Your favorite well known gay man

Alive?

Oh sorry. Yes.

I asked for “alive” because I have several deceased gay heroes, such as Harvey Milk and Heath Ledger.

John Travolta

R3 Since when was Heath Ledger gay?

He's not a politician or "leader" in the gay community but I just adore Carson Kressley. He always just seems like such a sweet person and happy.

R6 - Hi Carson! I figured you were a Datalounger!

Lil Nas X. I'm proud that this African American performer chose to come out at such a young age (at age 20). He's now 22, and it seems that he'll continue to be popular for the next several years.

John Waters

Great choice, R8. Love him.

I can't think of a living gay male icon for me besides Pedro Almodovar and John Waters.

R9 - Another vote for John Waters.

[bold] WE

H A T E

ALL

SUCCESSFUL OUT GAY MEN!!

ALL OF THEM!!!!!

ESPECIALLY THE ONES WHO ARE ALIVE AND SEEM HAPPY

Anderson Cooper.

Yes, John Waters. I've met him over 10 times over the years (after his shows and at a few parties) and he's so down to earth. I also like Anderson Cooper. He's got his trolls here but he's bright and has a sense of humor and humility. I've met him as well and he's great in person. Charming, and thoughtful. Yes, he's not perfect, but still worthwhile. This clip always makes me laugh. He has no problem laughing at himself, which is a must.

Shouldn't let a few days cut Sondheim off the list.

There's also David Hockney.

Cameron Tucker and Mitchell Pritchett

Titus Burgess. Always seems like a lot of fun.

It's gotta be Pete Buttigieg - and Op's reasoning is way off. It's great that Pete and his husband adopted 2 children and have started a family. They are the new normal. Pete is a genius and a very kind man.

RuPaul, Jared Polis, Sean O’Malley, John Waters, Charles M. Blow, Ian McKellen, Pete Buttigieg, Jason Collins, Lee Daniels, Lil NAS X, George Takei, Greg Louganis, Ricky Martin, Wilson Cruz, David Leavitt, Armistead Maupin, David Sedaris, Carl Nassib, & Michael Sam (partial list).

Senatrice Graham

Colton Underwood

I got nothing. Then again, there are no humans at all that I fully respect. People are shit.

R23 - definitely agree people are shitty

Can't think of any.

No, not Pete, he stayed in the closet to achieve then only came out when he absolutely had to.

Harvey Fierstein

Australian former high court judge and human rights lawyer Michael Kirby. You're right, there's not many. We need more role models that aren't trashy, sexualised, stereotypical yass queens. not that I'd call them role models but sometimes it seems they're all we have, and they're embarrassing.

One of the main facets of being a gay man is that I'm a true outsider with no one showing me how it's done. I just work away doing my own thing knowing I'll never be truly equal or accepted by the 96% heterosexual majority, and my fellow 4% or so sexual minority cohort is so fucked up I want nothing to do with them. All the high profile gay men from from porn whores to actors and athletes are not people I would care to know.

Julian Morris

Rex Reed

I always liked Armistead Maupin. He seems so nice and I respect his talent x

George Takei

Don Lemon

Neil Patrick Harris

Rex Reed???

John Waters.

Dead its gotta be Tennessee Williams

Adam Lambert.

My dead favorites are:

James Baldwin

Bayard Rustin

Alan Turing

Ricky Martin. Don't know him, but he shakes a mean 'bon-bon'.

Nathan Lane

Rhyheim Shabazz. Oh, and Robert Wilson.

Probably Guillermo Diaz.

CockGobbler

I don't have a single favorite, but I've always adored Bruce Vilanch. He's worked with EVERYONE, and has written awards shows (including the Oscars) for decades, so his wit, experience and knowledge are immense (go ahead, insert fat jokes here).

He's always good-humored, and down-to-earth, and I've never heard anything bad about him. I could listen to him chat about Hollywood for hours on end.

