Glitter, Ghouls, and Freedom

 

Halloween has long been a favorite holiday among the LGBTQ+ community — and not just because we throw some of the best parties. There’s something deeper in the way Halloween gives us permission to express, to transform, and to celebrate authenticity through disguise.

For many queer people, Halloween was the first time we felt truly free to explore our identities without judgment. A night when gender norms loosen, when costumes become art, and when imagination takes precedence over expectation. A boy could be a witch, a girl could be a pirate, and everyone could sparkle. For one glorious evening, the rigid rules of “should” and “shouldn’t” fall away.

For some, it’s also the first night they ever try drag. Halloween has long been a socially acceptable opportunity for a man to dress as a woman — or vice versa — without fear of ridicule or punishment. I remember one fraternity member at a university in southern Louisiana wearing a tight red dress one Halloween. He looked stunning as a woman, though it was obvious he was a man. The outfit was completed with red high heels that matched his dress, and even drunk, he managed to walk surprisingly well in them. Maybe he’d lost a bet or was doing it for laughs, as frat guys often do — but maybe, just maybe, he was testing what it felt like to be someone completely different. For many in the queer community, that first night in drag isn’t just a costume; it’s a spark of recognition.

It’s also about visibility. Before Pride parades became mainstream, Halloween was one of the few times queer people could appear in public dressed how they wanted, holding hands with whom they wanted, and not face immediate suspicion. The costumes and masks offered protection — and in that protection came liberation.

And of course, there’s the theatrical side. LGBTQ+ culture has always celebrated performance, wit, and style. Drag, camp, and creativity are natural extensions of Halloween’s spirit. We don’t just wear costumes — we embody characters. We turn the night into an act of joyful self-expression and defiance.

One city that takes this to dazzling extremes is New Orleans, where Halloween and queer culture intertwine like nowhere else. The French Quarter becomes a spectacle of light, music, and unapologetic queerness. I’ve been there on Halloween, and it can be gloriously wild. I once sat in a restaurant when a woman dressed as Lady Godiva rode by on an actual horse, covered only by her long blonde wig. Some Lady Godivas wear flesh-colored bodysuits. This one did not. The crowd cheered, laughed, and applauded — it was outrageous, beautiful, and perfectly New Orleans.

In a world that too often tells us to tone it down, Halloween tells us to turn it up. Glitter isn’t just decoration; it’s declaration. The holiday invites us to celebrate who we are — or who we dream of being — without apology.

So when you see a queer Halloween party filled with drag queens dressed as vampires, muscle boys in angel wings, and lesbians in matching superhero capes, remember: it’s not just fun. It’s freedom.

Queer Halloween celebrations — from the French Quarter to Fire Island — transform the night into a glittering stage of self-expression and pride.

🎃 Happy Halloween, everyone! Be safe, be fabulous, and let your true self shine — costume or not.

🌈 And remember — in many ways, Halloween walked so Pride could run.