If you watched the film ‘The Babadook‘ with an even vaguely analytical eye, you might think that the titular Babadook is not an actual monster, but rather a symbolic manifestation of the grief experienced by the mother, Amelia. You would be wrong.

While it is true that the Babadook is not an actual monster, what’s clear is that he’s not a metaphor for anything, he is, in fact, a gay icon.

good morning the Babadook is openly gay — JuanPa (@jpbrammer) February 16, 2017

babadook a true gay icon pic.twitter.com/Pp8Aj23zsG — JuJu ???? (@amadojuju) May 14, 2017

openly gay and with an affinity for hats and drama, the Babadook was the first time I saw myself represented in a film — JuanPa (@jpbrammer) April 19, 2017

Maybe you’re thinking that you didn’t really feel the Babadook putting off mad gay vibes during his limited screen time and, frankly, shame on you. How the Babadook presents himself has nothing to do with his sexuality – he’s a fantastical nightmare creature, not a stereotype.

More pointedly, though, you might be asking how people came to determine that the Babadook was, in fact, homosexual. As with anything that happens on the internet, the roots are murky, but it all seems to stem from this rather tenuous placement of ‘The Babadook‘ in the ‘LGBT‘ category on Netflix.

Source: Reddit / Sterish.

Tumblr’s queer teens – the source of nearly all internet LGBTQIA culture – absolutely ran with it, and seem to be having a wonderful time.

my new favorite Tumblr meme is insisting that The Babadook is gay pic.twitter.com/Id1PJpkkgX — Ryan Broderick (@broderick) February 15, 2017

Obviously, with a claim this bold, there is some dissent.

I love my bisexual son, the babadook — Kai ?? (@thebibadook) April 6, 2017

the babadook is bisexual. do not erase his identity — isobel (@iscbel) March 5, 2017

Babadook more like BI-Badook as in the Babadook is bisexual and we should RESPECT THEIR WISHES — [dank screaming] (@dopelore) February 23, 2017

I, for one, completely agree. The Babadook is bisexual, and also my husband.

Photo: Twitter / @melongifts.