queer-coded

[ kweer-koh-did ]

adjective

1. (of a fictional character) implied to be LGBT+ through deliberate subtext or use of stereotypes, but never explicitly confirmed to be so:

   Even among female audiences, hunks get big bonus points for being gay, or at least queer-coded.

   One of the novel's most incongruous elements is its villain, the queer-coded evil baron.

Word History and Origins

Origin of queer-coded¹

First recorded in 1995–2000