Every year, as Halloween approaches, social media lights up with a peculiar and utterly hilarious trend. You’ll spot posts with captions like, “I hate gay Halloween, what do you mean you’re the activator from the substance?” or “I hate gay Halloween, what do you mean you’re Chappell Roan and a passenger seat?” If these phrases leave you scratching your head, you’ve just experienced the essence of ‘Gay Halloween.’ It’s a meme that thrives on obscurity, and its staying power defies the usual fleeting nature of internet trends.
What Is Going On Here?
‘Gay Halloween’ is a beloved meme that playfully highlights a tradition, particularly within the queer community, of crafting incredibly intricate, hyper-specific, and often bewilderingly obscure costumes. As Julian McCleary, a singer and sewing teacher who once famously dressed as ‘gay Batman’ (a nod to an AI-generated superhero meme), explains, these are references “that a very small percent of people will understand, and they’re usually people who are within the gay community.” These costumes aren’t just outfits; they’re deep dives into pop culture, referencing minor characters, niche subplots, obscure internet phenomena, or even unexpected props from a video set, and even animals.
Benjamin Cooper, content director at Grindr, describes it as a “love letter” to the community’s deep connection to fandom and internet culture, embodying the ultimate ‘if you know, you know’ vibe. For instance, Mr. McCleary’s recent costume was a clever mashup with Sabrina Carpenter’s hit ‘Espresso.’ He transformed into a “Singer sewing machine dressed as a vocalizing singer who’s working late because I’m a singer,” a witty play on the song’s lyrics.
The dedication to these costumes is truly impressive. Take Mara Webster, for example, founder and host of the ‘In Creative Company’ podcast. For a Halloween party at MoMA PS1 in Queens, she meticulously crafted an entire AMC Theatres cinema costume, featuring a functioning projector playing the iconic Nicole Kidman ad, complete with miniature popcorn buckets for every seat. This elaborate creation, which took her two weeks to make, perfectly captured the spirit. Ms. Webster’s costume included details like Ms. Kidman’s ad being projected on a screen, and it truly brought her vision to life. She explains that ‘Gay Halloween is cultural references which feel like they connect to gay culture and gay community in some way,’ citing the AMC ad’s message of community as a perfect fit. Her inventive streak isn’t new; the previous year, she transformed into a bodega cat, complete with a miniature bodega, proving her commitment to these deeply specific and delightful references.
How Did It All Start?
Like many viral internet sensations, the exact origin of ‘Gay Halloween’ is a bit hazy. However, its roots can be traced back to at least 2022, according to Know Your Meme. That’s when online jokes about gay Halloween parties, filled with incredibly obscure costumes, started to gain traction. The meme has since become a cherished annual tradition, reappearing every year as the spooky season approaches. Participants proudly share photos of their intricate outfits, often accompanied by the now-familiar caption: ‘I hate gay Halloween, what do you mean you’re…’
Benjamin Cooper highlights that this caption’s playful subtext conveys a mix of awe and bewilderment at the sheer niche quality of the references. Ultimately, it’s about a shared cultural understanding: ‘It’s like having the time and energy and passion to come up with something that’s so obscure that if you turn up to a party and you see another gay guy that instantly clocks or references this, you know you’re in the right place,’ he concludes.