When it comes to Halloween costumes, no one does it quite like the queer community. Niche interests make their way into costumes like TikToker jaycote’s alter egos Derek Mystery, Sister Enigma and Dominic Concoction. The namesakes of internet personality Trisha Paytas’ children – Malibu Barbie, Elvis and Aquaman – hit the scene along with a duo costume of hit pop singer Chappell Roan and a passenger’s seat, referencing the lyrics to her song “Casual.” My friends and I will be going as the UConn bus lines (I’m Red/Silver Combined, if you were wondering). Whatever they may be, the queer community goes all out for Halloween, so much so that some refer to the holiday as “gay Christmas.” But why is this holiday so important to an entire community?
The correlation of the gay community and Halloween stems from the LGBTQ+ history of oppression. Throughout history, queer people have faced countless legal oppressions making homosexual activities punishable by death, especially in historically Christian nations. In America, sodomy acts punishing gay sex were put in place during colonial times as early as 1636. Upon the passage of the Constitution, issues of sodomy were given to the states where many removed the death penalty but didn’t decriminalize homosexuality. The 1950s saw a surge in same-sex criminalization akin to a witch hunt. It wasn’t until 2003 when the Supreme Court case Lawrence v. Texas ruled that the state’s law prohibiting same-sex sexual acts was unconstitutional, effectively invalidating all other sodomy laws. A landmark case later came in 2015 where Obergefell v. Hodges legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
This fight to legalization was marred with battles such as the 1969 Stonewall Riots, where LGBTQ+ members stood against a police raid on gay bars in Greenwich Village, N.Y. Even to this day, the queer community is not safe. A health study conducted in 2017 found that discrimination of LGBTQ+ individuals is high in the health care industry, with 57% of participants reporting experiencing slurs, while 53% said they experienced microaggressions. On top of this, the Supreme Court is set to decide if it will hear a case that could potentially overrule Obergefell v. Hodges, further oppressing the community that was slowly gaining more freedom. Overall, life has not been easy for the queer community and the fight for equality is never ending.
To escape the effects of persecution, the queer community reached out to the arts. There is a known connection between mental health and art, with the American Psychological Association reporting reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, greater healing from trauma, and other benefits when people participate in artistic activities. As a community dealing with the effects of maltreatment for centuries, artistic expression has become an integral part of queer life. The overlap between the artistic and queer community is greater than in any other field for a reason. When sexual acts and outright homosexuality was illegal or socially unacceptable, gay people found other outlets of self-expression that society deemed acceptable, one of which being fashion. Gay men having a good fashion sense is a stereotype stemming from fashion being one of the few ways to express their personality without being outcasted. An opportunity to dress extravagantly, whatever it may be, has great appeal to most queer people.
In comes Halloween, a holiday centered around fashion and extravagance. Whoever wears the best costume is often rewarded through the presence of countless costume contests or simple compliments on the street. For this one season of the year, extravagance is rewarded and doesn’t necessarily indicate a certain sexual preference. Halloween also provides an outlet for gender fluidity, where people can break gendered fashion stereotypes and even be rewarded for it, something transgender or nonbinary individuals revel in. Beginning in the 1960s, queer-centered Halloween parades began popping up in major cities with the first instance occurring in Philadelphia. San Fransico’s Halloween celebrations shifted in the 1980s to the Castro District, a historically gay neighborhood.
Halloween is also believed to have roots in the Celtic tradition of Samhain in which the spirits of the dead roamed the Earth, causing humans to don disguises to not be recognized by spirits. As a community discriminated against by Christianity in particular, Halloween is one of the few mass holidays not directly linked to the religion of their oppressors.
In a world where you can’t always be yourself, when opportunities to express yourself arise, you take them by the horns and go all out. Halloween provides an escape from societal oppressions and lets queer people take off their mask while the rest of the world puts theirs on, creating an even playing field. So when you go out this Halloweekend and spy a boisterous group of queer partiers, let them have their fun. This is their season.