Famous gay lesbian or bisexual people

This is a list of famous gay, lesbian or bisexual people (GLB for short). The historical definition of a GLB person has changed greatly over time -- in fact, the word "gay" wasn't used to describe sexual orientation until the late 20th century. See homosexuality for more about the primary (and by far the most controversial) distinguishing characteristic of GLBs.

Some historical figures on this list wouldn't be considered GLB by today's standards, but they are included here because they were known to have had same-gender relationships. But even by today's standards, a relationship or two doesn't necessarily mean one is bisexual. Many people who identify as gay or lesbian have had different-gender relationships in their youth, and many who identify as heterosexual have experimented with same-sex relationships. Due to social norms that have remained consistent throughout history, little information about such matters when discussing historical figures is available; therefore, one can only make educated guesses based on limited evidence.

Note that several of the people on this list were prosecuted for their behavior under existing "sodomy laws".

Wikipedians: Edit this list with caution, because "outing" living individuals can lead to a charge of libel. It has not been tested whether Wikipedia's sponsor, Bomis, is liable for libel in the 'pedia. Furthermore, "outing" historical figures no longer alive to define their own sexual orientation will inevitably lead to countless pointless debates. In either case, cite evidence on the individual's biography page for why you have added him or or her to this list. It is important that evidence about living persons be a self-description by that individual--evidence of homosexual behavior is insufficient, because some individuals who experiment with same-sex relationships do not describe themselves as GLB.

In short, the only thing a listing on this page indicates is that at least some people believe there is evidence the person was gay, lesbian or bisexual. More information about what is known about each individual's sexuality should be available in the individual's biography.

A

[Edward Albee]?, US Playwright, author of [Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?]?

Alexander the Great

[Horatio Alger]?, US Author

Hans Christian Andersen, Danish author

Susan B. Anthony, US feminist and womens' suffrage activist

[Marie Antoinette]?, French queen

Aristotle, Greek philosopher

W. H. Auden, British poet

B

[James Baldwin]?, US author

[Tallulah Bankhead]?, US actress

[Alan Bates]?, US actor

[Clive Barker]?, Author, director, artist. Known primarily for his work in the horror genre

[Chastity Bono]?, US activist, daughter of Cher? and Sonny Bono

William S. Burroughs, US Beat author ([Naked Lunch]?, Junky?)

C

[Willa Cather]?, US author

[Montgomery Clift]?, US actor

[Kate Clinton]?, US comedian

Aleister Crowley, British occultist

D

Leonardo da Vinci, Italian Renaissance artist, inventor

[Ellen DeGeneres]?, US comedian

[Samuel Delaney]?, science fiction author

[Lea Delaria]?, US comedian

E

[Perry Ellis]?, clothing designer

[Melissa Etheridge]?, US singer, musician, composer

F

[Harvey Fierstein]?, US actor, playwright ([Torch Song Trilogy]?)

[E. M. Forster]?, British author

[Barney Frank]? (D, MA), US Representative

G

[Candace Gingrich]?, activist, half-sister of former U.S. Speaker of the House [Newt Gingrich]?

Allen Ginsberg, Beat poet (Howl, Kaddish)

H

Hadrian, Emperor of Rome

J. Edgar Hoover, former director of the US FBI

J

[Joan Jett]?, musician

Elton John, British singer, musician, composer

K

[John Maynard Keynes]?, British economist, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize

[Billie Jean King]?, world tennis champion

L

[k. d. lang]?, US country and blues singer, musician

[Audre Lorde]?, poet, author

M

Christopher Marlowe, Elizabethan playwright

[Robert Mapplethorpe]?, US artist

[W. Somerset Maugham]?, British author

[Ian McClellan]?, British actor (X-Men?, The Lord of the Rings)

[Freddie Mercury]?, US lead singer for Queen

Michelangelo, Italian Renaissance artist

Morrissey?, lead singer for [The Smiths]?

N

[David Norris]?, Irish senator and Joycean scholar[1]

O

[Sinead O'Connor]?, Irish musician

R

[Hilary Rosen]?, President of the RIAA?

S

Sappho, Greek poet from the [Isle of Lesbos]?, from which the term lesbian comes

[Bessie Smith]?, US blues singer

[Chris Smith]?, British minister of culture

[Jimmy Sommerville]?, lead singer for Bronski Beat, [The Communards]?, and solo performer

[Gertrude Stein]?, US author, partner of [Alice B. Toklas]?

T

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Russian composer

[Lily Tomlin]?, US comedian, actress

Alan Turing, British computer scientist and theorist

W

Andy Warhol, US artist and pop icon

[John Waters]?, US film director ([Pink Flamingos]?)

Walt Whitman, US poet, author of [Leaves of Grass]?

Oscar Wilde, Irish poet and bon vivant

[Tennessee Williams]?, US playwright

Virginia Woolf, British author

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See also: homophobia, The Closet

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