John Waters

R3, Health Ledger wasn't gay

he is still identifying as bi I guess....but I'm going to throw him in the mix anyway!! Live dangerously!

It’s a sad time for gay men. The ones in entertainment are clowns, jumping around and performing for the fraus in power. Most of the ones that made it to political leadership use meth and associate with prostitutes (that black man in Florida - can’t remember his name) And the rest are bitchy, petty, psychopaths.

R47 not John Waters.

For those who dont know why Waters is so liked

People here can feel good all they want about "progress."

But look at where we stand: it's a stretch to come up with more than a handful of well-known names, well-known names whether you respect them or not. That says it all.

Progress? What progress?

I don’t like any homosexuals.

I like Chasten.

John Rechy

Tim Gunn.

Elton John

Alan Hollingsworth, Michael Cunningham, Tony Kushner, Troye Sivan, Anderson Cooper, Pete and Chasten

R50 I mean truly admirable people to me, gay or straight,aren't and never have been that common...that's what makes them great.

r11 Pedro is an amazing film maker.

Shawn Mendes

If this thread had been around a few years ago I would have added Tab Hunter. A genuinely kind, decent person who didn’t let Hollywood fuck him up.

Yeah Tab was a cool dude. Though if we are talking dead dudes, thats a whole other shit long list

R51 Then what are you doing here, troll?

Dominick Dunne

Doesn't Tom Daley seem to have it together? Awfully hard to be in the spotlight as an Olympic diver from 14.

Another vote for Armistead.

R64 - this really feels like it’s from Tom himself. But you know what? I’ll give it to you Tom. As far as your generation goes, you’re one of the better ones. I’m not a fan of your husband, and think there’s someone better for you, but that’s truly none of my business.

Andy Cohen is probably the greatest inspiration to gay men, he really built himself up into an entertainment icon and an industry unto himself. He’s a great model for gay youth.

[quote] He’s a great model for gay youth...

...to become media whores on culture-tainting fake reality shows; that or shirtless extra bartenders.

Ian McKellan

Pete, easy peasy. Any one who says no is either a bull dyke or a raging homophobe,

Living: Stephen Fry

Dead: Michelangelo

David Muir

Ian McKellan. Love his wit, his beautiful baritone voice.

Graham Norton.

Dead- Aleister Crowley, Nicola Tesla. I once argued with a Croatian about Tesla and I asked him "What were you taught in school, that he was left at the alter and heart broken?", "Yes, that's what we were taught" he replied.

Marco Berger

[R23], let's condole each other, because you're spot on. The more people I meet, the better my bookshelf looks.

R74 Take care discussing Tesla in the Balkans, since both Croatians and Serbians claim him.

77 posts and no mention of Hugh Jackman?

Hugh Jackman, Tom Cruise, John Travolta.

Lol @ R67. Hi Andy! Not on your best day…

R74 Actually we were taught that he had no time for women because he was too busy and had to concentrate on his work. Later on came the stupid theory about asexulity. But now even in the mainstream media in Croatia you can find articles about his attraction to men.

asexuality, I meant

I never knew about Tesla.

Andy Cohen

Andy Cohen

Andy Cohen

Mayor Pete

Hi, Andy Cohan! R67

Correction: Andy Cohen

Another vote for sexy & handsome Andy Cohen

Hi again Andy, r90

Armie Hammer

Edmund White, Alan Hollinghurst, Ian McKellen, Russell T Davies, Ben Whishaw.

Joan Crawford

Freddie Mercury, Perfume Genius, Damon Dominque, Eminem.

Shakespeare, Alexander the Great, Aristotle

Tim Gunn.

Andy Cohen.

Andy Cohen

Ru Paul

Tyler Perry

Andrew Gillum

Jeffrey Dahmer

Wow, what "wit" the last 20 posters have....

