"Why are horror and fantasy so queer-coded?": LGBTQ celebs discuss the appeal of magic and monsters

Whether you’re talking about the animated classics of the “Disney Renaissance” or the slasher horror flicks of the ’80s, the most enchanting characters are always the villains. That’s especially true for queer audiences, who have long found themselves not in the protagonists, but in the perceived outsiders, the eccentrics, and the supporting players. The cultural significance of queer-coded characters like Ursula and Freddy Krueger has been hotly debated for decades. But just because they’re the “bad guys,” does that mean we can’t find qualities within them worth celebrating? In this episode of Why We Love: Pride Edition, The A.V. Club invited LGBTQ celebrities and experts to share their obsessions with the fantastical, the monstrous, and everything in between. From Pinocchio to Pinhead, these are the pop culture figures that made queer audiences feel seen through the power of magic and metaphor.