The vampire is an undeniably sexual figure in the literary tradition. The act of luring a victim in and draining their blood becomes an intimate experience that is hard to ignore. There's a reason that it's Lucy who turns into a vampiress in Bram Stoker's Dracula as opposed to the mild mannered and faithful Mina. Her sexual nature and unrestrained desires turn her into a monster.

 

Carmilla is comfortable situated in a society that, while not comfortable openly discussing things such as sexuality, still had an innate curiosity and desire to explore these topics. The vampire is a conduit through which society can explore sexuality. The perceived perversion of homosexuality is interpreted as a monster and explored with a degree of separation that fiction affords. Carmilla's pursuit of the innocent Laura exemplifies the  The audience sates their curiosity for these topics without becoming too personally involved. The reverse of this, however, is that it paints queer interactions and relationships as unhealthy and predator. These dynamics become simultaneously demonized and fetishized.

 

Carmilla elevates Lucy's "depravity" by turning her affections to other women. There is a long and storied history of monsters as stand-ins for queer representation and issues. Vampires are no exception to this. One of the most powerful weapons in the vampire's arsenal is seduction. There is a feeling that you should abstain and stay away from the vampire, and yet you find yourself inexplicably drawn back to them time and time again.

 

While it is outdated to equate the queer identity with monstrosity, instances of this cannot be overlooked. Equating the queer identity with sexual promiscuity, a rampant aspect of vampire fiction, is also not uncommon. Carmilla is the seductress who wraps older men around her finger to get a chance at their young daughters. She retains her femininity in this role. Envisioned as the outburst of repressed sexuality, a temptress wrapped in silks and prepared to seduce your entire family. Where Carmilla could easily seduce Laura's father and be satisfied with that, she instead uses affection to get closer to Laura herself. The innocence of Laura is part of the allure for the queer-coded vampiress and furthers the notion of a dangerous, hypersexual queer woman who corrupts the pure.