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Home » Blogs » Julia Miranda's blog » Sarah Waters and other gay celebrities elect their own "Gay Icons"

Sarah Waters and other gay celebrities elect their own "Gay Icons"

by
Julia Miranda

The National Portrait Gallery in London commissioned a panel of 10 gay icons to pick 60 figures, gay or straight, who have inspired them and the community. The only rule was that the figures had to have been photographed (i.e. don’t pick William Shakespeare). The end result is an exhibit called "Gay Icons," which runs from this July through next October at the UK gallery.

The panel consisted of Waheed Alli, Alan Hollinghurst, Elton John, Jackie Kay, Billie Jean King, Ian McKellen, Chris Smith, Ben Summerskill, Sandi Toksvig and Sarah Waters.

Openly gay author Sarah Waters
http://www.afterellen.com/sites/www.afterellen.com/files/images/WatersSa... main cover v.1.jpg" width="450">

The resulting list is diverse and surprising. In the exhibit, there are portraits of Virginia Woolf, Ellen DeGeneres, k.d. lang, Will Young (winner of Britain’s Pop Idol) and Nelson Mandela.

Virgina Woolf and Will Young
http://www.afterellen.com/sites/www.afterellen.com/files/images/12385570... ">

I’m sure Will Young never thought he would be in an icon exhibit with Nelson Mandela, but I think the fact that he is makes me like the exhibit all the more.

Nelson Mandela

To me, this shows that courage can come in all different shapes and sizes. I’m not trying to say that coming out on a reality show is akin to fighting apartheid. (Although I’m sure some narcissistic reality TV contestants would beg to differ with me on this point.) What I’m saying is that acts of heroism don’t always have to be epic scale in order to be heroic. Will Young took his chances with his budding music career by coming out to an entire nation. He may not have found a cure for cancer, but I think his coming out was courageous.

Of course, no gay icon exhibit could be complete without Harvey Milk.

I hope that the exhibit and the movie Milk are stepping stones for making Harvey Milk a universal hero, not just a gay one.

Who are your gay icons?

  • Julia Miranda's blog
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    • Submitted by
    Julia Miranda
    on March 31, 2009 - 11:30am.
    TAGS :: 
    Joyous's picture

    Hmm...

    Submitted by
    Joyous (121 posts)
    on March 31, 2009 - 11:55am.

    Now that I think about it, I've always considered myself inspired by Alice Walker. Yes I loved The Color Purple but the work that really touched me was "Possessing the Secret of Joy"

    Erika's picture

    Yes, Totally agree

    Submitted by
    Erika (174 posts)
    on March 31, 2009 - 7:13pm.

    Love, Love Alice Walker.

     

    OhioLezGirlinNYC

    http://oh-iolez-girlinnyc.blogspot.com/

    WWW.BLACKGAYGOSSIP.COM's picture

    Don't forget

    Submitted by
    WWW.BLACKGAYGOS... (3 posts)
    on April 1, 2009 - 7:56am.

    I agree, Alice Walker is definitely an inspiration.  Check out her book "Now Is The Time To Open Your Heart"  if you haven't already.  It's an AMAZING book.  And I think that's an understatement

     

    www.blackgaygossip.com

    Mathilda's picture

    I heard somewhere that Alice

    Submitted by
    Mathilda (106 posts)
    on June 8, 2009 - 7:46am.
    I heard somewhere that Alice Walker had an affair with Tracy Chapman. Is that true?
    Deb Rox's picture

    I want to go!

    Submitted by
    Deb Rox (8 posts)
    on March 31, 2009 - 12:38pm.

    Before I click over to see the exhibit site, I'm hoping I see a photo of Gertrude Stein, so I guess she's at the top of my list!

    ~~Deb

    www.debontherocks.com

    if you are stuck between a rock and a hard place, it's time to get your rocks off

    Teejay's picture

    BJK

    Submitted by
    Teejay (5 posts)
    on March 31, 2009 - 12:43pm.

    Billie Jean was my heroine long before I knew she was gay so I definately want to see a picture of her there.

