dubuk, when she was at SDCC 2012 with Bill Fletcher, Cave's face, for the Neca booth)

Caroline's name was taken from Jay Pinkerton's (the writer's) mother. Erik Wolpaw says the name also means coincidentally "free man/woman". It's also a variant of the name Charles/Charlie (which is a coincidence to Aperture Desk Job's character Charlie (who is likely more of a reference to Chell)).

She's Argentinan and Ukrainian as that is her face model Laura Dubuk's ethnicity (she's stated she's Argentinian, her family speaks Ukrainian/their last name is Ukrainian (ty to the person who gave me that info!)).

The brand of her dress is "Daniel & Rebecca", an Italian brand made in the 80s/90s. Laura got the dress specifically for Caroline from a thrift store.

Caroline is referenced by Jerry the Nanobot. If you slow his audio down and reverse it, you hear "his injury is not expected to end but she's in charge instead". Hearing is subjective here but that's what I've seen as widely accepted. Though Portal 2 has done similar before with the Ghost of Rattmann track, which was just cut up audio of Marc Laidlaw reading an entirely unrelated paragraph. Or like the Dinosaur_fizzle audios from the radios in Portal 1 that people theorized was Caroline screaming from the radio, when it wasn't that at all as that update came before Caroline was created.

Unlike popular belief, Ellen Mclain did not refuse any of Caroline's lines. People spread rumors that the deleted GLaDOS related lines made her cry and that JK Simmons refused to say his lines due to how they sounded like SA, but that's not true at all.

Also, Caroline is NOT Chell's mother. She's too old and too white to be her mom! GLaDOS' arc towards Chell has been confirmed & implied to be queer/romance-esque. You can see some of that in my LGBTQ Valve post, though I need to update it, and I will be making a singular post just for queercoded GLaDOS since there is SO much. One of Valve' employees, Makani, confirmed Chell was not her daughter.

Cave and Caroline aren't married, confirmed by the Portal 2 guidebook. Though they were still likely good friends, based on some of Cave's cut lines, in which he trusts her to do a lot more.

Cave wanted Caroline to be taken care of and respected as CEO/GLaDOS! That part of his GLaDOS speech had been cut though. Those lines are, "Treat her just like you’d treat me." and "Just make sure she’s taken care of."

Portal RTX has a bunch of hidden codes you can find. There are some you use to change the design of the companion cube. Inputting Caroline's name changes it to the pillow cube!

According to Josh Weier, Caroline wasn't added to the game until one month before its release. Originally she wasn't a part of the story and Cave's assistant was a man named Greg. They didn't want to hire an actor for just a couple lines, so they decided to reuse Ellen Mclain, thus creating GLaDOS' human backstory. Though Greg was reused for Perpetual Testing Initiative and the Cave Johnson DotA announcer pack.

Caroline appears in the spinoff/tech-demo Aperture Desk Job, though only as her portrait. This confirms that she can be in other universes just like Greg, though we don't know what happened to her in this one. She's potentially dead, as Aperture Desk Job had Cave live long enough to be put into the machine. The machine was started and he killed some of the scientists. Also Caroline's portrait there is partially covered, covering her side.

I personally believe Caroline to be biromantic asexual! This one isn't a confirmed fact but more speculation. I think the "she's married- to science!" bit could indicate not being apart of traditional straight relationships, also knowing she was never married to Cave either. We already know GLaDOS is biromantic due to her liking Chell (and in spin-offs liking Claptrap and Batman for a time), and she could be considered ace to her cut line in co-op mode saying she found human reproduction ridiculous. Presumably the same would apply to Caroline.

The "Say goodbye, Caroline!" / "goodbye, Caroline!" Bit is a potential reference to The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950) or Rowan and Martin's Laugh In (1968) as both had bits similar to that, and would make sense for Caroline and Cave to reference due to when the shows aired. Some people interpret that line as Caroline being dumb, though that's not true at all! We know she was intelligent from Cave's high praise of her, and if she was actually making a reference to a TV program then it would be even smarter and show that Caroline probably had inside jokes or references with Cave.

Want You Gone says Caroline and Chell are similar (“She was a lot like you”). If true then Chell, as officially described from the Collaborative Disposition Test, “Resolute and tenacious, you won't quit until a puzzle's solved. Your inability to give up against impossible odds makes you a bad match for cooperative test partners who give up against any odds at all, racing to the internet for answers” Could give insight into Caroline’s personality. The Collaborative Disposition Test could give even more insight into her from Cave’s description “You don't see crises - only challengitunities. you choose to scale like mountains. You're a can-do, shoot-from-the-hip, silver-tongued self-starter. You're a good match for any cooperative test partner, providing they shut up and listen.” Caroline didn’t have much dialogue and we know she did the majority of what Cave asked of her/they worked together for at least 30 years. Caroline may very well be Cave’s testing partner who will “shut up and listen”.

Caroline was in the Steam 25th anniversary artwork! Art by Claire Hummel. It is her and Cave drawn over this meme:

okay that's it for now but I did find an iceberg chart I made a few months ago about her so I'm including it even tho some things gotta be adjusted because it's not 100% correct. It's the same as this but I wanna share it anyways. Happy Caroline Portal 2 lore learning. I'll make a part 2 with more stuff later.

[ninadove]

fav feligami interaction?

Gosh, that’s like asking me to choose between my children! 🥺 Only I don’t have children. And if I did, I’d love them less than even the shortest Feligami scene.

These two had me at “Wanna bet?” and every interaction since has been pure bliss. The Diamonds’ Dance was insane. The fan breaking was insane. The sewer speech was insane. The heart on Kagami’s window was insane. The fact that she told Felix about Ladybug was insane. The queer-coded speech at the end of the play was insane. The sunrise kiss was insane. All of Representation, really, was insane. The crumbs we got at the end of Recreation, paralleling yet contrasting the Adrigami scene back in Lies, were insane.

But I think I have to hand it (HA!) to the very end of Pretension:

Because this is the entire essence of their relationship encapsulated in a few frames! The devotion, the rule-breaking, the unconditional trust. The willingness to do morally unsound things to protect each other. The craving for freedom, the starving for someone to touch you gently. The fact that, while Felix hasn’t been shy about grabbing Kagami’s hand before, this time he is careful to offer, not take; that Kagami’s first real choice in her entire life is to choose him. Him. The implications of gifting someone a ring. Dear Duusu.

Felix gave Kagami her soul back, so she lets him hold it.

