# Who are some famous gays/bisexuals who have married members of the opposite sex? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 12, 2005, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513 "2005-05-12T04:46:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513/21 "2005-05-12T14:09:22Z")
Prince George, Duke of Kent, (Queen Elizabeth II’s uncle) was reportedly bisexual. **John Mace** , in regards to Eleanor Roosevelt, if you read her letters to Hickok…hooboy. Those things are STEAMY. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513/22 "2005-05-12T14:14:47Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Freddie Mercury of Queen wasn’t officially married to Mary Astor but: HA! He wasn’t officially married to Mary _Austin_ . Mary Astor was an actress who starred in “The Maltese Falcon,” among other things. ---
**Author:** ![Ragiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6de8d8/32.png) [@Ragiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ragiel)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513/23 "2005-05-12T14:28:08Z")
W.H. Auden. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513/24 "2005-05-12T14:40:04Z")
This is rumor only, of course, as “I wasn’t under the bed,” but the marriages of **Alfred Lunt and Lynne Fontanne** , and 1920s/30s film stars **Edmund Lowe and Lilyan Tashman** were supposedly “friendly arrangements.” **Alla Nazimova** was openly bi, and married twice. **Bert Savoy** , The Gayest Man in the World, was married. Rudolph Valentino (married twice) is generally presumed to have been gay or bi, but a bio came out a year or so ago which convincingly argues that he was _probably_ straight. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513/25 "2005-05-12T14:40:35Z")
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Evidently, his wife (straight) had an enthusiastic liking for sex, so the marriage was doomed from the start and only lasted three months. Eric Blore (great character actor of the 30s and 40s). ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513/26 "2005-05-12T15:00:11Z")
> [@plnnr](#): > > HA! > > He wasn’t officially married to Mary _Austin_. Well, to be fair, he wasn’t officially married to Mary Astor either. ---
**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:** [May 12, 2005, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513/27 "2005-05-12T15:05:28Z")
> [@groman](#): > > Is Leonardo DeCaprio married? No. And yes, rumor has it (and I personally know someone who claims first hand experience) that he’s gay. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513/28 "2005-05-12T15:07:19Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > I thought you weren’t interested in rumors. The first one we’ll never know about, and the second… you have proof? Alexander the Great’s tendencies are no more rumor than any other biographical information about him are: the fact he kissed his eunuch Bagoas in front of his troops, his double entendres about Hepheastion, etc… Eleanor Roosevelt: there are no incriminating pictures (thank God), but at least one of her children stated in an interview that she and Lorena Hickock (who was definitely gay) were lovers, then [their letters](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0684849283/qid=1115910567/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/102-9072107-7821713?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) leave you with no doubts whatever. (One of the few times that Eleanor ever completely refused FDR on a matter was when he told her he wanted Lorena to move out of the White House; essentially he had his live-in girlfriend and Eleanor had hers.) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513/29 "2005-05-12T15:09:34Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Rudolph Valentino (married twice) is generally presumed to have been gay or bi, but a bio came out a year or so ago which convincingly argues that he was _probably_ straight. Well that’s disappointing- he was so purty. 🆒 (Have you seen [his house recently](http://findadeath.com/Deceased/v/Valentino/destroy.jpg))? ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513/30 "2005-05-12T15:14:34Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] Alexander the Great’s tendencies are no more rumor than any other biographical information about him are: the fact he kissed his eunuch Bagoas in front of his troops, his double entendres about Hepheastion, etc… [\QUOTE] I realize that this isn’t exactly the place to debate the subtleties of ancient sexuality, but I would contend that Alexander’s bisexuality is only vacuously true. There is a great deal of evidence that the ancients used different categories of sexuality. While Alexander certainly enjoyed men, I seriously doubt he would have identified as bisexual or homosexual, hence I would be hesitant to use the label. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513/31 "2005-05-12T15:44:38Z")
Julius Caesar Tyrone Power Alfred Lord Douglas Leonard Bernstein Robert Reed Agnes Moorehead Rainer Werner Fassbinder Vladimir Horowitz W.H. Auden and Erika Mann (married to each other) Arthur C. Clarke Aaron Copeland ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513/32 "2005-05-12T15:51:45Z")
A lot of the folks mentioned here, as far as I can tell, were homosexuals who happened to be married to somone of opposite gender. By that I mean, in a more tolerant and open society, they never would have bothered with such relationships. One famous fellow who I think was a _bona fide_ bisexual was Alfred Kinsey. ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513/33 "2005-05-12T16:03:24Z")
