Popular culture made the connection between transsexual depravity and homicidal violence long before it was repeatedly documented here. The first examples that come to mind are Norman Bates and Buffalo Bill.

Norman Bates from Psycho is ranked villain #2 on the American Film Institute’s 100 Heroes & Villains list. He killed his victims while dressed in women’s clothes. The monster was made all the creepier thanks to a career-defining performance by gay actor Anthony Perkins

Jame “Buffalo Bill” Gumb was the serial killer antagonist of The Silence of the Lambs. Via Hannibal Wiki:

Gumb had long felt he was born the wrong gender and desired sexual reassignment surgery. However his history of violence against gay men and women in addition to mental instability prevented this, as psychiatric evaluation is needed, and Gumb was disapproved. As such, Gumb started his career as “Buffalo Bill” whereupon he would kidnap overweight women, then starve them before murdering them, which he would fashion their skin into a “woman suit” for him to wear.

The macabre metaphor applies well to drag queens, who become grotesque parodies of women by appropriating superficial aspects of their appearance.

These characters have resonated with audiences in such an enduring way because they touch on something true. In today’s environment, neither Psycho or The Silence of the Lambs would have been made, due to fear of cancelation by the powerful Alphabet People. Yet in light of current events, they ring truer than ever.