How the horror community is celebrating Pride Month
Think horror movies don’t have much in common with the LGBTQ community? Think again. From James Whale (Bride of Frankenstein), through Clive Barker (Hellraiser, Nightbreed), to Chucky franchise creator Don Mancini, some of the most important horror filmmakers in history have been gay and have used their art to reflect and express their personal fears and dreams.
This Pride Month, that connection seems to be getting celebrated like never before. Last week, EW reported that Shout! Factory is partnering with IFC Midnight to release a “LGBTQ Pride Edition” Blu-ray of Jennifer Kent’s 2014 horror movie The Babadook the packaging for which celebrates the titular fiend’s unlikely elevation to gay icon status. “Thanks to the unpredictable world of social media, viral videos, and passionate fans, the Babadook became an unexpected and embraced LGBTQ mascot in 2017 and even carried over into last year as well,” the product page reads. “This year, we fling the closet doors open even further to cement his status!”
On Friday, the apparel company Fright Rags revealed that it has teamed with horror magazine Fangoria to release a Pride Month-celebrating t-shirt which features the venerable terror title’s logo boasting rainbow colors rather than the traditional blood red. Fright Rags also announced that 100 percent of the proceeds from sales of the shirt will be donated to AIDS/LifeCycle, a charity event which benefits the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center. You can buy the Fangoria Pride t-shirt at the the official Fright Rags website.
Want more gay-themed (or, at least, gay-adjacent) horror? Then we suggest you check out Shudder. To mark Pride, the horror- and thriller-streaming service has curated a collection named Queer Horror, whose highlights include the recent Kristen Stewart-starring Lizzie Borden movie Lizzy, Jess Franco’s 1971 erotic bloodsucker tale Vampyros Lesbos, and two movies from Clive Barker, Hellraiser and the Nightbreed: The Director’s Cut.
Have a happy and — should you choose — horrifying Pride.
In honor of #LGBT #Pride Month, we’ve teamed up with FANGORIA to release this special tee this Mon 6/10 at 10am (EST) thru Wed 6/12 11:59pm (EST). 100% OF THE PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF THIS SHIRT will be donated to @AIDSLifeCycle. #frightrags #fangoria #pridemonth #aidslifecycle pic.twitter.com/OvtIA3O29v
— Fright-Rags (@frightrags) June 7, 2019
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