# Is Sir Elton John the most Famous Gay man? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 17, 2003, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sir-elton-john-the-most-famous-gay-man/149214 "2003-01-17T13:55:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Nymysys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f6c823/32.png) [@Nymysys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nymysys)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sir-elton-john-the-most-famous-gay-man/149214/41 "2003-01-17T23:51:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Omniscient \* > \*\*Vin Diesel? Are you fucking drunk? \*\* Didn’t we talk about this the last time I saw you? Vin = gay. Way gay. All the way gay. Gayer than gay. Gay. If you don’t believe me, go back and watch the kissing scenes in xXx again. It looks like he’s trying to get a piece of gristle out of his throat. I’m not sayin’ he’s gay, I’m just SAYING HE’S GAY. Ask anyone that’s been to LA in the past two years. Vin. Gay and not afraid to show it. **Esprix** , I would be willing to chip in for an extra large bed to accomodate all the rolling around. All I ask in return is video. ---
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sir-elton-john-the-most-famous-gay-man/149214/42 "2003-01-17T23:53:06Z")
For those who want more information on my hero, Sir Ian McKellen, he has an informative personal [web page](http://www.mckellen.com/). Of particular interest are his writings about being gay, and an activist. ---
**Author:** ![Nymysys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f6c823/32.png) [@Nymysys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nymysys)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sir-elton-john-the-most-famous-gay-man/149214/43 "2003-01-18T00:04:28Z")
Apologies. I meant to state for the record that Vin Diesel has _not_ outed himself, however, and therefore is not up for discussion. I certainly don’t want to _slander_ the guy or anything. I was just stating a…um…rather popular Hollywood opinion. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sir-elton-john-the-most-famous-gay-man/149214/44 "2003-01-18T00:05:14Z")
Yes we did discuss it, and I’m telling you that I don’t buy it! If its “well known in LA”, which to me is about as authoritative as saying “some guy I met at a club said so after buying me a appletini”, I’m sure it’d have been beaten to death on the talk shows and tabloids. Utter slanderous crap INO until I hear something convincing otherwise. Its just way too en vogue to label the famous mcho guy as gay these days. ---
**Author:** ![Nymysys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f6c823/32.png) [@Nymysys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nymysys)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sir-elton-john-the-most-famous-gay-man/149214/45 "2003-01-18T00:13:57Z")
Spoken like a true macho guy. You know, you _do_ have really good hair, Omni. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sir-elton-john-the-most-famous-gay-man/149214/46 "2003-01-18T00:34:41Z")
The problem here is not so much with the gay/not gay question as it is with determining how “famous” someone is. Certainly Ian McKellen is getting a lot of publicity right now, but I think that far more people worldwide would be able to correctly identify Elton John than could identify Ian McKellen. (and I’d like to second what **MrVisible** said about McKellen being a personal hero, particularly after I watched his appearance on Inside the Actor’s Studio). Of course, it’s also true that far more people could identify Elton John as gay. This all reminds me of a debate years ago about whether Barbra Streisand or Sammy Davis, Jr. was the most successful Jewish entertainer. I guess now it would probably be Jerry Seinfeld. IMHO, discussions like this should focus on people who have outed themselves, as speculation can get ugly. ---
**Author:** ![ffabris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a87d85/32.png) [@ffabris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ffabris)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sir-elton-john-the-most-famous-gay-man/149214/47 "2003-01-18T00:48:16Z")
I pointed a friend to this thread, and his reply was that right now, Michael Barrymore is arguably the most famous gay man in Britain, due to all the media attention he has had recently. Of course, this too will pass, whereas I don’t think Elton will suddenly fade into obscurity. He’s been famous for years. Personally, I like Ian McKellen a great deal, particularly in “Gods and Monsters” (I also like Brendan, but for different reasons 😉 and that’s off topic). If I were to single out famous “gay heros”, they would be: - living: George Michael, for being human, for snubbing the prudishness of society, for writing intense and meaningful lyrics. - historic: Michelangelo, for being one of the greatest artists of all time. I have seen his “Pieta’” several times and it never fails to move me to tears. ---
