Chappell Roan‘s passenger seat. The tennis ball from Challengers. Or even, the Propeller Hat and Lollipop Dog.
Gay Halloween is the act of dressing as a ridiculously niche queer pop culture reference that only the chronically online would understand. As early as 2023, the online phenomenon has produced viral posts bursting with creativity and absurdity, all attached with a simple slogan.
“I hate gay Halloween, what do you mean you’re…”
What makes these Gay Halloween costumes special is that they’re unapologetically queer, hilariously campy, and very crafty. For anyone excited about the Glee revival, this year’s Gay Halloween guide is for you.
Celebs
A crucial aspect of Gay Halloween’s criteria is the celebrity costume. This is not to be confused with simply dressing up as any celebrity. The fine print states that the costume celebrates a celebrity’s viral moment that broke the internet.
Nicole Kidman‘s AMC Theatres ad and Zendaya‘s hat come to mind. But after being in circulation for a few years, these costumes risk being mainstream and unoriginal — the antithesis of Gay Halloween.
On the other hand, comedian Meg Stalter‘s golden human Emmy and convicted con artist Elizabeth Holmes‘ deceitful blue eyes are trending yet remain niche. From her run in Oh, Mary! to her Diet Coke dress, Stalter is the moment. In a way, Holmes is too. Nathan Fielder’s new documentary You Can See Everything has achieved universal acclaim, and Holmes’ performance has already been memified.
Memes
Gay Halloween’s hyper-specific cultural references often materialize as memes that circulate on queer sides of the internet, such as Stan Twitter (X). Since only the chronically online understand what you’re referencing, these costumes expose your screen time and your heart.
Think of Cosmo Lombino‘s Soft White Underbelly interview, the butch who runs McDonald’s like the Navy, or even the gay little monkey in an Apple store. For people consumed by gay digital culture, these quintessential memes make great costumes.
While hundreds of Nikkis from Obsession roam Princess Street, there will be one Mary Poppins diva convincing everyone they’re dressed as Coco Marshall’s viral cover of “Feed The Birds” instead of Julie Andrews (though she would be on theme as she’s also a gay icon).
Characters
It goes without saying that all Gay Halloween costume categories give people the chance to dress as their favourite characters — so long as that character has a trending audio on TikTok.
After all, a Gay Halloween costume’s best accessory is a social media post.
With Ryan Murphy rebooting Glee, Sue Sylvester is the perfect choice. Unlike other Gay Halloween costumes, people should know who you are in that red Adidas tracksuit. Plus, her lip-sync potential is endless.
Couple’s Costumes
Since Gay Halloween can get way too specific, some costumes require multiple people to pull it off, or else everyone at the party will embarrassingly ask who you’re supposed to be.
Remember the Challengers tennis ball costume? It needed Tashi, Art, and Patrick. Without their love triangle, it was just a boring old tennis ball. With a little coordination, any group costume is possible.
Obviously, Heated Rivalry‘s iconic enemies-to-lovers Ilya Rozonov and Shane Hollander will be the couple’s costume of the year. Guaranteed a trio will hold space for the Last Ditch lesbian bar fiasco to wear a clown school uniform. However, since the final season of Yellowjackets is just around the corner, Jackie Taylor and Shauna Shipman are the doomed yuri Gay Halloween needs.
***
Although Gay Halloween is often reduced to a funny online trend, it should be recognized as a collective cultural moment that celebrates the queerness of Halloween.
As an eccentric night of freedom to express whoever you want to be, Halloween is the ultimate queer holiday. Some trick-or-treat, others party, but a new tradition is checking Halloweekend social media posts to catch everyone’s unique costumes — a special treat that Halloween Stage Rage cannot offer.
Tags
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s) in Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to eic@queensjournal.ca.