    I was a sportswoman in my youth and she made a professional sporting life seem possible. Every female athlete, whatever sport she is in, owes her a debt of gratitude.

    sexy2lip's picture

    Harvey Milk

    Submitted by
    sexy2lip (21 posts)
    on March 31, 2009 - 12:54pm.
    I think Harvey Milk was a martyr for our cause and an important icon in my books.  Sean Penn did great in that role.
    issyvoo's picture

    Edward Morgan Forster,

    Submitted by
    issyvoo (45 posts)
    on March 31, 2009 - 1:20pm.

    Edward Morgan Forster, particularly for his posthumously published novel, Maurice, a gay romance with a happy ending written before WWI.

    Cole Porter, for all his wonderful lyrics.

    Christopher Isherwood, for some great fiction and the inspiration for the movie Cabaret.

    Marlene Dietrich, for oozing sexual charm to both sexes.

    These are off the top of my head. I'll think of more, I'm sure.

    iieee's picture

    Gay Icon

    Submitted by
    iieee (19 posts)
    on March 31, 2009 - 6:13pm.
    Talullah Bankhead, she loved boys, she loved girls  and  she couldn't care less what anyone thought about it.  
    Brophy's picture

    I second that - for the

    Submitted by
    Brophy (23 posts)
    on April 1, 2009 - 9:09am.
    I second that - for the quotes, above all else...  “my father warned me about men and booze but he never said anything about women and cocaine.”
    cornflakegirl's picture

    Virginia Woolf

    Submitted by
    cornflakegirl (43 posts)
    on March 31, 2009 - 6:18pm.

    Mrs. Woolf has always been one of my idols, but along with that, definatly Greta Garbo- just for her sheer beauty and talent (and for openly claiming to not have enough feminity" in a day when comments like that were not common)  

    Tmboy's picture

    Ellen DeGeneres

    Submitted by
    Tmboy (59 posts)
    on March 31, 2009 - 6:23pm.
    Her coming out literally saved my life.  Both my parents are Nigerian.  They believe being gay is a curse and hay people are evil.  Seeing Ellen made me realize that they were wrong and I was OK.  I was 13 at the time... bad bad time until that point
    Jamie's picture

    My gay icons are Leisha

    Submitted by
    Jamie (108 posts)
    on March 31, 2009 - 7:08pm.

    My gay icons are Leisha Hailey and Deb Meem. 

    ________________________________________________________

     

    http://stuffqueerpeopleneedtoknow.wordpress.com/

    notshane's picture

    more

    Submitted by
    notshane (343 posts)
    on March 31, 2009 - 8:05pm.

    Martina Navratilova

    Angela Davis

    June Jordan

    Ann Duffy (UK poet)

    Mary Oliver (US poet)

    brazen's picture

    Dusty Springfield

    Submitted by
    brazen (122 posts)
    on March 31, 2009 - 9:46pm.
    To come out as queer in the 60's and at the height of your career was just damned brave.  What a risk!! Plus I have met her IRL and she was a really down to earth, lovely person.
    surfer_rosa's picture

    sorry brazen, but Dusty

    Submitted by
    surfer_rosa (55 posts)
    on April 1, 2009 - 8:47am.
    sorry brazen, but Dusty never actiually came out. She mentioned the fact that she could be 'swayed' equally by a girl as a boy, which was not exactly telling the whole truth.
    7Up's picture

    Nice Job!!!!!

    Submitted by
    7Up (706 posts)
    on March 31, 2009 - 11:11pm.
    Wow, this show sounds excellent, hmmm....., I must scheme about how to get to London before it closes!!!!
    Myrtil's picture

    My icons

    Submitted by
    Myrtil (10 posts)
    on April 1, 2009 - 3:13am.

    Virginia Woolf, Marlene Dietrich and of course Harvey Milk. Andy Warhol, too.

    Brian Molko, well, the band Placebo in general, helped me a lot with my coming out issues, so I guess I can label them as icons, as well.

     

    I´m going to London in mid-September, so I´ll definitely check out the exhibition.

     

    Oh, and my icon of the day is Clementine Ford :-) 

     

    Brutal_Romance's picture

    I just had to agree with you

    Submitted by
    Brutal_Romance (402 posts)
    on April 1, 2009 - 4:37am.

