The Official Boy Toy Guide To Gay Icons

[TotallyOz]

Whether you are just out of the closet and learning about gay culture, or have been gay for a while but stuck in a rural city, at one point or another you are going to have to learn about gay icons. That's because no matter how masculine you like your men, they are bound to come up in conversation at some point – and you don't want to lose your chance to go down on a hunk because he thinks are you clueless.

With that in mind, we at Boy Toy decided to spend the day giving you an up-to-the-minute primer on gay icons – so you'll know enough to sound like an expert the next time you are talking with a Friend of Dorothy. So, let's go on a wild ride of gay icons from today and yesteryear! We'll tell you just the tidbits you need to know, to seem like you know it all, you hunky homo!

• Judy Garland. The original gay icon. Starred in the Wizard of Oz as well as many other movie musicals. The Stonewall Riots happened when her death was announced. What you need to know to sound in the know was that she was turned into a junkie by the Hollywood system and given tons of speed during the day to keep her skinny, and even more downers at night so she could sleep. Her concert at Carnegie Hall is a must-have in your collection.

• Liza Minelli. Judy's daughter somehow also became a gay icon. While not a drug addict, she is a helpless alcoholic. So, you can always through a “like mother, like daughter” comment into the mix. She's been in everyone's dead pool for two decades, and still somehow alive.

• Bette Middler. A croonerlike Judy Garland, but never had any drug or booze rumors surrounding her. Got her start playing in gay bathhouses – Barry Manilow was her piano player - and has worked hard to support the gay community over the years. “The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy From Company B” - is the song to reference when talking about her. She also goes by the name “The Divine Miss M.”

• Cher. An old-school gay icon who is still living. Known for her elaborate stage shows featuring obviously gay male dancers, and sublime costumes designed by the fabulously gay Bob Mackie. If you ever go to a drag party, she looks masculine enough so you could pull off her look easily. Talking point: Her daughter, Chastity, ended up being transgendered and is now a boy named Chaz. Cher used to be married to Sony Bono, who ended up becoming a dickweed Republican politician before he died.

• Madonna. Dance queen and all-time gay icon. Her records have matched every single change in gay music trends, and she actually convinced straight people to vogue. She's boned every famous straight dude you've ever had a crush on. To seem in the know, say, “I think Ray Of Light was her last really good album.”

• Lady Gaga. The new generation's answer to Madonna. She does pretty much everything that Madonna has done, but because she's younger, young twinks identify with her much more than they do with Madonna. Her signature style is wearing outfits that are so ridiculous, even Elton John would be embarrassed to be seen in them. You can easily tell dudes that you think her meat dress was a bit too far.

• Elton John. Not all gay icons are female. Elton John was the original flamboyant gay male rock star. Now he's old and fat and known for being a complete asshole to everyone who works for him. He has an ego that knows no bounds – particularly when all of lyrics to his songs were actually written by a straight guy named Bernie Taupin, a fact you can throw out at your leisure.

• George Michael. What Elton John wishes he was: A good-looking, in-shape pop dude who actually wrote his own music. Nearly all of his singles are good and nobody really has much bad to say about him. He is known as a total pothead, and likes to go cruising through parks in the UK.

• Boy George. Former gay icon, now completely washed up. Actually called the cops when a rent boy (which is illegal in New York) wasn't up to his standards and invited the cops in while there was a large bag of cocaine sitting on his coffee table. Was last seen picking up garbage in Harlem as part of his community service sentence.

• Kylie Minogue. This icon is most generally talked about by Euro gays. Think of her as a B-level Madonna from Australia. Lately it's been considered cool to snark on her, so really any bitchy comment you can make about her will do you fine.

• Barbra Streisand. A less-campy version of Bette Middler. She has the largest nose of any popular female singer. She's remarkably popular even though she is even more of a nerd than Cher – something that seems almost completely impossible. Comment that you're so glad she started singing in public again after a years-long hiatus.

