In July 2023 the world became a less funny, less quirky, and less queer place when Paul Rubens, best known for creating the character Pee-wee Herman, passed away at the age of 70, leaving behind an enduring legacy of queer acceptance.While during his life Ruebens never openly discussed his sexuality, he finally shared his truth posthumously in the documentary Pee-wee as Himself . But for anyone paying attention the signs he was family have been there in his work all along there was an undeniable queerness imbued in the characters and the setting that made a huge impact on LGBTQ+ kids and adults.Not only was the show full of campy characters and colorful over-the-top set design, but Pee-wee himself was often read as either an asexual man-child or an effete, gay man. The way that masculinity was portrayed on the show was transgressive especially in the '80s when the character first graced our screens.Everything about Pee-wee's Playhouse was unquestionably gay without ever saying the words out loud. From the campy comedy to queer guest stars to Pee-wee even cross-dressing in Pee-Wees Big Adventure, the show has left an imprint on queer culture that cant be overstated.So lets celebrate the life and work of Paul Rubens and take a look back at the ten queerest moments from his career as Pee-wee Herman.Jambi the GenieJambi the Genie, portrayed by the late John Paragon, usually appeared once per episode to grant Pee-wee a wish. The blue-faced genie is considered to be a drag queen by most and if you peep the make-up and styling we can see why!'Pee-wee Playhouse Christmas Special' Guest Stars1988s Pee-Wees Playhouse Christmas Special included a list of guests full of gay icons like Cher, Grace Jones, Little Richards, Joan Rivers, Whoopi Goldberg, Zsa Zsa Gabor and even k.d. lang.The Never-Ending Fruit CakesDuring Pee-Wees Playhouse Christmas Special, Pee-wee receives a fruitcake from every guest that comes through his door and eventually admits to using them to add a new room onto the Playhouse. We are then treated to a glimpse of the muscular construction workers, one of whom is wearing a tank top and the other is shirtless the queerness is really right there on the surface once you start to look.Miss YvonneMiss Yvonne was a frequent guest at the Playhouse whose '50s aesthetic was so campy she would have looked at home in a John Waters filmCrossdressing in 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure'In the movie Pee-Wees Big Adventure, Pee-wee crossdresses ignorer to elude the cops.The Time Pee-wee Marries A Fruit SaladOn one episode of Pee-wees Playhouse, Pee-wee marries a fruit salad as a play on the frequent if you love X so much, why dont you marry it joke very subtle!The Show's Adult JokesAdult jokes were peppered throughout the show, often with queer overtones. Like on the short-lived HBOs The Pee-Wee Herman Show when Jambi the Genie who is a disembodied head receives hands in the mail and says, Ive had something Ive wanted to do for a long time.The Hot LifeguardRoland Rodriguez plays a lifeguard on Pee-wee's Playhouse who shows off his chiseled physique while wearing short shorts and at one point appears in nothing but tiny gold shorts and gold bow-tie it's hard to get gayer than that!The 'Magic Mike' JokeIn Pee-wee's Big Holiday we get yet another example of a quip that adults would enjoy, but would sail right over kids heads, when Joe Manganiello asks Pee-wee if hes seen Magic Mike. Pee-wee responds, Ha! Youd think so, but no.The Queer-Coded Ending Of 'Pee-wee's Big Holiday'In 2016 Rubens appeared in his final feature-length role as Pee-wee Herman in Pee-wee's Big Holiday. In it, Pee-wee meets Joe Manganiello (as himself) and then leaves his small town to travel to New York to celebrate Joe's birthday. The whole film is often read as a coming out story, but it's really the end of the movie that sells it for us. Pee-wee and Joe exchange friendship bracelets and then ride off into the sunset together on Joe's motorcycle. So sweet!