So what exactly makes a movie fabulously queer without explicitly waving the rainbow flag? Darling, just mix in a handful of top-tier gay icons — think Bette Midler, Joan Crawford, and Faye Dunaway (doing her best Joan Crawford impression, of course). Ensure they’re trading gloriously bitchy lines while tearing each other to shreds, and add a heavy dose of unashamedly camp aesthetic. Voilà! You’ve whipped up something irresistibly queer, whether by accident or design.

Some films have sashayed their way into the queer canon purely through their gloriously terrible or debatable quality. Take “Showgirls,” “Mommie Dearest,” “Glitter,” and that delightfully dreadful remake of “The Stepford Wives.” These are cinematic disasters that somehow transcend into camp classics. Meanwhile, others like Robert Zemeckis’ Oscar-winning “Death Becomes Her” have managed to push the envelope, standing the test of time and appealing to the ever-evolving tastes of queer audiences. Watching Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn in a diva showdown, with in-camera and CGI effects making the impossible possible — like Goldie’s gaping stomach wound — is nothing short of iconic.

Looking back, Hollywood’s legendary leading ladies set the precedent for films now celebrated in gay culture, even without overtly gay characters. Bette Davis in “All About Eve” gave us the immortal, “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night,” while Elizabeth Taylor took Bette’s “What a dump” and elevated it in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” with a chicken wing in hand. And in the age of reading and shade, what’s queerer than a biting comeback? Whoopi Goldberg in “Sister Act” immortalized, “It’s better than sex,” a line so deeply embedded in our cultural lexicon we often forget its origin.

Ed Bianchi’s 1981 “The Fan” graced us with Lauren Bacall as an aging starlet, battling to keep her legacy intact while being stalked by a deranged gay fan — a camp classic, if ever there was one. Films like “9 to 5” and “Steel Magnolias” continue to enchant because their casts are a veritable who’s who of gay icons, delivering lines that make us laugh and cry in the same breath. Even documentaries like the Maysles’ monumental “Grey Gardens” resonate with the queer community, thanks to Little Edie’s unforgettable musings on the best costume for the day.

And let’s not overlook the enduring charm of films where men are humiliated and debased, leaving our fabulous female leads holding all the cards. From Gloria Swanson’s glamorously sinister Norma Desmond in “Sunset Boulevard” to the witchy wonders of “Hocus Pocus” with Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker casting a spell on us all, these films keep us rooting for the fierce female leads. Adding to this pantheon are the gothic delights of “The Addams Family” with Anjelica Huston’s Morticia Addams, and the fashionista fever dream that is “The Devil Wears Prada” with Meryl Streep’s icy Miranda Priestly.

Let’s throw in a few more gems. “The Birdcage” is an absolute riot, with Robin Williams and Nathan Lane serving up drag realness and familial chaos. “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” takes us on a glittering road trip across the Australian Outback, complete with ABBA hits and feather boas. And then there’s “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” a raw and raucous musical journey that’s as touching as it is outrageous.

These films, darlings, are forever etched into the queer cinematic tapestry, celebrated for their audacious style, sharp wit, and the women who deliver it all with a knowing wink. They remind us that camp isn’t just a sensibility; it’s a way of life.