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A gay icon is a public figure who is highly regarded and beloved by the LGBT community. A gay icon can either be a part of the LGBT community or heterosexual, but heterosexual gay icons are often highly supportive of their fans within the community and the rights of LGBT people. Organizations such as GLAAD routinely recognize public figures for their contributions and support for the LGBT community. Gay icons exist across cultures, most prominently in North and South America, Europe, and Asia.

Many gay icons are celebrities in the entertainment industry, but can also include figures in politics, history, sports, literature, and other mediums. Prominent entertainers considered to be gay icons often incorporate themes of acceptance, self-love, and sexuality in their work. Gay icons of all orientations have acknowledged the role that their gay fans have played in their success, including Lady Gaga, Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Cher, Diana Ross, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Kylie Minogue, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Spice Girls, Britney Spears, Charli XCX, Cheryl, Marina Diamandis, Nicki Minaj, Daniel Howell, Christina Aguilera, Princess Diana, Bernie Sanders and Lana Del Rey. Politicians considered to be gay icons typically attain their status in the LGBT community for consistently supporting and advocating for LGBT rights.

Historical

The earliest gay icon may have been Saint Sebastian,^[1] a Christian saint and martyr, whose combination of strong and shirtless physique, symbolic arrow-pierced flesh and rapturous look of pain have intrigued artists, both gay and straight, for centuries and began the first explicitly gay cult in the nineteenth century.^[1] Journalist Richard A. Kaye wrote, "Contemporary gay men have seen in Sebastian at once a stunning advertisement for homosexual desire (indeed, a homoerotic ideal), and a prototypical portrait of a tortured closet case."^[2]

Due to Saint Sebastian's status as a gay icon, Tennessee Williams chose to use the saint's name for the martyred character Sebastian in his play, Suddenly, Last Summer.^[3] The name was also used by Oscar Wilde—as Sebastian Melmoth—when in exile after his release from prison. Wilde, an Irish writer and poet, was about as "out of the closet" as was possible for the late 19th century, and is himself considered to be a gay icon.^[4]

Marie Antoinette was an early lesbian icon. Rumors about her relationships with women circulated in pornographic detail by anti-royalist pamphlets before the French Revolution. In Victorian England, biographers who idealized the Ancien Régime made a point of denying the rumours, but at the same time romanticised Marie Antoinette's "sisterly" friendship with the Princesse de Lamballe as—in the words of an 1858 biography—one of the "rare and great loves that Providence unites in death."^[5] By the end of the 19th century, she was a cult icon of "sapphism." Her execution, seen as tragic martyrdom, may have added to her appeal.^{[citation needed]}

Allusions to her appearance were made in early 20th century lesbian literature—most notably Radclyffe Hall's The Well of Loneliness—where the gay playwright Jonathan Brockett describes Marie Antoinette and de Lamballe as "poor souls... sick to death of the subterfuge and pretenses."^[6] She had crossover appeal as a gay icon, as well, at least for French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist Jean Genet, who was fascinated by her story. He included a reenactment of her execution in his 1947 play The Maids.^[5]

Historical figures including Hatshepsut,^[7] Sappho,^[8] Georgia O'Keeffe,^[9] Alan Turing,^[10] John E. Fryer,^[10] Marsha P. Johnson,^[11] Sylvia Rivera,^[11] Derek Jarman,^[11] Amelio Robles Ávila,^[11] Susan Sontag,^[12] Karl Heinrich Ulrichs,^[7] Barbara Gittings,^[11] Essex Hemphill,^[13] Audre Lorde,^[7] Virginia Woolf, Giacomo Casanova, Walt Whitman, Anaïs Nin, and Alfred Kinsey are regarded as gay icons.^[9]

Modern

Modern gay icons in entertainment include film stars and musicians, most of whom have strong, distinctive personalities, and many of whom died young or under tragic circumstances. For example, Greek-American opera singer Maria Callas—who reached her peak in the 1950s—became a gay icon because the uniquely compelling qualities of her stage performances were allied to a tempestuous private life, a sequence of unhappy love affairs, and a lonely premature death in Paris after her voice had deserted her.

Lesbian icons, sometimes called "dykons" (a portmanteau of the words "dyke" and "icon") are most often powerful women who are, or are rumored to be, lesbian or bisexual.^[14][15] However, a few male entertainers have also had iconic status for lesbian people. James Dean was an early lesbian icon who, along with Marlon Brando, influenced the butch look and self-image in the 1950s and after.^{[16][17][18][19]} One critic has argued for Johnny Cash as a minor lesbian icon, attributing his appeal to "lesbian identification with troubled and suffering masculinity."^[20]

Gay icons may be homosexual or heterosexual, out or in the closet, male or female. The women most commonly portrayed by drag queens are usually gay icons. The definition of what it means to be a "gay icon" has come under criticism in recent years for a lack of substance. Paul Flynn of The Guardian wrote, "The concept of gay icon is a cheap ticket...[and] the idea of gay iconography itself is currently replaceable with the idea of popularity and the ability to carry a strong, identifiable, signature look."^[21] Author Michael Thomas Ford depicts a similar attitude in his work of fiction Last Summer.

Worldwide

The term "gay icon" is found in many cultures. Dalida, a French singer of Italian origin who was born in Egypt, had a career-long gay following that extended out of Paris and well into the Middle East. In the years since her death in 1987, her iconic status has not diminished.^[22][23]

Asian

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India's first openly queer stand-up comedian Navin Noronha,^[24] Indian actor Anil Kapoor^[25] and actress Sonam Kapoor,^[26] Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai,^[27] Hong Kong singer Leslie Cheung,^[28] South Korean pop group Girls' Generation,^[29] Chinese Ren Hang (photographer) and Thai singer Christina Aguilar^[30] have been called gay icons. Singers like Ayumi Hamasaki, Namie Amuro, and Utada Hikaru have been considered gay icons of Japanese pop.