• Celine Dion. A Canadian pop singer who did the theme song for Titanic. While hated by straight guys, she is beloved in the gay community and is so flat chested could easily be mistaken for a dude at first glance. To seem cool, say that you think her French songs are better than her American pop hits.



• Gloria Gaynor. She wrote “It's Raining Men.” Need we say more?

• Christina Aguilera. This is another pop diva that gets named dropped by gay guys and played in gay bars all the time. Her main point of interest is that her songs are danceable, but have more complex beats than the typical dance hall diva. The movie Burlesque, which stars her and Cher, is a camp cult classic.

• Joan Jett. Quite honestly, the most interesting and talented gay person in the planet. Rejected by 22 record companies because she was gay, she put out her first album herself and it sold more than 2 million copies. Spends much of her time raising money for AIDS awareness and other other gay rights campaigns. Is as loved by straight people as by gay people. If you are not familiar with her get to YouTube stat and search “Crimson And Clover”, “Do You Want To Touch Me There”, “Bad Reputation” and “Cherry Bomb” right away. It will change your life.

So, who do you want to add to this list?

cc boytoy.com 2013

[BiBottomBoy]

I love that photo of Joan.

[Guest FourAces]

I would add Bette Davis, Freddie Mercury, Elizabeth Taylor, Barney Frank, Neil Patrick Harris, Ellen ...

[BiBottomBoy]

I'd disagree with Ellen. She stayed in the closet until she her agent told her that she could make more money coming out. If your only reason for being out is to make money I have little respect for you.

[AdamSmith]

One who, if not, ought to be: the inimitable Édith Piaf.

"La Vie en rose" ... what more to say?

Here a late film of her doing her marvelous "Padam Padam"...

The 2007 biographical film La Vie en rose is well worth looking up.

[AdamSmith]

I would add Bette Davis, Freddie Mercury, Elizabeth Taylor, Barney Frank, Neil Patrick Harris, Ellen ...

Well, if we're going to include men...

[Gotti]

Sorry, but there are several corrections needed: Gloria Gaynor did not write "It's Raining Men", it was written by Paul Jebara and Paul Shaffer (of David Letterman fame) and recorded in the early eighties by the Weather Girs (previously known as "Two Tuns of Fun").

Of the two writers Mr Jebara had a way more colorful persona (gaywise) than Mr Shaffer. He produced many artists (including The Weather Girls), wrote several disco hits (including Donna Summer's "Last Dance"), worked as character actor in several movies ("Light Sleeper" with Susan Sarandon is one of them). He was part of the Warhol crowd in the late seventies / Studio 54 era, and at the time was Joe D'Allessandro sugar-daddy. He died of AIDS in 1992, a couple weeks before "Light Sleeper" opened in theaters (highly recommended).

Also I think the list mixes people gays admire and people gays would like to emulate and gays tend to have as icons the ones they would like to emulate as is the case with most females listed (Ms Aguillera is kind of a stretch). Gays admire Elton because he was one of the first to come out and get married, but he did not have a primarily gay audience in his many years as a rock star.

Joan Jett is certainly a lesbian icon, but if she was rejected by record companies was not because of her sexuality. Until the early nineties she pretended she was straight, her manager being her boyfriend.

One gigantic omission: Diana Ross, and on a more sophisticated basis Maria Callas.

Runner up: Patty Labelle

[Guest lurkerspeaks]

From the comedy world, what about Joan Rivers, Margaret Cho, and Kathy Griffin?

[Guest justme1369]

Wouldn't Gay icons be those that advanced the causes of the Gay community as opposed to simple celebs. IE: Morris knight (sp),Harvey milk, Troy Perry etc,.

Gay history is incredible and interesting. The real Icons and heros were...real icons and heros...

[Guest hitoallusa]

I don't have a gay icon come to think of it.. But I like most of the celebs above... But there many hidden gay heroes so I would like to remember them.

