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Discussion: Greatest gay icons of today
Member Since: 7/21/2010
Posts: 12,818
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Quote:
Originally posted by satellites™
Activism is one way to become a gay icon, not the only way. Madonna, Diana Ross, Janet Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Cher, and Tina Turner and probably the most famous drag queen impersonations of all time and they are ALL gay icons because of their look and impact on the gay community during the 60's-80's, activism had nothing to do with it.
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Say it for the people in the back!
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 4/20/2011
Posts: 4,875
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Quote:
Originally posted by Ace Reject
It kind of does. Being a gay icon is not about what you do for the gay community, it's about what the gay community sees in you. It's about who WE choose to idolize.
Under this lens, Britney, Gaga, Bey and Rih are all "contenders."
Why, historically, gay icons have uniformly been straight women is a question that still needs to be answered ....
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Adele is another contender. 
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Member Since: 6/9/2011
Posts: 16,500
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Quote:
Originally posted by princedonte
I hate the term Gay Icon most of them aren't even gay. It serves no purpose but to stereotype us. I wish gays looked up to the more intellectual people who support us then superficial singers
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Good point, it is rather redundant that some gays look up to pop stars as their 'leader' but it is what it is.
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Member Since: 6/7/2011
Posts: 22,128
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Quote:
Originally posted by satellites™
Activism is one way to become a gay icon, not the only way. Madonna, Diana Ross, Janet Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Cher, and Tina Turner and probably the most famous drag queen impersonations of all time and they are ALL gay icons because of their look and impact on the gay community during the 60's-80's, activism had nothing to do with it.
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But when you have someone like Gaga constantly speaking on homosexuality versus Beyonce, don't you think it's kind of difficult to place Beyonce as a gay icon along with her? I do agree with you that Beyonce has a huge gay following and has impacted the gay community, but I think icon is somewhat inadequate to describe Beyonce's effect on the gay community.
As Ace mentioned though, activism plays a huge role. Britney, Rihanna, and Beyonce all hardly ever comment on homosexuality, and while they do have huge gay followings and the whole bit, is that really enough to define them as gay icons?
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Member Since: 9/21/2011
Posts: 2,888
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Quote:
Originally posted by B3NK3V1N
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this pic had me re-fall in love with her 
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Member Since: 8/19/2011
Posts: 2,362
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Quote:
Originally posted by KoreanDream
But when you have someone like Gaga constantly speaking on homosexuality versus Beyonce, don't you think it's kind of difficult to place Beyonce as a gay icon along with her? I do agree with you that Beyonce has a huge gay following and has impacted the gay community, but I think icon is somewhat inadequate to describe Beyonce's effect on the gay community.
As Ace mentioned though, activism plays a huge role. Britney, Rihanna, and Beyonce all hardly ever comment on homosexuality, and while they do have huge gay followings and the whole bit, is that really enough to define them as gay icons?
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I think LGBT advocacy plays a bigger role in what makes a gay icon today than decades ago (what with it being a larger and more talked about political issue), but it's certainly not the only way.
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Originally posted by UhOh
this pic had me re-fall in love with her |
There are more goodies in her book.
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Member Since: 3/9/2011
Posts: 4,876
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Quote:
Originally posted by Ace Reject
It kind of does. Being a gay icon is not about what you do for the gay community, it's about what the gay community sees in you. It's about who WE choose to idolize.
Under this lens, Britney, Gaga, Bey and Rih are all "contenders."
Why, historically, gay icons have uniformly been straight women is a question that still needs to be answered ....
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Exactly 
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Member Since: 6/9/2011
Posts: 16,500
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Member Since: 6/7/2011
Posts: 22,128
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Quote:
Originally posted by B3NK3V1N
I think LGBT advocacy plays a bigger role in what makes a gay icon today than decades ago (what with it being a larger and more talked about political issue), but it's certainly not the only way.
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So how can anyone who doesn't participate in gay activism be considered a gay icon if it's such a prevalent requirement, if you will, nowadays?
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Member Since: 4/12/2011
Posts: 4,449
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Quote:
Originally posted by i spit on haters
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Beyonce is one of them
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Member Since: 3/9/2011
Posts: 4,876
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Quote:
Originally posted by i spit on haters
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Didn't you say Britney is not a gay icon? she was mentioned there 
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Member Since: 8/22/2009
Posts: 50,646
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Quote:
Originally posted by i spit on haters
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Member Since: 7/18/2010
Posts: 29,717
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Member Since: 6/9/2011
Posts: 16,500
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Quote:
Originally posted by MinajMeBeyonce
Beyonce is one of them |
Quote:
Originally posted by Chickenchiki
Didn't you say Britney is not a gay icon? she was mentioned there |
I was more so going off the main photos they posted, from Judy Garland, Madonna, Gaga and of course Ellen. Not so much the other fillers, Beyonce and Britney aren't gay icons.
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Member Since: 8/22/2009
Posts: 50,646
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I think some of you are still confused on what an icon is. Activism really has JACK **** to do with being an icon, if Gaga never spoke a word about gay rights she would still be an icon based on the impact she has had on gay culture alone. Gay men impersonate her, they dress like her, they sing her songs, they sit in their bedroom and imagine being her. Not one or two boys, millions of them around the world from every background.
The same goes for Beyonce, Britney, and the legendary gay icons of the past.
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Member Since: 3/9/2011
Posts: 4,876
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Quote:
Originally posted by i spit on haters
I was more so going off the main photos they posted, from Judy Garland, Madonna, Gaga and of course Ellen. Not so much the other fillers, Beyonce and Britney aren't gay icons.
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Quote:
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Other icons from this decade include Lady Gaga, Britney Spears
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She was mentioned along with Gaga 
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Member Since: 6/7/2011
Posts: 22,128
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Quote:
Originally posted by satellites™
I think some of you are still confused on what an icon is. Activism really has JACK **** to do with being an icon, if Gaga never spoke a word about gay rights she would still be an icon based on the impact she has had on gay culture alone. Gay men impersonate her, they dress like her, they sing her songs, they sit in their bedroom and imagine being her. Not one or two boys, millions of them around the world from every background.
The same goes for Beyonce, Britney, and the legendary gay icons of the past.
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This is all important but with homosexuality and the equal treatment of homosexuals becoming such a major issue as of late it's important to be an activist or at least speak on homosexuality occasionally. It takes more now.
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Member Since: 8/19/2011
Posts: 2,362
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Quote:
Originally posted by KoreanDream
So how can anyone who doesn't participate in gay activism be considered a gay icon if it's such a prevalent requirement, if you will, nowadays?
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I dunno exactly - that's entering a whole new issue in (sub) cultural studies. It's unanswerable like why we choose straight female performers, said earlier. It's just one of those things that happens for some reason - maybe we find a deeper connection with females than males, maybe performers seem fearless to us which we would like to exemplify, maybe we just like staring at their clothes more. It's a tough question.
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Member Since: 3/21/2010
Posts: 19,112
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Quote:
Originally posted by satellites™
I think some of you are still confused on what an icon is. Activism really has JACK **** to do with being an icon, if Gaga never spoke a word about gay rights she would still be an icon based on the impact she has had on gay culture alone. Gay men impersonate her, they dress like her, they sing her songs, they sit in their bedroom and imagine being her. Not one or two boys, millions of them around the world from every background.
The same goes for Beyonce, Britney, and the legendary gay icons of the past.
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Exactly.
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Member Since: 4/29/2011
Posts: 6,884
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