Queer Coding in The Long Goodbye

After discussing the potential of Earl being queer in The Long Goodbye, I wondered about the portrayal of a queer character written in the 1950s. In class, we couldn't pinpoint where Earl was explicitly described as queer, and that's because he wasn't—he was queer-coded.

Queer coding is when a character’s sexuality isn't explicitly stated or confirmed but is inferred through the attribution of stereotypical, often exaggerated traits associated with queerness. Many villainous or otherwise “unsavory” characters are queer-coded; some queer-coded villians you may recognize from your childhood are Ursula, Jafar, Scar, Maleficent, and many other Disney villains. Queer coding became especially popular after the 1930 Hays Code in the US, which dictated what could and could not be portrayed in films. One example of this was “sexual perversion,” including “homosexuality.” Thus, queer coding was used to get around this by alluding to one’s sexuality through stereotypes and exaggerated character traits without any direct mention. Queer coding also intrinsically linked the idea of queerness and immorality, hence why many villains were queer coded. This technique was seen not only in films, but in most, if not all, forms of media.

In The Long Goodbye, Earl’s character is linked with classically feminine traits. For example, he's described as having “delicate” features and “graceful” behaviors. Marlowe spends significantly more time discussing Earl’s clothing than other characters’ clothing, and derisively asks Dr. Verringer if Earl thinks he’s Valentino. He's depicted swinging his hips, filing his nails, and repeatedly calling Marlowe “sweetie,” indicating a subversion of the traditional masculine (and even hypermasculine) behavior that other men in the novel exhibit.

Marlow’s perception of Earl is that he’s a “nut” and he wonders whether Dr. Verringer is running a sanitarium after Earl threatens Marlowe with brass knuckles. Marlowe further classifies Earl as “manic-depressive,” and even Dr. Verringer describes Earl as “unstable.” This reinforces the idea that queerness is perverse and linked with mental illness, a detrimental belief that was institutionalized until 1973 when homosexuality was removed from the DSM.

Queer coding can be harmful by perpetuating stereotypes and linking the idea of queerness with violence and instability. It also reinforces the damaging yet persisting belief that queerness stems from mental illness and is inherently subversive and dangerous.

- Christa (she/her)