The Dictionary Project: How Do You Define A Gay Icon?
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The Dictionary Project: How Do You Define A Gay Icon?

Portraits of Gay Icons by Roy Steele - Top row (l to r) Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, 2nd row (l to r) Janet Jackson, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, 3rd row (l to r) Bette Midler, Cher, Barbra Streisand, 4th row (l to r) Dolly Parton, Mariah Carey, Cyndi Lauper.
Portraits of Gay Icons - Top row (l to r) Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, 2nd row (l to r) Janet Jackson, Madonna, Kylie  Minogue, 3rd row (l to r) Bette Midler, Cher, Barbra Streisand, 4th row (l to r) Dolly Parton, Mariah Carey, Cyndi Lauper. 


Defining A Gay Icon

My dear friend Matt who lives in South Africa encouraged me to embark on a project to document gay icons. Before I could sit down to design the graphics, I had to find out what the criterion is for being a gay icon.

After I Googled "gay icon" the definitions I found online were vague and oftentimes wrong. I spoke to friends to ask them to define a gay icon, and who their icons were. Because the term is used loosely in relation to so many different people, I realized that I would have to define a gay icon myself. 

That's how what I call "The Dictionary Project: How do you define a gay icon" was born. 

I was surprised to discover that a gay icon is always a rebellious and successful woman. Some of our icons are deceased, while most of them are very much alive. 

This is how I define a gay icon.

A gay icon is revered by the gay community and is a beautiful, glamorous, spirited, talented, rebellious, trailblazing woman over fifty, who achieved success in the entertainment industry by taking risks and carving their own paths to success through hard work and sheer determination.

If you want to know the details, be sure to check out my blog post entitled The Definitive List Of The Top Twenty-Four 'Gay Icons' at jiveinthe415.com.

The Top Twenty-Four Gay Icons

  1. Judy Garland
  2. Bette Davis
  3. Joan Crawford
  4. Elizabeth Taylor
  5. Marilyn Monroe
  6. Joan Rivers
  7. Whitney Houston
  8. Diana Ross
  9. Madonna
  10. Cher
  11. Dolly Parton
  12. Bette Midler
  13. Barbra Streisand
  14. Olivia Newton-John
  15. Debbie Harry
  16. Cyndi Lauper
  17. Janet Jackson
  18. Kylie Minogue
  19. Kathy Griffin
  20. Mariah Carey
  21. Mary J. Blige
  22. Belinda Carlisle
  23. Stevie Nicks
  24. Catherine O’Hara
Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts in the comment section below.

A portrait of the top twenty-four gay icons which includes Judy Garland, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Joan Rivers, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Madonna, Cher, Dolly Parton, Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand, Olivia Newton-John, Debbie Harry, Cyndi Lauper, Janet Jackson, Kylie Minogue, Kathy Griffin, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Belinda Carlisle, Stevie Nicks, and Catherine O’Hara, by Roy Steele.
Gay Icons - The definitive list of the top twenty-four gay icons.




© 2011 - 2021 By Roy Steele All Rights Reserved