This scene means everything to me. It simultaneously healed my inner child and raised my standards. I want what they have or nothing —

[mini-golden]

⚠️ Spoilers for Chapter 357 ⚠️

Kinda... Not talking about the actual chapter cause I can't even AHHHH but an event that happened is mentioned so I'm going to put that little spoiler warning

This may just be wishful thinking but I hope now that Felix is out we get to see other characters exploring queerness a little bit. BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY FELIX WILL BE WELCOMED WITH OPEN ARMS AND A VERY HEARTFELT WE STILL LOVE YOU FELIX. Obviously this is fiction but like realistically queer people tend to gravitate towards each other. Like the domino effect is so real, I came out as bi (don't identify as bi anymore) in like year 7 and now my entire childhood friend group of 4 are all queer. I wasn't the one to create the domino effect in my high school friend group cause our group kept on getting mashed together with others throughout the years untill we have everyone we have now. Which is 3 queer people, 2 token straights and 1 unlabelled. It is the 1920-30s so I don't expect it to be explicit but like a couple lines here and there would be cool.

Genuinely a bit scared to see how the characters will react. I think most of them will be chill with it but I will honestly be upset if they are not. Granny is literally in her like 80s I'm sure she's had a conversation with a queer person in her life before. Red is a nurse, you kinda have to or should be a caring and understanding person to be a nurse. I don't think Dr. Oddswell would care like at all, Felix is helping and he trusts this person who he's knew since Felix was in college (I think).

I did a pole recently on Jerry and homophobic gay man won so there's that, no one cares what Jerry thinks though. He is a little snitch though so he better not tell anyone because omfg. The Warners will obviously be chill, if we're lucky we could get reference to non-binary Wakko. Same with Mr. Toad and Dr. Scratchy. Albert seems like a kind old man I think he'll be chill. John honestly gives me gay vibes so. Cuphead is so bisexual coded, I'm so convinced this man had a gay lover in his past. I think Bendy would ask questions and then be chill with it. I think his reaction would be 'oh so like the lesbians in hell, I didn't know you could like the same gender, that's good to know'. I hope Holly is told, I want to see her reaction cause I genuinely don't really know how she would react specifically to Fanny being the one who outed Felix. I feel like she would give the house a very passionate speech on how great Felix is and how the fact that he likes men doesn't diminish all that he's done for the house. Also Holly is just a great ally, that one Holly's Journal chapter when she was figuring out queer people exist was like 'how to be a good ally 101'. I did not mean to make this as long as it is, I just talk a lot.

[anonymousdanganronpaconfessions]

'Komaeda isn't canonically gay' is the type of statement I'd expect from non-danganronpa fans. Not fans who actively engage in a game that is almost eleven years old.

No, the creator has never outright stated that Komaeda is gay but he wasn't subtle about it either. His character song, Poision, refers to him wanting to understand and love an anonymous 'He'. His other character song, Absolute Hope Birthday, while never stating a pronoun, has lyrics referencing Poision and is about hooking up after school. It's a song so provocative that his Japanese voice actress commented on it.

He is flirtatious and attempts to confess his feelings to the male protagonist. During promotional material, he is gifting fortune cookies to Hinata, with hearts surrounding his dialogue. Hinata is depected with his heterchromia, meaning Komaeda still has feelings for him even after the Neo World Program.

Kurokuma compares Komaeda's alternative fashion to a japanese gay movement, consisting of presenting oneself masculine through punk motifs like chains and leather. His character profile for Ultra Despair Girls mentions that despite the servant chain looking uncomfortable and hard to breathe in, he seems content with it and possibly enjoys the accessory. His iconic jacket has been hinted at in the art book to be self modified, which is common for alternative fashions. Do I need to make a synopsis on the Japanese and their association with punk and queer identity?

His sexuality is so prominate that the official english translation, which has been proven by fan translators to be so bad that they mistranslated entire conversations and character speech patterns. Still manages to convey to the audience that Komaeda is hitting on Hinata.

There are countless other moments of Komaeda's sexuality being blatant in this series. I shouldn't have to explain this. He is gay. And him being a fictional character isn't an excuse for ignorance. The creator didn't have to make Komaeda gay or disabled or have cancer or even take the time to give him his own character songs and ova to better understand him and his ideology. Yet he did, and we should respect that.

Whether Komaeda is well written or good representation is honestly up to personal preference but for fuck sake. The creator himself was confused by the notion of Komaeda being with a female classmate.

But then, when people do acknowledge his sexuality, they call him and other queer coded characters in Danganronpa the f slur like it's some cute nickname.

So, it's a lose-lose situation no matter the debate.

- Anonymous that is fed up

.

[daisyswift3]

The Story/Secret of Us

So I believe I may have just solved a major piece of the puzzle and finally figured out WHY the tortured poets have been sending us these anonymous messages to help us solve it. I think this entire rabbit hole is a gift to us true fans which is why we got all of those cryptic present 🎁 anon messages. Alllll of these songs are dedicated to us (except for So High School and I will explain why I think this in more detail later). THIS is The Story or Secret of Us. The "secret" is this rabbit hole of connections and this secret language or code of symbols and metaphors we've all learned how to speak (sunshine/daylight/gold/yellow = Karlie/being out of the closet/queer love/happiness, 3 = Speak Now, orange = karma, etc). The "us" is the tortured poets and us true fans who share this secret language.

Another important part of understanding this puzzle is that some of these songs are time sensitive 🕰️ and like a prophecy (The Prophecy) waiting to be fulfilled. So after a certain point, some songs can no longer be applied bc that "scene" in the movie has already passed (If This Was A Movie). They want us to essentially play our part in the story they've written. Right now we are playing the part of Paul Revere or Cassandra warning swifties of what's coming (likely on Sept 28). And we're also acting as Taylor's wings/angels catching her when she falls off her pedestal (see this post). They want us to think of these moments when we listen to these songs bc they want them to be personally relatable bc that's part of our gift. I think this is what Taylor meant when she said

"Let me tell you my secret little dream for this evening. These are songs that I have written about my life or things I've felt at one point in time, whether I was a teenager, in my 20s, or a couple yrs ago. But after tonight when you hear these songs out and about in the world, my dream is that you're gonna think about tonight and the memories we made here together" (x)

and what present anon meant when they said

"Reach those lanterns a little bit higher. For you shall receive a metaphor so dire" (x).

"Then the actors (us true fans and the tortured poets) were hitting their marks and the slow dance was alight with the sparks and the tears fell in synchronicity with the score" // "It's a normal thing to fall in love with movie stars when the lights are low and red at all their favorite bars. And the story you want is the story you get. Are you special or was this all scripted in his head?...Don't worry, I know I'll see you again. Uh-huh, you'll make me cry when it comes to an end. You were all that we hoped (The Prophecy), but I can't recommend getting close, I should've known, but I'll see you again" (x). The tortured poets have invited us to "dance" with them by being a part of this movie. If we accept this invitation, then we essentially become the muse of these songs.

