🎬 SHOUT Movie Night: The Babadook Screening

🎬 SHOUT Movie Night: The Babadook Screening
Join us for a spooky night out with the Magic City Queer Arts meetup group! We are heading to the Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema for a free screening of the modern horror classic, The Babadook (2014).
Hosted in partnership with Birmingham AIDS Outreach (BAO) as part of their SHOUT film series, this event is a perfect chance to mingle, enjoy a great movie, and connect with fellow queer creatives and film lovers.

• 📅 When: Thursday, October 29, 2026
• ⏰ Time: 7:00 PM (Film starts at 7:00 PM; meet us in the lobby at 6:45 PM)
• 📍 Where: Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema
• 🎟 Admission: Free!
• 👥 Guests: Feel free to bring a friend who might be interested in checking out our group!

🥂 After-Movie Drinks & Discussion: Don't head home right after the credits roll! Join us immediately following the screening at the Sidewalk Lounge inside the cinema. We'll grab some drinks, unwind, and chat about the film's metaphors, camp themes, and queer legacy.

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Why The Babadook is a Queer Horror Icon 🏳️‍🌈
While The Babadook was originally filmed as a psychological horror movie about grief and trauma, it has been enthusiastically adopted by the LGBTQ+ community as an official queer icon. Here is why this creepy entity resonates so deeply with the gay community:

• The Ultimate Outsider Metaphor: At its core, the Babadook is a hidden, misunderstood monster living in a basement who forces an entire household to accept his presence. For many queer people, this mirrors the experience of being an outsider, hiding one's true identity, and the dramatic process of coming out and demanding acceptance.
• A "Born This Way" Legacy: In 2016, a viral internet meme accidentally categorized the film under "LGBTQ Movies" on Netflix. The internet ran with it, transforming the top-hat-wearing monster into a symbol of camp fashion, dramatic flair, and unapologetic queer visibility—even inspiring Babadook cosplays at Pride parades worldwide.
• The Power of Chosen Family: The movie concludes not by destroying the monster, but by finding a way to coexist with it, feeding it worms in the basement. This dark, unconventional domestic arrangement beautifully parallels the queer concept of creating a chosen family and finding peace with your internal demons.

Whether you see it as a profound metaphor or just want to enjoy a campy horror favorite with a great group of people, you won't want to miss this night!