The A+ List of Well-Known Gay & Lesbian Celebrities

As I perceive it, Neil Patrick Harris, Ellen DeGeneres, Anderson Cooper, Ryan Murphy and Rachel Maddow are today's most overexposed gay personalities (or, as Barbara Walters might refer to them as, the most fascinating).  However, a Google search I did on more than 300 gay celebs turned up many others who seem equally high profile (the top 50 can be found at the end of this post).

 

 

20 years ago there were very few "out" celebrities so it made sense that the token few, e.g., Harvey Fierstein, Melissa Etheridge and kd lang, received extensive media coverage.  Since then there's been a proliferation of openly gay celebs (a good thing), but an inordinate amount of attention still goes to a rather select group. 

 

 

Of the 300+ included in this analysis, the typical celeb had 500,000 search results.  They ranged from 16,000 (for Steve Kmetko - remember him?) to 19 million (Calvin Klein).  There were thirteen well-known LGBTs whose names each generated more than 5 million search results - I guess you can call them the gay A+ List.  At the other end of the spectrum, there were 50 celebs/former celebs with fewer than 100,000 mentions.  (For some perspective, I, a mere gay mortal, had 5,000).

 

 

Naturally, some of the names among the top 50 have been in the news of late, including newly out actress Ellen Page, figure skater Johnny Weir and stats guru Nate Silver (pictured, far left).  (Surprisingly, neither Michael Sam or Jason Collins were in this select group, ranking 59th and 61st).  By age, six of the top 50 were older than 65, with Giorgio Armani, at 78, the oldest.  Seven were younger than 30, with Tom Daley (pictured) being the youngest, at 19.  Ellen DeGeneres had the most search results for lesbians, but only ten others joined her.

 

 

Actors, singers and fashion designers dominate the upper echelons of gaydom, comprising two-thirds of the top 50.  (The designers were, no doubt, boosted by their eponymous clothing labels.)  Outside of these fields we have  statistician Nate Silver; personal trainer Jillian Michaels; Apple CEO Tim Cook; photographer Annie Leibovitz; blogger Perez Hilton; interior designer Nate Berkus; and drag performer Ru Paul. 

   

 

And where do the five I thought were most overexposed rank?  Neil Patrick Harris is second; Ellen is fifth and Anderson Cooper, 30th.  Rachel Maddow and Ryan Murphy, however, are further down the list at 65th and 68th, respectively.  Still respectable but not nearly as high as I expected.

 

 

Who was I surprised to see among the elite 50?  Besides Calvin Klein at #1, I was also taken aback by the inclusion of singers Robbie Williams (pictured, far right), George Michael, Mika, Tracy Chapman and Boy George; Jillian Michaels fom Biggest Loser; fashion designers Alexander Wang, Jason Wu (pictured) and Zac Posen; and British actor Steven Fry.  And those who I was surprised to see lower than the top 100 include ABC's Robin Roberts (#112); fashion guru Tim Gunn (#142); sexy Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters (#164, pictured near right); diving legend Greg Louganis (#177) and gay blogger Andy Towle (#294).

 

