Does anybody know of good role models who are gay?? I mean who are in the public eye!! I know of elton john.?

Question

I have been told that there are no examples of gay people who have made positive contributions to society. This surely can't be true.

Answer 1

Famous Gays and Lesbians in History:



Sappho (600 B.C.) Greek Poetess

Socrates (470-399 B.C.) Greek Teacher and Philosopher

Plato (427-347 B.C.) Greek Teacher and Philosopher

Alexander The Great (356-323 B.C.) Macedonian King and Military Leader

Wu (140-87 B.C.) Chinese Emperor

Hadrian (76-138 A.D.) Roman Emperor

Richard the Lion Hearted (1157-1199) English King and Crusader

Edward II (1254-1327) English King

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) Italian Renaissance Artist, Teacher, Scientist and Inventor

Michelangelo (1475-1564) Italian Renaissance Artist and Sculptor

Montezuma II (1480-1520) Aztec Emperor

Julius III (1487-1555) Catholic Pope

Ieyasu Tokugawa (1542-1616) Japanese Shogun and founder of the Edo Shogunate

Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) British Statesman and Writer

Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) English dramatist and poet

Christina (1626-1689) Swedish Queen

Peter the Great (1672-1725) Russian Czar

Frederick the Great (1712-1786) Prussian King and Military Leader

Madame de Stael (1766-1817) French Writer and Intellectual

Lord Byron (1788-1824) British Poet

Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) Danish Poet and Writer

Margaret Fuller (1810-1850) Euro-American Writer and Journalist

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) Euro-American Philosopher, Naturalist, and Peace Activist

Walt Whitman (1819-1892) Euro-American Poet

Herman Melville (1819-1891) Euro-American Writer

Chief Crazy Horse (Tashunca witco) (1849-1877) Oglala Sioux Chief

Peter I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Russian Composer

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) Irish Writer and Dramatist

Dame Ethel Smyth (1858-1944) British Composer, Writer, and Activist

Marcel Proust (1871-1922) French Writer

Sergei Diaghileff (1872-1929) Russian Ballet Impresario

Vita Sackville-West (1892-1962) British Writer

Vaslav Nijinsky (1890-1950) Russian Ballet Dancer

Edward Carpenter (1844-1929) British Author and Gay Rights Pioneer

Willa Cather (1873-1947) Euro-American Writer and Critic

Colette (1873-1954) French Writer and Actress

W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) British Writer and Dramatist

Alice B. Toklas (1877-1967) Euro-American Writer; Stein's Domestic Partner

Gertrude Stein (1874-1946) Euro-American Writer and Art Collector; Toklas' Domestic Partner

Bessie Smith (1894-1937) African-American Blues Singer and Entertainer

E.M. Forster (1879-1970) British Writer

Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) British Writer and Publisher

Ernst Rohm (1887-1933) German Nazi and SA Leader

T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) (1888-1935) British Soldier

Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) French Writer and Filmmaker

John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) British Economist and Nobel Prize Winner

Cole Porter (1893-1964) Euro-American Composer

Bayard Rustin (1910-87) African-American Civil Rights, Labor Rights, & Peace Activist/Leader

Alan Turing (1912-1954) British Mathematician and Computer Scientist

James Baldwin (1924-1987) African-American Writer and Civil Rights Activist

Truman Capote (1924-1984) Euro-American Author

Tennessee Williams (1914-1983) Euro-American Dramatist

Marguerite Yourcenar (1903-1987) Belgian-American Writer

Federico Garcia Lorca (1894-1936) Spanish Poet and Dramatist

Christopher Isherwood (1904-1986) British Author

W.H. Auden (1907-1973) British Poet and Writer

Harvey Milk (1930-1978) Euro-American Politician

Audre Lorde (1934-1992) African-American Writer and Activist

Billie Jean King (1943 - ) Euro-American Tennis Champion and Activist

Martina Navratilova (1956- ) Czechoslovakian-American Tennis Champion and Activist

Andy Warhol (1930-1987) Euro-American Pop Artist

Frieda Kahlo (1907-1954) Mexican Artist and Activist

Gore Vidal (1925- ) Euro-American Writer

Rudolf Nureyev (1938-1993) Russian dancer

Freddie Mercury (1946-1991) British Singer/songwriter/musician

Elton John (1947 - ) British Singer/songwriter/musican

Janis Ian (1951 - ) Euro-American Singer/songwriter/musician

Nathan Lane (1956 - ) Euro-American Actor

Ellen Degeneres (1958 - ) Euro-American Comedian/actor

Melissa Etheridge (1961 - ) Euro-American Singer/songwriter/musician

k. d. lang (1961 - ) Canadian Singer/songwriter

Nazis murder thousands of homosexuals as part of campaign against "undesirables."

Nazis burn books they consider subversive.