European

In the Netherlands, Dutch singer and actress Willeke Alberti is widely embraced as a gay icon, due to a combination of her song repertoire, her durability, and her performances in support of manifold gay causes.^[31] Spanish actress Carmen Maura, Spanish politician Pedro Zerolo,^[32] Italian singers Mina and Raffaella Carrà, Scottish pop singer Jimmy Somerville, Polish singers Beata Kozidrak, Dorota Rabczewska, Kora Jackowska, Kayah, Zdzislawa Sosnicka, German actress and singer Hildegard Knef, and English singers Dusty Springfield and Sophie Ellis-Bextor are also considered gay icons,^{[33][34][35][36][37][38]} as are French entertainers Dalida, Mylène Farmer, Lorie, Jenifer, Alizée, and Ysa Ferrer, Ukrainian boy band Kazaky, Turkish singer Ajda Pekkan, and Italian actress Isabella Rossellini.^{[39][40][41][42]}

Latin America

Latin American figures have also gained reputations as gay icons. Pop band Alaska y Dinarama is one example. Their single "¿A quién le importa?" ("Who Cares?"), which was later covered in 2002 by Thalía, was a hit for the 1980s Spanish band, becoming a gay anthem for the Hispanophone LGBT community. Singer Gloria Trevi is considered a gay icon, especially after her release of "Todos me miran" ("Everyone's Looking at Me") featuring a rejected gay man turned drag queen, but had been popular with the gay and lesbian community in Mexico since the beginning of her career for being a controversial and powerful singer.^[43] Mexican singer and actress Paulina Rubio has been a gay icon for Latin America after supporting gay marriage and publicly stating that she wants to have sex with fellow gay icon Madonna.^[44]

Other modern Latin American gay icons include singers Alaska, Ricky Martin, Selena, La Lupe, Sara Montiel, Lola Flores and Chavela Vargas.^[45][46]

Argentine gay icons include actresses Isabel Sarli, Susana Giménez and Moria Casán, the trans woman Florencia de la V, First Lady Eva Perón and President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.^[47]

Venezuelan actresses Mimi Lazo, Haydée Balza, Lila Morillo, Mirtha Perez, Kiara and Hilda Abrahamz are the most beloved gay icons in the country, often impersonated by drag queens. Other artists who have fought for gay rights in the country are the model and actress Patricia Velásquez, the play writer Isaac Chocrón, the journalist Boris Izaguirre, the actors Édgar Ramírez and Luis Fernández as for the youtuber Pedro Figueira known as La Divaza.

In Brazil, pop singers Kelly Key, Sandy, Lorena Simpson, Preta Gil, and Wanessa are considered gay icons. In 2012, Key was honored with the "Pink Triangle Award," a Brazilian LGBT award, considered the "Gay Oscar".^{[48][49][50][51]}

Entertainment

1930s–1940s

The 1930s saw a number of writers, political activists, and celebrities garner reputations as gay icons. Poet and satirical writer Dorothy Parker had a large gay following. The phrase "friend of Dorothy" was code for gay and is attributed to both Parker and the popular Judy Garland role in The Wizard Of Oz (1939).

Actress Bette Davis' performance in Dark Victory (1939), was dubbed by queer theorist Eve Sedgwick as "the epistemology of the closet."^[52] Davis' portrayal of the melodramatic Judith Traherne made her talent for playing someone with a secret revered and her "camp-worthy" dialog reflexive of the "flamboyant gay queen of the dramatic arts."^[52] Ed Sikov, author of Dark Victory: The Life of Bette Davis, wrote that 20th century gay men developed their own subculture following Davis' example.^[52]

In Marcella Althaus-Reid's Liberation Theology and Sexuality, Marlene Dietrich, who is considered to be the first German-born actress to receive critical acclaim in Hollywood, is a model of liberation and subversion, as well as beauty, perfection and sensuality.^[53][54] In Rio de Janeiro, Althaus-Reid discovered a statue of Dietrich dressed as Our Lady of Aparecida in a gay bar in Copacabana beach.^[54] The image of Dietrich as the black Virgin Mary represents her overcoming duality.^[54] According to Althaus-Reid, it is a figure that sanctifies Dietrich while simultaneously liberating Mary.^[54]

Other icons from this time period include Mae West, Jean Harlow, Carol Channing,^[55] Bessie Smith,^[56] Mona von Bismarck, Billie Holiday^[56] Greta Garbo, Dolores del Río,^[56] Queen Astrid, Josephine Baker, Wallis Simpson, Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, who endured speculation over his alleged relationships with men.

1950s–1960s

An archetypal gay icon is Judy Garland.^[57] Michael Bronski, author of Culture Clash: The Making of Gay Sensibility, describes Garland as "the quintessential pre-Stonewall gay icon."^[58] So revered is she as a gay icon that her best known film role, Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz, became used as code—friend of Dorothy—among homosexuals in the 1950s.^[59]

The expression "Is he a friend of Dorothy?" was slang for "Is he gay?"^[59] The character Dorothy meets an odd group of friends during her journey through Oz—the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow—and so referring to an individual as a "friend of Dorothy" meant that they were "unusual or odd" and, therefore, "queer".^[59] Though Garland has been noted for her embodiment of camp in her acting roles, Bronski argues that she was the "antithesis of camp" and "made a legend of her pain and oppression."^[58] As Bronski observes, the bleak setting of 1950s Hollywood had replaced the "sauciness of the [1930s] and the independence of the [1940s]."^[58] Garland, as well as Lana Turner, epitomized the idea that "suffering was the price of glamor...[and] the women stars of the [1950s] reflected the condition of many gay men: they suffered, beautifully".^[58]

