‘Gay Halloween’ and the Era of the Niche Costume

At one point, having to explain your Halloween costume meant you’d missed the mark. These days, that might actually be the point. If your outfit requires a full PowerPoint presentation and a few niche pop-culture references, you’re probably doing “gay Halloween” right.

Online, a new kind of costume currency has emerged. It’s not about being the scariest, sexiest, or even most recognizable. It’s actually about being the most specific. The “I hate gay Halloween what do you mean you’re…” trend pairs the phrase with costumes so absurdly hyper-niche that only a handful of people on planet Earth could possibly guess them correctly at the function.

“The ‘I hate gay Halloween’ trend expresses playful exasperation at the endless creativity of the LGBTQ+ community,” TikTok page HotTakesByCheezburger explained in a viral video last year. "Instead of your typical witches or zombies, some people create distinct costumes. If you're not chronically online, you might not get some of these.”

Hot Takes explained that the trend began in 2022 and truly exploded last year with costume after costume inspired by some of the funniest cultural moments of the previous 12 months.

I hate gay Halloween because what do you mean you’re @rolemodel and @conangray ‘s Sally kiss at Gov Ball pic.twitter.com/xR5b9M9NQ3
— rc (@romycarl24) October 27, 2025

People online have taken the trend and run with it.

“Lady Gaga at the 2009 VMAs during that one specific part of ‘Paparazzi’ when the blood starts dripping,” one user on TikTok said. “2012 Ariana Grande during the interview about licking the donut. I think I’m going to go as the concept of twink death. Yeah, we’re going as Destiny’s Child, but Destiny’s Child during that interview when they were asked about the hand, foot, and mouth epidemic.”

Others proposed even deeper internet cuts.

“The pair of lilac Converse Chuck Taylors that Sofia Coppola included a brief shot of in Marie Antoinette (2006) to remind viewers that Marie was just a teenager despite holding all the adult responsibilities of a queen,” @veryharryhill said.

“Diana from the Honey Bunches of Oats commercials," inlfuencer Anania said.

Lady Gaga searching for evidence at the Capitol after January 6, the Chappell Roan girl with the green hair from the subway, and even the Reneé Rapp bowl campaign were some of the top contenders.

Still, not everyone is convinced that going ultra-specific is the move. When Keke Palmer revealed her Halloween costume, a reference to Jessica Alba’s character in Honey wearing a blue-and-orange crop top, people were split. Some praised her for understanding the assignment; others said it was too subtle.

“There are people that are of the opinion that a costume like Keke Palmer’s or Queen Blackwell’s imitation of the headphone girl is really not peak Halloween," TikTok creator @nayawritessss said, summing up the debate, in her video explainer. "And if they have to guess what you are, then you know you failed. Then, on the other hand, there are people like, you just hate fun. I think it’s cool to step out of the box.”

I hate gay Halloween what do you mean you’re the pair of lilac Converse Chuck Taylors that Sofia Coppola included a brief shot of in Marie Antoinette (2006) to remind viewers that Marie was just a teenager despite holding all the adult responsibilities of a queen pic.twitter.com/auuUr2HGXA
— Harry Hill (@veryharryhill) October 29, 2025

She added that the internet itself has changed what counts as a “good” costume.

“A lot of these work really well specifically on TikTok and in images where you can edit backgrounds and references,” she said. “But when you take away the prop—like the car for Megan Fox in Transformers—people might ask who you are.”

The “gay Halloween” effect has even spawned spin-offs like “I hate film Twitter Halloween” and “I hate sports Halloween,” each one poking fun at how hyper-specific and terminally online people’s costume ideas have become. Basically, these days, Halloween isn’t about who you’re supposed to be…but, rather, it’s about who gets the joke. And if no one does? Even better.

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