By Dear Gay Men,
I think it is fair to say that we love our divas almost as much as we love hot men. In light of the phenomenon of diva worship, we have decided to pay tribute to 10 of the greatest female gay icons of all time! Check out this list to see which diva managed to claw her way to the top of the list!
10. Lady Gaga
Number 10 on the list is none other than Lady Gaga! Since her debut, Lady Gaga has been a very vocal ally of the gay community and her music frequently emphasises themes of self-acceptance. ‘Born this way’ has become one of the greatest gay anthems of recent times and her bisexuality pretty much makes her a part of the LGBT community. In addition, Lady Gaga pretty much spelt out her support for the gay community with her immensely successful ‘Born this way’ album.
Strong, fierce and talented, the only reason why Lady Gaga isn’t ranked higher up on the list is because she is still relatively new and hasn’t firmly established herself yet.
9. Beyonce
With her big hair, big voice and big onstage persona, Beyonce possesses all the attributes of a female gay icon. Beyonce has been an ally to the LGBT community for decades, and together with her husband Jay-Z, have been vocal about her support for the gay community.
However, the only reason why Queen Bey isn’t higher up on the list is because she seems to be trying to appeal more to feminists as compared to the gay crowd. Beyonce has become well-known for her female-empowerment anthems like ‘Single Ladies’ and ‘Girls (Run the world)’ but she still hasn’t released any notable gay anthems yet. Since gay anthems are a fundamental element of any credible gay icon, Beyonce is our pick for the number 9 spot on this list!
8. Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera possesses all the traits of a typical diva; big hair, big voice and big personality. No wonder gay men love her! Plus, the fact that the powerhouse vocalist has also identified herself as a bisexual before has made her even more relatable to her many gay fans. And if that’s not enough, her signature song ‘Beautiful’ has also become one of the greatest gay anthems of recent times!
However, her waning star power brings her down a couple of notches and explains why she is number 8 on this list.
7. Mariah Carey
Gay men love divas and Mariah Carey epitomises the ultimate diva. With her angelic voice, big hair and penchant for fabulous things, it is not surprising that Mariah has a huge gay fan base. Her signature tune ‘Hero’ has been embraced by the gay community as a LGBT anthem while her struggles as an outcast during her childhood years has turned her into a very relatable gay icon.
While Mariah Carey does indeed support the gay community, the reason why Mariah Carey is not very vocal with her support for the gay community could be due to the fact that she doesn’t want to alienate the hip-hop fans that her music caters to.
6. Britney Spears
Britney Spears is the quintessential underdog and that is precisely what endears her to the gay community so much. Britney has been knocked down so many times throughout her career and yet, she always manages to bounce back every single time. It is this trait of her that perfectly encapsulates the saying ‘It gets better’. Thus, Britney makes it to number 6 on this list!
5. Barbra Streisand
With her star power and immeasurable talent, Barbra Streisand has long been revered as a gay icon. Just like all the other divas on this list, Barbra Streisand has a huge gay following and has long established herself as a gay icon.
4. Cher
Gay men love Cher and there are so many reasons that could possibly explain why Cher enjoys such a devoted gay fan base. It could be due to the fact that Cher is a long-time advocate for LGBT rights. It might also be due to her repertoire of infectious and campy dance hits. Perhaps its due to the fact that Cher herself comes across as a very likeable drag queen. Or maybe, it might be due to the fact that Cher has a transgender child. Regardless of whatever reason it might be, there is no doubt that Cher is one of the greatest gay icons ever and as such, is number 4 on this list!
3. Judy Garland
The quintessential gay icon, Judy Garland’s signature song ‘Somewhere over the rainbow’ has become one of the most iconic gay anthems of all time. In addition, her struggles with men endeared her even greater to the gay community. In fact, Judy Garland is often regarded as the greatest female gay icon of all time!
Now, before her ardent fans start sending us hate mail for not recognising Judy Garland as the greatest female gay icon of all time, let us explain ourselves first. While Judy Garland has undoubtedly had a huge impact on the gay community, she attained her gay icon status largely as a result of her image as a tragic figure. Since the depiction of gay people as tragic figures is becoming increasingly unfashionable, it follows logically that the gay community is finding it harder and harder to relate with tragic figures.
2. Kylie Minogue
Few singers have intentionally catered to the gay market like Kylie has. Although Kylie is completely straight and doesn’t have the typically tragic backstory that gay men seem to love, her campy image and infectious dance hits have won her legions of gay fans.