**Author:** ![Scotticher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Scotticher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scotticher)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sir-elton-john-the-most-famous-gay-man/149214/48 "2003-01-18T05:01:05Z")
TIM CURRY is GAY? Blast. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sir-elton-john-the-most-famous-gay-man/149214/49 "2003-01-18T05:44:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kendo \* > \*\*Ellen? \*\* Hey! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sir-elton-john-the-most-famous-gay-man/149214/50 "2003-01-18T05:53:32Z")
I refuse to relinquish the historical ground. 500 years from now, Elton and McKellan will be long forgotten. We will still be talking about Ceasar and Alexander the great (good catch!). I also nominate the following mythological figures (both bi): Achilles Zeus As for the ladies, Sappho. Not just _a_ lesbian. The Lesbian. ---
**Author:** ![dp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecd19e/32.png) [@dp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dp)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sir-elton-john-the-most-famous-gay-man/149214/51 "2003-01-18T06:23:17Z")
Dean Cain gay?, not so sure about that. He has fathered a bastard with some chick. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sir-elton-john-the-most-famous-gay-man/149214/52 "2003-01-18T06:50:47Z")
regarding [Dean Cain](http://us.imdb.com/Bio?Cain,%20Dean) > [@](#): > > Son (with Samantha Torres) Christopher Dean Cain was born June 11, 2000 at 1:30pm. He weighed 7lbs. 15oz. Named after his grandfather, Christopher Cain. > > Engaged to country singer Mindy McCready. [18 September 1997 - August 1998] regarding [Alan Cummings](http://us.imdb.com/Bio?Cumming,%20Alan) > [@](#): > > Dated Circle of Friends (1995) co-star Saffron Burrows after divorcing his wife Hilary Lyon. As for my vote, Leonardo De Vinci or Richard the Lionheart. If you’re looking for someone alive, Sir Elton’s a safe bet. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sir-elton-john-the-most-famous-gay-man/149214/53 "2003-01-18T07:28:21Z")
How about **Billie Jean King**? Back in the day, she was one of the biggest sports stars in the world, and an extremely well known popular figure. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sir-elton-john-the-most-famous-gay-man/149214/54 "2003-01-18T08:29:27Z")
I’d have to agree that among the living, Sir Elton certainly reigns as most famous, if only for sheer visibility and unabashed, unapologetic, social-change-engineering-by-in-your-face-fabulous-living-out-ness. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DMark \* > **Scott Hamilton** I’d guess that this would be news to him and his wife. Certainly there are gay men who marry women and have kids with them, but few of them, especially as celebrities, end up on anyone’s “confirmed gay” list. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DMark \* > \*\*You may secretly cast a ballot for, (but not legally publically announce the nomination) for: > > Tom Sellick > Liz Smith \*\* Tom Selleck is certainly gay-positive, given his role in “In and Out” but again, very married with a couple of kids. He spoke at length about why he was willing to do that role, about his support for gay rights, gay marriage and full acceptance and so forth, but that doesn’t make him a closet case. Liz Smith makes no bones about her sexual relationships with women, she writes about them in her autobiography which came out late last year. As for Sean Hayes, anyone have a link to his coming out statement, because I’ve never seen anything of the sort. And as to Alan Cumming, he is open about his fluid sexuality, and the fact that he is currently in a lengthy relationship with a man. In his interview show on the Oxygen network, he and Gwyneth Paltrow laughed about how he’s gone from “dating celebrity models” to “living with a beautiful gay boy.” ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sir-elton-john-the-most-famous-gay-man/149214/55 "2003-01-18T12:01:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Menocchio \* > \*\*I refuse to relinquish the historical ground. > > 500 years from now, Elton and McKellan will be long forgotten. We will still be talking about Ceasar and Alexander the great (good catch!). \*\* If you’re going to be that way about it, you need to add the Big Three of Greek Philosophy, **Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle**. [Soap] “Plato was gay.” “Mickey Mouse’s dog was _gay_?!?” [/Soap] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sir-elton-john-the-most-famous-gay-man/149214/56 "2003-01-18T12:12:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dp \* > \*\*Dean Cain gay?, not so sure about that. He has fathered a bastard with some chick. \*\* Gay does not mean sterile. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sir-elton-john-the-most-famous-gay-man/149214/57 "2003-01-18T14:14:18Z")
David Hyde Pierce, definitely. He’s been living with a guy for over five years now. There’s also a young movie star who is very gay, very, very busy (I know someone who can personally vouch for that) very famous, and very in the closet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sir-elton-john-the-most-famous-gay-man/149214.md?page=2)