People with a History: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans* History Sourcebook
Lesbian and Gay Icons
Editor: Paul Halsall
Contents:
Introduction
Lesbian and gay cultures in the twentieth century have established a number of figures
as "icons". These figures, drawn from popular culture, have functioned within
lesbian and gay culture in a number of ways: first they have been fantasy figures in which
lesbians and gay men have seen aspects of their own lives; second, they have
provided the basis for a common subcultural knowledge.
Although, for gay men, it is female stars who predominate, just to be a female star
will not make a figure an "icon" - Ingrid Bergman for instance was never a specifically gay
icon. And, although some icons had gay links, e.g. Joan Crawford's reputed lesbian
relationship, Liza Minelli's gay husband, homosexuality as such is not really an issue in
a star achieving iconic status.
[Note 2023: This part of People with a History has never really been satisfactory. And at this stage, 25 years after it began, the editor is too old to even recognise which stars after 2005 even count. I think Shakira counts, but I could not identify a Taylor Swift song, so the page will always remain both incomplete and somewhat old fashioned. As of 2023 some links to YouTube videos have been added. Note that such links can often go bad - if they do simply search for the subject at YouTube. Links here will only be reviewed rarely.]
Gay Male Icons: US and Britain
Major
- Judy Garland
Reason for Icon Status: A unique combination of vulnerability and
strength. She was probably the most famous of all gay icons, a status she knew about and
acknowledged. Her Carnegie Hall concerts in the early 1960s were major meetings of gay
men. Her death days before the Stonewall Riots has been cited as part of the reason for
intense emotions among the NY gay community in June 1969.
In a 1967 interview Garland summed up her life in words which show just why she appealed
to the oppressed gay men of her time: "When you have lived the life I've lived,
when you have loved and suffered and been madly happy and desperately sad - well, that's
when you realize that you'll never be able to set it all down. . . maybe you'd rather die
first."
- Ethel Merman
Reason for Icon Status: Merman was not beautiful, but succeeded on what
she did have - the biggest and brassiest voice of all.
- Marlene Dietrich
Reason for Icon Status:
- Bette Davis
Reason for Icon Status:
Emotional over the top combined with fierce instict for survival.
- Joan Crawford
Reason for Icon Status:
Long-suffering roles.
- Edith Piaf
Reason for Icon Status:
- Liza Minelli
Reason for Icon Status: Liza is Judy's daughter, but that is not the
only reason for her following [Lorna Luft, Garland's other singing daughter is nice, but not an
icon]. Her stage performances are highly mannered, liable to failure, but bold and brassy
nevertheless. She also married a gay man (Peter Allen - who died of AIDS), and has long
supported gay causes.
- Bette Midler
Reason for Icon Status: Brassy New York woman, whose carreer got
a boost playing at the Continental Bathhouse in New York. From the start she supported the
lesbian and gay political movements.
- Cher
Reason for Icon Status:
Survival
- Mae West
Reason for Icon Status:
- Barbara Streisand
Reason for Icon Status: An "ugly" girl from Brooklyn, rejected
and unloved by her family, grows up to realise here own inner and outer beauty - and
demands the world recognize it. Oh, and the greatest popular music interpreter/singer in
English.
- Julie Andrews
Reason for Icon Status:
- Madonna
Reason for Icon Status:
She tried to be on from the very beginning. Effort counts.
Minor
- Carmen Miranda
Reason for Icon Status:
- Dolly Parton
Reason for Icon Status: Has admitted that if born a man, she would have
had to have been a draq queen.
- Joan Collins
Reason for Icon Status: She never tries to be good. She's a mistress of
artiface, and she does not age.
- Barbara Stanwyck
Reason for Icon Status:
Long-suffering roles.
- Josephine Baker
Reason for Icon Status:
heroism.
