What Makes Certain Celebrities Icons In The Gay Community?

[THUNDER HANDS]

Judy Garland, Ethel Merman, Joan Crawford, Liza Minelli, Mae West, Barbara Streisand, ect.

Why are these seemingly heterosexual (as far as I know) celebrities the object of adulation in the gay community.

Anyone know? Or anyone wanna offer up a guess as to why some celebrities get acclaim and others don't?

[Character Assassin]

1. Salmon curtains.

[cosmicdot]

6. LOL

and, art deco bedrooms

[Cooley Hurd]

13. Hey now...

I'm straight and I love Art Deco!

[cosmicdot]

14. LOL

:thumbsup:

[kyrasdad]

2. I'm gay and I don't even know...

and still to this day I often ask why.

[mlawson]

9. Yeah, what is the big deal about them????

:shrug:

Sometimes my *straight* friends just assume that I am a big fan of the celebrities named above. I always ask, "WHY?".

[Blue-Jay]

3. You forgot Cher.

I've wondered what the fascination was as well.

[The Zanti Regent]

15. and Edith Piaf, too...

"La Vie en Rose"...

[David Zephyr]

4. You'd Have to Give It Up, Magic Rat, to "Understand".

It's a very high price to pay, but then...

[cosmicdot]

5. paging arwalden ... paging arwalden ...

judy and liza were/are gay-friendly ... i.e., liza hangs with the pet shop boys in london; marries Gay men then divorces them

ladies with an attitude ... strike a pose there's nothing to it - something about the whole campiness of it all

some are cult-like icons

liking show biz is often a big common denominator bonding Gay people

impersonators go for the icons

~ just random thoughts here ~

perhaps a femme fatale syndrome

some show biz people, imo, use the Gay community base to launch a career, i.e., Bette Midler in Gay baths; and, once catch on, take the career to other markets

[cosmicdot]

12. the term: "friend of Dorothy's" comes to mind ... and, the yellow brick

road leads to somewhere over the rainbow where blue birds fly ... if birds can fly over the rainbow . . why can't I ... and, it, of course, leads to Judy Judy Judy ...

Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true

Some day I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemondrops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me

[Skittles]

7. next time they try to recruit you into their lifestyle

just f***ing ask them

[Blue-Jay]

8. hahaha!

Skittles, you're a treasure. I mean it.

[tishaLA]

10. Liza and Judy marry them, but...

Barbra has a phallic nose and gave birth to one. Mae West is hung like one.

I think there is an interesting generational shift, though, between pre-60s and post-60s gay diva-dom. Pre-60s, like Judy and Piaf, had a quality of suffering about them that endeared them to the closeted population. Post-60s divas triumph over everything that gets in their path. There ain't no mountain high enough! Express yourself! I'm the greatest star! R-E-S-P-E-C-T! You know I'm not going! ... You get the picture

[Padraig18]

11. I'm, as queer as a $3 bill, and I have no idea, Magic Rat.

:shrug:

[jonnyblitz]

16. i am a homo and can't stand any of them!

I like punk rock and druggie trancey techno and anything loud and fast...I CANT STAND show tunes and Broadway crap! :puke: :puke: :puke:

And don't even start me on Cher even though I am SURE she is a cool person...

[jono]

17. Judy Garland

It has been argued that the Stonewall riots may have occurred in part beccause of grief over Judy Garland's death (the funeral was the same weekend). Plus she gave us "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," so you have to figure she's going to score some icon points for that.

[Insider]

18. don't forget jodie foster

oh, you mean gay men ;-)