606: Living In Queer with Cat Blackard
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Our world is full of unknowable horrors; but that’s okay, because horror is for the gays! This week Leigh (@lshfoster) and Ellie (@elliebrigida) hang out with writer, illustrator, and voice actor Cat Blackard (@catblackard), who is best known as the showrunner of the horror-comedy audio drama, The Call of Cthulhu Mystery Program.
The TTRPG style audio drama is currently in its fourth season of stories that build on Lovecraft’s work from a queer lens. We talk about the inherent queerness of horror as a genre as Cat and Leigh introduce Ellie to the world of cosmic horror. If you’ve ever thought Cthulhu would be a great buddy to get an iced coffee with, you’re in the right place (Obviously he has all those tentacles so that he can hold all of his friends’ iced coffees!).
The reason cosmic horror can be so appealing to the queer community is that we tend to be more open to acknowledging the discrepancies between the reality of the world around us and our own personal realities. For centuries queer people have challenged the concepts and rules that society continually tries to force onto us. Historically in the horror realm that has led to monsters and villains being queer-coded, and to queer people recognizing ourselves in that “otherness”.
We frequently say witches are for the gays, vampires are for the gays, etc., and this is because it’s true. These creatures who live on the fringe of society, often at odds with society, and who are demonized for being different feel very relatable. When we get into body horror with werewolves and body transformations, the comparisons become even more obvious, looping in an inherent relation to the trans experience. Ultimately, horror is an attractive lens for queer creatives to showcase the power of being different and can provide a space for queer people to explore our identities and regain agency over our stories after centuries of being portrayed as the villains.
In addition to talking about horror, we also talk about how table top role playing games are an attractive outlet for queer people to try out new facets of our identities and to learn more about ourselves through our characters. There is a good reason why so much of the LGBTQ+ community loves engaging in TTRPGs. These games provide a safe space for exploration and a way for our subconscious minds to make breakthroughs on our sexualities and gender identities through play. Giving our imaginations and subconscious minds the freedom to reveal hidden truths that help us better understand ourselves can be extremely powerful and transformative.
Follow along on Twitter: Lez Hang Out (@lezhangoutpod) and answer our Q & Gay at the end of every episode. Leigh Holmes Foster (@lshfoster) and Ellie Brigida (@elliebrigida). You can also join us on Facebook.com/lezhangoutpod and follow along on Instagram (@lezhangoutpod).
