# Who is the most famous homosexual? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 14, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009 "2009-07-14T18:05:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009/1 "2009-07-14T18:05:15Z")
Let’s keep this to anyone who is officially “out”, no speculation. But, worldwide, who is the most famous homosexual, male or female? Elton John? Ellen DeGeneres? Who do you think? ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009/2 "2009-07-14T18:14:29Z")
I wouldn’t really know for sure, but when I read “famous homosexual,” the first name that came to mind was Harvey Milk. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009/3 "2009-07-14T18:20:13Z")
From the world of the arts, Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Stein, and Truman Capote would all be up there on the most famous list (not sure if any of them actually publically “outed” themselves, but I dont think there is much disagreement that they were all gay—Is there???) ETA I dont know if the OP means alive today or throughout history—sorry… ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009/4 "2009-07-14T18:25:00Z")
Gandalf ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009/5 "2009-07-14T18:28:32Z")
Living, I’d say Sir Elton. No idea about the all-time number one gay, though… ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009/6 "2009-07-14T18:36:49Z")
King Herod? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009/7 "2009-07-14T18:40:20Z")
> [@Busy\_Scissors](#): > > Gandalf If this is a circuitous way of saying _Ian McKellan_, he’s certainly a contender. If you mean the fictional Maia known as Mithrandir, Olorin, and many other names, I’d be surprised to learn that he was anything other that celibate during his two millenia in Middle-earth. If you’re referring to an Eddic dwarf, I’m dubious. The being in Norse myth who was not 100% heterosexual was Loki. And, um, the master builder’s horse. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009/8 "2009-07-14T18:41:40Z")
DaVinci? I think that was “proven”. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009/9 "2009-07-14T18:54:45Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > ETA > I dont know if the OP means alive today or throughout history—sorry… Hmm, good question. I think we can do “all-time”, as long as they either came out or they had such a history that we can reasonably conclude without much speculation that they were gay (i.e. Da Vinci works as a contender but John Travolta does not). ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009/10 "2009-07-14T18:56:34Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > DaVinci? > > I think that was “proven”. Even at my least pedantic I must protest. You mean “Da Vinci.” It is not one word. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009/11 "2009-07-14T18:59:33Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > King Herod? Cite and which one? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009/12 "2009-07-14T19:02:05Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Cite and which one? Why, the one in Jesus Christ, Superstar, of course! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009/13 "2009-07-14T19:06:12Z")
Elton John was revealed as the Godfather of the Gay Mafia during an episode of Will & Grace ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009/14 "2009-07-14T19:07:29Z")
Sappho? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009/15 "2009-07-14T19:13:09Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Why, the one in Jesus Christ, Superstar, of course! Josh Mostel or Rik Mayall? The depiction in the miniseries Jesus was pretty flaming. Isn’t there something in either the Bible or historical text that says we was some sort of degenerate? I have a vague recollection of reading something on this board about that. ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009/16 "2009-07-14T19:25:21Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Even at my least pedantic I must protest. You mean “Da Vinci.” It is not one word. Isn’t it “da Vinci”? Or, more appropriately, Leonardo? (da Vinci was not his surname) 😛 As to the question asked in the OP, normally I’d say Elton John, but that Adam Lambert is a household name these days isn’t he? ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009/17 "2009-07-14T19:29:47Z")
Most famous worldwide? Because I don’t think too many people would be aware of the literary or historical figures being mentioned. My guess would be Liberace. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009/18 "2009-07-14T19:32:34Z")
Waylon Smithers? ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009/19 "2009-07-14T19:34:25Z")
Leonardo Da Vinci? Really? I had no idea! Would someone mind providing some explanation? What is For current/living homosexuals, I’d vote for Elton John. Someone like Ellen Degeneres is well-known in the U.S., but I’d imagine not so well-known elsewhere. Elton John is probably better known worldwide, and has been famous for 30+ years already, too. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009/20 "2009-07-14T19:55:28Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > From the world of the arts, Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Stein, and Truman Capote would all be up there on the most famous list (not sure if any of them actually publically “outed” themselves, but I dont think there is much disagreement that they were all gay—Is there???) I don’t think they have to be alive, necessarily, but I think you have to be well-known by people who are alive today. Gertrude, Oscar and Truman are probably largely unfamiliar to a lot of folks today. Therefore, Ellen and Elton get my vote. Your mileage may vary, of course. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-homosexual/503009.md?page=2)