TOP 50 GAY PERSONALITIES
(Ranked by # of Google Search Results)
		Search Results
	Profession	(In Millions)
Calvin Klein	Fashion Designer	19.1
Neil Patrick Harris	Actor	14.6
Elton John	Singer/Songwriter	12.7
Marc Jacobs	Fashion Designer	11.0
Ellen DeGeneres	Talk Show Host	10.8
Michael Kors	Fashion Designer	10.6
Robbie Williams	Singer	10.0
Ricky Martin	Singer	9.8
Tom Ford	Fashion Designer	9.4
Mika	Singer	7.1
George Michael	Singer/Songwriter	6.7
Pet Shop Boys	Pop Music Duo	5.8
Adam Lambert	Singer	5.4
Giorgio Armani	Fashion Designer	4.6
Tegan & Sara	Pop Music Duo	4.5
Rosie O'Donnell	TV Personality	4.3
Alexander Wang	Fashion Designer	4.3
Ellen Page	Actress	4.2
Frank Ocean	Rap Singer	3.6
Portia de Rossi	Actress	3.4
Tim Cook	Business Executive	3.0
Johnny Weir	Figure Skater	2.5
Jillian Michaels	Trainer	2.4
Jason Wu	Fashion Designer	2.4
Zachary Quinto	Actor	2.3
Don Lemon	News Anchor	2.3
Jodie Foster	Actress	2.3
Tracy Chapman	Singer/Songwriter	2.2
Perez Hilton	Blogger	2.2
Anderson Cooper	News Anchor	2.2
Jean Paul Gaultier	Fashon Designer	2.1
Zac Posen	Fashion Designer	2.0
Lily Tomlin	Actress	2.0
Nate Silver	Statistician	2.0
Andy Cohen	Cable TV Executive	2.0
Ian McKellen	Actor	1.9
Annie Leibovitz	Photographer	1.8
Jesse Tyler Ferguson	Actor	1.7
RuPaul	Drag Performer	1.7
Boy George	Singer/Songwriter	1.7
John Galliano	Fashion Designer	1.7
George Takei	Actor	1.7
Nate Berkus	Interior Designer	1.6
Graham Norton	Talk Show Host	1.6
Matt Bomer	Actor	1.6
Wentworth Miller	Actor	1.6
Stephen Fry	Actor	1.6
Diana Nyad	Swimmer	1.6
Tom Daley	Diver	1.5
Chris Colfer	Actor	1.5
(For period 3/20-24/2014)

 

Divas & Gay Icons Who've Made Their Mark at the Super Bowl

 

 

Befitting an event that attracts more than just the most avid football fans, the Super Bowl has probably drawn its share of gay men with no interest in football due to its organizers' choice of performers, some who sang the National Anthem, others who were part of the halftime show.

 

 

SINGING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM

The National Anthem's ending is a showcase for diva embellishment.  Diana Ross was the first diva to sing it, at Super Bowl XVI in 1982.  Two years later Barry Manilow got the nod.  Then in 1991 Whitney Houston received accolades for her bombastic version in 1997 Luther Vandross joined Barry Manilow as the only other male diva to sing; Cher performed in 1999, Mariah Carey in 2002, Beyonce in 2004, Jennifer Hudson in 2009 and Christina Aguilera in 2011 (she flubbed one of the lines).  And then in 2016, Lady Gaga was handed the microphone.  In my estimation, here are the three best:

 

• Beyonce - Sung in her hometown of Houston, this is the Super Bowl best remembered for the notorious "Nipplegate" incident at halftime between Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake.  I prefer to remember Beyonce's sterling performance instead.

 

 

• Cher - Wearing an auburn colored wig, Cher was in the midst of her third or fourth comeback, this one propelled by her auto-tuned hit Believe (which won a Grammy for Best Dance Song).  Her Super Bowl performance, however, was without electronic frills - and quite powerful.

 

 

• Jennifer Hudson.  She gave it her all, just three months after her mother, brother and nephew were murdered in Chicago.

 

 

• And although Whitney's performance was powerful, she lost points because of unfortunate choice of attire - a cheesy white warm-up suit suit along with a white head band.

 

 

• At 2014's game legendary soprano Rene Fleming sang, the first non-pop singer to do so in nine years.  Still, it should be a thrill for opera queens.

 

 

 

PERFORMING DURING HALFTIME

In the early years of the Super Bowl Carol Channing appeared during halftime at the 1970 game (likely singing Hello Dolly) and again in 1972 (joined by Ella Fitzgerald).  Then there was a long lapse before Diana Ross headlined in 1996.  Hers was most dramatic as she first appeared in a puff of smoke and then later was whisked away by a helicopter at the end of her performance (found at the 10:30 mark of this video clip).  Chakha Khan was one of a group in 1999; Tina Turner, Christina Aguilera and Toni Braxton appeared together in 2000; Britney Spears and Mary J. Blige appeared in 2001; and then eleven years went by before Madonna (in Egyptian headdress); Beyonce (in a Victoria's Secret meets dominatrix outfit);  Katy Perry (getting upstaged by her sharks) and Lady Gaga got the honors in 2012, 2013,  2015 and 2017, respectively.  Then in 2020, a month before COVID-19 shut down the country J-Lo gave a performance to remember.  And in 2023 Rihanna, resplendent in red, stood on a platform in mid-air and gave a relatively low-energy performance.