I think Gracie playing In Between as a surprise song on 9/19 was an easter egg for Lizzy’s song Pushing It Down and Praying that was released 9/20. I think the mv for this song is the visual representation of the 🫚 message about the audience member (us true fans) becoming a part of the magic show and also the teenage love triangle in folklore. In this story, we are playing the character Wendy/Betty while the tortured poets play the character Peter/James. Swifties or the fans who don’t see this metaphorical story are Augusta/Augustine, the girl that James cheats on Betty with in august. So even though the teenage love triangle is technically fictional, there are seeds of truth in it. This is what Taylor was trying to explain during the eras tour betty speeches when she said she created these fictional characters and she was acting as the narrator of their story (x). Role Model, who stars in the Pushing It Down and Praying mv, is also the opening act for Gracie's TSOU tour which is another connection.

And to add even more evidence to this theory, the teenage love triangle also makes an appearance in Gracie’s discography. Gracie has a song called Augusta on TIWIFL which just so happens to be the name of one of the characters in the love triangle. It is also the name of a town in Maine which is where Gracie’s family is from. There are 3 songs in total on TIWIFL that are named after towns in Maine—Camden, Augusta, and Rockland. If you put the first letters of these songs together, they spell out “CAR.” “Standing in your CARdigan, kissing in my CAR again,” “And when I felt like I was an old CARdigan under someone’s bed, you put me on and said I was your favorite," 2:46 in betty ("She said 'James, get in, let's drive'") corresponding with 2:46 in august ("Remember when I pulled up and said get in the CAR").

august, betty, cardigan (the 3 sides or perspectives of the love triangle) are “ABC” bc the alphabet or capital letters are one of the major keys to solving this puzzle. As I mentioned in this post, I think Audrey has been helping to plant easter eggs. She posted Capital Letters by Hailee Steinfeld on her insta 3 times which is quite interesting and she also included this song in her Summa playlist.

What makes this even more suspicious is that she specifically chose timestamps in the songs (1:11 and 1:23) that have these lyrics ⬇️ and she posted the 1:11 timestamp TWICE which indicates that she really wanted to emphasize it. "God I'm jumping in the deep end, it's more fun to swim in. Heard the risk is drowning but I'm gonna take it."

Another thing that I think ties in with all of this is the Stephen Colbert interview. In this post below, I explain why I think the pizza on the mood board represents PR/bearding/showmanship/magic. I also explain how the letters that spell out Stephen's name are a huge clue and are related to the Peter Pan metaphor that is a through line in both Gracie's and Taylor's music. This is another example of "capital letters" or the alphabet being the key to solving the puzzle.

Going back to what I said in the first paragraph, this entire rabbit hole of cross-referenceable songs is dedicated to us except for the "pizza" So High School which is the one song she dedicated to 🏈 This is why Taylor's mood board had one slice of pizza while every other picture was of Stephen.

[ozaitheestallion]

You said you immediately saw Ozai as being played as a drag queen?? PLEASE elaborate I'm so interested in the way ur mind works 🙏

Okay so maybe I’m just incredibly fucked up and deep down the queer horror rabbit hole (I’ve been watching a lot of Dragula, American Horror Story and classic horrors lately), but the second you start looking at Ozai through a drag, camp, “classic Disney villain” lens, it’s hard to see him any other way.

Like I watched this show as a kid when I originally aired and like basically everyone, I was absolutely terrified and sickened by Ozai, the shitty dad and ultimate big bad villain who is also not even really the main villain, right? Like that’s Azula or Zhao or whoever. That’s how basically all of us original viewers saw him and how a lot of new viewers still do. Fair enough. Not inaccurate.

However, I didn’t do rewatches of the show again, not until the revival in interest over COVID. I hadn’t rewatched it even once since it originally aired and so therefore I expected my viewpoint to change…but nowhere near as drastically as my view of Ozai did.

I’m not saying Ozai is written to be viewed as a drag character, because of course he isn’t, but as I said, once you start looking at him through that specific lens, you won’t be able to see him any other way.

He’s kept in the shadows unless we need a dramatic scary reveal. He’s constantly making dramatic, prose-filled speeches for the benefit of…like…no one lmao like most his scenes are one on one confrontations. He has a very dramatic design, being a conventionally attractive man yet has that fuck ass goatee, the best eyeliner in the country and more detail put into his hair than any other character gets.

He does his whole reveal as the Phoenix King that goes off without a hitch, perfectly rehearsed. This was a surprise to no one but Azula. He got every damn person in the palace in on this stupid reveal. They already know he’s going to become a new ruler with a new title. They already know. This isn’t for their benefit. He did an entire reveal just for the benefit of his kid. If there’s one thing a queen loves, it’s a dramatic unnecessary reveal.

As he fights Aang, he just keeps making these speeches that a child will either not be interested in or too far away to even hear or appreciate, yet he keeps going anyway.

Right up until the end and then going into the comics, he’s dramatic, bitter and playing everyone against each other even though he has absolutely nothing to gain anymore. He puts Zuko and Azula against each other and antagonises Ursa even though it will gain him nothing and do nothing except kill time. Insults for the sake of insults and mess for the sake of mess. The fact insults of far greater power can be thrown back at him in his position is something he doesn’t even consider. Just messy for the sake of being messy and evil for the sake of being evil.

Ozai would fit nicely alongside classic queer-coded Disney villains like Ursula, Scar, Hades, Maleficent and Captain Hook.

He’s so dramatic and so over the top with his cruelty, his crimes and his villainous actions, yet is completely and utterly committed to the bit he’s doing. There’s no self aware clever jabs like Azula or obvious moment of “look at how ridiculous he is” like with Zhao. Ozai and his writing are completely committed to what he’s doing and burning down the entire world literally by hand, and at no point is it questioned. It’s like watching Divine in a John Waters film. This is simply what the character I doing and you’re the ridiculous one for questing them.

Ozai takes himself so seriously and so literally and is so very offended and genuinely surprised when he’s questioned and called out, (like why on earth would he think burning his son’s face is a valid teaching moment or burning the entire earth kingdom will in any way be a good start to his new empire), that it becomes camp.

This is…extremely long and meandering and tbh I don’t think there’s any way for me to really clearly define why I view Ozai as an example of a classic queer/drag coded villain. If you don’t agree and do take his portrayal as an abusive father and an imperialist tyrant seriously and that’s how you prefer to view the story, then by all means do that. I’m not trying to change your mind.

I’m just saying that sometimes our views of things can change dramatically as we ourselves change as people, and sometimes those changes are extremely entertaining, nonsensical and fun to explore.

Like the IT remakes, some unspeakable horrors can also be viewed and enjoyed as queer adjacent comedies if you look sideways and saying. And sometimes the unspeakable horrors are better that way.

[funandexploring]

The KOSA bill passed in the Senate, but it still has to pass in the House, and that means we can still make calls to our reps' D.C. offices about it!

