include or contain the LGBTQ+ The characters have become more prevalent in the media over time, and while some see this as a sprint to merge, others see it as making up for lost time in Will Hayes’ Hollywood production canon. This code would last for more than 30 years, and while some of the rules it placed on cinema can be debated as appropriate, restrictions were placed on any form of same-sex relations and labels of gender non-conforming behavior.
While filmmakers have been able to sneak some LGBTQ+ characters into their films, it’s usually at the cost of quickly demonizing or killing off the characters. This would be particularly true of horror movies. For this list, we’ll focus on more recent characters who stand as icons for modern-day audiences and help show how much the representation of LGBTQ+ characters has changed in the horror genre.
7 Mitch – Paranorman (2012)
paranorman (2012) follows the story of Norman, a young handsome man who is ostracized from town because of his behavior. During the following adventures, the audience is introduced to Mitch, a young man who is attracted to Norman’s older sister, Courtney. The viewer can watch as Courtney’s charisma grows, seeing Mitch as a typical jock, training and infatuated with his car.
By the end of the movie, Courtney asks Mitch to watch a movie, where Mitch reveals that Courtney will love his friend. This small reveal would show that the filmmakers weren’t interested in portraying a gay male character with the stereotypes that were often used in previous films. Fans of the movie often praise the team for making Mitch’s sexuality just a tiny bit of a story and not using it as a plot hook or reason to dislike Mitch. Mitch was allowed to develop as a character who just happens to be gay.
6 Mindy Mix Martin – Scream (2022) and Scream VI (2023)
It is presented in Scream (2022), Randy Mix’s niece, Mindy Mix Martin, proves to be just as much of a horror freak as her uncle. Mindy’s time in the franchise will mostly be spent breaking new rules for the characters to survive. However, Mindy will also be willing to ignore the danger around her if it means getting high and enjoying the company of another lady.
Many Scream fans were happy to see Mindy as she is an older character (and bears more similarities to her uncle than to her twin brother, Chad) and was the first openly gay character to debut in the film franchise. Her relationship with Anika will make Anika’s death in Sixth scream (2023) is emotional, as Mindy begs Anika to cross the stairs before being forced to watch as Ghostface causes Anika’s fatal fall.
5 Thelma – Thelma (2017)
Thelma (2017) follows a young girl who is raised by a Christian family and, upon discovering she has extremely powerful manifesting abilities, learns that she has a romantic attraction to another young woman in Anja. Feeling guilty over her same-sex attraction, Thelma accidentally wipes Anja out of existence.
After telling Thelma of her family about her powers and how they led to the death of her little brother and, indirectly, the disability of her mother, Thelma will soon learn that her powers can give life as well as take it. As Thelma learns to accept herself, she begins to gain control of her powers, giving her mother the ability to walk and restore Anja. This movie was seen by many as a powerful statement about the potential for young people to be oppressed because they have been raised to feel ashamed of themselves. Thelma is a strong character because of her journey of self-acceptance and love.
4 Glen/Glinda – Seed of Chucky (2004)
Chucky and his bride, Tiffany, are going to have a baby, and when that baby resurrects their evil spirits, there’s a question about the gender of their baby. Their child will say that they sometimes felt like a boy and sometimes a girl, much to Chucky’s disgust at first. It is later revealed that this was due to Glenn’s twin sister Glenda living in the same body as Glenn, only taking charge in times of stress.
After the two are able to separate and live in their bodies, it will be revealed that both twins identified as gender fluid and have remained close to each other, sharing a boyfriend in a polyamorous relationship. While Chucky is a crude and ignorant man’s dummy, he comes to love his children, even telling Jake (a gay human teen) that Chucky will not judge Jake for being gay as his children have taught him that while he might be. Killer, it doesn’t have to be a fanatical monster.
3 Jennifer Chick – Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Members of the LGBTQ community have praised Megan Fox’s performance as Jennifer Chick as being vigilant about their sexuality. Jennifer Chick is a high school girl who is sacrificed, only for her sex positivity to make her become a demon instead. Using this empowerment, Jennifer would prey on anyone she could seduce, and nearly feed her best friend and love interest, Anita “Needy” Lesnicki, before deciding she cared for her too much to kill her.
The film also carried themes of revenge, with Jennifer wishing to kill the band that changed her. Although Jennifer would kill Neddy’s boyfriend (whether out of jealousy or hunger), she still hesitated to kill her best friend, giving Neddy the chance she needed to stop Jennifer for good. Though Jennifer’s bite on her friend would also leave her with powers, Needy decided to continue her friend and her potential crush’s mission to kill the band that ruined their lives.
2 Dina – Fear Street Trilogy (2021)
the Fear Street The franchise would become one of Netflix’s most popular original films, with all three films releasing within a month of each other, giving audiences plenty of reason to plunge into the terrifying, decades-spanning tale. At the center of this tale is Dina, a young girl who becomes the target of bullying after her friend switches schools.
Dina and her friends are at war with undead horrors and terrifying killers, as the curse of these creatures is sent their way. After outwitting the killers by killing and reviving Sam (Dina’s friend), the group descends a rabbit hole of terror, finding Sam possessed to become the next killer. This curse dates back to 1666 when a gay couple were named witches and destined to die, only for Sarah Feyer to take the blame entirely on herself to save her love. The whole story is one of horrors that haunt those deemed different, so the family will be well-placed for the sacrifices that make it an interesting tale, and Dina’s confidence in being in spite of what others say makes her one of the last most admired girls in modern horror today.
1 Frank N Furter – The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
One of the most praised films about the LGBTQ+ and sex-positive communities is Rocky Horror Pictures Show (1975). While many of the characters were considered taboo by ’70s standards, this movie took huge chances by putting their own personalities on top, none more daring than Dr. Frank N. Furter’s character.
The transgender doctor from Transylvania will create the perfect man for sexual pleasure, keeps Brad and Janet in separate rooms, so that they can be seduced more easily, and suggests that they have sexual relations with Magenta, Riff-Raff, Columbia, and Eddie. Frank N. Furter may have had malicious intent at times, but they themselves were unapologetically vocal about their sexuality and what they value most in an attractive person.
