We're only days away from the virtual horror pride festival FRIGHTGOWN! With over 80 LGBTQ+ horror critics and creators involved, the event is all in support of the Transgender Law Center, and we have all the details on the final schedule of events, including feature films, shorts, panels, hangouts, and much, much more!

Salem MA - June 22, 2021 - Salem Horror Fest and the Horror Queers podcast have announced the final schedule of events for the inaugural Queer Horror Pride celebration FRIGHTGOWN, a new 3-day virtual Pride festival celebrating queer voices in a series of features, shorts, panels, virtual hangouts, exclusive content for fans and allies alike in support of the Transgender Law Center this Friday, June 25 - Sunday, June 27.

Headlining the event will be a pair of feature films with the virtual premiere of Bad Girls directed by Christopher Bickel and an encore of Death Drop Gorgeous directed by Michael J Ahern, Christopher Dalpe, and Brandon Perras-Sanchez. The program will also feature more than two hours of horror shorts that represent characters and creators from all aspects of the rainbow spectrum from directors Kaye Adelaide, Mylo Butler, Michelle Garza Cervera, Yann Gonzalez, Sydne Horton, Richard Louprasong, Neal Mulani, Mark Pariselli, Brodi-jo Scalise, Mariel Sharp, Sean Temple, Michael Varrati, and Sarah Wisner.

A series of panels and Q&A’s will feature tributes to Queer Horror classics Nightbreed and Bit with director Brad Michael Elmore hosted by critics and creators Ten Backe, Dani Bethea, Reyna Cervantes, Wren Crain, Dax Ebaban, Brother Ghoulish, Anthony Hudson, Joe Lipsett, Leigh Monson, Stacie Ponder, Kaila Ren, Trace Thurman, and Bobby Torrez. Legendary professor and author Dr. Harry M Benshoff joins a discussion about the themes covered in his influential book Monsters in the Closet.

Participants are invited to explore a Killer Prom virtual environment designed by Exile PR hosted by Gather Town for live interactions and broadcasts. Users will be able to communicate with each other in real time and discover hidden easter eggs of exclusive content such as GRIM Journal with articles by Alice Collins, Valeska Griffiths, Paul Le, Mary-Beth McAndrews, Terry Mesnard, and Adam Messinger and profiles of queer horror academic Dr. Darren Elliott-Smith, and queer horror podcasts Slash Her and Ghouls Next Door.

The Killer Prom platform also features an exclusive podcast episode on Tragedy Girls from This Ends at Prom featuring BJ and Harmony M. Colangelo, as well as podcast compilation samplers devoted to Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2 and Bride of Chucky from Attack the Queer Wolf, Dead for Filth, Gaylords of Darkness, Dirty Little Horror, The Homos on Haunted Hill, Horror Homos, Horror Queers, ScreamQueenz, Slash HerFear, Stop! Horror Time, and The Talking Queers.

Everyone is invited to join late night watch parties for Bit, Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker and Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2 (available on SHUDDER and tubi) with the Twitter hashtag #frightgown hosted by Nay Beaver, Devin Baldwin, Wren Cain, ImmortalGraves, Michael Varrati, Matty Zaradich, and more.

Closing the festivities will be Hot Ghoul Summer, a one hour showcase of gender queer performances hosted by Salem drag queen Cain featuring Andrew Barret Cox, Violencia Exclamation Point, Chris Griandher, Complete Destruction, Freddye Dollma Starr, Dick Kayin, Miz Diamond Wigfall, and Peewee Vermin.

This event is made possible with the support of donors, ticket buyers and sponsors Die With Your Boots On, Don Papa Rum, Faculty of Horror, Scary Stuff Podcast, Bloody Disgusting and Daily Dead.

Tickets to attend are $25 general admission, $110 VIP. All proceeds go to the Transgender Law Center. VIP members will be able to access the program and additional content on demand, and will receive a limited edition Pride Day the 13th hockey mask designed by Uncle Boogieman.  Sponsorships are still available and donations at any level are welcome! For tickets, schedule and program details, please visit frightgown.com.

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About SALEM HORROR FEST
Salem Horror Fest is a celebration of diverse voices and innovative filmmaking within a genre that best reflects our cultural demons and anxieties. Located in the Halloween capital of the world, Salem Horror Fest has been deemed one of the best genre festivals in the world by MovieMaker Magazine.

About HORROR QUEERS
Each week in the queer horror podcast Horror Queers, Joe Lipsett and Trace Thurman tackle a horror film with LGBTQ+ themes, a high camp quotient or both. Horror Queers is part of the Bloody Disgusting podcast network.

About TRANSGENDER LAW CENTER
Transgender Law Center (TLC) is the largest national trans-led organization advocating for a world in which all people are free to define themselves and their futures. Grounded in legal expertise and committed to racial justice, TLC employs a variety of community-driven strategies to keep transgender and gender nonconforming people alive, thriving, and fighting for liberation.