- Tammy Faye Baker
(Messner)
- Ann Margret
Reason for Icon Status:
- Talullah Bankhead
Reason for Icon Status:
- Diana Ross
- Janet Jackson
Gay Male Icons: US
Although US culture pervades much of the world outside its borders, there remain some
aspects of American culture which are virtually unknown overseas. This includes a number of
gay icons.
- Blossom Dearie
Reason for Icon Status:
Gay Male Icons: Britain
Hollywood provided a common set of icons for both British and US gay cultures. There
are also entirely homegrown aspects of British showbusiness. Inevitably some of the female
figures became icons for British gay culture.
- Shirley Bassey
Reason for Icon Status: Although she plays, and fills, American halls
regularly, Shirley Bassey is not a major American gay icon. For British gay men,
however, she is among the greatest.
- Kathy Kirby
Reason for Icon Status:
- Lulu
Reason for Icon Status:
- Cilla Black
Reason for Icon Status:
- Sandie Shaw
Reason for Icon Status: Continued support for the gay community.
- Kylie Minogue
- Dannie Minogue
Coronation Street
A long running British TV soap opera [since 1960] set in working-class Manchester. Several
of its stars achieved cult status for British gays.
- Wikipedia: Coronation Street
- Wikipedia: Pat Phoenix [Elsie Tanner in Coronation Street]
Reason for Icon Status: The "mutton dressed as lamb" vibe was seen as camp by gay men.
- Wikipedia: Julie Goodyear [Bet Lynch in Coronation Street]
Reason for Icon Status:
Gay Male Icons: Other Countries
- Additions/Suggestions accepted
Compiling a page such as this requires a certain degree of subcultural knowledge!
I have access to this for the UK and Britain, but not for other countries. I would be
interested in suggestions for such figures, suggestions which include the following
information
- Name of iconic figure
- Country in which icon status is appreciate
- Reason for icon status
- any known links, other information
Lesbian Icons
- Additions/Suggestions accepted
Compiling a page such as this requires a certain degree of subcultural knowledge!
I have access to this for gay male subcultures, but much less for lesbian subcultures.
Note that I am not looking for Lesbian *stars*, but for figures who have acquired the
status of icon, comparable to the Judy Garland cult of gay men. Inlcude
- Name of iconic figure
- Country in which icon status is appreciate
- Reason for icon status
- any known links, other information
- Wikipedia: Patsy Cline
Reason for Icon Status: Use of her music in the film Desert Hearts (1986)
- Wikipedia: K.D. Lang
Reason for Icon Status: A leading out Lesbian singer.
- Wikipedia: Melissa Etheridge
Reason for Icon Status: A leading out Lesbian singer.
- Wikipedia: Catherine Deneuve
Reason for Icon Status: Because of her role in The Hunger 1983. Deneuve actually objected, however, to a Lesbian magazine name after her, which had to change its name to Curve.
General Discussions
Websites
Academic Bibliography
Books are articles about the sociology and history of lesbian and gay subcultural use
of iconic figures. Texts about the icons themsleves [biographies, etc.] are excluded.
NOTES
People with a History: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans* History Sourcebook is part of the Internet History Sourcebooks Project. Date of inception was 1997. People with a History is a www site presenting
history relevant to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered people, through primary
sources, secondary discussions, and images. Links to files at other site are indicated by [At some indication of the site name or location]. WEB indicates a link to one of small number of high quality web sites which provide either more texts or an especially valuable overview.
The Internet History Sourcebooks Project is located at the History Department of Fordham University, New York. The Internet
Medieval Sourcebook, and other medieval components of the project, are located at
the Fordham University Center
for Medieval Studies.The IHSP recognizes the contribution of Fordham University, the
Fordham University History Department, and the Fordham Center for Medieval Studies in
providing web space and server support for the project. The IHSP is a project independent of Fordham University. Although the IHSP seeks to follow all applicable copyright law, Fordham University is not
the institutional owner, and is not liable as the result of any legal action.
© Site Concept and Design: Paul Halsall created 26 Jan 1996: latest revision 6 October 2023 [CV]
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