Garland's daughter, Liza Minnelli, would later follow in her mother's footsteps as a gay icon, as would fellow musical artist Barbra Streisand.^[15][47] Joan Crawford has been described as the "ultimate gay icon—the martyr who suffered for her art and, therefore, enabled herself to bond with this all-important faction of her fanbase."^[60] In Joan Crawford: The Essential Biography, author Lawrence J. Quirk explains that Crawford appealed to gay men because they sympathized with her struggle for success, in both the entertainment industry and in her personal life.^[61] Though Crawford had been a notable film star during the 1930s and 1940s, according to David Bret, author of Joan Crawford: Hollywood Martyr, it was not until her 1953 film Torch Song that she was seen as a "complete gay icon, primarily because it was shot in color." Bret explains that seeing the actress' red hair, dark eyes and "Victory Red" lips linked her to "gaydom's other sirens: Dietrich, Garland, Bankhead, Piaf, and new recruits Marilyn Monroe and Maria Callas."^[60]

Actress Lucille Ball was also a prominent icon from this period. In Lee Tannen's book I Loved Lucy: My Friendship with Lucille Ball, the author describes his experience when he witnessed Lucille Ball being labeled a gay icon for the first time by a mutual friend.^[62] Ball was told of the adoration she received from gay men, as a bar in West Hollywood was known for routinely playing episodes of her television series I Love Lucy every weekend.^[62]

1970s

During the late 1970s, many female comedians appeared, joining the ranks of what had stereotypically been a male profession, including Joan Rivers, who began appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Rivers gained a strong gay following after performing in Greenwich Village, an LGBT friendly area of New York, from the early days of her career. Rivers' frank and sharp use of wit and insults (largely turned toward herself) made her an instant gay icon.

The first gay icon of the 1970s underground gay disco scene was the "Queen of Disco" Donna Summer, whose dance songs became anthems for the clubbing gay community, and her music the back beat to the battles of the gay rights movement of the 1970s.^[63] Her number one single "Love to Love You Baby"—regarded as an "absolute disco epic"—not only became a gay anthem because of its "unabridged sexuality", but it also brought European-oriented disco to the United States and influenced the course the recording industry would take in the following years.^[64] However, Summer became immersed in controversy when, after becoming a Born again Christian, and during a 1983–84 tour, at the dawn of the HIV/AIDS crisis, she was allegedly reported as making homophobic remarks; including that "AIDS was God's punishment to homosexuals." However, she later denied having ever made these comments.^[65] Paul Flynn of The Guardian referred to Summer as "the accidental gay icon" as she did not make songs with the intention of appealing to LGBT people, but her songs nevertheless became popular in the community.^[65] Fellow disco singer Gloria Gaynor was embraced by the gay community because of her single "I Will Survive", which served as an anthem for both feminists and the gay rights movement.^[66] The Village People, a pioneering disco group, are also regarded as gay icons for bringing gay disco culture into the mainstream with their popular disco and dance hits; and their costumes, with each member of the group representing a part of gay erotica (a policeman, a sailor, a construction worker, a cowboy, a leather clad man).^[67]

Actress Lynda Carter became a gay icon after starring as Wonder Woman in the 1975–1979 series of the same name. Her role as the heroine attracted the LGBT community for her onscreen persona of female strength and fashionable outfits.^[68] Carter is a vocal supporter of LGBT equality and has participated in the New York City Gay Pride Parade.^[69]

Singer Sylvester became a gay icon after releasing his Hi-NRG single "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" in 1978. Sylvester often made appearances in drag, and often described as a disco diva because of his falsetto voice and flamboyant appearance. He also influenced the gay nightclub scene in the late seventies and eighties. Sylvester died of AIDS-related complications in 1988.^[70]

Singer Cass Elliot became known as a gay icon, both during her solo career and as a member of The Mamas & the Papas. Her musical impact became known through her camp fashion and lyrics praising individuality (such as "Make Your Own Kind of Music" and "Different") and free love. Her music was later featured in the acclaimed gay film Beautiful Thing (1996), adapted from the play of the same name.

Singer and actress Bette Midler became recognized as a gay icon in the 1970s. After performing on Broadway, Midler began performing at the Continental Baths, a gay bathhouse in the city, where she became close to her piano accompanist Barry Manilow, who produced her first major album The Divine Miss M (1973). "Despite the way things turned out [with the AIDS crisis], I'm still proud of those days [singing at gay bathhouses]. I feel like I was at the forefront of the gay liberation movement, and I hope I did my part to help it move forward. So, I kind of wear the label of 'Bathhouse Betty' with pride," Midler reminisced in 1998.^[71]

Freddie Mercury, the lead vocalist of Queen, was widely considered a gay icon,^[72] with his LGBT fanbase growing by the 1980s. Although Freddie Mercury never revealed his sexuality publicly^[73] (even when events made it seem inevitable^[74]), he often "playfully alluded to his queerness with his flamboyant, high-camp stage antics", according to Gay Star News.^[75] In 1992, John Marshall of Gay Times expressed the following opinion: "[Mercury] was a 'scene-queen,' not afraid to publicly express his gayness, but unwilling to analyse or justify his 'lifestyle' ... It was as if Freddie Mercury was saying to the world, 'I am what I am. So what?' And that in itself for some was a statement."^[76] Many assumed him to be either gay or bisexual^[77] and not sexually active.^[78] He would often distance himself from his later partner, Jim Hutton, during public events.^[79] On the evening of November 24, 1991, Mercury died at the age of 45 at his home in Kensington of AIDS-related illnesses (bronchial pneumonia).^[80]

1980s

Artists particularly embraced by the gay community during the 1980s included Whitney Houston,^[81] Joan Jett,^[82] Tina Turner,^[81] Patti Labelle,^{[citation needed]} Karen Carpenter,^[82] Alaska,^{[citation needed]} Charo, Lou Reed,^[9] Dolly Parton,^[83] Elaine Paige,^{[citation needed]} Amanda Lear,^[84][85] Prince, Helen Reddy^[82] and Mylène Farmer.^{[39][86][87][88][89][90][91][92][93][94][95]} Several Britons were seen as gay icons, including singers Boy George, David Bowie, George Michael, Morrissey, Pet Shop Boys, Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, the model Gia Carangi,^[12] the actor Alec Guinness^[9] and writer Quentin Crisp.^[47][95] Elton John also became a gay icon during this decade, a status strengthened throughout the years.^{[96][97][98][99]} Diana Ross, a long time gay icon, of The Supremes; released the song "I'm Coming Out",^[100] which brought an additional significance to the phrase of "coming out".

