Netflix is facing backlash on social media after placing its new hit docudrama Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story in the LGBTQ category on its platform.
Dahmer, a gay man, killed seventeen men and boys from 1978 through 1991.
The Milwaukee serial killer picked up several of his victims from a gay bar called Club 219.
A viral TikTok video, reported on by Pink News, noted that Netflix had tagged the Ryan Murphy series as “Ominous,” “Psychological,” “Horror,” and “LGBTQ.” In the video, the user asks “why the f-ck” Netflix made the decision to tag the series as LGBTQ and said this is “not the representation we’re looking for.”
@lizthelezbo♬ original sound – liz
The video had been “liked” over 22,000 times as of Monday.
There were also hundreds of complaints about the tag on Twitter.
“Will you please take LGBTQ off of this show. He was not part of the LGBTQ community. He was a sick pedophile serial killer. It’s insulting to the LGBTQ community and it support the crazy right wing agenda! Stop! Or I’ll cancel! I’ll tell everyone I know to cancel too,” one user wrote, gaining nearly 400 “likes.”
Will you please take LGBTQ off of this show. He was not part of the LGBTQ community. He was a sick pedophile serial killer. It’s insulting to the LGBTQ community and it support the crazy right wing agenda! Stop! Or I’ll cancel! I’ll tell everyone I know to cancel too. 😡🤬
— 🌊🏳️🌈Kristi(she/her)🏳️🌈 🌊(EmpathyMatters) (@Kris_LoveWins) September 22, 2022
Did @netflix really say #Dahmer is an LGBTQ+ film? I mean technically they aren’t wrong but it’s also not the representation the community really needs
— Eric Janvier (@ClassicJanvier) September 22, 2022
Um…, netflix can we not describe the New Dahmer show as LGBTQ? I mean yes Dahmer was technically Gay but he was a truly awful person who did horrendous things. I just don’t want this show to be misconstrued as (representation).
— XiaolikesOctopi (@Jeffrey87165303) September 21, 2022
i’m about to watch the dahmer show rn but i think it’s inappropriate that it’s marked as “LGBTQ” when this man was a serial killer who targeted mainly gay men of color…
like that was a poor decision on netflix’s part, his evil ass shouldn’t be associated with that community
— 𝙙. (@angelmoan) September 21, 2022
A tweet saying “imagine clicking on the ‘LGBTQ’ category and this is what you get” with a screenshot of the tag gained 17,000 “likes.”
imagine clicking on the “LGBTQ” category and this is what you get pic.twitter.com/DenEW0DzOd
— Quinton Reviews🎬 (@Q_Review) September 21, 2022
Many also mocked the outrage.
“If people are tweeking out about Dahmer being a member of the LGBTQ community wait till they find out about John Wayne Gacy,” someone wrote in a reply to a cannibalism joke.
If people are tweeking out about Dahmer being a member of the LGBTQ community wait till they find out about John Wayne Gacy.
— 🇺🇦RevenantOfThePast🇺🇦 (@RevenantPast) September 25, 2022
The series had previously faced backlash after families of several victims complained that it was traumatizing them all over again.
Eric Perry, the cousin of Rita Isbell, the sister of a victim who famously shouted at Dahmer during the trial, tweeted that “I’m not telling anyone what to watch, I know true crime media is huge rn, but if you’re actually curious about the victims, my family (the Isbell’s) are pissed about this show. It’s retraumatizing over and over again, and for what? How many movies/shows/documentaries do we need?”
Like recreating my cousin having an emotional breakdown in court in the face of the man who tortured and murdered her brother is WILD. WIIIIIILD.
— eric. (@ericthulhu) September 22, 2022
Netflix Jeffrey Dahmer’s victim’s sister and the real Rita in 1992 #jeffreydahmer #serialkillers #truecrime #truecrimecommunity pic.twitter.com/t8fZe1S2oT
— Carol DaRonch (@CarolDaRonch) September 21, 2022
Netflix has not commented on the controversy at this time. Timcast has reached out for comment and will update this story if one is provided.
