S5E16 Masked, Fabulous, and Flamboyant: Queer Coding and Camp Justice

This week on Queernundrum, we’re sharpening our swords and polishing our boots—or heels—for a deep dive into one of the campiest cult classics of the early ’80s. We won’t spoil the title (yet), but here’s a hint: it involves twin brothers, capes, color-coordinated costumes, and a whole lot of sass.

We explore how this outrageous comedy flipped the script on traditional heroism, bringing camp, queerness, and coded resistance to the silver screen—whether Hollywood was ready or not. We dig into the layered performance of George Hamilton, the brilliance of Brenda Vaccaro, the menace of Ron Leibman, and the cool glam of Lauren Hutton, tying it all to a time when queer representation had to sneak in through the back door of comedy.

And speaking of injustice—Gary doesn’t hold back when we talk about the recent and infuriating decision to rename the U.S. Navy ship originally dedicated to Harvey Milk. During Pride Month, no less. We reflect on what Milk’s legacy means today, how erasure still shows up in military and political spaces, and why visibility still matters—campy movies included.

Topics Covered:

• Queer-coded characters in 1980s films

• LGBTQ+ cinema history

• George Hamilton and dual roles in comedy

• The cultural impact of Zorro, The Gay Blade

• Camp as resistance

• Pride Month controversies

• Harvey Milk and LGBTQ+

Intro music by Jahzzar “Please Listen Carefully” “Jahzzar (betterwithmusic.com) CC BY-SA” and Outro music by Scott Holmes “Acoustic Indie Folk” @ [e-mail].

Editor: H. Greystone via FinalCut Pro

Writer: G. Thoren

🎧 Stream now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your sassy social justice with a side of cinema.

💬 Follow us on BlueSky, Instagram, and Facebook—and don’t forget to guess the movie before the masks come off!

#Queernundrum #QueerCinema #PrideMonth #CampCulture #HarveyMilk #LGBTQHistory #ZorroButMakeItGay #PodcastWithPurpose