They changed the KOSA bill so the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will be in charge of it rather than the State Attonery Generals. The Commission is made up of 5 people appointed by the President and then approved by the Senate where no more than 3 Commissioners can be from the same political party.

This will still work like a censorship bill. The FTC will still have the blanket power to request stuff be removed on the internet on the basis of "child safety" with no hard definition of what kinds of things they should be targeting. Meaning they could still remove protest info, queer rights, abortion, etc. claiming it harms children with no failsafe to stop them without these hard definitions in place. And websites not wanting to get hit could just remove anything controversial altogether like they have with "female presenting nipples" on tumblr and trans accounts pretty much everywhere. People's entire lives shouldn't be censored "for the children" and we should be able to share information with people without worrying about websites taking it down due to governmental pressure

I completely understand wanting to have better tagging systems online and better moderation for cyberbullying, but this bill will give the government the power to censor way more than suicide bait dms and until it's structured to protect marginalized communities and free speech, it's still a badly structured bill

Please call your House reps today and tell them to Vote No to KOSA as well!

[seeingteacupsindragons]

what are your thoughts on the bit in the scene on the roof in america where williams doing his dramatic speech thing and is like 'everything makes me feel so fond the world is so beautiful isnt it' or whatever. not the obvious what it means for his character growth, but it also reminded me a bit of how I heard that in japanese media 'the moons very beautiful isnt it' is like an indirect love confession? not that im saying williams saying he's romantically in love with sherlock there or anything, but it does read to me as reminiscent of that sort of indirect way of expression, like it seems he is sort of expressing feelings towards sherlock as well as all the other stuff he's saying, but then im not familiar with japanese culture or fiction conventions so im not sure if thats how its meant to be read, or if its actually really obvious or im completely making it all up, so id be interested to hear your thoughts

Ah, "The moon is beautiful," is actually a reference to Japanese classic lit.

Basically, back in the Meiji era, there was a poem from English with the words "I love you" in it being translated, but that didn't hit the same way in Japanese as it does in English. So they changed it to something entirely indirect that would nevertheless be understood by the audience as actually expressing affection and appreciation for a partner rather than the moon, as actually recognizing that the moon being so beautiful was because of the partner, probably--I don't know the exact connotations, but it's an example of localization in translation, and it's a reference to something well known enough that it's basically a Code.

The reason it works so well in JR is because they actually start talking about Japanese lit and Seigi is like, "I am majoring in Econ, I do not read that," and Richard then quotes it, and Seigi catches the reference and Richard, honestly, probably wants to die, because Seigi responds with a similar coded translation: "I'm yours" to "I could die."

So we know they're quoting something, and they use it exactly.

(As an aside, they're literally giving each other love confessions hidden in classic literature coding, and people want to tell me it's not queer. Please go jump in a lake.)

As far as I'm aware, William isn't quoting anything like that and thus isn't a code with other meanings. William is a character written by a Japanese author for a Japanese audience, so the narrative and his actions and thoughts are colored by Japanese culture. But mostly when he quotes stuff, it's British.

So I think he's really mostly just saying what he means for once: the world looks different now that someone has seen him and validated him and chosen and supported him and he finally feels like a part of the world.

William's confessions have always been quite straightforward, when it comes down to it. He lies and obfuscates and evades a lot, but when he says something to someone he cares about, he means it very earnestly.

[tinyowlthoughts]

Bury Your Gays by @drchucktingle

I laughed. I cried. I read it in one sitting and will read it again before the week is over.

Holy fuck.

The horror is exquisite. Not just that people are dying (both in-story but also fictionally through film) in fascinating and creative ways, as well as being stalked/threatened/jump scared/etc., but in the way that the horror characters are connected to the protagonists history. Habits, smells, sights - everything is part of the whole.

There are no throw-away details in this book - everything has meaning, everything connects in some way. This is the kind of tapestry woven that would take up an entire wall of a castle, the kind with so many small, intricate details that it would take you hours of examination to notice and appreciate all of them. The matchbooks, the phones, the crossword with pen - all of it has a meaning that reflects on the overall story. It's insane.

Misha is fantastic. He's smart and successful, but also a deeply flawed character in that he can't accept praise, not to mention being so deep in the closet for half the book he's having tea with Aslan and playing bridge with the Babadook on Thursdays. (But hey, double date potential for Misha & Zeke with Babadook & Pennywise!) His flaws aren't just 'he's in the closet', either. No, he's forgetful at times, not always great at communicating with his boyfriend (another great character), or with his employers. It's mentioned he has a snappy, harsh history with the paparazzi. Still, he's someone you want to root for throughout the book. He deserves to win, after you see his inner turmoil over everything going on.

Zeke, Tara, and Jack are all fantastic as characters as well. Zeke is adorkable, Tara is kick-ass, and Jack is - well, I spent most of the book HATING Jack, but he's a symptom of a larger problem, and well he is an asshole, he's not a complete one.

Also, FUCK YEAH ACE HERO! As an asexual, I'm used to not seeing myself in media. Having such a kickass aroace character was AMAZING, and she made me so happy. I've already started doodling some of her fantastic outfits.

The plot was fascinating. It started with this 'big corp v little guy over profits' idea, and it carries it through, but there is so much more to it than that. It touches on the effect of AI in Hollywood/creative endeavors, on how authors don't always own their characters in the same way after they've been franchised, on how important tech privacy is in a world where we just let cell phone towers do what they want. The horror characters are great - they're terrifying, lurking in the shadows, waiting to spring out at the most inopportune time - but they're a small part of the bigger threat - a symptom of the big bad evil guy. They're creative and fascinating and I really, really want to cuddle Black Lamb even if that is a supremely bad idea (as demonstrated by Josiah). Honestly, the Smoker stole the show for me. I loved when he showed up - an amazing character.

At one point in the story, Misha gives a speech. I'm going to be 100% clear here: I cried. I cried because I understood it. I cried because I grew up thinking I was broken, thinking there was something deeply wrong with me, that I was unworthy of love and acceptance, because I didn't feel romantic feelings towards boys. Because I didn't want to date or kiss or have sex. I didn't see characters like me on TV or in movies or in books. Just like Misha, I didn't see myself.

I am so fucking thankful that is changing. I'm so glad that media is going from 'queer coding' to overt 'be gay and slay'. I'm so happy to see the younger generations rising up and replacing the boomers with stories that preach tolerance and love and queer joy. I'm ecstatic that creators are changing entertainment media to include queer characters. I'm so hopeful that in the next few years, I'll be one of them.

Most of all I'm glad I read this book today. I'm glad I saw the post on Tumblr this morning and got it on my Kindle. I'm glad I got to experience the heart-pounding terror Misha went through because he wanted his two characters to kiss. I'm glad I've experienced a whirlwind of emotions in the past few hours as I dove into this experience headfirst.

