The origins of the ‘I hate gay Halloween’ meme as queer people dress up in stupidly niche costumes

As soon as October rolls around each year, Twitter is flooded with incredibly niche costume ideas and the phrase “I hate gay Halloween.”

We know that queer people (generally) LOVE Halloween, which is why it’s been referred to as “gay Christmas” for literal decades. We just do it better, sorry straight people. 

And like most other things the LGBTQ+ community gets its hands on, we go hard with costumes, so much so that the “I hate gay Halloween” meme goes viral each and every year with increasingly niche takes on fancy dress. 

But how did it start? 

First off, what is the ‘I hate gay Halloween’ meme? 

The meme format, for once, is super simple, because the caption is always “I hate gay Halloween what do you mean [insert niche costume concept here].”

The costumes are almost always pop culture moments that have gone especially viral in queer circles, things like:

• Dakota Johnson and limes
• Cynthia Erivo’s acrylic nail
• The go p*ss girl Gossip Girl meme 
• Cher Lloyd’s 2010 X Factor audition
• Shaggy when he became a woman in Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
• Princess Diana in her revenge dress
• Lisa Rinna dancing on the table at Andy Cohen’s baby shower
• Zendaya’s hat from the 2014 Kids’ Choice Awards
• The black mould in JK Rowling’s house
• Charli XCX’s SNL announcement

The list goes on, and on, and on, and there are now new variations of the original format. Looking for a more positive spin, some have gone with: “I love gay Halloween what do you mean [insert niche costume concept here].”

Right, so how did it even start? 

As per usual, Know Your Meme is doing the lord’s work, tracking down the origins of the meme last year. 

According to the site, Twitter user @yaesohn joked about gay Halloween costumes being obscure in 2022, but the meme format was not technically born until 2023. Then, Twitter user @beefyfridgers posted the earliest version of “I hate gay Halloween”, and it spiralled from there. 

“Hate going to gay Halloween parties like what do you mean you’re Lady Gaga at the 2:53 mark of the Judas music video,” they wrote at the time. 

By 2024, the meme had gone massively viral, and most of the posts were in the standard “I hate Gay halloween” format. 

And the rest is iconic history. 

Here are some of the memes

I hate gay Halloween what do you mean your Cynthia Erivo’s acrylic nail pic.twitter.com/ohwOtAFYGC

— Brendan (@Brenbash) October 31, 2025

A personal fav

I hate gay Halloween what do you mean you’re the black mold in JK Rowlings house pic.twitter.com/Z4SeTzQbGS

— tess (@tessiconic) October 31, 2025

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The energy is on point 

I hate gay Halloween, what do you mean you’re the female Oompa Loompa from Glasgow’s “Willy’s Chocolate Experience”?? pic.twitter.com/0BRWJIE1RT

— dylan guerra (@DylanGGuerra) October 26, 2024

Toy Story, but make it gay 

i hate gay halloween parties wdym you’re the toy story hooker pic.twitter.com/vD7Dbwpobj

— tito boy (@TSlSMOSlT0) October 26, 2024

Love this one (yes, it’s a tennis joke)

i hate gay halloween wdym you’re the tennis ball from challengers pic.twitter.com/UWmJGBlMbR

— jules 🕸️ (@teasslut) November 1, 2024

The limes that broke the internet 

I hate gay halloween what do you mean you’re Dakota Johnson and limes pic.twitter.com/Yrhs1JyX5T

— Dan Leahy (@_DanLeahy) November 1, 2024

Iconic

i love gay halloween what do you mean you’re the smoker beside two gays kissing pic.twitter.com/9NGGnxSpkL

— joy (@office_otaku) November 1, 2025

Duolingo is getting involved this year 

i love gay halloween cuz wdym you’re Duo the Owl pic.twitter.com/QIvXvV3Een

— Duolingo (@duolingo) October 27, 2026

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Featured image credit: Twitter