    I just had to agree with you about the Brian Molko bit, he might not be a universal icon, but to me personally, he has done wonders for my self-acceptance and understanding. i was obssesd about Molko way before i was fixated by the idea that im gay, therefore 'different' than most of the kids and society around me. it amazed me how he manipulated with gender bending and gender queer themes. he was truly the reason why i opened my eyes to the person that i am today.

     

    my personal icons are:

    Gertrude Stein

    Marlene Dietrich

    Walt Whitman

    Clio Johnston

    thats what i can remember right now.

    blooddrivendream's picture

    Placebo have basically been

    Submitted by
    blooddrivendream (170 posts)
    on April 5, 2009 - 6:44pm.

    Placebo have basically been the soundtrack to my teenage angst. Including a long drawn out coming out process. Brian Molko is lovely.

     Walt Whitman has one poem that I remember very vividly.

    Personal gay related icons:

     

    • Brian Molko (Placebo)
    • Oscar Wilde 
    • Kinsey - I like scientific research, even if his did have flaws
    • Julie Anne Peters (she wrote "Keeping You a Secret" and "Luna"--I remember being so nervous about being caught reading the former in the book store when I was younger)
    • Richard O'Brian - for creating Rocky Horror 
    • Shirley Manson - for being one of my first crushes and writing and singing some awesome queer songs
    • Neil Gaiman - because Sandman seamlessly incorporated queer characters and it was appreciated by me
    That is it for now.

     

    frosted_fraggle's picture

    Lesbian rights pioneers

    Submitted by
    frosted_fraggle (88 posts)
    on April 1, 2009 - 5:41am.
    Phyllis Lyon and the late Del Martin.
    oscartg's picture

    Waheed Alli, Alan

    Submitted by
    oscartg (550 posts)
    on April 1, 2009 - 7:18am.

    Waheed Alli, Alan Hollinghurst, Elton John, Jackie Kay, Billie Jean King, Ian McKellen, Chris Smith, Ben Summerskill, Sandi Toksvig and Sarah Waters.

    Most of those people would nominate themselves and I wouldn't complain. Are BJK and Elton going to be appearing in the exhibition as well?

    Oh and I've read that the attention whoring Queen of Hearts Diana is going to be featured in the exhibition. Will we ever have enough of that woman? So annoying. Anyway I shall check it out next time I am in London.

    surfer_rosa's picture

    Me. I nominate myself as my

    Submitted by
    surfer_rosa (55 posts)
    on April 1, 2009 - 8:48am.
    Me. I nominate myself as my own icon!
    Brophy's picture

    Patricia Highsmith

    Submitted by
    Brophy (23 posts)
    on April 1, 2009 - 9:15am.

    Would totally nominate Patricia Highsmith, for writing Carol, and all the other gay subtext!... with this photo:

    http://www.nb.admin.ch/slb/aktuelles/medieninformation/01134/index.html?...

    Mathilda's picture

    That's difficult, but I'll

    Submitted by
    Mathilda (106 posts)
    on April 1, 2009 - 10:57am.

    That's difficult, but I'll try

    Greta Garbo (Swedish film star)

    Selma Lagerlöf (Swedish auther who won the Literature Nobel Prize 1909(?))

    Eva Dahlgren First celebrity lesbian to come out in Sweden (kind of a Swedish Ellen DeGeneres I suppose)

    Jeanette Winterson - Brilliant british author who should get the nobel prize

    Isabella Singher's picture

    Being young...

    Submitted by
    Isabella Singher (5 posts)
    on April 1, 2009 - 12:45pm.

    .. Has been kind of hard finding a role model.  There are lots of more mature women who are out and i find it hard to relate to them.  So... When Leisha Hailey came along it was brilliant, at last someone I could relate to.  She is funny, stylish and very beautiful and, as Alice, very feminine.  She changed my perception of what a lesbian 'should' look like and made me realise that not every famous lesbian had to be butch or tomboyish.  As Leisha is a musician and in a super cool band she made me feel cool for being gay.  All in all she made it seem glamerous and yet very 'normal' and definitly made it easier to come out. 

     

    Also Liz Feldman is a genius and I am very proud to call myself gay because of her :)

    Polyester Queen's picture

    My Icons

    Submitted by
    Polyester Queen (101 posts)
    on April 5, 2009 - 3:20am.

    John Waters 

    Oscar Wilde 


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