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The Conversation
The Conversation
Wesleigh Gates, Ph.D. Candidate in Culture and Performance, University of California, Los Angeles

Horror’s monsters find new meaning with queer and trans audiences – how ‘Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma’ dissects identity

Jane Schoenbrun Kris Ryan Murphy Buffalo Bill Robin Wood Transgender Lgbt
In 'Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma,' queer people watch themselves watch horror. MUBI

Queer horror is having a moment. The recent film “Leviticus” (2026), a harrowing allegory for conversion therapy, was a critical hit. Meanwhile, Ryan Murphy’s undeniably gay “American Horror Story” returned to TV this fall, offering a campier approach to the genre.

But queer people’s fascination with horror is by no means new. For trans and queer viewers, horror has long acted as a mirror to reflect on complex personal questions of identity and embodiment.

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