What is Queer Coding? History, Impact & More Explained

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Plus, queer coded character examples in pop culture
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Queer representation in the media has a complex history, and only recently has overt queer representation become accepted. Before it was accepted, queer characters appeared in books, movies, and TV shows through queer coding. Queer coding is when a character is subtly portrayed as queer without ever explicitly stating it. In this article, we dive into what queer coding is , but we also talk about the history behind it , its impact on the queer community , and more.

What does queer coding mean?

Queer coding is when a fictional character has stereotypically queer traits, behaviors, and mannerisms, but is never explicitly confirmed to be queer. Historically, queer coded characters have provided empowering representation for the queer community, but in some cases they've also reinforced harmful stereotypes.

Section 1 of 5:

What is queer coding?

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  1. Queer coding is common in pop culture and media, and it’s used to subtly allude to a fictional character being queer without ever confirming it. Queer coded characters often have subtle but stereotypical queer traits, behaviors, and mannerisms, like flamboyance, heightened empathy, or a feminized tone. They may wear flashy clothing from the opposite gender or have subtle “will they, won’t they” romantic chemistry with another character of the same sex. [1]
    • Popular examples of queer-coded characters include Team Rocket’s James from Pokémon , Scar from The Lion King , and HIM from Powerpuff Girls.
    • Queer coding can be used both positively and negatively. Positively, queer coding can provide affirming, empowering representation. Negatively, it can reinforce stereotypes.
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Section 2 of 5:

History of Queer Coding

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  1. Queer coding became prominent after the Hays Code in 1930. The Hays Code (formally known as The Motion Picture Production Code) was a set of motion picture industry guidelines that prohibited certain types of content from being shown in films, including the portrayal of homosexuality. But, characters were still allowed to be portrayed in androgynous ways that didn’t overtly spell out their queerness, but rather alluded to it. [2]
    • This resulted in an influx of queer coded characters following the law. For example, Alfred Hitchcock famously portrayed queer-coded characters in at least 10 of his films, including Mrs. Danvers from Rebecca (1940) and Brandon and Philip from Rope (1948).
    • Oftentimes, villain characters were queer coded, which may have created some negative perceptions about the queer community.
    • The Hays Code was repealed in 1968 following the Civil Rights Movement. It was replaced with the current MPAA rating system we know today.
Section 3 of 5:

Positive & Negative Impacts of Queer Coding

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  1. Plenty of villains in popular culture were queer coded by non-queer people, inadvertently amplifying queer stereotypes. Queer coding was also seen as morally depraved under the Hays Code, and with most queer coded characters being villains, this implied that they were morally depraved, as well, further contributing to stereotypes about queer people. [3]
  2. 2
    Others believe that the subtle queer representation was a good thing. With the restrictions of the Hays Code, queer representation was effectively stifled in the motion picture industry. But, while some believe it ramped up harmful stereotypes, others believe queer coding made way for subtle representation since it was the only type of representation available, giving queer folks characters they could identify with, even if they weren’t explicitly labeled as queer or LGBTQ+.
    • There is a lot of queer coding that’s based on stereotypes, but there’s also queer coding that’s done tastefully and uses genuine, authentic queer experiences to create a relatable character that queer people admire.
    • Today, most folks prefer overt queer representation since they don’t have to wonder whether or not the characters are actually queer.
    • The author has to be intentional in portraying queer experiences for it to be representation.
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Section 4 of 5:

Queer Coding Examples

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  1. 1
    Examples from the early 20th century include Captain Hook and Maleficent. Queer coding’s extensive history has made way for plenty of (potentially) queer characters. While many of those characters were written as villains, queer people have reclaimed them for the representation they bring to the table. Some of these queer coded characters include: [4]
    • The Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz (1939)
    • Captain Hook from Peter Pan (1953)
    • Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty (1959)
    • The Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland (1951)
    • Shere Khan from The Jungle Book (1967)
    • Kaa from The Jungle Book (1967)
  2. 2
    Disney was behind many of the examples from the late 20th century. Even after the Hays Code was officially suspended in 1968, overt queer representation was still rare and not publicly embraced for a few decades. Some queer coding was unintentional, but it's speculated that a lot of it was done purposely by queer writers and creators. Intentional or not, queer folks identified with these characters and claimed them, including:
    • Darlene Conner from Roseanne (1988)
    • Ursula from The Little Mermaid ( 1989), who was inspired by the drag queen Divine.
    • Jafar from Aladdin (1992)
    • Scar from The Lion King (1994)
    • Billy Loomis and Stu Macher from Scream (1996)
    • Hades from Hercules (1997)
    • Ruby Rhod from The Fifth Element (1997)
    • Li Shang from Mulan (1998)
    • HIM from Powerpuff Girls (1998)
    • Larry 3000 from Time Squad (1997-2005)
    • Governor Ratcliffe from Pocahontas (1995)
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Section 5 of 5:

Other Queer-Related Terms

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  1. Queerbaiting is the implication of non-heterosexual relationships without delivering to gain an LGBTQ+ audience, hence the term “queerbaiting.” It’s a practice that’s often employed in pop culture. The practice of queerbaiting is often looked down upon, as it’s used to build an LGBTQ+ audience without actively depicting LGBTQ relationships and interactions. [5]
  2. 2
    Queer catching Similar to queer coding, queer catching is when characters are written with queer qualities but aren’t explicitly labeled as queer, at least within the work they appear in. With queer catching, the author, writer, character actor, or another person closely linked to the character is the one to confirm their queerness, typically in an interview or media appearance after the media has been released. [6]
  3. 3
    Pinkwashing Pinkwashing is a marketing tactic employed by businesses and corporations that involves promoting products, people, or places with queer branding to appeal to queer audiences. Pink washing is typically done to seem more progressive and tolerant without having much of anything to do with queer equality and inclusion outside of marketing. [7]
  4. Tokenism is when there’s a single queer/minority character included in a piece of media to show that the group itself is diverse. It is often seen as a lazy way to seem diverse without actually representing the experiences of queers and other minority groups, as the character often speaks for the group(s) they are a part of. [8]
    • The term applies to all minorities, queers included.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.michigandaily.com/arts/b-side/reclaiming-queer-coded-disney-villains/
      2. ↑ https://www.npr.org/2008/08/08/93301189/remembering-hollywoods-hays-code-40-years-on
      3. ↑ https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1055&context=english_sum
      4. ↑ https://www.wmagazine.com/culture/queer-cinema-archive-interview-coded-movie-film
      5. ↑ https://www.them.us/story/what-is-queerbaiting
      6. ↑ https://gayinthecle.com/2022/08/19/queer-catching/
      7. ↑ https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/queercultures101/2023/10/21/pinkwashing/
      8. ↑ https://www.health.com/mind-body/health-diversity-inclusion/tokenism

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