Most Polarizing Gay Icons

Definitely Reba

Madonna

Judy Fuckin' Garland

Barbra. DL seems to hate her.

Marie Osmand

Why would Kylie Minogue be polarizing?

That country clown face is no gay icon.

Who splits us gays the most?

Ten-inchers come to mind.

Reba = Shitta

r8 it’s an honor to server

.

Former Countess LuAnn Loretta Lynn Dixie Carter Tammy Faye Bakker

Aside from a few comments from her paid shills, Madonna seems universally disliked at this site, deservably so.

r10 Thank you for that service, soldier.

Melissa Leo

GaGa Beyonce

Melissa Leo is a gay icon?

R11 He is only an icon for the retarded and the paedos

Bette

Midler or Davis, R19?

R20 Midler

Miss Jackson

Surprisingly, Carol Burnett. Many people don't find her funny, nor think her iconic 1970s variety show was ever all that good.

Maybe I'm odd but I've never worshipped any female "Diva". It just seems foreign to me. Why do a large majority of gay man do this?

R24 I wouldn’t infer from the noise level an actual preference for this among the majority of gay men. Perhaps it’s the same subset who favor piano bars? I could give a 1/4 fuck for any so called diva.

Bette Midler. Gaga. Donna Summer.

"Madonna seems universally disliked at this site, deservably so."

Oh, dear...

[Quote]Why do a large majority of gay man do this?

I don't know either, r24. Maybe it's because many gay men identify with the larger-than-life star image that masks the tormented lives many of these icons lead. Many gay men also have tormented lives, and hide it behind a similar façade of beauty, attitude, and substance abuse. It's like there's mutual understanding happening between the stars and their gay fans.

Back in the DL day it was Gloria Estefan. Hands down.

[quote]I've never worshipped any female "Diva" .. why do a large majority of gay man do this?

They don't - it's a small minority. The overwhelming majority of gay men are NOT into divas ...

R29 - the only gay men that worshiped Gloria Estefan were gay Latinos. I hate the sight of that woman. She can barely sing, can't really dance, and is so wrapped up in her Republican Cuban identity that it's offputting. You're an American Gloria. We get it - can you stop mentioning Cuba and Cuban Americans in every damn sentence?

Oh - and her songs suck. Maybe they are better in Spanish but the English hits are all forgetful and awful.

DAMNIT!!!!!HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN ME. YOU FUCKING BITCHES.

Who the fuck is Reba?

R33 umm you're either foreign or have been under a rock since the early 90s

R34 So only Americans will have heard of her? Hardly an 'icon' in that case.

most Europeans don't know Bette Midler either

R36 Outside of the few films she did, you're probably right.

She's definitely not of 'icon' status in Europe, anyway.

For old opera fans, I'll say that Maria Callas causes polarization.

Kathy Griffin

I had no idea Reba McIntire was a gay icon, and I'm pretty sure that actually she isn't. Years ago I had some of her music; I kind of liked "Weekend in New England." What turned me off her was that stupid-as-fuck sitcom, [italic]Reba[/italic]. I was in a situation for a while when it was running where I was having to sit/stay with someone who watched it, and I found her overbearing and the show unbearable. I know she didn't create it—dentist husband has an affair and gets his hygienist pregnant, leaves his wife and kids for her, and the hygienist is then determined to be Reba's best friend, and she and the ex spend every episode at Reba's house—or write the scripts, but it was Tyler Perry-level bad. And Reba's not an actress.

I guess some people like her for [italic]Annie Get Your Gun[/italic]? I hate her stupid hick accent, her ridiculous plastic surgery, and her asinine covers of songs that were ridiculous to begin with.

Reba is definitely a non-entity outside of the US (with the exception of a few European countries, where her sitcom was super popular).

I'm European as well and the only thing I know her from is Tremors. But she was pretty funny in that one, gotta admit that.

Gay icons are only women?

[Quote] Back in the DL day it was Gloria Estefan. Hands down.

Ha! What did I tell you.

See r31 for seething hatred!

Kathy Griffin, Anderson Cooper, Beyoncé, Roseanne.