"Stonewall Riots" in 1969--catalyst for modern American Lesbian/Gay Liberation Struggle.

The "Names Project Memorial Quilt" commemorates those who have died of AIDS.

The Pink Triangle symbolizes Lesbian/Gay struggles against oppression.

The Rainbow Flag--symbolizes Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Pride and Diversity.

The Marches on Washington in 1979, 1987, & 1993 for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Rights.

Answer 2

This is just a few that I was thinking of, in addition to those already mentioned:



George Takai (actor, Mr. Sulu from Star Trek), as well as actors Nathan Lane (many awards won) and Rupert Everett. And Alan Cummings is best known to American audiences as Nightcrawler from X-Men 2, but he has an extensive resume of stage (won a tony) and screen, and he's written a book. Also Chad Allen, reccently in End of the Spear, was Matthew on Dr. Quinn for years.



Harper Lee who wrote "To Kill a Mockingbird" and novelist Christopher Rice (son of Anne Rice) were both gay



Mark Bingham was one of the people on flight United Flight 93 who charged the door to prevent the terrorists from crashing that plane into the Pentagon, and died in a field in Pennslyvania on 9/11 after forcing the plane to crash there rather then allow it to kill other americans. Melissa Ethridge wrote a very moving song about him called "Tuesday Morning". And lets not forget Melissa herself!



And speaking of 9/11, the only entire family to perish on that day was Ronald Gamboa, and his partner of 13 years, Dan Brandhorst, were traveling with their 3-year-old adopted son, David. I found a link to gay victiems of 9/11 and there are some amazing stories there (see below). In particular Mychal Judge, one of the first priests to die rushing to help first tower victiems when the second tower was hit. He was the first officially counted victiem, and the photo of rescue workers carrying his robed body out was printed around the world, and his hat was presented to the Pope.



There are plenty of gay musicians, George Michel might not seem like a role model after multiple arrests, but he's always taken responsibility and admitted his guilt and apologized, instead of a lot of other celebrities who blame others. And Rufus Wainwright has written some really beautiful songs.



And where would Martin Luther King Jr have been without Bayard Rustin, the gay man and civil rights activist who actually planned the 1963 March on Washington where King gave the famous "I have a Dream" speech.

Answer 3

Authors:

Sarah Waters

Jeanette Winterson

Leslie Feinberg



In the Library of Congress, there are names of great authors carved into the walls. If you look around, all but one are men. The exception is Sappho, because when the names were carved, the Congress was sure that she was male. Obviously, no mere female could write poetry so moving.



I just thought of something else. One of the guys on the September 11 Flight 93 who fought the hijackers and prevented the plane from being brought down in a populated area was gay. I can't remember his name, but Melissa Etheridge wrote a song about it on her Lucky cd. You don't get more heroic than that.

Answer 4

I think the actor B.D. Wong is a great role model. Don't forget the closet gays who had an impact of society. He may have had his faults, but J. Edgar Hoover who inspired and founded the FBI gave us our modern criminal records system and many of out investigative tools.



We can look bacy at Oscar Wilde, and Lord Byron from the world of literature.



There are gay role models all around us, not just celebrity ones.

Answer 5

I think there’s nothing else to add and I’m answering because, despite I’m not gay, I go berserk when read shallow and stupid answers as like as the “effkarl” one.

I realize that many people haven’t the right culture and intelligence to read and interpreter freely what the Bible could mean without conditioning. Some people often talks without awareness or cause’s cognizance and aren’t even convinced about what their tongue says.

Despite we’re on the 2000’s, discrimination and racism still are common subjects.

Answer 6

Go Sista! I have nothing to add, except that I'm freakin' sick of the whole "Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve" line. It's lost its creativity. Religious homophobes need to think of some new way to degrade us so at least I can have more reason to laugh.

Answer 7

Sista. You are my gay Idol!!!!!!! As a gay man myself We need to unite as one and forgo everyones petty diferences. there is too much hate in the world. I respect everyones opinion even idiotic clams that a lot of ignorant people care to spew.

Answer 8

DUDE...I didn't know B.D. Wong was gay! I LOVE him in Law and Order, probably my fav character. Excellent.



I really love Ellen DeGenerus (sp?) too.



Ani Difranco wasn't mentioned yet and she's pretty awesome.

Answer 9

I am not a religious homophobe. Just trying to stir up the pole smokers.

Answer 10

sista! rocks!!! But don't forget Rosie O'Donnell and Sir Ian McKellan!



FR

Answer 11

probably ellen degeneres

she makes great comedic contributions

besides I love Dory

Answer 12

Truman Capote.



If I hear the Adam & Steve crap one more time...

Answer 13

I just want to say thanks for the impressive answers!

Also thanks for including links to your sources.

There is so much to learn!