 

Diana Ross (1996)

 

Beyonce (2013)

 

 

Katy Perry (2015)

 

J Lo (2020)

 

Rihanna (2023)

 

 

 

In the Huddle with the NFL's Sexiest Quarterbacks

In a previous post about baseball players I observed that, in terms of sex appeal, they were head and shoulders above the largely obese and no-necked Neanderthals of the NFL.  Quarterbacks, however, are a different breed as most have physiques more similar to baseball players.  Out of the league's 30 teams, here are the ten that I think have the most sex appeal.  

 

 

• JIMMY GAROPPOLO/San Francisco 49ers (28 years old, 6'2", 225 lbs.) - In an earlier version of this post, published in 2013, another 49ers QB made this list - Colin Kaepernick. Before coming to the 49ers Garoppolo was back-up for the Patriots' Tom Brady (see below).

 

 

• MARCUS MARIOTA/Tennessee Titans (26 years old, 6'4", 222 lbs.) - Born in Hawaii (and of Hawaian/German heritage), Mariota replaced the Titans previous starting QB, Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was on the previous list.

 

 

 

• MITCH TRUBISKY/Chicago Bears (25 years old, 6'2", 215 lbs.) - Trubisky was part of a feature in GQ in the spring of 2017 that showed NFL rookies in suits.

 

 

• JOE FLACCO/Denver Broncos (34, 6'6", 245 lbs.) - Flacco led the Baltimore Ravens to victory in Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, and was traded to Denver in 2019.

 

 

• TOM BRADY/New England Patriots (42, 6'4", 225 lbs) - The David Beckham of the NFL, Brady is one of the most telegenic players in the league.  He has six Super Bowl rings and has been named Super Bowl MVP four times.  Many love to hate him as he plays for a powerhouse team , is handsome and his wife is Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen.  He's been on the cover of GQ and hosted Saturday Night Live.  (However, he doesn't have nearly as many endorsements as Peyton Manning.)

 

 

• RUSSELL WILSON/Seattle Seahawks (30, 5'11", 215 lbs) - The only QB on this list who isn't taller than six feet, Wilson is the third youngest QB to lead a Super Bowl team (2014).  He signed a contract in 2019 that made him the highest paid NFL player.  For a number of years he touted the fact that after he divorced is first wife he was celibate; he's now married to R&B singer Ciara ("Love, Sex, Magic").

 

 

 

• CAM NEWTON/Carolina Panthers (30, 6'5", 245 lbs).  Starred in commercials for Dannon but was fired in 2017 after making a sexist comment to a female sports reporter.  He was also widely criticized for storming out of a press conference after his team lost the Super Bowl to the Patriots in 2016.

 

 

 

 

• RYAN FITZPATRICK/Miami Dolphins (36, 6'2", 228 lbs.) - Fitzpatrick had a controlled beard when he played for Tennessee in 2013-14 (below) but it's become full blown Grizzly Adams since going to the Dolphins in 2019.

 

 

 

 

• ALEX SMITH/Washington Redskins (35, 6'4", 213 lbs) - This is his first season with the Redskins after five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.  Smith's first team was the 49ers, but after an injury he lost his starting quarterback slot to Colin Kaepernecke, and the rest is history.  

 

 

What follows are quarterbacks who were included in this post when it was first published five years ago but have since retired (vital stats reflect 2019).

 

• COLIN KAEPERNICK/SF 49ers (32, 6'4", 230 lbs) - Back when he was playing, Kaepernick was the QB most likely to be photographed bare chested, mostly to show his extensive tattoos, which brought to mind a Maori tribesman.  Of course, he became notorious in 2016 after knelt during the playing of the National Anthem before games to protest police treatment of blacks.  This resulted in him becoming a pariah to NFL team owners; he hasn't played in the past three seasons.

