Parent article: List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people; Siblings: A-E • F-J • K-O • P-T • U-Z
This is a partial list of confirmed famous people who were or are gay, lesbian or bisexual. Famous people who are simply rumored to be gay, lesbian or bisexual, are not listed.
The historical concept and definition of sexual orientation varies and has changed greatly over time; for example the word "gay" wasn't used to describe sexual orientation until the mid 20th century. A number of different classification schemes have been used to describe sexual orientation since the mid-19th century, and scholars have often defined the term 'sexual orientation' in divergent ways. Indeed, several studies have found that much of the research about sexual orientation has failed to define the term at all, making it difficult to reconcile the results of different studies.[1] However, most definitions include a psychological component (such as the direction of an individual's erotic desire) and/or a behavioural component (which focuses on the sex of the individual's sexual partner/s). Some prefer to simply follow an individual's self-definition or identity. See homosexuality and bisexuality for criteria that have traditionally denoted lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people.
K
- Frida Kahlo, Mexican artist, wife of Diego Rivera, bisexual
- Chris Kanyon, American wrestler, the first pro wrestler to come out of "The Closet". [2]
- Peter Karlsson, Swedish ice hockey player
- Gorden Kaye, British actor
- Tommy Keene, American singer
- Johan Kenkhuis, Dutch Olympic swimmer
- Brian Kennedy, journalist and activist, helped set up the London Lesbian and Gay Centre
- Brian Kennedy, Irish singer, songwriter and novelist [3]*Graham Kennedy, Australian television personality
- Jack Kerouac, American author, bisexual
- Maya Keyes, American daughter of U.S. politician Alan Keyes
- John Maynard Keynes, British economist
- Larry Kert, American Broadway stage performer
- Udo Kier, German actor
- Bruce Kimmel, American actor, filmmaker, music producer
- Bernard King, Australian TV personality, celebrity chef
- Billie Jean King, American tennis player, bisexual
- Florence King, American writer and columnist, bisexual
- Andrew Kinlochan, British member of boy band Phixx
- Alfred Kinsey, American scientist, sexologist, founder of the Institute for Sex Research, bisexual
- The Hon. Justice Michael Kirby, Justice of the High Court of Australia
- Robert Kirby, American cartoonist (Curbside)
- Kris Kirk, British journalist and author
- Tommy Kirk, American actor
- Tim Kirkman, American writer and film director
- James Kirkwood, Jr., American playwright (A Chorus Line)
- Nikolai Klyuev, Russian poet
- Steve Kmetko, American host, anchor, reporter [4]
- T.R. Knight, American actor of Grey's Anatomy
- Jim Kolbe, member of the United States House of Representatives (R-Arizona)
- Jeffrey Kofman, Canadian journalist at ABC
- George Alfred Kolkhorst, Reader in Spanish in the University of Oxford 1931-58
- David Kopay, American football player
- Michael Kors, American fashion designer
- Dave Koz, American jazz musician and radio host[5]
- Larry Kramer, American novelist and playwright
- Ronnie Kray, British gangster
- Carson Kressley, American style guru on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
- Sheila Kuehl, California State Senator and former teenage actress
- Michael Kühnen, German neo-nazi leader
- Nancy Kulp, American actress (The Beverly Hillbillies)
- Elvira Kurt, Canadian comedian
- Tony Kushner, American playwright (Angels in America)
- Mikhail Kuzmin, Russian novelist and poet
- Stanley Kwan, Han Chinese filmmaker
L
- Touko Laaksonen (Tom of Finland), Finnish artist
- Bruce LaBruce, Canadian filmmaker[6]
- David LaChapelle, American photographer[7]
- Selma Lagerlöf, Swedish novelist and Nobel Prize winner
- Gavin Lambert, British screenwriter, novelist and biographer
- Wanda Landowska, Polish harpsichord, companion of Denise Restout[8]
- Nathan Lane, American actor and singer[9]
- k.d. lang, Canadian country and blues singer.
- Tom Lanoye, Belgian writer. [10]
- Laurier L. LaPierre, Canadian broadcaster and Senator
- Jack Larson, American actor, screenwriter and producer
- Danny La Rue, Irish-born comedian and drag queen
- John Lasseter, film director and Pixar and Disney executive, bisexual[11]
- Derek Laud, British political activist and Big Brother contestant[12]
- Charles Laughton, British actor [13]
- Chris Lea, former leader of the Green Party of Canada, first openly gay party leader in Canada
- René Leboeuf, Canadian gay rights activist, half of first same-sex couple to legally marry in Quebec
- Mark Leduc, Canadian Olympic medallist/boxing, 1992
- Violette Leduc, French author
- Sook-Yin Lee, Canadian tv personality, former MuchMusic VJ, bisexual
- Eva Le Gallienne, British-born American actress and screenwirter
- Annie Leibowitz, American photographer. [citation needed]
- Reichen Lehmkuhl, American actor, model, gay rights activist, winner of The Amazing Race [14]
- Robert Lepage, Canadian playwright, actor and film director [citation needed]
- Liberace, American impresario (denied by Liberace himself; died of complications resulting from HIV) [citation needed]
- Jesse Liberty, American writer, bisexual [15]
- Ivri Lider, Israeli singer
- José Lezama Lima, Cuban poet [16]
- Iyari Limon, American actress, bisexual
- Matthew Limon, person at center of long fight against Kansas age-of-consent laws in State v. Limon
- Ylva Lindberg, Swedish hockey player
- Janine Lindemulder, American porn actress, bisexual
- Brian Linehan, Canadian tv personality [citation needed]
- Bai Ling, Chinese-born actress, bisexual
- Alain Locke, first African-American Rhodes scholar [citation needed]
- Kristanna Loken, American actress, bisexual
- Rebecca Loos, former personal assistant to David Beckham, bisexual
- Audre Lorde, American poet, author
- Max Lorenz, German opera singer
- Lance Loud, American reality television show An American Family, rock singer (Lance Loud and the Mumps) [17]
- Greg Louganis, U.S. Olympic high-diver [18]
- Craig Lucas, playwright, theatre and film director [19]
- Matt Lucas, British comedian
- Ludwig II, German King of Bavaria (Builder of Neuschwanstein)
- Jean-Baptiste Lully, French baroque composer, bisexual
- Paul Lynde, American actor and comedian
- Heather Lynn, American singer and musician, bisexual.[citation needed]
- Andreas Lundstedt, Swedish musician (Alcazar, Six4one)
M
- Ann-Marie MacDonald, Canadian author and playwright
- Ashley MacIsaac, Canadian fiddler from Cape Breton
- Cameron Mackintosh, British theatrical producer [20]
- Mary MacLane, British Edwardian-era writer
- Micheál MacLiammoir, Irish actor and co-founder of Dublin's Gate Theatre
- Rachel Maddow, American talk show host, Air America Radio
- Gregory Maguire, American author (Wicked), married to painter Andy Newman
- Tony Malone, British graphic designer and typographist
- Peter Mandelson, Britain's EU commissioner
- Leslie Mah, American musician (Tribe 8)
- Marjorie Main, American actress best known for portraying Ma Kettle
- Irshad Manji, Canadian journalist, author, and "Muslim Refusenik".
- Erika Mann, German cabaret producer, actress, author
- Klaus Mann, German author
- Thomas Mann, German author
- Jay Manuel, Canadian make-up artist
- Robert Mapplethorpe, American artist, photographer
- Jean Marais, French actor, lover of Jean Cocteau
- Josie Maran, American model, bisexual
- Miriam Margolyes, British actress
- Marilyn, British pop star and musician
- Beatriz Marinello, President of United States Chess Federation
- Christopher Marlowe, British Elizabethan playwright
- Del Marquis, American, bass player in Scissor Sisters
- David Marr, Australian author, broadcaster and media commentator
- David Marsden, Canadian radio broadcaster and music promoter
- Gordon Marsden, British politician
- Andy Martin, British musician and essayist
- Dick Martin, American aritst and illustrator
- Andy Martin, British musician (The Apostles, Academy 23), editor (SMILE) and writer
- Jake Maskall, British actor from EastEnders
- Heather Matarazzo, American actress
- Johnny Mathis, American singer
- Ney Matogrosso, Brazilian singer
- William Somerset Maugham, British writer and dramatist
- Armistead Maupin, American writer (Tales of the City)
- Amélie Mauresmo, French tennis player
- Jay McCarroll, American fashion designer
- Jenny McCarthy, American actress and model, bisexual
- Stephen McCauley, American writer[21]
- J.D. McClatchy, American writer[22]
- Keith McDermott, American writer[23]
- Roddy McDowall, British actor and photographer
- Peter McGehee, American-Canadian novelist
- Jonny McGovern ("The Gay Pimp"), American comedian and singer
- Jim McGreevey, American former governor of New Jersey
- Frank McGuinness, Irish playwright
- Sir Ian McKellen, British actor, gay rights campaigner
- Terrence McNally, American playwright
- David McReynolds - first openly gay man to run for USA Presidency
- Margaret Mead, American anthropologist, bisexual
- Marijane Meaker (M. E. Kerr), American author (aka Vin Packer, Ann Aldrich, Mary James)
- Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, last Medici ruler of Tuscany
- Joe Meek, British record producer
- Armin Meiwes, German cannibal
- Meleager (general), Greek military commander
- George Melly, British jazz-singer and writer
- Réal Ménard, Canadian member of parliament
- Gian Carlo Menotti, American composer
- Rick Mercer, Canadian television comedian
- Ismail Merchant, Indian-born British film director, producer, and screen witer
- Freddie Mercury, British musician (Queen), bisexual
- Patrick Merla, American author and editor
- James Merrill, American poet
- Stephin Merritt, American singer/songwriter for the Magnetic Fields, the Sixths, and the Gothic Archies
- Metrobius, ancient Roman actor
- George Michael, British singer (Wham)
- Tammy Lynn Michaels, American actress, partner of Melissa Etheridge
- Harvey Milk, American, was member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, assassinated in 1978
- Edna St. Vincent Millay, American poet, playwright
- Eric Millegan, American actor
- Merle Miller, American presidential biographer
- Tim Miller, American writer[24]
- Kate Millet, American author
- Scott Mills, British Radio DJ
- Vincente Minnelli, American husband of Judy Garland, father of Liza Minnelli, bisexual [citation needed]
- Sal Mineo, American actor
- Yukio Mishima, Japanese author
- Jerry Mitchell, American Tony Award-winning choreographer
- John Cameron Mitchell, American writer and director. Creator of Hedwig and the Angry Inch
- Isaac Mizrahi, American fashion designer, television show host
- Dave Moffatt, Canadian singer
- Albert Mol, Dutch actor
- [[Beau Montgomery, Gay rights activist,and Australian flim maker who was assassinated 9/12/2001, he rose to fame during the 1990s for his arthouse films, his films almost exclusivly always deal with gay issues and themes although the majority of the characters in his films are hetrosexual, this role reversal of caused a great deal of controsery, in perticular his film " quite choir" set in the 1930's deals with the duality of homosexuality and hetrosexuality within catholic church and the systematic abuse of children during a time where homosexuality was taboo. considerd one of the most brilliant Austrlain film makers of all time
- Brian Molko, Belgian-born singer of British rock band Placebo, bisexual
- Comte Robert de Montesquiou poet, writer, set designer, patron of the arts
- Luke Montgomery, political activist, alias "Luke Sissyfag"
- Amanda Moore, American fashion model
- Gene Moore leading window dresser first at Bonwit Teller then at Tiffany
- Tyria Moore, American lover of serial killer Aileen Wuornos
- Cherrie Moraga, American author on lesbian Hispanic themes
- Richard Morel, American singer, music producer
- Chris Morgan, British powerlifting champion
- Paul Morrissey, American filmmaker
- Rudolph Moshammer, German clothing designer
- Bob Mould, American rock musician, former member of Hüsker Dü and Sugar
- Megan Mullally, American actress, bisexual
- Misty Mundae, American actress, bisexual
- Murathan Mungan, Turkish author, playwright and poet
- Saki (real name H.H. Munro), British Edwardian writer
- Ed Murray, American politician
- Glen Murray, Canadian former mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Michael Musto, American columnist, TV personality
- Zeki Müren, prominent Turkish singer / composer
N
- Kathy Najimy, American actress, bisexual
- Michael Nava, American writer[25]
- Martina Navratilova, Czech-born American tennis player
- Alla Nazimova, Ukrainian born American silent film actress
- Me'shell Ndegeocello, German-born American singer [26]
- Ted Nebbeling, Canadian politician, first Cabinet Minister to legally marry his same sex partner.