R31 Gloria was in a horrific bus accident and broke her back, the fact that she could even walk again was a miracle and you’re criticising her dancing?

Jackie on Assistance

Along with, Lee Radizwill. Can't forget her.

Vivian Vance

Senatrice Graham.

Definitely miss Joan Crawford.

Reba is a certified DL Villain.

cute.

here

Reba’s iconic at least in the southern US going by the number of drag queens I’ve seen performing “Fancy” over the years.

Fancy belongs to Bobbie Gentry.

Even the drag queens can’t get it right.

I NEVER thought Reba was such a gay icon. I would've said Dolly Parton was the one gays were divided about.

I'm surprised that she's considered a gay icon. Thanks, R24, for the input.

Judy Fucking Garland!

Amanda Lear

Who the fuck doesn’t like Dolly Parton?

Kathy Griffin

I never wanted to be a woman, but as a closeted kid in the 80s, I did want to be a diva.

Straight men do not idolize women in general and if they do, they stay pretty quiet about it. A generalization for certain. Simply put, gay men do idolize women- worship is a strong word- I would not use it. Straight men idolize MALE sports figures, pols and sometimes writers and artists. Gay men like women for qualities other than sexual attraction. Straight men tend to see atraction as the only pathway to female admiration- models etc. A generalization, but think about it. Garland and Monroe are not long time gay idols because gay men identiied with their suffering- rubbish. They admired their gifts. Gay men admire Streisand, hardly a suffering great star- rather a great talent and powerful personality. I quibble with the admiration of not so admirable or talented individuals that is all to frequent these days. DIVA originally applied to an opera singer of, supreme talent and artistry and next perhaps bigger than life presence and life style or demeanor. Like most things in 2019, mediocrity is all too much the rule.

R40 It is "When Whoever's In New England" not "Weekend in New England." And, you are in the minority as her sitcom brought her many new fans that didn't really know her previously. It was just a classic three camera in front of an audience sitcom, it wasn't meant to be Shakespeare.

lens Dunham has more detractors than fans. Farah fawcett has almost equal, though. Bree Larson is roundly despised as is Julia Roberts.

I’m with you [R6], Kylie is pretty much universally liked. She (and her music) might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but those that know anything of her, know that she’s often regarded as one of the friendliest, most accessible, and warmest celebrities out there.

I’m gonna say Cockgobblah. He has his fanatical fans and his detractors.

Vivian Vance!

Faye Dunaway

Diana Ross

Vivian Vance is a spoonerism for Vivian Vance.

Definitely Madonna. Those Madame X threads were something else. I haven't see anyone post who was indifferent. It's either love or hate.

I would say right now it's Madonna. Half the posters think she's timeless and inventive, and the other half think she's pathetic and grotesque. her fans love posting about how successful she is, and her detractors love mocking her refusal to admit she's over the hill.

Once upon a time it would have been Roseanne: I have noticed that many gay men who come from poorer non-urban backgrounds just loved her because they loved the character of Roseanne Conner so much (she reminded them of their origins), and also because Roseanne in any guise always spoke her mind. (That's a qualkity gay men tend to just love in almost all divas--I think because we always remember when we were so constrained before we came out of the closet.) But I would say she has very few defenders any more given her support of Trump and her racist comments about Valerie Jarrett. I think most people recognize now she's severely mentally ill.

Rosie O'Donnell used to split people here too: many love her because she is a true-blue, outspoken liberal who came from a tough suburban background, but many others don't like her because they don't find her funny or talented, and find her too self-serving and dishonest. She hasn't made much noise for quite a while, though, so i think she's lately in danger of being forgotten.

R71 You forget that one reason is also because Roseanne brought attention to working class gays and lesbians in the 1990s. Before Roseanne featured such characters on her show, it almost seemed like, according to TV, all gays and lesbians were middle to upperclass and only lived in major urban centers.

I'm surprised by all the hate Madonna gets. She was pretty revolutionary in the 80s.

LaDonna Gaines OWNS this thread! The obove are imposters to her crimes against gays!

She was pretty revolutionary in the 80s.

So was the Walkman.