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# Who Won Gay Halloween This Year?
- URL: https://hyperallergic.com/who-won-gay-halloween-this-year/
- Published: 2025-11-04T21:53:19.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-24T15:11:23.000Z
- Description: What’s more gay or queer than pushing that which is marginalized into the spotlight?
- Author: Hrag Vartanian
- Tags: Feature, Halloween, Memes, #wp, #wp-post, #image-position-large, #Import 2025-11-24 09:41 (2025)

If you’ve been staring at a costume for a tad too long, trying to figure out what it could be, then the chances are you’ve had a close encounter with Gay Halloween. 

What’s Gay Halloween, you ask? Well, we have an [explainer](https://hyperallergic.com/962081/gay-halloween-meme-enters-the-queer-canon/) for the uninitiated, but in summary, it is a moment, character, or thing that is normally overlooked and is now celebrated, giving a marginal thing main character treatment. I mean, what’s more gay or queer than pushing that which is marginalized into the spotlight? And this year, mama, we got your Gay Halloween tally going … and let’s just say it’s serving … and never mind that queer New Yorkers are still losing their minds at the fact that mayoral hopeful [Zohran Mamdani spent Halloween weekend LGBTQ+ club hopping](https://www.them.us/story/zohran-mamdani-lgbtq-gay-bar-papi-juice-mood-ring?ref=hyperallergic.com) to garner votes. It’s official… Gay Halloween is lit!

Lest we forget that topical is the manna of Gay Halloween, and the [Roman Catholic Pope’s election was smoking](https://x.com/dannah%5F%5Fmontana/status/1985176954929381683?ref=hyperallergic.com) this year:

And no, [NO moment is too minor](https://x.com/office%5Fotaku/status/1984441311416422895?ref=hyperallergic.com) to conjure up an epic moment:

I’m not even sure what to think of this, but I bet the YA author would be ok with [the mold as long as it’s not trans](https://x.com/tessiconic/status/1984364962832408795?ref=hyperallergic.com):

Oh yes, what would [Gay Halloween be without its divas](https://x.com/crvel%5Fsvmmer/status/1984689609813750049?ref=hyperallergic.com):

Or [it’s Marx stans](https://x.com/%5Femmababcock/status/1984029642412704155?ref=hyperallergic.com)? This one is so 2025 it hurts:

And related, this is [what Trump and his klan think is happening in NYC](https://x.com/RealRousshoe/status/1984363891640668415?ref=hyperallergic.com):

And then there are [the sketchy outfits](https://x.com/xugaaze/status/1983291917149298791?ref=hyperallergic.com):

And then some things are [super super specific](https://x.com/Anania00/status/1983748505748611231?ref=hyperallergic.com):

[Tyra is rooting for *all* of us](https://x.com/itskaicameron/status/1983922977017049153?ref=hyperallergic.com), no question:

And this year, people were serving our favorite C-word, and boy, it was anything but a drag:

Yes, [more](https://www.instagram.com/p/DQhZZTfkYEN/?ref=hyperallergic.com):

https://www.instagram.com/p/DQhZZTfkYEN/

And life comes at your fast, but [NYC Halloweeners are faster](https://x.com/hellosami/status/1984378425457676667?ref=hyperallergic.com):

And sometimes [you wear the swan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan%5Fdress?ref=hyperallergic.com), and other times [the swan wears you](https://x.com/melofknblonde/status/1718642845911843210?ref=hyperallergic.com) … right, Bjork? (I know it's an old one, but I just had to resurface it as queer memory work demands it.)

Then there are things that shouldn’t work but do … like this [Angry Bird clock in *VEEP*](https://x.com/justinAB%5FSF/status/1984478364590358736?ref=hyperallergic.com)?

Or the [leaked image of Scarlet Johansson turning into a dinosaur](https://x.com/slayonetta/status/1984488662604579153?ref=hyperallergic.com):

So many people were memes this year, including the [Alpha Wolf ripping his shirt off](https://x.com/ilovejaundice/status/1982794211469504896?ref=hyperallergic.com):

And [nodding Robert Redford](https://x.com/RobertGReeve/status/1985151750379118912?ref=hyperallergic.com):

The [ducking smoking a blunt](https://x.com/Killahfinalgirl/status/1984304222741913975?ref=hyperallergic.com) also made an appearance:

And pop culture moments that won’t die, like the [time George W. Bush was shoed](https://x.com/boy%5F%5Fonion/status/1983933449296642168?ref=hyperallergic.com):

Or you recreated [John Lennon walking](https://x.com/Saucetin17/status/1984522522222588330?ref=hyperallergic.com):

Or the [hot guy who perhaps revealed something about himself he didn’t expect to on Jeopardy](https://x.com/spinningturn/status/1984475136066539589?ref=hyperallergic.com):

Or that [infamous Coldplay concert](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQej7q8EYOB/?igsh=bXhkczIxemExcGZ6&ref=hyperallergic.com):

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQej7q8EYOB/?igsh=bXhkczIxemExcGZ6

And [this moment is not just a look but an education](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQelcK3AHjy/?igsh=NHpkdnJ2ZDRpeHls&ref=hyperallergic.com) … take notes, sweeties:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQelcK3AHjy/?igsh=NHpkdnJ2ZDRpeHls

South Park’s [Randy Marsh as Lorde](https://x.com/dubkkeks/status/1984456086494330982?ref=hyperallergic.com) is a deep cut, and it works (or werks it):

  
And even Studio Ghibli co-founder [Hayao Miyazaki isn’t safe](https://x.com/boopyape/status/1984250440293527587?ref=hyperallergic.com) from being reborn during Gay Halloween:

This winner this year is the [person who went out as Cynthia Erivo’s acrylic nail](https://x.com/Brenbash/status/1984342530000085248?ref=hyperallergic.com). I mean, we don’t understand you, but will protect you at all cost, because that’s what Gay Halloween is about: