Every year as October rolls around, you can feel it: the energy building, the anticipation rising, and the glitter levels steadily increasing. Halloween isn’t just a holiday; it’s an event, a statement, a movement—and for the queer community, it’s practically sacred. While some see it as a celebration of paganism, it’s simply today a chance to be who we believe we are on the inside. Why? Because Halloween is the one day a year when we’re allowed—no, expected—to be gloriously, unapologetically ourselves, but turned up to eleven. We’re not just leaning out of the closet; we’re tap-dancing out of it in six-inch heels, a feather boa, and maybe a werewolf mask.

I know some people think of Halloween as a spooky, kid-centric day for eating way too much sugar and throwing toilet paper at your neighbors. And sure, it’s that too. But for us, Halloween is the day we get to pick up whatever societal mask we’ve been forced to wear, chuck it in the dumpster, and replace it with whatever we want—even if that means dressing as a sexy goblin or a zombie Taylor Swift. It’s not just about a costume. It’s about expression. About taking a deep breath and then exhaling in glitter, sequins, or spooky eyeshadow.

For many queer folks, Halloween represents the power of transformation. It’s the night we are free to explore and display the different facets of ourselves. Want to be a queen for the day—literally? Halloween has you covered. Feeling a bit more Prince of Darkness than Prince Charming? Throw on that black cape and channel the kind of fabulous drama that’s usually only reserved for Pride month. For once, the world says, “Be anything,” and we’re like, “Challenge accepted.”

You see, it’s about more than just cobwebs and pumpkins. Halloween embodies the kind of freedom the queer community craves every day—freedom to be who we are without judgment, freedom to express our identities in bold, defiant, and often campy ways. It’s about pushing boundaries and bending rules, but more importantly, it’s about connection. We get to celebrate, whether it’s in a group of friends gathered around a cauldron-shaped punch bowl or at a club where everyone’s dancing to the Monster Mash with a rainbow twist.

There’s something beautifully queer about a holiday that says, “Pretend to be anyone, anything,” and expects you to do it fabulously. It’s an invitation to experiment, to be playful, to be larger than life. And let’s be honest: after a year of trying to fit into heteronormative expectations—even just a little—don’t we deserve at least one night where we get to turn the dial all the way up to “extra”?

In the end, Halloween is our night to come out and play, to showcase our creativity and our resilience, and to connect with others who get it—who understand that the line between fear and freedom is as thin as a layer of face paint. So here’s to the ghouls, the glitter, and the gorgeousness of Halloween. Here’s to the only holiday that can rightfully be called a celebration of queer magic. Go light your jack-o’-lanterns, my friends, and may your broomsticks fly high.