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{{Short description|Implicit representation of LGBT characters}}
{{Unreliable sources|date=July 2021}}
'''Queer coding''' (also written without a space: '''queercoding''') is the attribution of stereotypically [[queer]] traits to [[Character (arts)|fictional characters]] without explicitly stating their gender and sexual identity.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Piluso |first=Francesco |date=2023-11-27 |title=Above the heteronormative narrative: looking up the place of Disney's villains |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/sem-2023-0168/html |journal=Semiotica |language=en |volume=2023 |issue=255 |pages=131–148 |doi=10.1515/sem-2023-0168 |issn=0037-1998|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
Queer coding may have had a negative impact on perceptions of queerness in media as villains are often queer-coded.
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===Villains===
{{anchor|Sissy villain}}
{{further|Sissy|Disney villains}}
[[File:Divine-by-origa.jpg|thumb|[[Ursula (The Little Mermaid)|Ursula]]'s character in ''[[The Little Mermaid (1989 film)|The Little Mermaid]]'' was inspired by the [[drag queen]] [[Divine (performer)|Divine]].<ref>{{Cite journal|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=pdCrF4JxKDIC |title = From Mouse to Mermaid: The Politics of Film, Gender, and Culture |journal = Indiana University Press |language = en |year = 1995|isbn = 0253209781 }}</ref>]]
Because of the Hays Code, positive portrayals of homosexual characters were barred, and the only characters in fiction that could be perceived as homosexuals had evil roles and were punished throughout the work.<ref>{{Cite journal|url = https://filmicmag.com/2015/08/01/from-sissies-to-secrecy-the-evolution-of-the-hays-code-queer/ |title = From Sissies to Secrecy: The Evolution of the Hays Code Queer |journal = Filmic Magazine |language = en |date = 1 August 2015}}</ref> Thus, [[villain]]s became noted in particular to have [[Effeminacy|effeminate]] characteristics, behaviors or gestures that could be perceived as [[LGBT|LGBTQ]].<ref>{{Cite journal|url = http://www.periodicos.ulbra.br/index.php/txra/article/view/1181 |title = O vilão desviante: Uma leitura sociocultural pela perspectiva de gênero de Scar em O Rei Leão |journal = Revista de Educação e Letras |language = pt |year = 2014|volume = 16 |issue = 32 |last1 = Santos |first1 = Caynnã de Camargo }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |url = https://www.gaymer.es/es/2018/10/villano-afeminado/ |title = La problemática del villano afeminado |journal = Gaymer |language = es |date = 13 October 2018 |archive-date = 6 May 2021 |access-date = 10 November 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210506090942/https://www.gaymer.es/es/2018/10/villano-afeminado/ |url-status = dead }}</ref> Disney characters have attracted attention because their films are popular among children.<ref>{{Cite journal|url = https://thetempest.co/2020/06/04/entertainment/disney-villains-gay-queer-coding/ |title = Wait a second, are all Disney villains gay? |journal = The Tempest |language = en |date = 4 June 2020}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite journal|url = https://elpais.com/babelia/2021-05-28/los-villanos-de-disney-salen-del-armario.html |title = Los villanos de Disney salen del armario |journal = El País |language = es |date = 28 May 2021}}</ref> Examples include:
* [[John Ratcliffe (governor)#In popular culture|Governor Ratcliffe]] in ''[[Pocahontas (1995 film)|Pocahontas]]'', who is the only male character with makeup, braided hair and bows, and wears pink
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* Larry 3000 in the Cartoon Network program ''[[Time Squad]]'', who has been interpreted to be gay.<ref>{{cite web |title=039 – Mark Hamill on Talkin Toons with Rob Paulsen – Weekly Voice Acting and Voice Over Tips |url=http://techjives.net/2012/05/04/039-mark-hamill-on-talkin-toons-with-rob-paulsen-weekly-voice-acting-and-voice-over-tips/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319040214/http://techjives.net/2012/05/04/039-mark-hamill-on-talkin-toons-with-rob-paulsen-weekly-voice-acting-and-voice-over-tips/ |archive-date=2020-03-19 |access-date=18 March 2020 |website=Tech Jives Network}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Hamill |first=Mark |title=Love Unique Deadpan No-Nonsense #Skips but #Larry3000 of #TimeSquad was Fierce-Flamboyant & more Crazy-Fun to play! |url=https://twitter.com/HamillHimself/status/733579727215042560 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200319034956/https://twitter.com/HamillHimself/status/733579727215042560 |archive-date=March 19, 2020 |access-date=March 18, 2020 |website=[[Twitter]]}}</ref>
* The ''Scream'' movies, which screenwriter [[Kevin Williamson (screenwriter)|Kevin Williamson]] has described as being "coded in gay survival".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2021-12-06 |title=Kevin Williamson interview: 'The Scream movies are coded in gay survival' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/kevin-williamson-scream-interview-b1968631.html |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-10 |title=A Survivor to Scream About: Neve Campbell on 'Scream' Queer Theories (Yes, Billy and Stu), and How Sidney Still Inspires the LGBTQ+ Community |url=https://pridesource.com/article/neve-campbell |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=Pride Source |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Xerxes I|King Xerxes]] of [[Achaemenid Empire|Persia]] in ''[[300 (film)|300]]'' was intentionally depicted as effeminate to
