The vampyre, more so in it's literary and cinematic forms, mixed elements of horror and sexuality. In many societies, restrictions on sexual behavior was common; and the vampyre became the symbol of th release of these, and other powerful emotional energies, that had been bottled up by such restrictions. During the centuries of Christian dominance of the West, homosexual behavior had always been supressed. So it could be expected that in the hieghtened sexuality associated with vampyrism, that some homosexual elements might be present, as is the case. A homosexual aspect has long been noted amongst the very first pieces of vampyre literature.
The first vampyre poem in English, Christabel by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, portended the theme of lesbian vampyre relationships, that would reappear again and again in vampyre literature. The poem centers on the vampyric relationship of Christabel and Geraldine, the vampyre, and later became the inspiration for Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla. In Carmilla the sexual element was even more pronounced. In succeeding decades, primarily in short stories, whenever female vampyres would appear the lesbian element would often hover in the background rather than coming to the fore, though it did remain present.
While there was a recurring lesbian presence in vampyre literature, the same was not true of male homosexuality. The male vampyres of the 19th century invariably choose female victims. This strict male heterosexuality was emphasized in Dracula, the first major work to include male vampyre victims. Dracula did not feed upon Jonathan Harker, but rather left him behind as a feast for his vampyre brides. Nor did Dracula prey upon any of Lucy Westenra's suitors. He choose instead to feed upon Lucy, and eventualy Mina Murray. All of his several confrontations with the males were only in terms of physical combat.
The absence of male vampyres attacking male victims was also apparant in movies in the early 20th century. When a plot called for such men-on-men attacks, they were always mediatied by modern medicine, in the form of needles and transfusions or by way of an animal. The first male homosexual vampire did not appear until the sexual revolution of the 1960s. The first gay vampyre movie, which was a pornographic production, was Does Dracula Really Suck? (also released under the titles: Dracula Sucks and Dracula and the Boys). Several additional titles with gay vampyres appeared in the 1970s, such as: Sons of Satan (1973), Tenderness of Wolves (1973), and an Italian film, Il Cavaliere Costante Nicosia Demoniaco Ovvero Dracula in Brianza (1975). Of these, only Tenderness of Wolves was released to the general public. The movie was devoted to the story of Fritz Haarman, a homosexual serial killer who murdered a number of young boys and drank their blood. Two additional gay vampire movies also appeared, Gayracula (1983) and Love Bites (undated). Homosexual themes did become a more noticable undercurrent in other vampyric movies, as society began to accept the image.
In literature gay vampyres have made but a few appearances up until the last decade. Before the 1990s, the most heralded gay writer on vampyre themes was, and may still be, Jeffrey N. McMahan. Due to the more widespread openess and acceptence of the homosexual culture in modern day society, several erotic vampyric tales have been released, over which half possess homosexual themes.
Perhaps the most significant expression of a vampyric gay relationship, came from a non-gay writer, Anne Rice, in her Vampire Cronicles novels. Interview with the Vampire featured the intense relationship between Lestat de Lioncourt and Louis, the homosexual connotations were not missed by readers or reviewers. Rice was attempting to highlight gender issues, specifically androgyny, moreso than sexual orientation issues. However, this idea of male androgyny has frequently masked a more sexual concern for homosexuality and bisexuality. Lestat, in many of the novels, was pictured as one who easily bonded with males and frequently cried. Yet, when he switched bodies with the mortal Raglan James (In Tale of the Body Theif) he raped a woman; and as a vampyre he often had strong connections to females as well, most notably with Akasha (in Queen of the Damned) and Dora (in Memnoch the Devil). In several of Rice's novels, male vampyres could not have "normal" intercourse, as their sex orgins were dysfunctional. She did suggest, however, that the experience of biting and sucking blood was a far superior form of sex; the mutual sharing of blood by two vampyres was an act of analogous intercourse.
The Rice novels have been one of the sources for the modern day gothic movement, whose fans value the androgynous ideal and have opened their circles to homosexuality and other sexual expressions as well. These include transvestism and sadomasochism amongst others. Gay and lestbians interested in vampyres have founded two organizations, The Secret Room, a "Dark Shadows" fan club, and Bite Me in the Coffin Not in the Closet Fan Club, a more genral interest club.
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