[BiBottomBoy]

In Cherry Curry's autobiography she says point blank that Joan couldn't get signed because the record execs were worried that Joan's sexuality would come out and embarrass them.

[Guest hitoallusa]

Then Elton John would not have made if that had been the case... I think those execs simply missed a talent trapped in their bias... It won't be the first time it has happened.

In Cherry Curry's autobiography she says point blank that Joan couldn't get signed because the record execs were worried that Joan's sexuality would come out and embarrass them.

[Gotti]

Really predictable to pose as a victim and sell a book claiming she was in hiding because was forced by others and ten years into her career still claiming she was living with her (male) manager. Not even Jodie Foster went that far.

Apparently she and the record execs were 100% right. In her first decade her audience was almost totally male, as is the case with all hard-rock acts, lesbians didn't care for her (they listen to folk/singer-songwriter stuff). As soon as became known about her sexuality the straight males abandoned her. I have a straight male friend that always loved her and he told me when he went to see her live in the NY area years ago he was one of the half-dozen males or so among 2000 cheering lesbians that probably jumped in cause she is one of them and they didn't have anyone else to hang to since The Indigo Girls faded 2 decades ago.

[Guest FourAces]

You know as I rethink what I myself wrote above after reading comments by Gotti and the others I agree we are mixing those we admire with those who are true icons. Harvey Milk was a gay icon ... but I do not feel someone had to be gay to be a icon for gay men either.

[JKane]

Wouldn't Gay icons be those that advanced the causes of the Gay community as opposed to simple celebs. IE: Morris knight (sp),Harvey milk, Troy Perry etc,.

Gay history is incredible and interesting. The real Icons and heros were...real icons and heros...

I have to agree, knowing why I should give a shit about those people would be a great addition to the list. Did Judy Garland do something revolutionary back in the day, or is she so beloved simply because she sang show-tunes especially well??

I'm not too into GaGa, but she's had lyrics and accomplished activism quite meaningful to the gay youth of today. While both Madonna and Cher have had at least some recent activism, I don't remember anything on topic from them when I was a young fan...?

Liz Taylor is an icon who actually spoke out for us at a time few others were, and isn't even mentioned.

[Gotti]

Madonna is a gay activist but this has nothing to do with her being a gay icon. She is an icon because besides being beautiful she is the ultimate slut, the one every queen worth their salt would like to be able to get away with it.

Milk is certainly a remarkable guy, but does he knows how to express himself with his eyebrows the same way Crowford does? Is he able to carry himself in a Halston outfit with the same aplomb as Diana? Does his use of mascara is particularly inspiring to you? If the answer to these questions is no, he still might be an untouchable gay hero but not an icon.

Got it?

[AdamSmith]

I see Gotti's point: that "icon" is not the same as "role model" or "hero to the community." Rather "icon" here partakes of at least something of its original religious-symbol sense -- or at least the modern "public imago" version of it. Both have their valid functions in the public imagination, seems to me.

[BiBottomBoy]

Milk is a "gay hero", Madonna is a "gay icon."

[Suckrates]

Joan Collins and Linda Evans from their Dynasty days.

[BiBottomBoy]

Yes!

[Gotti]

CAMP above else, and that sure helps. Gay-CAMP masterpiece: "The Valley of the Dolls", with the immortal exchange "your husband is not a man".

Runner up:" Mommie's Dearest" with La Dunnaway doing the best to emulate La Crawford's eyebrows.

[BiBottomBoy]

"No wire hangers!"

[AdamSmith]

CAMP above else, and that sure helps. Gay-CAMP masterpiece: "The Valley of the Dolls", with the immortal exchange "your husband is not a man".

Yes!! Another nominee -- "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls," scripted by of all people Roger Ebert. Best line in that one: "You will drink the black sperm of my vengeance!"

[BiBottomBoy]

Don't forget The Rocky Horror Picture Show.