Kylie Minogue, Cher, Britney Spears, Beyoncé… What do all of these stars have in common?
They are all hugely popular with the LGBTQ+ community, and they are publicly heterosexual.
At 1am on the Friday of this year’s New York Pride weekend, Kylie Minogue took to the stage at The Knockdown Center, a converted factory in Queens. She wore a red customised boilersuit, embellished with sparkling diamanté, towering heels and her signature smile, while performing her omnipresent summer hit, Padam Padam.
The song’s title is a made-up word for a heartbeat, a term coined by Edith Piaf in her 1951 French-language hit of the same name. By invoking Piaf, a baton was handed down the generations: the late chanteuse, like Minogue, is an acknowledged gay icon. ‘It was a bit like gay Christmas,’ recalls one of those present in Queens that night, the DJ Luke Howard. ‘The gays were ecstatic.’
Brighton Pride.... all 57,000 of you are perfectly beautiful. Heard it was a record breaking turnout!!! Thank you for a fabulous show...my fabulous fans. I love you all 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈 pic.twitter.com/Os1dxf5R52
— Britney Spears 🌹🚀 (@britneyspears) August 4, 2018
Kylie is just one in the pantheon of gay icons – a glittering list that includes Madonna, Diana Ross, Grace Jones, Cher and more.
The hitmaker Aguilera has received the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) organisation's Ally for Equality award
In a statement, HRC chiefs hailed Christina as someone who was inspirational to those who are marginalised due to their sexuality.
"Christina Aguilera is a living legend and a true LGBTQ icon who consistently uses her global superstar platform to share a message of hope and inspiration to those who have been marginalised simply because of who they are," HRC president Chad Griffin said.
Many celebrities who are openly supportive of the LGBTQ+ community – like Madonna, the late Elizabeth Taylor and even Princess Diana – have gained gay icon status.
“Madonna’s work is an embracing of sexuality and joy, she did some good work to showcase gay men within things like the Vogue music video, showing the ballroom scene,” explains Nelson.
