Sexuality In American Horror Film

In An Introduction to the American Horror Film, Robin Wood states that “The release of sexuality in the horror film is always presented as perverted, monstrous, and excessive, both the perversion and the excess being the logical outcome of repression.” (Wood 213). By Leatherface showcasing his transgendered identity, it is monstrous and is viewed as him being over the top. His scream is very loud and has similarities to that of a women, and this correlates with Wood and how he says when sexuality is released it is excessive. But Leatherface is constantly repressing his identity so when he does express it, he cannot control it. The movie shows his different steps in accepting himself. His mask shows the transitions that he takes. In the beginning
This was directed to Leatherface. She later goes on to say “they” but she starts with “him” it’s her way of telling the father figure that he could his sons transitioning. He has the power to end this. Previously people thought being gay was a mental illness, that it was just the mind. It was just a lack of a stable household, or it was the product of no male figure within the family system. That is why by Sally telling the father he has the power to make him stop, she is representing the society and its opinions on how to stop anything that is not heterosexual. This scene even shows the power difference not only does Sally think the father can stop leatherface. The brother notices this as well and attacks the father for not doing any work to keep the family stable. So the brother blames his father for the reason Leatherface made the decision he did. Leatherface can be understood as having no choice but to change his gender identity in order to meet society’s standards of a family home. That he is not transgendered but is just trying to make his family whole, and help it function efficiently. But that is not the case because if that was the only reason then Leatherface would not feel the need to also dress the part, take on women’s oppression, hide away as if he is something to be ashamed of, and he would not allow his family to oppress him if he was solely only trying to help his