Cher became notable in the gay community not only for her music, but also her drag, her leather outfits of the 80s made her popular with the leather crowd.^[101] In later years, her only child, Chaz Bono, came out as gay at the age of 17 (and many years later as a transgender man), much to his mother's initial feelings of "guilt, fear and pain".^[101] When Cher was able to accept her son's sexual orientation, she realized that Chaz, as well as other LGBT people, "didn't have the same rights as everyone else, [and she] thought that was unfair".^[102] Cher emerged not only as an icon among LGBT people, but also as a role model for straight parents who have gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender children.^[101] She became the keynote speaker for the 1997 national Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) convention.^[101][102] Cher's longevity in the music industry has often been credited to her gay following.^[103] William J. Mann, author of Gay Pride: A Celebration of All Things Gay and Lesbian, comments "[w]e'll be dancing to a 90-year-old Cher when we're 60. Just watch".^[103]

Continuing into the 1980s, pop music singer Madonna—dubbed the "Queen of Pop" and "Queen of Dance" by the media, and later the "World's Most Successful Female Recording Artist" by Guinness World Records—became the preeminent gay icon of the late 20th century.^{[104][105][106]} The Advocate's Steve Gdula commented "[b]ack in the 1980s and even the early 1990s, the release of a new Madonna video or single was akin to a national holiday, at least among her gay fans."^[106] Gdula also stated that during this period, concurrent with the rise of the AIDS epidemic, "when other artists tried to distance themselves from the very audience that helped their stars to rise, Madonna only turned the light back on her gay fans and made it burn all the brighter."^[106]

Georges Claude Guilbert, author of Madonna As Postmodern Myth: How One Star's Self-Construction Rewrites Sex, Gender, Hollywood and the American Dream, writes that Madonna's reverence as a gay icon is equated with that of Judy Garland, noting similarities between the two popular culture icons.^[107] Guilbert writes that gay icons "usually belong to one or the other of two types of female stars: either the very vulnerable or suicidal star, or the strong idol whom nobody or nothing resists, like Madonna."^[107] According to Madonna: An Intimate Biography, the pop star has always been aware that her most loyal fans were gay men, has appeared in gay-oriented magazines as an activist for gay rights, and was even named in the book The Gay 100 as one of the most influential gay people in history.^[108]

Other superstar recording artists, including Cyndi Lauper, followed.^[109] Lauper and Madonna were seen as trailblazers of women's sexual liberation.^[110] Lauper's debut album She's So Unusual (1983) generated a large following of fans responding to the "gay-friendly camp and lesbian-friendly womyn power epitomized in [her] femme anthem 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun'."^[111] Lauper explained that growing up during the 1960s influenced her dedication to fair and equal treatment of all people, noting that the music of the 1960s "helped to open the world's point of view to change."^[112] According to Lauper "It wasn't until my sister came out in the early [1970s] that I became more aware of the bigoted slurs and the violence against a community of people...who were gay."^[112] Lauper has since become an active gay rights activist, often encouraging LGBT people and their allies to vote for equal rights.^[112] Political activism for LGBT rights was the theme of Lauper's annual True Colors Tour.

In the mid- to late-1980s, Oprah Winfrey emerged as an icon for the gay community with an intimate confessional communication style that altered the cultural landscape. According to the book Freaks Talk Back by Yale sociologist Joshua Gamson, the tabloid talk show genre popularized by Oprah Winfrey and Phil Donahue, did more to make gay people mainstream and socially acceptable than any other development of the 20th century by providing decades of high-impact media visibility for sexual nonconformists.^[113][114]

Fellow gay icon Ellen DeGeneres cast Winfrey to play the therapist she comes out of the closet to on the controversial episode of her Ellen sitcom. Though Winfrey abandoned her tabloid talk show format in the mid-1990s as the genre became flooded by more extreme clones like Ricki Lake, Jenny Jones and Jerry Springer, she continued to broadcast shows that were perceived as gay-friendly. Her show Oprah's Big Give was the first reality TV show with an openly gay host Nate Berkus. Her own show has been nominated several times for GLAAD Media Awards, and another in 2010 for an interview with Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi,^[115] winning one in 2007^[116][117] Oprah Winfrey also co-produced the Oscar-winning film Precious (2009), which was honored by GLAAD for portraying a lesbian couple as heroines.^[118]

Winfrey's iconic status among gay males has entered the popular culture. One of the stars of the reality TV show The Benefactor was a gay African American man named Kevin who was so obsessed with Winfrey that he would ask "What would Oprah do?" before making any strategic decision. Adam Lambert is another high-profile gay man who has described himself as a fan of Winfrey.^[119]

The Golden Girls, a sitcom centered on four middle-aged and elderly women in the Miami retirement community, also gained a cult following in the gay community that remains to the present day.^[120] The show, which aired in the late 1980s and early 1990s, shone a positive and supportive light on gay rights, with episodes sympathetically discussing coming out, the AIDS crisis, and even same-sex marriage being aired.^[121][122] These episodes, along with the sharp-tongued, catty humour that dominated the show, firmly established the main cast, Bea Arthur, Betty White, Estelle Getty, and Rue McClanahan, as gay icons in their own right.^[123] After the show ended, the actors continued to highlight LGBT causes with Arthur, for example, bequeathing $300,000 to a New York charity to establish a shelter for homeless LGBTQ youths.^[124][125]