I'm glad Chuck Tingle wrote this book.

And I'm ecstatic that he's proving Love is Real.

Thank you for another amazing novel, Mr. Tingle.

(And, should Mr. Tingle ever read this: what happened to the people injured on the plane? Did they recover in the end? Did poor seat mate ever finish his crossword?!?!)

[withasideofshakespeare]

You ever think about York's line in richard ii in the deposition scene "which tired majesty did make thee offer" and just cry a bit because yeah. That's basically it. I mean Richard is such a child despite all his posturing and assurance and ostentatious speech. Like as well as being obviously deeply fucked up by not really getting to have a childhood and the trauma of only really being allowed to be one thing from birth and also being so queer coded it's actually painful at times he's also just exhausted by the end of the play. He has this disillusionment arc I guess and in some scenes it's like he's actively deconstructing his entire belief system as everything else falls to pieces around him as well. It also kinda gives him a hopeless foreknowledge of the plot trajectory the more disillusioned he becomes like his gradual realisation exactly parallels his plot/genre awareness. Which is tragic. Maybe that makes no sense sorry but I really fuckin love that play.

YES YES YES!!!!! Richard is hard to feel bad for sometimes with all his pompousness and the fact that he brings so many of his problems upon himself, but Shakespeare’s genius swoops in again to remind us how young he is, how lost and overwhelmed and helpless. He reminds me a bit of Margaret in Richard III, haunted by the future, but he, unlike her, never seems to quite understand that amid his jumbles of eloquent but rambling dialogue, there is truth. He contradicts himself and loses his line of reasoning more often than not, but to a reader of the later histories, we can’t help but notice the on-point prophecies hidden among his ramblings. It’s really wonderfully done.

[greenreticule]

Often, whenever people say a story "is SO queer!" they specifically mean it's romantic. You've gotta check this out; these two characters smooch! The queerest thing!

And IF an aromantic character is present AT ALL in these stories that are hyped up as "omg SO queer!" they're often shoved in to hit a queer quota, a sort of dismissive "oh yeah them too I guess," without any actual interest in the aro character's queerness. Or really ANY interest in the aro character. At all.

So the fact I can point to The High Republic Adventures, say "it's SO queer!" and a major reason is an aromantic character?? His speech about his demiromanticism and his queerplatonic relationship isn't just a "oh yeah he's queer too" hand wave?? It's fundamental to the queerness of the entire comic?? It's the thesis statement for how the protagonist comes to embrace her identity?? It's the words a gay couple needs to understand how they feel about each other??

A comic run that has so much queer coding and overt queer representation, and the character that gets to embody the foundation of it is on the aromantic spectrum.

Y'all, I want to cry.

[nysocboy]

The Eyes of Tammy Faye: A Gay-Positive Light in the Homophobic 1980s

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021) takes us back to the golden age of televangelism, when the big names were world-famous celebrities with huge political and social influence.  They had dinner at the White House.  They were parodied on Saturday Night Live.  

1. Jerry Falwell (Vincent D'Onofrio) turned his Moral Majority into a seething- ground for anti-gay hatred.  He blamed them for everything.  An airplane crash in Peru -- must have been some gays on board.  Rise in teen pregnancy -- gay rights make our kids think they can do anything they want.  Your basement is flooded -- God is punishing you for not hating gays enough.  "A homosexual will kill you as soon as look at you."

2. Pat Robertson (Gabriel Olds) proclaimed that God was punishing all of the gays by giving them AIDS, but they wanted to infect as many straight people as possible, with the goal of destroying society before becoming extinct.   They had special rings that, when you shook their hand, would prick you with a little of their blood, so you would catch AIDS and die.  They would spit on your food or cough on you on purpose

3. Jimmy Swaggart (Jay Huguley) said that he would kill any gay man who looked at him romantically.  He saw his huge tv ministry decimated after two prostitution scandals, in spite of his famous "I have sinned" speech. 

4. Oral Roberts managed to build a whole homophobic university with sleazy fundraising techniques, like claiming that if viewers didn't send in $8,000,000, God would kill him.

5. Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker (Andrew Garfield,top photo and left, Jessica Chastain) ran the PTL (Praise the Lord) Club.  Jim always promoted homophobia and denied allegations of "homosexual activity," even after he was convicted of defrauding his viewers out of $150 million and sentenced to prison.  

Tammy Faye, however, believed in compassion.  In 1987, she interviewed Steve Pieters, a gay minister (who had AIDS), without ever saying "God's punishment." She asked stupid-sounding questions like "If you've never been with a woman, how do you know you don't like it?". but later explained that those were the questions her viewers had.  

She regularly attended pride events and was interviewed in gay magazines through her post-PTL years.  Her heavy make-up made her look like a drag queen, and she went with it, attending -- and judging "Tammy Faye Drag" contests.

Tammy Faye was not entirely gay-positive: she didn't support same-sex marriage, and continued to believe that same-sex acts were sinful.  But so was premarital and extramarital sex between straight people; why should gay people be subjected to discrimination and prejudice?  

Many evangelicals today still hate LGBT persons, but imagine what it was like in the 1980s and 1990s, when almost all of them did!  My sister didn't speak to me for five years after I came out (my brother was always fine with it).  In that morass of homophobia, Tammy Faye was a beacon of hope. 

There are nude frontal and rear photos in the NSFW version of this review, on Righteous Gemstones Beefcake and Boyfriends

[ohgaylor]

IT MUST BE EXHAUSTING (AN ANALYSIS)

Hi. Taylor’s the problem. And she knows it. (affectionate)

All right friends. It’s time to dive into an analysis again. I’ve been reflecting on a lot of Midnights and Taylor’s ever-present self-deprecation this era and in my regular fashion, I had to make an extremely long-winded analysis post about a certain motif of hers that I’ve noticed has only grown more apparent this time around. and essentially that is her self-awareness toward her ever-ambiguous signaling in regard to her identity, and where she is positioned in the complicated and delicate journey of coming out, as well as the plethora of emotions that surround that for both herself and her fans and those of us who pick up on the queer coded subtext of her music and art.

to kick off this analysis, may I remind you of this beauty of a quote from Taylor’s 2018 reputation tour pride speech that prefaced Delicate?

I want to send my love and respect to everybody who in their journey and in their life hasn't yet felt comfortable enough to come out ... and may you do that on your own time and may we end up with a world where everyone can live and love equally and no one has to be afraid to say how they feel. When it comes to feelings and when it comes to love and searching for someone to spend your whole life with, it’s all just really really delicate.

That is quite possibly my favorite thing she’s ever said. and what inspired this tag.