==Impact==
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[[Gaston (Disney)|Gaston]] and LeFou in the 1991 film ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|Beauty and the Beast]]'' and [[List of Disney's Aladdin characters|Jafar]] from the 1992 film ''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]'' were created by an openly gay animator named [[Andreas Deja]],<ref name="craig2000">{{cite magazine | first=Craig | last=Seymour | title=Yep, They're Gay | url=https://ew.com/article/2000/10/06/yep-theyre-gay/ | date=6 October 2000 | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]| url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111110135751/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,277857_2,00.html|archive-date=November 10, 2011}}</ref> and sang music by [[Howard Ashman]], who was also openly gay. The fact that Deja had also worked on [[Scar (The Lion King)|Scar]] in ''[[The Lion King]]'' and the titular character in ''[[Hercules (1997 film)|Hercules]]'', for example, has been discussed as an influence on the development of some Disney characters.<ref>{{cite book | first1=Gail | last1=Dines | first2=Jean | last2=McMahon Humez | title=Gender, Race, and Class in Media: A Text-reader | page=[https://archive.org/details/genderraceclassi0000unse/page/209 209] | date=August 2002 | publisher=Sage Publications | isbn=978-0-7619-2261-2 | url=https://archive.org/details/genderraceclassi0000unse/page/209 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | first=Peter | last=Schweizer | title=The Mouse Betrayed | page=[https://archive.org/details/disneymousebetra00schw/page/148 148] | publisher=Regnery Publishing | date=September 1998 | isbn=0-89526-387-4 | url=https://archive.org/details/disneymousebetra00schw/page/148 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | first=Tom | last=Provenzano | title=The Lion in Summer | journal=The Advocate | page=66 | date=28 June 1994}}</ref>
Queer coding has led to some networks not wanting to show overt representation. Animator [[Rebecca Sugar]] argued that it is "really heavy" for a kid to only exist "as a villain or a joke" in an animated series.<ref name="insidersnydes" /> In 2011, Deja told [[news.com.au]] that Disney would have a "family that has two dads or two mums" if they find the "right kind of story with that kind of concept."<ref>{{cite journal | first=Daniela | last=Elser | title=Gay families in Disney movies only a matter of time, says Lion King animator Andreas Deja | url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/mickey-has-two-dads/story-e6frfmvr-1226015944009 | date=March 4, 2011 | journal=[[news.com.au]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807101046/http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/mickey-has-two-dads/story-e6frfmvr-1226015944009|archive-date=August 7, 2011|url-status=live|access-date=September 27, 2011}}</ref> However, critics regarded such queer-coded villains as contributing to "homophobic discourse" and equating queerness with evil itself.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gates |first1=Meggie |title=Once Again, Disney Attempts to Co-opt Pride Month |url=https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/disney-rebrands-pride-no-lgbtq-support |website=[[Bitch (magazine)|Bitch]] |access-date=September 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712054914/https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/disney-rebrands-pride-no-lgbtq-support |archive-date=July 12, 2021 |date=July 18, 2021 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Weir |first1=John |title=FILM; Gay-Bashing, Villainy and the Oscars |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/29/movies/film-gay-bashing-villainy-and-the-oscars.html |website=[[New York Times]] |access-date=September 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122220051/https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/29/movies/film-gay-bashing-villainy-and-the-oscars.html |archive-date=January 22, 2021 |date=March 29, 1992 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Other critics have claimed that this attribution can lead to a negative association between queerness and immoral, licentious behavior.<ref>{{Cite web|first=Inés|last=
In February 2021, producer [[Ralph Farquhar]] said that in ''[[The Proud Family]]'', which aired on the [[Disney Channel]] from 2001 to 2005, they had to use "code to talk about if Michael was gay, to talk about sexuality" and to be "sort of underhanded about it." He said this changed with ''[[The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder]]'' with the biggest changes to the show are "gender identity, obviously racial identity and quote-unquote [[woke]]ness," and said that sexuality can be "sort of in your face with it a lot more," manifesting itself in the storytelling.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wolfe|first=Jennifer|url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/streaming/the-proud-family-returns-to-screens-louder-prouder-even-more-authentic/|title='The Proud Family' Returns to Screens Louder, Prouder & Even More Authentic!|website=[[Animation Magazine]]|date=February 4, 2022|access-date=February 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204183522/https://www.animationmagazine.net/streaming/the-proud-family-returns-to-screens-louder-prouder-even-more-authentic/|archive-date=February 4, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref>
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