Other icons from this decade include Joan Collins, Tori Amos, Tina Arena, Harvey Fierstein, Courtney Love,^[126] Pedro Zamora,^[11] Christine Jorgensen^[127] and Stevie Nicks.^{[15][96][128][129][130][131][132][133][134]}

1990s

Janet Jackson, who twice was established as one of the highest-paid recording artists in the history of contemporary music during the 1990s, became a gay icon after she released her sixth studio album The Velvet Rope (1997).^{[135][136][137]} The album was honored by the National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum and received the award for Outstanding Music Album at the 9th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in 1998 for its songs that dealt with sexual orientation and homophobia.^[138] On April 26, 2008, she received the Vanguard Award—a media award from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation—to honor her work in the entertainment industry in promoting equality for LGBT people.^[138] GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano commented, "Ms. Jackson has a tremendous following inside the LGBT community and out, and having her stand with us against the defamation that LGBT people still face in our country is extremely significant."^[138][139]

Deborah Cox quickly becomes a gay icon due to her investment for the fight against the AIDS but also and especially thanks to club remixes included in her singles, which are frequently played in the discothèques.^{[140][141][142]}

Writer, composer and singer, Ysa Ferrer is regarded as the French "Kylie". Her dance/electro style, called "Pop Kosmic" is very popular in France and Russia especially in the gay community where she is considered as a true icon.^[143][144]

Glenn Close was established as a gay icon after portraying Margarethe Cammermeyer in Serving in Silence (1995). She gained more recognition through her campy portrayal of the glamorous Cruella de Vil in 101 Dalmatians (1996) and as the fading diva Norma Desmond in the Broadway musical Sunset Boulevard.^[145]

Garth Brooks, whose sister is openly lesbian, was one of the first non-LGBT male artists to openly back gay rights, and later same-sex marriage.^[146]

The Spice Girls became gay icons during the 1990s,^[147][148] on account of their dance-pop sound, flamboyant outfits, outgoing personalities and affirmations of equality. Geri Halliwell, in particular, went on to become a gay icon in her own right during her solo career in the 2000s, covering The Weather Girls' classic gay anthem, "It's Raining Men".^[149][150] In 2016, Halliwell received the Honorary Gay Award at the annual Attitude Awards.^[151]

Mariah Carey who dominated the 90's with chart-topping hits is regarded as a gay icon. Her 1993 single "Hero" is regarded as an anthem for the gay community as it touches upon themes of embracing individuality and overcoming self-doubt.^[152] Carey's diva persona has also given her much admiration from gay fans as she embraces and epitomizes glamour, confidence, and extravagance.^[153] Carey was honored by GLAAD in 2016 with the "GLAAD Ally Award" for which she expressed gratitude to her LGBT+ fans. In her speech Carey thanked the community, "For the unconditional love because it's very difficult for me to have that. I haven't experienced much of it...I wish all of you love, peace, [and] harmony..."^[154]

2000s

The main single of "I Turn to You" by Melanie C, which became a gay anthem, was released as the "Hex Hector Radio Mix", for which Hex Hector won the 2001 Grammy as Remixer of the Year.^[155]

Following her "Ride It" single in 2004, which became a gay anthem, Geri Halliwell confirms her gay icon status.^[150][156]

Kylie Minogue reinvented herself musically in the first decade of the 21st century and found herself faced with a renewed and increasing gay fanbase.^[157][158] She said, "My gay audience has been with me from the beginning ... they kind of adopted me."^[158] Minogue first became aware of her gay audience in 1988, when several drag queens performed to her music at a Sydney pub, and she later saw a similar show in Melbourne. Minogue felt "very touched" to have such an "appreciative crowd," and this encouraged her to perform at gay venues throughout the world, as well as headlining Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Her sister, Dannii Minogue, also has a large gay following and has been regarded a gay icon.^[159]

Irish actress and television presenter Carrie Crowley, best known abroad for presenting the Eurovision Song Contest 1997, has also been cited as a gay icon.^[160]

As a result of her role playing Karen Walker on Will & Grace, Megan Mullally emerged as a gay icon.^[161] One commentator wrote that the show "won the actress an impressive gay following, both with men and women, who want to be her and with her."^[161]

The television series Sex and the City was popular among gay men and spawned gay icons Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall and Cynthia Nixon.^{[56][96][162]}

Christina Aguilera is regarded a gay icon, a status that came following the release of the song "Beautiful", which became a gay anthem and was recognized as "the most empowering song for lesbian, gay and bisexual people of the decade."^[163] The accompanying video featured people who can feel ostracised from society, including a same-sex couple and a transgender woman. Aguilera also was honored with the very first spot on The Abbey's Gay Walk of Fame for her contributions to gay culture, re-enforcing the title of gay icon she earned a decade ago with her anthem "Beautiful".^{[164][165][166]}

Adam Lambert is one of the most famous male gay icons. He is the top gay musician to come out of American Idol and courted controversy early in his career by kissing his bass player live onstage at the American Music Awards 2009.[16}. The Times identified Lambert as the first openly gay mainstream pop artist to launch a career on a major label in the U.S.[17] Adam Lambert is the first openly gay pop star to top the Billboard album charts (the album Trespassing2012).[18]. On this occasion, Lambert said: "It's nice to be one of the few gay icons in America but it can be a bit challenging and difficult." [19]. Adam Lambert also was honored with GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding Music Artist and Davidson/Valentini Award 2013; the "Music Icon" award at the 2015 British LGBT Awards and "Music Award/ International Album" at the Attitude Pride Awards in London 2015. 469

