For decades, Hollywood operated under the Hays Code (1934–1968), which effectively banned explicit depictions of "sexual perversion". This led to an era of where characters were given subtle traits to signal their identity without ever saying the word "gay."

Television was often even more conservative than film, but local and cable stations became vital lifelines for the community.

: Once censorship lifted, films like The Boys in the Band (1970) and the cult masterpiece The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) finally brought queer life—and camp—into the light. TV & Radio: Pioneering the Airwaves

: Despite the code, Rebel Without a Cause (1955) featured what many consider the first onscreen gay teenager, and The Children's Hour (1961) offered a sympathetic, if tragic, look at lesbian life.

: Many early queer representations were found in villains, such as the obsessive housekeeper in Rebecca (1940) or the murderous duo in Alfred Hitchcock's Rope (1948).