Now I need to clarify up front — I am never insinuating a need or even desire for Taylor to come out. Because that’s not our place to say. If you’ve been around my blog long enough, I would hope that nuance would be apparent. I simply point out regular motifs and patterns within her art and how it correlates with queer-coded themes of closets, of almost coming out, of outright queer coding, of rainbows, of keeping a love secret and safe, and on and on and on. The signs are there if you know what to look for (re: “I gave so many signs”) and that’s what I explore on my blog. The point is, I will never demand she come out. But I will stand with her in this complex journey she appears to be on. It’s entirely her journey and however she wishes to navigate that is hers to decide.

but that doesn’t detract from the reality that for those of us who see this beautiful queer subtext of her art and music and visuals and work and self, the ambiguity and constant back-and-forth when it comes to her identity (and the idea of coming out) can in fact be a lot to try and process and understand and ultimately to reconcile as we root for her. Trying to understand where she stands is much like chasing a moving target. (not that she owes any explanation to us, because again, she doesn’t.) her art and creativity are her place of expression and catharsis. however, watching her navigate these complexities and trying to root for her in this sometimes messy space is also, dare I say, exhausting.

hence, the title and general theme of this analysis.

so let’s begin.

First, we have this verse in Anti-Hero which is the perfect setup to illustrate this specific motif,

I should not be left to my own devices They come with prices and vices I end up in crises Tale as old as time

This is essentially the thesis of Taylor’s message, the feeling that her own judgement and actions might be the very cause for certain crises she finds herself in, however enticing those vices and choices may be. In choosing to straddle a glass-closeted lifestyle as an artist at her status and level of fame, all the while heavily queer-coding to her (receptive) audiences, only to be seen by most others as the hallmark of straight women as per her highly publicized bearding, juggling this all can be overwhelming. But it’s also a space that she has essentially curated and perpetuated herself.

An anti-hero is a central character in a narrative who conspicuously lacks heroic, moral qualities:

Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions that are morally correct, it is not always for the right reasons, often acting primarily out of self-interest or in ways that defy conventional ethical codes.

Identifying herself as the anti-hero in this sense comes as a candid confession, as though she is admitting that maybe she is driven by self-interest. (which again, she is entitled to as we all are in our own lives.) (re: the jokes weren’t funny, I took the money, my friends at home don’t know what to say) Alternatively, and perhaps additionally, acting out of self-interest in this context may mean concealment of parts of her identity for the sake of self-preservation. The nuances behind why she hasn’t chosen to come out are at play here and I doubt any of us can fully comprehend what that is exactly.

I never had the courage of my convictions, as long as danger is near

Pouring out my heart to a stranger but I didn’t pour the whiskey

Combat, I'm ready for combat. I say I don't want that, but what if I do? 'Cause cruelty wins in the movies. I've got a hundred thrown-out speeches I almost said to you … Dark side, I search for your dark side. But what if I'm alright, right, right, right here?

You can easily grasp the intense oscillation as she goes back and forth between these decisions while juggling a myriad of reasons and factors, all of which are incredibly weighted. She knows it’s exhausting for us because it’s that much more exhausting for herself.

So, she elects to pursue a route all too familiar to closeted individuals in the public eye, one of bearding and concealing their identity.

I had some tricks up my sleeve … Perched in the dark, telling all the rich folks anything they wanna hear, like it could be love, I could be the way forward, only if they pay for it … the skeletons in both our closets plotted hard to fuck this up

I took the money. My friends from home don't know what to say.

The cost at which this lifestyle comes is worthy of an analysis all on its own. But Taylor seems to be indicating that she has found safety and security in her self-made cages and closets of sorts.

I prefer hiding in plain sight

‘Cause shade never made anybody less gay

If the shoe fits, walk in it 'til your high heels break

My town was a wasteland, full of cages, full of fences*, pageant queens and big pretenders. But for some, it was paradise.

In the darkest little paradise

(also, note the *fences. I’ll come back to that later.)

She brings focus to the fact that her town was full of cages and fences, which initially may carry a negative connotation. But here’s where she turns it around and says that for some, it was place of paradise, that the self-made cages brought security and freedom. That the idea of “forever” is in fact the sweetest con. That the good life she was hustling for through the tricks she had up her sleeve is within grasp. That this could be the way forward. Tell me that doesn’t scream a queer-coded experience?

But knowing Taylor and the complicated nature of this deeply personal topic, there is also a level of remorse regarding the said-cages and choices that had put her in crisis.

I cut off my nose just to spite my face, then hate my reflection for years and years

I’ve got a hundred thrown out speeches I almost said to you

I’d pay if you’d just know me

Now, despite the way she has managed to remain glass-closeted, a large subset of her fans and the general public completely miss what she is signaling in regard to her queerness. (re: “I gave so many signs / you didn’t even see the signs”) but it appears she is feeling some remorse for the devices she’s used and the way she’s navigated things because she knows that she’ll be the one paying for it.

So again, Taylor fully acknowledges she’s the problem. She endlessly dances around the topic, sometimes to an extreme (re: “bent the truth too far tonight,” Bettygate and specifying a male perspective despite widespread interpretation of the alternative; similar thing with Lavendergate, etc etc) She writes from “male perspectives” so as to have a way to write female pronouns. She uses pseudonyms for similar motives. She equates herself with gay pride and places herself adjacent to the community repeatedly, and dances in Gaylor Park and rainbow kaleidoscopes. She dresses in rainbow attire and gives speeches emphasizing the delicacy of coming out and on and on, all while also remaining straight-passing. It’s complicated and messy and indeed exhausting.

sending signals to be double-crossed

I’ll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror. It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero

no doubt these devices and choices have come at a cost. first, the personal cost of remaining closeted (or in the very least, glass closeted) by her own making. The nature by which she has driven her career, of “taking the money” and pursuing a career (and by extension, following heteronormative cultural standards of remaining closeted), all point to the self-made cages she twists in.

recall the Delicate pride speech…

I want to send my love and respect to everybody who in their journey and in their life hasn't yet felt comfortable enough to come out ... and may you do that on your own time

That is a major theme for her. The idea that through a closeted state, certain freedoms can coexist.

We know Taylor has made a point to emphasize the comfort she has found in keeping elements of her life to herself post her apocalyptic summer. And the way she has largely receded her personal life from the public eye is telling. In an effort to protect the “real stuff”, she is withholding from others and has found safety in that.

Privacy sign on the door and on my page and on the whole world, romance is not dead if you keep it just yours.

She knows it’s not always a world that some would choose to be a part of. She describes it as a wasteland, likely desolate, harkening back to cowboy like me. A place where hustling for the good life, perching in the dark as con artists (or pageant queens and big pretenders) and telling all the rich folks anything they want to hear like “it could be love” is all too familiar.

