queer-coded

American  

[kweer-koh-did] / ˈkwɪərˌkoʊ dɪd /

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.

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Etymology

Origin of queer-coded

First recorded in 1995–2000

Example Sentences

His first release as a solo artist, it sees the star embrace the sounds of 80s club culture, with influences ranging from the queer-coded pop of Erasure and Pet Shop Boys to the thunderous drum sounds of Janet Jackson and Art Of Noise.

From BBC

While mutant experiences can speak to many different marginalized identities directly or metaphorically, the more queer-coded elements — questions around “coming out,” the fear of being rejected by family, strangers insisting mutants just needed to be “cured” — were often what I related to most then.

From Los Angeles Times

“They feel like really big, gay, expensive comic-book movies. Queer-coded villains are pretty much my favorite trope, and Joker has always been a really queer character to me.”

From New York Times

The son of Queen Mary of Scots, King James is touted as one of the most prominent queer-coded figures in British history.

From Salon

Beliefs that LGBTQ+ people were societal deviants for much of the 20th century made many villains in TV and film queer-coded, but the Max series “Harley Quinn” relishes in its deviance by setting up two of Batman’s most formidable foils, Quinn and Poison Ivy, as the hottest lesbian power couple to ever terrorize Gotham City.

From Seattle Times