Although Kylie’s campy image is often cited as the reason behind her failure to conquer the American market, the fact that she remains devoted to her gay fans by catering to their tastes earns her the number 2 spot in this list of the greatest female gay icons of all time!
1. Madonna
Our choice for the greatest female gay icon of all time is none other than the Queen of Pop herself; Madonna!
Gay men love queens and so, it is no surprise that gay men would worship the Queen of Pop! An outspoken advocate for gay rights, Madonna earned the unwavering support from her gay fans with her strong personality and her provocative image. By giving the gay community numerous gay club anthems like ‘Vogue’ and ‘Music’, Madonna has transformed herself into one of the most revered gay icons of all time! The fact that her name has pretty much become synonymous with the term gay icon is the main reason why we are crowning her the number 1 female gay icon of all time!
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Great list! Britney is my personal number 1.. but I think in general you’ve got the order right! 😉
Madonna is definitely #1 it’s sad you haven’t listed the reasons why, maybe because it’s a books worth. Madonna has protested globally for gay rights women’s rights and minority rights. Has been threaten with arrest and sued for it something no one else on this list can say.
Gaga is a faded fad, who exploited gays for attention, not an icon.
YEEEEEEEES QUEEN MADONNA <3 The one and only
Beyonce? No way she should be on the list, What about Cyndi Lauper, Hazell Dean, Amanda Lear, Donna Summer, Laura Branigan, Mylene Falmer, Lonni Gordon, Grace Jones, there are far more far worthy then Beyonce.
Well, two things: as soon as I saw Beyoncé on this list I guffawed! Wth?!! She may be on this list somewhere- in the extended top 100 female gay icons-near the bottom! Cyndi Lauper should definitely have been in Beyoncé’s place in the top 10.
Secondly, although, we gays love us a lot of Donna Summer, she unfortunately, did nothing for the gay community. She was actually, quite homophobic in reality. That’s the truth of it. And it’s heartbreaking.
Ummm excuse me. How could you ever forget the legendary Queen Bee, Lil Kim? She has done more for the gay community than any other rapper in history!!! Put some respeck on her name!!!!!
Gloria Trevi Should be on the Top!
Madonna is rightfully in the correct slot on this list, whether you like it or not.
Nice to see Judy hanging in there . Talent always stands the test of time. By the way Judy didnt have a ” tragic” life. Like her daughter Liza said…” mama had tragedies in her life but it wasnt tragic.” ..There is a difference. She overcame adversity and abuse many times but it was her addictions that got her in the end. btw where is Liza ?
Madonna is more than the greatest gay icon, she has been using her fame and power since the very beginning to change society mind set about gay people, she really was the first to show everyone that it’s ok to be different, it’s ok to like boys if ure a boy or girls if u are a girl, Madonna really fought for the LGBT community to be accepted as they are, thank you queen!!❤️
Well said!
Guys, you didn’t mention the most important thing about Madonna. She talked about Putin’s regime and his laws about lgbt people at her shows in Russia!
Madonna is definitely the right choice for the #1 gay icon. She has fought for our rights her entire career. She messaged safe/safer sex when the white house wouldn’t talk about it. So many incredible things she did for the community. I think Gloria Trevi should be up there also – huge gay rights activist. Where is Donna Summer in the top 10?
Where’s Bette Midler?? Who started who career playing at gay bathhouses!! And what about Doris Day? Top 5 I 100% agree with, but Beyoncé, Christina and Gaga? No.
Diana Ross! Need I say more? I’m coming out!
And don’t forget WHITNEY!
Cyndi Lauper should be on the list ! She’s the quintessential gay icon who houses the homeless LGBT community.
Lady Gaga is as fake as Dolly Parton’s tits. I like her music but she is a master manipulator. Her charity did basically nothing for any one but herself. She clearly has structuredone her career after Madonna and jumped on the gay bandwagon at a time that it’s the IT thing to do. And Beyonce wtf is that she has done zero to help the gay community. I agree with everyone else where is Bette Midler? And why wasn’t more mentioned about what Madonna actually did the list is extensive, the younger gay community is completely ignorant of how much Madonna did for our little gay asses. I had zero clue until I decided to do the research into the history of what people like Madonna has done. Blew my mind I wasn’t a Madonna fan now I can’t fathom why any gay wouldn’t be. She is our Martin Luther…
Madonna! Kylie Minogue is up there too!
My favorite gay icon will always be Barbra Streisand, but i agree almost with this list, and MAdonna should indeed be #1. But where in the hell is Diana Ross, she should be on this list, please get rid of Mariah or Beyonce.