2010s–present

Various LGBT celebrities have been embraced as gay icons after opening up about their sexual orientation and/or gender identity as media professionals and public figures, including Adam Lambert,^[167] Mj Rodriguez,^[168] Urvashi Vaid,^[169] Russell T Davies,^[170] BD Wong,^[171] Anna Paquin,^[56] Akihiro Miwa,^[172] Kristen Stewart^[173] Staceyann Chin,^[169] Indya Moore,^[174] Dominique Jackson,^[175] Angelica Ross,^[176] K.d. lang,^[177] Lily Tomlin,^[178] Agoney,^[179] Margaret Cho, Jobriath,^[180] Divine (performer),^{[citation needed]} John Waters,^[181] Rob Halford,^[182] Stanley Kwan,^[183] Manila Luzon,^[184] Irshad Manji,^[169] Stephen Fry,^[181] Magdalen Hsu-Li,^[169] Ricky Martin,^[185] Ryan Murphy,^[186] George Michael,^[187] Ashlee Marie Preston,^[186] Olly Alexander,^[188] June Millington,^[169] Bülent Ersoy,^[189] Elton John,^[190] Eric Andre,^[191] Lance Bass,^[192] Ellen DeGeneres,^[193] Portia de Rossi,^[194] Raja Gemini,^[169] Jodie Foster,^{[citation needed]} Ryan O'Connell,^[186] Angie Xtravaganza,^[11] Hannah Gadsby,^[174] April Ashley,^[195] Nathan Wyburn,^[170] Ongina,^[169] Andreja Pejić,^[194] Alan Cumming,^[195][196] Rupert Everett,^[197] Neil Patrick Harris,^[198] Janelle Monáe,^[56] Tessa Thompson,^[56] Colton Haynes,^[199] Zachary Quinto,^[200] Matt Bomer,^[201] Alec Mapa,^[169] Luke Evans,^[202] Tegan and Sara,^[177][182] Wentworth Miller,^[203] Cameron Esposito,^[186] Marcie Free,^[182] Ayaka Ichinose,^[204] Jon Lovett,^[186] Ronan Farrow,^[186] Rosie O'Donnell,^[193] Jeff Sheng,^[184] Frank Ocean,^[205] Tom Ford,^[186] José Sarria, Phoebe Bridgers,^[206] Jim Parsons^[207] RuPaul,^[208] George Takei,^[209] Ian McKellen,^[210] Christina Hendricks,^[211] Joe Zee,^[169] Sarah Paulson,^[212] Faisal Alam,^[169] Laverne Cox,^[213] Ifti Nasim^[169] Kehlani,^[196] Conchita Wurst,^[214] Alexander Wang (designer),^[184] Dan Choi,^[169] Billy Porter,^[215] Calum Scott,^[216] Jim Toy,^[169] Ruby Rose,^[194] Troye Sivan,^[214] Wanda Sykes,^[217] Lil Nas X, Brian Bond (activist), Angel Vivaldi,^[182] Greg Berlanti,^[186] Pete Shelley,^[182] Robert Greenblatt,^[186] Sab Shimono,^[184] Bob Mould,^[182] Brian Molko,^[196] Jenny Shimizu,^[184] Melissa Broder,^[12] Elliot Page,^[188][82] Jason Wu,^[184] Sandi Toksvig,^[8] Amandla Stenberg,^[173] Lzzy Hale,^[182] Dan Savage,^[188] Jaboukie Young-White,^[173] Chaz Bono,^[13] Bamby Salcedo,^[186] King Princess,^[8] Telly Leung,^[169] Alia Shawkat,^[56] John Yang (journalist),^[184] Megan Ellison,^[173] Melissa Etheridge,^[217] Roddy Bottum,^[182] Mark Kanemura,^[184] Holland Taylor,^[217] Angelina Jolie,^[56] Mina Caputo,^[182] Carrie Brownstein,^[196] Lena Waithe,^[173] Lynn Gunn,^[182] Evan Rachel Wood,^[56] Otep Shamaya,^[182] Pauline Park,^[169] Doug Pinnick,^[182] Billy Eichner,^[173] Sean Reinert,^[182] Edward Enninful,^[207] Brendon Urie,^[182] Margarita Alcantara,^[169] Billie Joe Armstrong,^[182] Peter Tatchell,^[188] Laura Jane Grace,^[182] Lee Daniels,^[207] Lizzo, Martine Gutierrez, and Rina Sawayama.^[218]

Ariana Grande has been named by Billboard the Gay Icon of this generation.^[219][220] The same publication also praised Lady Gaga for earning her gay icon status and called her "one of the LGBTQ community's fiercest advocates".^[221][193]

Popular musicians including Katy Perry,^[222] Eric Saade,^[223] Shirley Bassey,^[170][224] Missy Elliott,^[12] Gaahl,^[182] Dua Lipa,^[225] Serebro,^[223] Hayley Kiyoko,^[226] Justin Timberlake,^[227] Lily Allen,^[228] Lana Del Rey,^[229] Svetlana Loboda,^[223] Taylor Swift,^[230] Marina and the Diamonds,^[231] Miley Cyrus,^[232] Paul Masvidal,^[182] Neil Tennant,^[207] Kesha,^[233] Titica,^[189] Justin Bieber,^[177] Carly Rae Jepsen,^[234] Nick Jonas,^[177] Inna Modja,^[223] Tyler Carter,^[182] Charli XCX,^[235] Marina (Polish singer),^[223] Nicki Minaj,^[236] Enca Haxhia,^[223] Kim Petras,^[237] Kiri Te Kanawa,^[224] M. Pokora,^[223] Marianne Rosenberg,^[82] Chely Wright,^[217] Evelyn Glennie,^[224] Harry Styles,^[8] SOPHIE,^[238] Macklemore,^[227] Helene Fischer^[223] Björk,^[239] Kacey Musgraves,^[240] Demi Lovato,^[56] Cupcakke^[241][242] and Hozier^[243] are notable gay icons of current times.

