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List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people

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This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

This is a partial list of confirmed famous people who were or are gay, lesbian or bisexual. Famous people who are simply rumored to be gay, lesbian or bisexual, are not listed.

The historical concept and definition of sexual orientation varies and has changed greatly over time; for example the word "gay" wasn't used to describe sexual orientation until the mid 20th century. A number of different classification schemes have been used to describe sexual orientation since the mid-19th century, and scholars have often defined the term 'sexual orientation' in divergent ways. Indeed, several studies have found that much of the research about sexual orientation has failed to define the term at all, making it difficult to reconcile the results of different studies.[1] However, most definitions include a psychological component (such as the direction of an individual's erotic desire) and/or a behavioural component (which focuses on the sex of the individual's sexual partner/s). Some prefer to simply follow an individual's self-definition or identity. See homosexuality and bisexuality for criteria that have traditionally denoted lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people.

Controversy

The sexual orientation of famous individuals is often the subject of rumor and reports in the tabloid press. For example, the actor Tom Cruise has been such a case and has pursued libel suits on three occasions. In 1998, he successfully sued a British tabloid that alleged that his marriage to Nicole Kidman was a sham designed to cover up his alleged homosexuality. In another suit, he obtained a default judgment against a gay porn actor (Chad Slater, aka "Kyle Bradford") who had given an interview to a tabloid newspaper in which he claimed he had had a sexual relationship with Tom Cruise, and he sued Michael Davis, a magazine publisher, who alleged that he had photographs that would prove Tom Cruise was homosexual: this suit was dropped in exchange for a public statement by Davis that Tom Cruise was heterosexual.

Some gay rights groups have on occasion campaigned by outing - publicising the homosexuality of well-known people. In 1994 the British group OutRage! revealed the names of ten Church of England bishops whom it invited to "tell the truth". Such a policy has been the subject of some controversy because of the risk of inaccuracy and potential harm to family relationships. While supporters of outing regard its targets as having, whether by engaging in public deceit or by supporting anti-gay policies, forfeited the right to privacy about their sexual orientation, its opponents contend that this right is fundamental.

Persons of confirmed lesbian, gay or bisexual orientation

The following list includes people who have self-identified as homosexual or bisexual, or whose homosexuality or bisexuality has been backed by sources that are usually considered reliable.

Persons no longer identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual

The following list includes people who at one point identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual but no longer do.

See also

References

  1. ^ Shively, M.G., Jones, C., & DeCecco, J. P. (1984). Research on sexual orientation: definitions and methods. Journal of Homosexuality, 9, 127-137.
    Gerdes, L. C. (1988). The Developing Adult. (2nd ed.). Durban: Butterworths.
    See also: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/assault/context/defining.html

Sources

  • Aldrich, Robert and Wotherspoon, Gary (Eds.) (2001). Who's Who in Contemporary Gay & Lesbian History: From World War II to the Present Day. New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-22974-X.
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