BROOKLYN, N.Y. — A current Daily Dot column explores the recurrent eroticizing of monsters in queer cultures.
"Over the past few years, I’ve found monsters appeal to queer folks across the community, be they cis or trans, gay or lesbian, bi or pan, ace or allosexual," observes Ana Valens, author of the Daily Dot piece. "So what’s going on? Is this just a pervasive kink, or is there something else going on?"
Her proposed answer: "It seems to be both. We see our queer selves in monsters. We see the queer bodies we desire in their beautiful grotesqueness. We see the narratives that define our queer lives. There’s no better role model for the transgressive queer than the fantastical beasts of our collective imaginations."
Many millennials and post-millennials report having their sexualities shaped by exposure to monster-populated cultural phenomena like goth and gothic subcultures and hentai animation. The works and mythology of Clive Barker, the queer author of "Hellraiser," are also generational touchstones of under-40 eroticism.
The adult industry has recently explored themes of monstrosity more and more, especially in the work of Adult Time's creative visionary Bree Mills. Influenced by 1980s sci-fi ("The Blob," David Cronenberg) and near-future dystopias like "Black Mirror," Mills has pushed the boundary of the uncanny in porn with series like "Future Darkly."
The "Future Darkly" episode "The Ghost Rocket," with Michael Vegas as a conspiracy theorist who meets a sexually fluid alien played by Cherie Deville, has been heralded as a category-busting landmark of the genre.
"It's unsurprising to me that creators like Bree Mills are exploring monster porn," Valens told XBIZ. "A quick look at the DIY side of the industry shows a long legacy there, from Primal Hardware and Bad Dragon dildo clips to things like giantess fetishism, succubi and vampires. This is not just a good market for sex workers and studios with a predominantly queer audience to tap into, but the material may be fundamentally enjoyable to some performers who are queer themselves."
"On the industry side of things, it's a win-win for everyone," Valens added.
For her Daily Dot piece, Valens interviewed queer artists like Ryuu, a gay trans artist from Brazil, who explains that "it’s very easy to relate to monsters when you’re marginalized. We’re kind of already taught to see monsters in ourselves — queer, trans, POC."
"Twisting that narrative to show monsters in a positive light feels powerful," Ryuu added. "And it changed the way I looked at humans too! If you can find beauty in something as unconventional as monstrous, otherworldly, non-human creatures, what problem could unconventional human bodies pose?”
Valens, Daily Dot's Trans/Sex columnist, specializes in online queer communities, marginalized identities and adult content creation. She also develops queer adult games.
For her full article, "Trans/Sex: Inside the Queer Fascination with Monster Porn," click here.