- Mike Nelson, American politician. Five-term mayor of Carrboro, NC; first openly gay mayor in the American South.
- Marc Newson, Australian designer
- Beverley Nichols, British writer, playwright, actor, novelist and composer
- Deke Nihilson, American activist, zine editor
- Vaslav Nijinsky, Russian ballet dancer, choreographer
- Dennis Nilsen, British serial killer
- Cynthia Nixon, American actress, bisexual
- Klaus Nomi, German singer
- David Norris, Irish Senator
- Peter North, Canadian born adult-film actor who predominantly appears in heterosexual porn
- Graham Norton, Irish comedian and television personality
- Ramon Novarro, Mexican-American actor
- Ivor Novello, British stage and film actor
- Richard Bruce Nugent, American author, wrote first description of homosexuality in African-American literature.
- Terri Nunn, American singer, new wave band Berlin, bisexual [citation needed]
- Rudolf Nureyev, Russian ballet dancer
- Laura Nyro, American singer
O
- Mark Oaten, British politician, bisexual
- Sinéad O'Connor, Irish singer, bisexual (Ryan Confidential, broadcast on RTÉ 1 on May 29, 2003)
- Daniel O'Donnell, American politician, brother of Rosie O'Donnell
- Rosie O'Donnell, American comedian
- Eoin O'Duffy, Irish police commissioner, leader of the 'Blueshirts' and aide to Michael Collins (Irish leader)
- Paul O'Grady, British television performer
- Denis O'Hare, American Tony Award-winning actor
- Andrew Olexander, Australian politician, current member of the Victorian Legislative Council
- Mary Oliver, American poet
- Pauline Oliveros, American composer
- Peter Orlovsky, American lover of Allen Ginsburg
- Brian Orser, Canadian silver medalist at both the 1984 Winter Olympics and the 1988 Winter Olympics
- Joe Orton, British playwright
- Cathal Ó Searcaigh, Irish poet
- Kanako Otsuji, Japan's 1st openly lesbian politician
- François Ozon, French writer and film director
- Ferzan Ozpetek, Turkish-Italian screenwriter and film director
See also
References
- ^ Shively, M.G., Jones, C., & DeCecco, J. P. (1984). Research on sexual orientation: definitions and methods. Journal of Homosexuality, 9, 127-137.
Gerdes, L. C. (1988). The Developing Adult. (2nd ed.). Durban: Butterworths.
See also: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/assault/context/defining.html - ^ Chris Kanyon (Chris Klucsarits) on his own blog
- ^ Profile: Brian Kennedy The Sunday Times, Retrieved Apr 2006
- ^ [1]
- ^ Dave Koz, "The beauty of coming out", in: The Advocate, 2005
- ^ Montreal Mirror on Bruc LaBruce
- ^ David LaChapelle's website
- ^ Wanda Landowska in GLBTQ Encyclopedia
- ^ Nathan Lane in the Guardian Retrieved Jan 2006
- ^ Tom Lanoye in GLBTQ.com
- ^ [2]
- ^ Derek Laud discussed on BBC
- ^ Simon Callow: Charles Laughton: A Difficult Actor
- ^ [3]
- ^ Jesse Liberty, Coming out as a happily married bisexual. Retrieved Jan 2006
- ^ GLBTQ.com on José Lezama Lima
- ^ LA Times obituary and Lance Loud, Retrieved Jan 2006
- ^ Greg Louganis on lgcsc.org. Retrived Jan 2006
- ^ Craig Lucas at QLBTQ.com
- ^ [4] The Observer, December 18, 2005
- ^ Boys Like Us:Gay Writers Tell Their Coming Out Stories, Patrick Merla(ed.) Avon Books. 1996
- ^ Boys Like Us:Gay Writers Tell Their Coming Out Stories, Patrick Merla(ed.) Avon Books. 1996
- ^ Boys Like Us:Gay Writers Tell Their Coming Out Stories, Patrick Merla(ed.) Avon Books. 1996
- ^ Boys Like Us:Gay Writers Tell Their Coming Out Stories, Patrick Merla(ed.) Avon Books. 1996
- ^ Boys Like Us:Gay Writers Tell Their Coming Out Stories, Patrick Merla(ed.) Avon Books. 1996
- ^ [5]