Notable Gay, Lesbian, & Bisexual People
Because many
gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals chose to keep their sexual
identity covert, it is often difficult for citizens in both the
gay community and in the general population to locate strong, successful
examples of gay people who have made, and continue to make, important
contributions to our society. These extraordinary people are important
role models for both homo- and heterosexuals, and play a vital function
in dispelling harmful myths and stereotypes.
The following list contains many fine
examples of successful homosexuals, including U.S. Senators, Olympic
athletes, writers, poets, singers, movie stars, and activists. While
this list is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive, it does reveal
a wide variety of gay, lesbian and bisexual people who have helped
shape the world, and continue to enrich our lives.
A
Roberta Achtenberg, Assistant Secretary of
Housing and Urban Development, former
San Francisco city supervisor
Edward Albee, playwright (Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?)
Pedro Almodovar, director
Hans Christian Anderson, writer of children's fairy tales
Susan B. Anthony*, human rights activist
B
Sir Francis Bacon, writer
Joan Baez, musician
Josephine Baker, singer
James Baldwin, writer (Go Tell it on the Mountain, Giovanni's Room,
Another Country)
Tammy Baldwin, state legislator (Wisconsin)
Sir James M. Barrie, playwright/novelist (Peter Pan)
Deborah Batts, federal judge
Amanda Bearsey, actress
Andy Bell, musician
Sandra Bernhardt, comedian/actress
Leonard Berstein*, composer (West Side Story, On the Waterfront)
Chastity Bono, daughter of Sony & Cher
Boy George, musician (Culture Club)
John Boswell, historian/writer
Keith Boykin, presidential aide
Benjamin Britten, composer
Rita Mae Brown, novelist
Glenn Burke, ex-Major League baseball player
William S. Burroughs, novelist/artist
Lord Byron, poet
C
Willa Cather*, writer (My Antonia, O' Pioneers)
Montgomery Clift, actor
Kate Clinton, comedian
Jean Cocteau
Aaron Copeland, composer
Julie Cypher, director (Teresa's Tattoo, music videos)
D
Leonardo da Vinci*
James Dean*, actor
Ellen DeGeneres, actress/comedian
Lea DeLaria, comedian
Emily Dickinson*, poet
Ani DiFranco, musician
E
Brian Epstein, manager for the Beatles
Melissa Etheridge, musician
F
Barney Frank, U.S. Congressman
Will Fitzpatrick, state senator (Rhode Island)
Angie Fa, board of education (San Francisco)
Malcom Forbes, publisher
E.M. Forster, writer (Howard's End, A Passage to India, Maurice)
Errol Flynn*, actor
G
David Geffen, film producer/music business
Candace Gingrich, Newt Gingrich's sister & GLBT activist
Allan Ginsberg, poet
Steve Gunderson, U.S. Congressman (Wisconsin)
H
Radclyffe Hall, writer (The Well of Loneliness)
Sherry Harris, city council (Seattle)
Bruce Hayes, Olympic swimmer
Jon Hinson, former congressman (Mississippi)
Rock Hudson, actor
Tom Hulce, actor (Mozart in Amadeus)
I
Janis Ian, musician
J
Bob Jackson, professional bodybuilder
Henry James, writer
Elton John, musician
Holly Johnson, lead singer (Frankie goes to Hollywood)
K
Frida Kahlo, artist
Billie Jean King, professional tennis champion
David Kopay, retired NFL football player
L
k. d. lang, musician
Liberace, pianist/entertainer
Audre Lorde, African-American poet and activist
Greg Louganis, three-time Olympic gold medallist in diving
Amy Lowell, poet
M
Johnny Mathis, musician
Somerset Maugham, writer
Armistead Maupin, writer (Tales of the City)
Sir Ian McKellen, actor
Stewart McKinney, U.S. Congressman
Michelangelo*
Edna St. Vincent Millay, poet
N
Dave Navaro, musician (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
Martina Navratilova, professional tennis champion
O
Georgia O'Keeffe, artist
P
Dave Pallone, Ex-Major League baseball umpire
Deb Price, Gannett newspapers columnist
Iggy Pop, musician
Cole Porter, songwriter
Marcel Proust, writer (Remembrance of Things Past)
R
Amy Ray, musician (Indigo Girls)
Kenneth Reeves, mayor (Cambridge, Mass.)
Eleanor Roosevelt, former first lady
RuPaul, entertainer
Paul Rutherford, singer (Frankie goes to Hollywood)
S
Emily Sailers, musician (Indigo Girls)
Sappho, Greek poet
Dick Sargent, actor (second Darrin on Bewitched)
Jose Sarria, first openly gay candidate for public office in U.S.
history (San Francisco,
1961)
May Sarton, writer
Marie Schneider, actress (Last Tango in Paris)
Frank Schubert, composer
Randy Shilts, journalist (The Mayor of Castro Street; And the Band
Played On)
Siegfried and Roy, entertainers
Bessie Smith, singer
Jimmy Somerville, musician (Bronski Beat)
Allan Spear, Senator (Minnesota)
Gertrude Stein, writer
Michael Stipe, lead singer of R.E.M.
Gerry Studds, U.S. Congressman
Andrew Sullivan, editor of The New Republic magazine
T
Peter Tchaikovsky, composer
Alice B. Toklas, writer
Lily Tomlin, actress/comedian
Pete Townsend, musician (The Who)
V
Gus Van Sant, filmmaker (My Own Private Idaho)
Gore Vidal, novelist
W
Tom Waddell, Olympic decathelete
Andy Warhol
Walt Whitman, poet (Leaves of Grass)
Oscar Wilde, playwright/novelist (The Portrait of Dorian Gray)
Tennessee Williams, playwright (The Glass Menagerie; A Streetcar
Named Desire)
Virginia Woolf*, writer
Z
Babe Didrikson Zaharias, professional golfer
*It is widely believed that this person was gay,
lesbian or bisexual, based on their personal history, accounts by
family and friends, memoirs, or works.