It’s a painful dichotomy she fully explores in The Archer, recognizing that maybe it’s her lot in life to straddle these lines of staying where she is, perched in the dark, while wanting to step into the daylight and let it go.

and that’s where the second cost comes in — in how those of us who see her for what she is signaling herself to be, are ultimately left to ourselves to make sense of it.

It’s the same kind of essence of this fantastic analysis regarding coney island and her apology of not making us certain subsets of her fans and communities her centerfold.

Being left to her own devices, she has ultimately crafted a duplicitous persona, of which she has spoken about specifically when discussing mirrorball…

Everybody else feels like they have to be on for certain people. You have to be different versions of yourself for different people. Different versions at work, different versions around friends, different versions of yourself around different friends. Different version of yourself around family. Everybody has to be duplicitous, or feels that they have to in some ways, be duplicitous. And that’s part of the human experience, but it’s also exhausting. You kind of learn that every one of us has the ability to become a shape-shifter. But what does that do to us?

Is it self-preservation? Or self-made self-destruction? (re: “they told me all of my cages were mental” “what a shame she’s fucked in the head” “lost in the labyrinth of my mind”)

Among the various anxieties that plague her in regard to this subject, Taylor makes one fear very clear. And that is for some inevitable day where we will leave her after we’ve had enough of “her scheming”.

'Cause they see right through me, they see right through me, they see right through. Can you see right through me?

I wake up screaming from dreaming One day I'll watch as you're leaving 'Cause you got tired of my scheming For the last time

These desperate prayers of a cursed man spilling out to you for free, but darling, darling, please, you wouldn't take my word for it if you knew who was talking if you knew where I was walking

Will you forgive my soul when you're too wise to trust me and too old to care?

She will get as close as she can to the topic, (“Gay pride… everything that makes me me!” to name just one) only to pull back or leave it ambiguous and devoid of clarity…

I'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror

And I cut off my nose just to spite my face Then I hate my reflection for years and years

…only to feel guilt for skirting around the topic…

You said I was freeloading … I bent the truth too far tonight, I was dancing around, dancing around it … Your picket fence is sharp as knives, I was dancing around, dancing around it

This to me is the a significant price that comes from her being left to her own devices. Yes, there is freedom that comes from closeting/bearding. But glass closeting brings a more painful mess of emotions for both the closet-er and those seeing it for what it is. This is what she addresses in Anti-Hero with painful clarity.

And sometimes this can come at a painful cost. Take YNTCD for example. In this video, she positions herself within the queer community, dancing in Gaylor Park, and boldly declares herself an advocate for LGBTQIA rights.

But as we know, the video was met by many as out-of-touch (re: “freeloading”), performative and whatever else critics were spewing.

motion capture put me in a bad light. I replay my footsteps on each stepping stone, trying to find the one where I went wrong. writing letters addressed to the fire

Now for a detour.

I want to talk about the purple / blue / lavender glitter for a minute. Here, in the Directors on Directors interview, Taylor describes the glitter as being a metaphor for herself...

It’s supposed to be a metaphor for like, I bleed glitter, I’m not normal, there’s something wrong with me, I’m not a person, I don’t belong, I don’t fit in anywhere.

Recall how I said chasing a moving target?

Let’s talk about the significance of this scene and a handful of others in terms of the lavender glitter.

[For some queer context regarding glitter]

I’d first like to point out Hayley Kiyoko’s purple glitter jacket above, from the YNTCD video. This is Hayley Kiyoko we’re talking about. The proclaimed Lesbian Jesus. And in this moment, while she is wearing the purple glitter jacket, she is aiming an arrow at a target, signifying The Archer. This moment is key.

And then you have the Miss Americana documentary, wherein Taylor explicitly equates herself with gay pride, while talking about the Me! music video.

It’s a line of dialogue that screams at me with such intensity. Irrefutable. As a film editor, I know that every line in a film is deliberately placed and thought out and meticulously addressed. And therefore we can trust that Taylor intended for this line to make it into the film. I can tell that surrounding dialogue is seemingly trimmed and crafted in a delicate way. And part of that is the very direct statement that “Gay pride…everything that makes me, me!”

And it’s within this music video that we again witness a massive “ME!” literally jumping out at us on screen, in none other than purple glitter.

A handful of others could sense that the conclusion of Miss Americana felt as thought it was headed in a different direction than the one it ultimately took. And that for whatever reason, Taylor’s political advocacy took center stage while a deeper analysis regarding her LGBTQIA advocacy did not.

Cut back to the Anti-Hero music video where we get The Archer aiming right for Taylor, and striking her, causing her to bleed, yet again, purple glitter.

Pierced through the heart but never killed… did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism, like some kind of congressman

My covert (secret) narcissism (ME!) I disguise as altruism like some kind of congressman (the political turn and advocacy present in Miss Americana)

In other words, covering up who she is (“gay pride… everything that makes me me!”) under the guise of a film almost exclusively focused on her journey of discovering her political (“Vote for me for everything” pin) activist voice. And what scene depicts this with near precision???

this one.

motion capture put me in a bad light. I replay my footsteps on each stepping stone, trying to find the one where I went wrong. writing letters addressed to the fire

'cause cruelty wins in the movies, I've got a hundred thrown-out speeches I almost said to you

The subsequent look on her face of absentminded agony says it all. She knows the confusion that comes from rooting for her as (especially if she is seen as an ally who maybe crosses one too many lines if presumably as straight.)

The inner-turmoil on display for us in The Archer has transformed into a tone all too exhausted in its own right within Anti-Hero. She knows we’re tired. She’s tired too. In a self-deprecating jab, she admits that she is the problem and she knows that everybody ultimately agrees with her on this. Shielded within a pop anthem, her vulnerability is on display. And so, in Dear Reader, with equal parts desperation as well as wit, she concludes…

You should find another guiding light, guiding light. But I shine so bright.

And so it is ultimately within this utterly messy, exhausting, complicated, ever-changing and nuanced journey that Taylor reaches out to those of us who do in fact see through her and who ultimately simply see her, that she asks us in all sincerity…

Who could stay? Who could stay? Who could stay? You could stay.

And I, for one, will stay.

[enjoy my other analyses here]

[batfamfucker]

Spiderverse Spoilers Ahead - Trans Stuff.

The amount of people saying that believing Gwen is Trans is 'reaching'- As if her and her dad don't both have Trans flags, her colours aren't literally that of the Trans flag, and that every Spiderman reveal speech feels like a goddamn coming out coded scene- Is insane.

As if the Spiderverse creative team didn't plan and animate everything to the last detail.

I've seen people saying her owning the flag could just be an ally thing. Which is true, but how many people own pride flags for allyship compared to just. Being actually queer? I swear the transphobes are delusional.

