She told me this was because so many young trans people identify with them.
Susie Green is the CEO of a trans youth charity, Mermaids UK who picked the mythical creature as their namesake. There is lesbian mermaid poetry, queer merman erotica, gender-flipped ‘Little Mermaid’ YouTube parodies and queer feminist mermaid folklore analyses.’ ‘My mermaid obsession is not just popular among gay men. And the whole LGBTI community is with us too. ‘Therefore imagined creatures that are ostentatious with mystical powers and with bodies that mix and match real and unreal are instantly relatable.’ YUM YUM – Unicorn and rainbow cookies | Photo: Instagram Pink fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbowsĬhatting to Sacha, I fast realized that my obsession with unicorns was actually with mythical creatures. ‘One reason may be that LGBTQ+ people feel like they only half belong, that they are not quite of this world and their existence seems to blur the lines between societal norms of masculinity and femininity. ‘Unicorns, mermaids, fairies and other beings that mix and combine features have long become popular with queer people,’ Sacha tells me as we walk around the museum. Sacha Coward’s actual job is of course not ‘Mermaid Hunter’ as credited on his Twitter bio – but it may as well be. Which is when I came upon a man who has made a career out of hunting mermaids. My search began, as many days do, searching Twitter for unicorn related news (and gifs.) Meeting the mermaid hunter who begun my queer unicorn discovery I also discovered that they, alongside other mythical creatures, have been secretly representing us in history as far back as Queen Elizabeth I… It didn’t take long to get to a blindingly obvious answer – yes, they are super queer.įor me, it’s because they represent otherness, freedom and the ability to transform.īut it gets better. So is the reason for this love because it taps into a secret queer undertone? One that goes way beyond a love for spreading rainbows all over the universe? So much so I’ve seen multiple pride merchandise touts at the many prides Gay Star News partners with shouting – not just ‘get ya rainbow flags’ – but also: ‘and your unicorn horns.’Īnd that’s not forgetting how crazy the UK crowds have gone for our Gay Star News unicorn tote bags. Unicorns have become the pride outfit to beat this year. I now have so much unicorn merchandise, I don’t have anywhere to put it. I know unicorns are not the newest craze, but 2018 has taken the rainbow burping creatures trend – to the max.
Over the summer months of 2018, you may have noticed an abundance of unicorns on cupcakes, stationery, and unicorn outfits at pride festivals everywhere.Īnd I’ve been loving each second of the hype.