Melanie Brown was shown kissing another woman in her "For Once in My Life" video, making this song a hymn of the gay community.^{[244][245][246][247]}

Public figures like supermodel Tyra Banks,^[248][249] Joey Soloway,^[217] Don Lemon,^[207] Parvez Sharma, Ilene Chaiken,^[217] Ashok Row Kavi,^[13] Rachel Maddow,^[207] Richard Chai,^[169] Kate Bornstein,^[217] Matsuko Deluxe,^[172] Joan Bakewell,^[224] Prabal Gurung,^[169] Troy Perry,^[173] Thakoon Panichgul,^[169] Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla,^[169] Jeanne Córdova,^[13] Candis Cayne,^[207] Jose Antonio Vargas,^[169] Esther Newton,^[207] Padmini Prakash,^[189] Alan Carr,^[207] Anne Doyle,^[250] Graham Norton,^[207] Helen Zia,^[251] Tim Cook,^[207] Katherine Lynch,^[250] Anderson Cooper,^[207] Vern Yip^[169] Sue Perkins,^[207] Robin Roberts (newscaster)^[207] and Niki Nakayama^[173] are considered gay icons.

Famous heterosexual actors have been celebrated as gay icons, including Jane Fonda,^[252][253] Angela Lansbury,^[254] Whoopi Goldberg,^[255] Tori Spelling,^[256] Hugh Jackman,^[257] Colin Farrell,^[258] Kathy Griffin,^[259][260] Jessica Lange,^[261] Judi Dench,^[224] Angela Bassett, Diana Rigg,^[224] Kathy Bates, Joan Plowright,^[224] Faye Dunaway, Carrie Fisher,^[262] Helen Mirren,^[224] Gina Gershon,^[82] Magda Szubanski,^[263] Mitsu Dan,^[172] Michelle Rodriguez,^[173] Mariel Hemingway,^[82] Lucy Lawless,^[264][265] Amanda Henderson,^[266] Nicole Kidman, Eden Riegel,^[82] Mo'Nique,^[267] Maggie Smith,^[268][269] Kristin Chenoweth,^[270] Leslie Grossman,^[270] Bai Ling,^[171] Jin Xing,^[251] Laura Dern,^[271][272] Natasha Lyonne,^[273] Eileen Atkins^[224] and Patricia Clarkson.^[274]

Meryl Streep became a gay icon after portraying Miranda Priestly in the film The Devil Wears Prada.^[275][276]

Emmy award-winning comediennes Lisa Kudrow and Catherine O'Hara became popular amongst LGBTQ audiences following their roles of Valerie Cherish and Moira Rose in the sitcoms The Comeback and Schitt'$ Creek, respectively. ^{[277][278][279][280]}

Many heterosexual actors, including Timothée Chalamet,^[281] Olivia Colman,^[282] Taron Egerton,^[283] Jake Gyllenhaal,^[284][285] Heath Ledger,^[284] Richard Madden,^[286] Naya Rivera,^[287] Nick Robinson,^[288][289] Chloë Sevigny^[290] & Rachel Weisz^[291] have all developed a significant LGBTQ+ fanbase after portraying openly queer characters Elio Perlman, Anne, Queen of Great Britain, Sir Elton John, Jack Twist, Ennis Del Mar, John Reid, Santana Lopez, Simon Spier, Lana Tisdel and Baroness Abigail Masham, with many of them being dubbed "honorary gays".^[292]

Sports

Ben Cohen,^[181] Nicola Adams,^[195] Megan Rapinoe,^[8] Parinya Charoenphol,^[189] Abby Wambach,^[82] Balian Buschbaum,^[189] Amélie Mauresmo,^{[citation needed]} Ian Roberts (rugby league),^[263] David Beckham,^[181] Billie Jean King,^{[15][293][294]} Tom Daley,^[295] Mianne Bagger,^[189] Robbie Rogers,^[296] Michael Sam,^[297] Brian Boitano,^[298] Adam Rippon,^[299] Gus Kenworthy,^[299][300] Ian Thorpe,^[301] Cristiano Ronaldo^[302] and Gareth Thomas^[303][304] are considered by some to be gay icons within the sports industry.

Politics

In the political arena, gay icons are represented by, among others, Diana, Princess of Wales,^[306] Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge,^[307] Manvendra Singh Gohil,^[171] Sheila Kuehl,^[173] Pedro Zerolo,^[305] Mary Robinson,^[250] Justin Trudeau,^[308] Angela Merkel,^[308] Waheed Alli, Baron Alli,^[207] Bayard Rustin,^[127] Kim Coco Iwamoto,^[171] Brian Sims,^[309] Dianne Feinstein,^[310] Evan Low,^[169] Alex Greenwich,^[263] Mark Takano,^[171] Cate McGregor,^[263] George Moscone,^[311] Eleanor Roosevelt,^[9] Pamela K. Chen^[251] Malcolm X,^[312] Coretta Scott King,^[313] Abraham Lincoln,^[314] Nelson Mandela,^[315] Winnie Mandela,^[316] Tammy Baldwin,^[207] Christopher Cabaldon,^[169] Christiane Taubira,^[317] Barney Frank,^[127] Bertrand Delanoë,^[318] Sunil Babu Pant,^[169] Tony Blair,^[210] Georgina Beyer,^[189] Hillary Clinton,^[319] Eva Perón,^[320] Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis,^[321] and Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, the first openly lesbian head of government of the modern era.^[322][323] Roger Casement, an Irish civil rights activist, became a gay icon of the early 20th century.^[324] Civil rights activist Coretta Scott King was held in high regard among members of the gay community for her involvement in the Gay Rights Movement.^[313] During her lifetime, she routinely equated the goals of the Civil Rights Movement, led by her late husband Martin Luther King Jr., with that of LGBT activism.^[313]