I remember hearing that Kurt Cobain was an acknowledged bisexual, and he was, of course, married to Courtney Love. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513/34 "2005-05-12T16:06:33Z")
> [@Ace309](#): > > …he was, of course, married to Courtney Love. I think that puts him in a whole sexual catagory of its own. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513/35 "2005-05-12T16:18:17Z")
[QUOTE=Maeglin] > [@Sampiro](#): > > Alexander the Great’s tendencies are no more rumor than any other biographical information about him are: the fact he kissed his eunuch Bagoas in front of his troops, his double entendres about Hepheastion, etc… > > [\QUOTE] > > I realize that this isn’t exactly the place to debate the subtleties of ancient sexuality, but I would contend that Alexander’s bisexuality is only vacuously true. There is a great deal of evidence that the ancients used different categories of sexuality. While Alexander certainly enjoyed men, I seriously doubt he would have identified as bisexual or homosexual, hence I would be hesitant to use the label. The same would hold true for a number of other historical figures as well ( William II Rufus would be another probable “bisexual” and is so labeled by at least one of his principal biographers, Barlow, though he never married - such was apparently not uncommon among the Anglo-Norman _juvenes_ of the age, who in all respects were extremely promiscuous ). Labels like bisexual are quite modern in conception. Still, I don’t think it is out of line to extend the label that far backward as long as you are aware that the term shouldn’t be presumed to imply the same cultural backage in different eras. As a simple identifier of people who indulged in sex with both genders for whatever reason, it has utility enough. In that the circumstantial evidence for Alexander is pretty decent. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513/36 "2005-05-12T16:22:33Z")
> [@Maeglin](#): > > I would contend that Alexander’s bisexuality is only vacuously true. Vacuously? ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513/37 "2005-05-12T16:45:26Z")
[QUOTE=Tamerlane] > [@Maeglin](#): > > The same would hold true for a number of other historical figures as well ( William II Rufus would be another probable “bisexual” and is so labeled by at least one of his principal biographers, Barlow, though he never married - such was apparently not uncommon among the Anglo-Norman _juvenes_ of the age, who in all respects were extremely promiscuous ). Labels like bisexual are quite modern in conception. > > Still, I don’t think it is out of line to extend the label that far backward as long as you are aware that the term shouldn’t be presumed to imply the same cultural backage in different eras. As a simple identifier of people who indulged in sex with both genders for whatever reason, it has utility enough. > > In that the circumstantial evidence for Alexander is pretty decent. > > - Tamerlane I would agree for the most part and raise you an Edward II as well. However, I would hesitantly take the position that medieval sexual categories are far closer to modern ones than their ancient counterparts. But then again, I might feel this way because Barlow (whom I greatly admire) is not as sensitive to these kinds of things as authors I read on ancient history. I believe that any time modern sexual terms are used to categorize people remote from us in time and place, we do carry our cultural baggage with us. Even using the term bisexual carries with it an assumption of polarity. I am not sure how one can divorce the word bisexual from its context of lying midway between heterosexuality and homosexuality, concepts which are not helpful to understanding ancient sexuality. **mhendo** , I misspoke. Vacuous truth is truth that conveys no information. Calling Alexander bisexual is strictly true insofar as the evidence indicates that he enjoyed a bit of man every now and again, but it connotes far more than it should to moderns. ---
**Author:** ![Eggerhaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@Eggerhaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eggerhaus)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513/38 "2005-05-12T17:04:19Z")
Common rumor here in Cowtown (Kansas City, Mo) is that George Brett is gay. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513/39 "2005-05-12T17:08:42Z")
[QUOTE=Maeglin I believe that any time modern sexual terms are used to categorize people remote from us in time and place, we do carry our cultural baggage with us. Even using the term bisexual carries with it an assumption of polarity. I am not sure how one can divorce the word bisexual from its context of lying midway between heterosexuality and homosexuality, concepts which are not helpful to understanding ancient sexuality.[/QUOTE] Well, that’s a reasonable argument. Not sure I entirely agree, but reasonable :). In this context I suppose it comes down to what this list is supposed to be implying - i.e. whether very modern assumptions about the nature of sexuality and marriage are being factored in as givens. For example it would certainly be hard to argue that an ancient figure like Alexander was a anything like a modern closet case, denying some preference for the sake of cultural expectations. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513/40 "2005-05-12T17:16:23Z")
> [@plnnr](#): > > HA! > > He wasn’t officially married to Mary _Austin_ . Mary Astor was an actress who starred in “The Maltese Falcon,” among other things. He _was_ engaged to Steve Austin. What he was engaged in was the inspiration for **We Are The Champions**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-some-famous-gays-bisexuals-who-have-married-members-of-the-opposite-sex/303513.md?page=3)