Monsters in the closet

Résumé : A history of the horror film that explores the genre's relationship to the history of homosexuality in America.The horror film has offered a number of medical, psychological, and social models of homosexuality. Examining not only the films themselves, but also other related cultural products, Harry Benshoff defines these models and their implications. We see familiar constructions of gays and lesbians pass before our eyes: homosexuality as a treatable disease, as a threat to national security, as a mark of the pariah. Monsters in the Closet challenges us to more closely examine what we see.