I still hear people say that I should not be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people and I should stick to the issue of racial justice... But I hasten to remind them that Martin Luther King Jr. said "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."... I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream to make room at the table of brother- and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people.^[313]

— Coretta Scott King, Metro Weekly

San Francisco City Supervisor Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man to be elected to office in the U.S. and spearheaded the defeat of statewide anti-gay ballot measure Proposition 6 in California in 1978. While he and Moscone were assassinated shortly thereafter, both became viewed as martyrs for gay rights. Milk's image as a positive role model led to him becoming the namesake for the first high school designed primarily for gay teenagers, the Harvey Milk High School, in the East Village of New York City.^[325] The portrayal of those efforts in the critically acclaimed film Milk earned Sean Penn an Oscar and comparisons to the contemporary battle over the anti-gay ballot initiative Proposition 8 raging in California at the time of the film's release in 2008.^[326]

Fictional

Various fictional characters have been regarded as gay icons, including cartoon figures. Bugs Bunny, a fictional anthropomorphic rabbit appearing in animation by Warner Bros. Cartoons during the Golden Age of American animation—dubbed the greatest cartoon character of all time by TV Guide—has been declared a "queer cultural icon [and] parodic diva" due to his "cross-dressing antics" and camp appeal.^{[327][328][329]}

Some comic book characters are considered gay icons. Homosexual interpretations of Batman and the original Robin, Dick Grayson, have been of interest in cultural and academic study, due primarily to psychologist Fredric Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent (1954).^[330] In the mid-1950s, Wertham led a national campaign against comic books, convincing Americans that they were responsible for corrupting children and encouraging them to engage in acts of sex and violence.^[330] In relation to Batman and Robin, Wertham asserted "the Batman type of story helps to fixate homoerotic tendencies by suggesting the form of an adolescent-with-adult or Ganymede-Zeus type of love-relationship".^[331]

In Containing America: Cultural Production and Consumption in Fifties America, authors Nathan Abrams and Julie Hughes point out that homosexual interpretations of Batman and Robin existed prior to Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent.^[332] Wertham claimed his book was, in fact, prompted by the earlier research of a California psychiatrist.^[332] The relationship between Batman and arch villain the Joker has also been interpreted by many as homoerotic. Frank Miller, author of The Dark Knight Returns, has described the relationship between Batman and the Joker as a "homophobic nightmare," and views the character as sublimating his sexual urges into crime fighting, concluding, "He'd be much healthier if he were gay."^[333]

One TV series that appeals most to LGBT culture is the 1960s sitcom Bewitched. Aside from the campy characterizations, it contained three gay cast members (Dick Sargent, Paul Lynde and—allegedly—Agnes Moorehead). Star Elizabeth Montgomery and Sargent were grand marshals of a Los Angeles gay pride parade in the early 1990s. Another example is Bianca Montgomery of All My Children.^[334]

In 2016, several Tumblr users joked that the titular character of The Babadook, a 2014 psychological horror film directed by Jennifer Kent, was gay. Despite no overt references to homosexuality in the film, the character has since been adopted as a symbol for the LGBT community, and has featured in several pride parades.^[335][336] Kent has responded positively to the adoption of her character as a gay icon, and an LGBT pride edition of the film's Blu-ray was released in the United States.^[337][338]

Responses

Many celebrities have responded positively to being regarded as gay icons, several noting the loyalty of their gay fans. Eartha Kitt and Cher credited gay fans with keeping them going at times when their careers had faltered.^[339] Kylie Minogue has acknowledged the perception of herself as a gay icon and has performed at such events as the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Asked to explain the reason for her large gay fanbase, Minogue replied, "It's always difficult for me to give the definitive answer because I don't have it. My gay audience has been with me from the beginning ... they kind of adopted me." She noted that she differed from many gay icons who were seen as tragic figures, with the comment, "I've had a lot of tragic hairdos and outfits. I think that makes up for it!"^[340]

Tammy Faye Messner (ex-wife of fellow controversial televangelist Jim Bakker and mother of pastor Jay Bakker), who benevolently has been referred to as "the ultimate drag queen,"^[341]  said in her last interview with Larry King that, "When I went—when we lost everything, it was the gay people that came to my rescue, and I will always love them for that."^[342]

Lady Gaga has acknowledged and credited her gay following for launching then supporting her career stating, among other examples, "When I started in the mainstream it was the gays that lifted me up" or "because of the gay community I'm where I am today." As a way to thanks her gay audience for having her in gay clubs for her first album before she was invited to perform at straight ones, she often debuted her new albums eras at gay clubs afterwards. Along her career, she also dedicated a MuchMusic Video Award win as well as her Alejandro music video to gay people, frequently praised her gay entourage for the positive impact they had on her life and often gave a place to different queer crowds in her songs, performances, music videos as well as in the visuals of her make up line. Lady Gaga is known for her fights as an LGBT activist and attended numerous LGBT events such as Prides and Stonewall day.^{[343][344][345][346][347][348][349]}

Others have been more ambivalent. Mae West, a gay icon from the early days of her career, supported gay rights but bristled when her performance style was referred to as camp.^[350]

Madonna has acknowledged and embraced her gay following throughout her career, even making several references to the gay community in her songs or performances, and performed at several gay clubs. She has declared in interviews that some of her best friends are gay and that she adores gay people and refers to herself as "the biggest gay icon of all times."^[351] She also has been quoted in television interviews in the early 1990s as declaring the "big problem in America at the time was homophobia."

See also

• New Queer Cinema

References

Books

External links

• GLBT Historical Society
• Christina up close
• Sophie Morris. From the tragic to the bland // New Statesman, August 1, 2005
• "Pink doesn't mean fluffy" John Howard. The Independent, (UK), August 4, 2005
• French Gay Icons: Ysa Ferrer