Billy Quirk plays one of cinema’s earliest queer protagonists in the 1912 silent film ALGIE THE MINER. The film was directed (in part), and also produced, by French filmmaker Alice Guy Blaché who was one of cinema’s first female directors.

The 1941 Disney animated short THE RELUCTANT DRAGON features a gay (technically queer-coded) dragon who is a reclusive pacifist living in the mountains, avoiding conflict by spending his time conducting songbirds and writing poetry.

The 1931 pre-code Hollywood film PALMY DAYS features a “Pansy” buying a cake, drag, and two queer-coded leads

The pre-code film THE BROADWAY MELODY of 1929 features a gay costume designer named Turpe (Drew Demorest).

The 1932 pre-code Hollywood film CALL HER SAVAGE was one of the earliest mainstream American films to feature a glimpse inside what is likely a gay bar.