Andi Cohan

Caitlyn Jenner

Barry Manilow Barney Frank, Arthur Ashe, and 2nd James Baldwin above.

r74 here- Left him at the ALTAR (oh dear myself)

r81, Thank you for the update, I was hoping you'd weigh in. I imagine that Ana Brnabic, lesbian PM of Serbia has made things a little easier in the Balkans? What is your experience?

Tesla hated pearls and refused to talk to any woman wearing them. Nothing gay about that.

Liza Minnelli

DL favs Henry Cavill and Sam Heughan. If only they could just be themselves. Also, they would make the hottest couple.

Judy Garland

Cybil Shepard

Rosie O’Donnell

Don Mancini

Clive Barker

Definitely not Don Lemon

David Geffen

Sexy Andy Cohen

Harry Styles

Let.It.Go. Andy. Not a good look.

Just Jack

Andy WonkEye

Whatever you old Queens are so jealous of Andy

Lol@R123

BossyBottom Andy

I adore Alan Cumming. He's been around forever (Romy and Michele!) is multitalented and is always great. Very bright and funny on talk shows. And has been honest about his personal life without being annoying about it (I despise the TMI crowd). He's definitely worthy.

Boy George

Lil Nas X, he’s the openly gay popstar I’ve always wanted.

Jealous of a wonky-eyed coke fiend who abandoned his two best friends in their hour of need, R123?!? Jealous of someone who had a child because it was trendy? Jealous of someone who can’t keep a relationship for more than six months? Jealous of someone who can’t admit he is bald? Andy Cohen is a sociopath who is occasionally funny. That is the kindest thing I can say about him. The fact that you think he is worthy of admiration says at least as much about you as it does about him. Lucky for you it is an anonymous board.

R78, as far as we know, Hugh Jackman is hetro

What’s sad is that the top of our list is John Waters, and it goes way down from there. I love John Waters, but damn….we need help.

Read past the first 5 posts, R131. There are lots of good guys listed. Even considering the Wackadoodle who listed Andy Cohen 15 times doesn’t ruin that.

Derek Jacobi

R96 They're dead, Jim.

NoseCandy Andy.

Edmund White is a great example, as are Armistead Maupin, Dav id leavitt and Hollinghurdy. Men they came out decades ago when it was far from being acceptable. They wrote books about being gay which, to me, make all the difference about not being alone. For that reason I appreciate them more than any actor or musician but, frankly, anyone of the latter that is out is admirable. It is not easy in general and is not easy here. That said, the scum of the earth is Kevin Spacey.

I don't care how much "success" Andy Cohen has, he is a garbage person.

Lil Asshole

Rock Hudson

Georg Ganswein

Lewis Hamilton

Cristiano Ronaldo

Manuel Neuer

I'm going to say Mart Crowley, the writer of the play/movie "The Boys in the Band".

Love it or hate it, its historical significance in gay culture is indisputable.

Truman Capote. Sure he was a cunt but so are most of you.

Can we vote people down? Like Larry Craig and Theodore McCarrick?

Mart is already dead though. We really need to make a separate thread for those who have passed.

I never liked Blanche’s younger brother, Clayton. He was ugly and acted old.

r95, Eminem is a hetro as far as we know

Broadway star Jordan Fisher.

Evan Wolfson. Duh.

R148, He pinged from here to Venus on Monday's "The View".

I was majorly surprised when they showed a photo of his recent wedding and saw that he married a female.

Tim Cook of Apple

I think OP means /out/ gay man.

R150, Me too!! My partner and I were watching. The second they showed a picture of him with a woman, we both yelled simultaneously, "To a woman??!!!"

Handsome, talented, sophisticated Andy Cohen

Why does Andy Cohen keep trolling us?

Jesus, this thread is a sobering eye-opener.

Jesus

Prince George

In all seriousness:

Charles Busch

Colm Toibin

Lee Pace

Clinton Leupp (Miss Coco Peru)

It’s crazy to think that as far as percentages, the good and honest gay men out there are probably less than one percent. I know just in my friend group alone, there’s druggies, alcoholics, cheaters, embezzlers, social media addicts, and thieves. And those are just the crimes I know about!

