‘I Hate Gay Halloween’ memes have social media users in tears over obscure costumes

From niche costumes to obscure pop culture references, the “I hate gay Halloween” trend has exploded on social media, as people show off their most unique and hyper-specific Halloween looks with humor.

According to the meme database Know Your Meme, the trend originated in recent years as an ongoing joke among the LGBTQ+ community, as a way to dress up in an obscure costume that would most likely only be understood by another queer person.

In line with the trend, many social media posts typically begin with the text, “I hate gay Halloween, what do you mean you’re dressed as...” followed by a description of each costume. Social media users then share a photo of themselves in their niche Halloween costumes, poking fun at the overall silliness of “gay Halloween.”

One of the earliest versions of the “gay Halloween” meme surfaced in 2022, in which one X/Twitter user jokingly referenced the 1997 cult classic comedy film Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion. “Gay Halloween costumes are like, ‘Oh this? I’m the scarf Mira Sorvino folded at the end of Romy and Michelle,’” they wrote at the time.

Since then, the trend has captured everything from an AI-generated fight between Elphaba and Glinda from Wicked, to the passenger seat mentioned by Chappell Roan in her song “Casual,” as each Halloween costume garners laughs and praise for their creativity.

A majority of “gay Halloween” costumes include a heavy sprinkling of viral internet references, like the girl covered in glitter from the iconic “Stay With Me” Vine clip. One participant dressed up as the tired DW meme from the children’s animated sitcom, Arthur. Someone else even hilariously referenced the sad Oompa Loompa from the infamous Willy Wonka Experience fiasco earlier this year.

Some of the biggest moments of the summer took center stage for this year’s “gay Halloween” too, like one person’s hilarious take on the Olympic French pole vaulter who bumped the pole with an unfortunate body part. Meanwhile, one Halloween goer channeled “Brat summer” by dressing up as the green curtains from Charli XCX and Troye Sivan’s blockbuster Sweat tour.

However, some people have accused the chronically online crowd of “ruining” Halloween with their niche costumes; a recent article in The Atlantic slammed obscure costume-wearers for “stealing” the holiday.

Journalist Kate Lindsay argued that Halloween now feels like a clout-chasing contest, focused more on social media than real-life fun. To understand today’s meme-inspired costumes, she explained how “you must know the layers of context that came before it” – making Halloween feel like it demands background research for what once was a carefree escape.

Still, there are those who believe the extremely online references of “gay Halloween” only serve to make the spooky season even more fun.

“What makes it really fun is it makes you feel like you’re in on a joke,” Dylan Guerra, who dressed up as the sad Oompa Loompa, explained to USA Today. “There’s a little bit of a communal laughter in the nicheness. Finding the right pockets of cultural intersections that we can laugh at in what I think is the best holiday.”

Whether it’s reconceptualizing small ideas, subverting popular memes, or blending unexpected pop culture references, both the LGBTQ+ community and its allies are loving this year’s fresh take on Halloween costumes – the more left-field and out of pocket, the better.

“Gay Halloween” has become more than a niche concept, but rather a fun and creative spin on the typical Halloween costume. The phenomenon showcases the community’s knack for bending gender norms, embracing camp, and weaving in witty references, ultimately making the trend a highlight of the Halloween season.