Welcome to Pride in Horror 2025
Welcome to DHR’s Pride in Horror 2025
And thank you so much for joining us!
As we hit June 2025, I look back over the last year and wonder…really, wtf is wrong with the world? Maybe it’s a cycle thing, but it feels like progress made towards anything to do with queer folks is regressing. There are increasing attacks against the trans community, and if you are cis and queer and think you’re somehow protected from what’s happening to trans men and women, you are flat out wrong. That’s not the important bit, though. The important bit is showing solidarity to our trans and non-binary siblings, not because it might (will) happen to us next, but because right now, they are facing a huge amount of harassment, and there doesn’t seem to be any sign of it slowing down.
I usually try to keep…a sense of hopefulness, to these messages, but the fact is, right now, I don’t think I can. That’s not to say we should lose hope, but as I look around at the landscape, everything just feels so incredibly bleak.
However, what we can find hope in is in the fact people have lived this before, and have come out the other side. It might not manifest in exactly the same way, but if you are feeling ‘all is lost’, please remember that firstly, you are not alone. Secondly, you are loved. Thirdly, sometimes it really does help to look to the past. Queer history is a gift, and there’s nothing wrong with looking back in order to move forward. But look to your own peers, as well. Find that community, that space where you can share worries and hopes and plans.
Stop doomscrolling. There’s a point where ‘staying informed’ turns into ‘finding things to be pissed about’. Yes, it’s good to remain informed, but if you find yourself endlessly scrolling Twitter or TikTok and getting worked up, take a break. Ask a trusted friend to let you know if anything crucial happens, and go indulge in some self-care.
And, remember - not every person is a fighter. That’s okay, too. Meaningful change doesn’t come about just by the people protesting; they need help and resources too, and they need people around them who can support them, not just ‘on the field’ but off it, too. And, quite frankly, for anyone who is marginalised, there seems to be an expectation that they must fight, that they must be an activist. If you are marginalised, every day is a fight. Every day is a struggle, and there are constantly people reminding others - sometimes within our own ‘community’ - that they don’t belong. You do not have to add to that. It’s absolutely great if you do, and if you’re out there, fighting the good fight, but it’s also exhausting work, and if you’re already struggling, don’t do damage to yourself. It’s perfectly reasonable to take a step back or focus your energy elsewhere. And I look forward to a day when this expectation is lifted, when the constant attacks are…maybe gone is too much to hope for, but I’m going to hope anyway, and when everyone can just live their authentic selves without being made to feel negatively about it.
I think that’s enough - for now. I’m going to shift gears a little here, and talk about DHR and our Pride in Horror Month event, which is (hopefully!) what you came here for!
Every year since we were first established, we have celebrated Pride in Horror. Please, please correct me if I am wrong, but as far as I understand it, we are the queerest horror website out there. We have a bi site admin (me, Elle, hi!) and a small, all queer admin team. And we have a majority queer contributor team! So, Pride in Horror is so, so important to us. And if that sounds like your kind of environment, and you’re interested in writing for us, our door is always open. Just head over to Join Our Team if you want to find out more.
And that goes for guest posts, too, so if you’re inspired by what you read on the site this month and want to add your own voice, please just drop us an email, at any time.
I said earlier that I wasn’t feeling very hopeful, but looking through the pieces we have lined up for you through this month does make me feel more optimistic. There are so many excellent queer voices out there, and we present a fraction of them here for Pride in Horror Month. I have had the absolute pleasure of reading through our submissions, and I am delighted by every single one. There’s reviews, short stories, listicles, interviews and more for you this month, and if you want to make sure you don’t miss any of it, subscribe to our Substack to get our weekly round ups.
Here’s the thing: sometimes, things get hard. Sometimes they get very hard, but if running this website for 5 years has taught me anything, it’s that there are so many of us out there, so many folks who are maybe just getting on with their days, living their lives, or fighting, or using their voice, and we’ll never be drowned out. No matter what the bigots try, we’ll still be here.
This month, do me a favour - first, make sure you’re taking care of yourself. Secondly, if you can, support queer businesses, buy queer books. Donate to queer charities. Reach out to a friend. Educate yourself on experiences outside your own. And, importantly, celebrate. Celebrate the fact we’re still here. Celebrate that love is love, and celebrate the fact that you’re just damn awesome, otherwise you wouldn’t be on this website.
Take care of yourselves, friends, and remember: our door is always open.
Elle
-DHR Site Admin