Charles Nelson Reilly

R160

Half of the things you listed aren’t “crimes”.

I bet you aren’t as “good” as you say you are.

[quote] I know just in my friend group alone, there’s druggies, alcoholics, cheaters, embezzlers, social media addicts, and thieves. And those are just the crimes I know about!—One of the good ones

Since you're here, aren't you a social media addict too?

Paul Lynde

Montgomery Clift

Cary Grant

Dash Riprock

Graham Norton. I love him!

Dont know how well known he was but its the guy that origonally had all the goats that the beekman boys now have. Loved him

R108 Maybe it helped symbollically, like Obama's election for black peopke in US, but not really. It is better in Zagreb where I live, it is mostly don't ask don't tell policy, although there are some out writers, journalists etc. But in some small town in eastern Croatia-horror. And Serbia is even worse.

I love Almadovar.

It seems we've opened it up to dead gay guys now! There's soooo many more to chose from there, sadly.

My picks would be Tennessee Williams, James Baldwin, Andy Warhol, Jean Cocteau, Montgomery Clift, Oscar Wilde, Yves Saint Laurent, Frank O'Hara, George Cukor, Alan Turing, Freddie Mercury, Truman Capote, Gore Vidal, Francis Bacon, David Wajnarowicz, Langston Hughes, Stephen Sondheim, Walt Whitman, Hubert de Givenchy, Edward Albee, Leonard Bernstein, George Michael, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Halston, Balenciaga, Rock Hudson, Klaus Nomi, Luchino Visconti, Cole Porter, Larry Kramer, Da Vinci.......you can just keep going with these names......

Why were the gays in the past so creative and monumental? Alan Turing saved the Allies and practically invented modern computer science, for god's sake!

Peter Allen

Dead people should not be included, but oh well.

R174 We've exhausted every gay worth anything - you can't build a thread on people just replying the name John Waters for the millionth time.

Jim J Bullock

Ok were doing dead gays? Tennessee Williams and Larry Kramer are probably the 2 in my highest estimation followed by all the other guys that started GMHC during the wake of Aids (Nathan Fain, Lawrence D. Mass, Paul Popham, Paul Rapoport, Edmun White, the wonderful Rodger Macfarlane). Playwrights Mart Crowley and Edward Albee, the og cast of Boys in the Band especially Kenneth Nelson and Leonard Frey. OG acerbic bitch Oscar Wilde of course. Jack Wrangler, 80's gay (and straight for pay) porn star who somehow managed to survive the 80's without Aids and raised a shit ton of money for the cause. Yukio Mishima who hara kiri'd himself like some samurai warrior. Hart Crane, poet and T Williams's idol. I a probably forgetting a few but those are who I have right now.

Twinkletoes Lindsey

Andy Cohen looks like a massively hung power top! I’d let him pound my twink hole.

R177 and Vito Russo. Knew I forgot someone.

Hi Andy! R179

Roddy McDowell

Bea Arthur

Kathy Griffin has bigger balls than Miss Andi Cohen.

That's funny...I was asked the same question at a meeting in London right before Covid. I couldn't answer the question either...Big ass finance meeting, major players.

If we're into the deads, it's time to cite my fellow Brits Noel Coward, Dirk Bogarde, Christopher Isherwood, and W H Auden.

Without Isherwood no 'Cabaret' eventually, of course. There's a brilliant poem by Auden in the latest New York Review of Books which for some reason he never thought to publish, such were his profligate gifts. The poem is so fresh sharp and relevant it could have been written this year.

R172 is right: the genius bestowed by our fellow gays is enough for several lifetimes, and is a constant riposte to heteronormalisation.

Would those famous and dead creative genuises have been just as creative without the tension of a shielded lifestyle?