6. Babadook: Queer Horror Stories

Baba-yasssss: On Sunday, June 25th, East Williamsburg‘s Tilt BK is hosting a queer horror storytelling session inspired by a dearly beloved gay icon, the Babadook.

If you’re lost—legend has it that once upon a time, Netflix posted the successful 2015 horror flick “The Babadook” in its LGBTQ+ section. The Internet’s queer community immediately took ownership of the film’s central monster, a top-hat-wearing, spiky-haired, long-nailed ghoul. Now, the Babadook has become the queer icon nobody knew they needed but cannot imagine life without.

Although it functions mostly as a lighthearted meme, the Gay Babadook also has some deeper undertones. The story arc of a creature that is first feared, then suppressed, and finally relegated to a basement by a heterosexual family is one that some LGBTQ+ people can unfortunately relate to. The Babadook’s reclamation into a symbol of joy and pride, then, is truly an act of queer defiance.

Check out the storytelling event’s Facebook page here.