Like. They way they (The animators) plan colours and set designs and costumes and colour coding is so detailed. You want me to believe they had Miles wear a BLM pin because it was relevant to him personally, but then not believe that Gwen's dad wore a trans pin and she had a 'Protect Trans Kids' (People keep saying it could be the dad but keyword: Kids) flag in her room because they were personal to her, too?

The same team that hinted 42 Miles as the Prowler by having our Miles put on a green and purple hoodie? So we know they code with colour. But saying Gwen could be Trans because her designated colours being symbolic of the Trans flag is a reach? As if the Spiderverse team wouldn't know that (After they added the flags none the less), and don't foreshadow/hint at things with colours throughout this franchise? You genuinely think it's a 'reach' that the same people that took THREE YEARS to figure out how to animate Hobie alone, wouldn't realise how using those colours would be interpreted (Especially next to the other subtext and design clues)? That they what? Didn't do research? As if they haven't been excellently representing communities this entire time and clearly putting all their love into clearly researching and showcasing the beauty of diversity? Be so for real.

I've seen people complaining that 'we do this with every movie'. Name one Trans animated movie character. Or one Trans movie character at all (That doesn't die, or go through something horrific for no needed reason, or isn't built from harmful stereotypes, etc).

The levels people will go to to deny queer existence and queer characters is ridiculous. You don't have to like it. I don’t care. She's not Trans for you, she's Trans for the Trans people watching this movie. The same way that Miles is Black, or that Pavitr is Indian. Anyone can be Spider-Man, that's the entire point. It's not 'forced diversity', it's just diversity. Trans people exist, the same way that straight/cis people do. You'll hype up Miles as a step in a progressive direction, then shit on Trans people for clinging to Gwen for the same resonation?

If you want a cishet white Spider-Man, go watch all the other medias that exist. We're allowed this one. The creators made their message very clear, Spiderverse is for everyone. Spider-Man can be anyone.

[rebelr3bel]

the joker and queer coding

and why i consider him to be a queer symbol

* may contain spoilers in regards to the topic listed *

while joker is typically looked at as just a villainous, psychopathic murderer (with the exception of lego batman), when broken down there is much more to be found within his character. there are many reasons as to why i believe joker is queer coded. i mean, he is a representation of chaos and rage; queer rage. he goes against what is considered “normal” in society such as refusing to conform to social norms. an example of this is disregarding how society thinks men “should” act through the way he dresses, the makeup he applies (in most storylines) and how he act’s, showing a more flamboyant demeanor. of course there’s his obvious obsession with batman which i will break down more later on. it’s also important to note that in several of jokers backstories, he is usually seen as an oppressed member of society dealing with things like poverty or mental illness- both of which are unfortunately similar to what LGBTQ+ members often tend to face. joker doesn’t hide his illnesses, or who he really is, instead he’s proud of it. seeing the joker deal with being rejected from society but still remaining his silly little self is something i find to be common and relatable amongst queer people and is why i believe many are drawn to his character… because perhaps they see themselves in him a little bit.

→ the dark knight

the dark knight has one of my favourite portrayals of joker for so many reasons. one of which is the way he adapts to certain situations. not only because he changes the story behind his mouth scars to how he sees fit but also how he tends to change his appearance and actions according to the situation he’s in and who his audience is. i find this similar to how queer people may have to change identities depending on the situation in order to protect themselves and is something i can personally relate to as a queer person myself.

i would also like to note this quote from the film during the interrogation scene with batman and joker…“kill you? i don’t want to kill you! what would i do without you? go back to ripping off mob dealers? no, no, no you… you complete me.” this quote is a clear reference to the romance movie jerry maguire which i think says enough in regards to the jokers feelings towards batman in this film. that same quote is also mentioned in my next topic…

→ the lego batman movie

the entire plot to the lego batman movie is, in short, about how batman needs to open himself up to others and allow more people into his life. this is shown primarily between batman and jokers relationship which is also very queer coded in this film. so much so actually that critics flagged the film as pro-gay propaganda and were angry at the “borderline homoerotic” relationship between the two characters. the lego batman movie is FILLED with romantic undertones. as i mentioned before, the lego batman movie features a romance movie called jerry maguire and this plays an important role in the film. for starters, its the movie batman watches and laughs to and it is referenced in the film. for example, a featured quote from jerry maguire is as follows “Shut up, you had me at hello.” this quote is reiterated by joker near the end of the film when batman makes a whole speech about why the joker should help him save gotham to which he responds “you had me at shut up.”

near the beginning of the movie during joker and batman’s first fight, joker talks about being batman’s greatest enemy which is a reoccurring theme throughout. batman denies such explaining that he is “currently fighting a few different people” (meaning seeing or dating) and proceeds to say “batman doesn’t do ships, as in relationships. there is no us. batman and joker are not a thing. i don’t need you. i don’t need anyone. you mean nothing to me”, hurting the jokers feelings (as clearly shown in his face in the first photo below).

the words “i hate you” are used many times throughout and have romantic connotations to them, i hate you actually means i love you. during the middle of the movie, joker confronts batman again with “do you realize you’ve never said the words… i hate you joker” before confessing himself that he hates batman and when batman shrugs him off, he reveals he is no longer going to be part of a one sided relationship and is moving on. once again these words are used in a romantic sort-of matter in one of the final scenes that is meant to be the solution to all conflict where batman finally admits he hates joker back.

→ batman: the killing joke + batman: white knight

jokers backstory has always been quite a mystery having so many theories as to what it could be but alan moore’s the killing joke is considered to be one of the most clear-cut joker origin stories out there and is my personal favourite. it contains a different outlook on his character before he became the joker, viewing him as a regular guy subjected to poverty, leading him to get wrapped up with the wrong people and suffering through pain after the new loss of his pregnant wife. this comic heavily references the oppression i spoke of earlier which is why i had to include it because even though it is just one of jokers backstories, its an important one to consider when you’re really looking into his character.

remember the batman obsession i spoke about earlier ? the batman white knight comic is a prime example on just how extreme it is. not even 10 pages in, joker talks about how him and batman are “gotham’s favourite power couple” and references make-up sex. his whole life was based around batman to an obsessive extent before becoming jack napier and working alongside him much to batmans dismay. of course we can’t forget these panels either…

from the comics, to the games, to the movies, evidence of joker being a queer coded character is everywhere to be found. if i sat here writing about every single queer thing he has ever done or been involved in, id probably age a few years. in my opinion, he is a truly fascinating character and as odd as it might seem to an outside perspective, i seek comfort in him.

hopefully ive peeked some of your interests relating to the joker and queercoding, feel free to leave me your thoughts or shoot me a message. id love to hear your opinions. perhaps if people actually enjoy this ill make a second part with more topics.

* chase j has an awesome youtube video about the joker being queer as well and thats one of the things that inspired me to write this *