What do The Cowardly Lion from âThe Wizard of Oz,â Ruby Rhod from âThe Fifth Elementâ and Ursula from âThe Little Mermaidâ have in common? For many, these characters are prime examples of âqueer-coding.âOn Oct. 25, Marley Duncan, a Claremont Graduate University alumnus, led a discussion on the origins of queer-coding at the Claremont Collegesâ Queer Resource Center (QRC). This concept was largely made popular through the Hays Code, a set of voluntary regulations imposed on Hollywood in the 1930s. While queer-coding existed so that people could find representation where they werenât supposed to, or directors could make subtle references, it means something different for students now, to still rely on these tropes as a means of representation.