 

 

• CHRISTIAN PONDER/Minnesota Vikings (31 years old, 6'2", 239 lbs) - Could be Joe Flacco's brother (with longer hair) or actor Mark Ruffalo. Retired after the 2016 season.

 

 

• MARK SANCHEZ/NY Jets (33, 6'2", 232 lbs) - Sanchez was the Jets starting QB until he was injured in a pre-season game, so he gets an Honorary Mention.  He's endeared himself to gay fans in New York with his often expressed love of Broadway shows.  After the Jets Sanchez played for five more teams and retired after the 2018 season.

 

 

• TONY ROMO/Dallas Cowboys (39, 6'2", 230 lbs) - Romo spent his entire 14-year career with the Cowboys, retiring after the 2016 season (he's now a color analyst for CBS Sports' NFL games).  He received extensive media attention back in 2007-09 when he was dating pop singer Jessica Simpson. 

 

 

Finally, an honorary mention must be given to retired quarterback Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals.  Now 48 years old, he's been out of the NFL for ten years, but ranks among the sexiest QBs of all time.

 

 

The Role Sports Illustrated Played in the Stirrings of My First Same-Sex Attractions

 

 

 

My father was a big sports fan and subscribed to Sports Illustrated.  Although I wasn't into sports at the time, I'd page through an issue if there was an attractive male athlete on the cover.  Back then (the 1960s and early 70s) I had no inkling what being gay was all about, but I do remember feeling a tingle of excitement whenever I came across a photo in an issue showing a sweaty, bare chested athlete whooping it up with fellow athletes.  I didn't question this frisson of excitement, I just went with it.  (I never got the same excitement from SI's Swimsuit issue.) 

 

To commemorate the early stirrings created by these rather chaste covers, I've chosen some choice examples that tickled my nascent gay fancy.

 

This is Bruce Jenner, years before he got hooked on plastic surgery.  He was 26 when this issue hit newsstands during his gold medal winning performance in Decathlon at the 1976 Summer Olympics.

 

 

 

Here is Joe Namath after he led the New York Jets to an improbable Super Bowl championship in 1969.  He was 25 at the time.

 

 

 

 

This December 1961 cover shows 27-year-old defenseman Dan Currie of the Green Bay Packers.  Six years later a similar rain-themed cover was published with a player named Dan, who looked very much like Currie (Dan Reeves of the Cowboys).

 

 

 

The sexy focus of Ron Swoboda of the New York Mets, readying himself for the pitch ...

 

 

 

Mickey Mantle of the Yankees, the all-American boy.  This cover was from the summer of 1962 when he was 31.

 

 

 

Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins at the age of 22.

 

 

 

Who doesn't love a man in uniform?  This one is halfback Joe Bellino from the U.S. Naval Academy, winner of the 1960 Heisman Trophy.

 

 

 

Swimmer Chet Jastremski, Indiana University, shown here during the winter of 1962.  He took a break from medical school to compete in the 1964 Olympics.  

 

 

 

NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain at the age of 36.  This was back when basketball players not only shot baskets but showed off their baskets in the short shorts they wore.  These are now a distant memory, replaced by unflattering, long and baggy shorts. 

 

 

 

Steve Garvey, another all-American athlete who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers.  He was later knocked off his pedestal when stories of philandering were revealed (which was a somewhat novel revelation back then).

 

 

 

This cover of pitching great Juan Marichal appealed to my aesthetic sensibility.  The headline, "Latin Conquest", also got my attention.

 

 

 

Finally, even as a grown man a cover occasionally opens my eyes and brings back memories of the early years ...

 

New York City Hosts Gay Games IV (June 18-25, 1994)

 

 

For the most part the gayest event to occur in New York City was the Tony Awards.  But in 1994 NYC was chosen to host the fourth Gay Games.  (San Francisco played host to the first two Gay Games in 1982 and 1986; Vancouver hosted in 1990).  It was also a fitting way to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riot, which embroiled Greenwich Village in late June of 1969.  Opening ceremonies were held on June 18 at Columbia University Stadium; Yankee Stadium was the site of the closing ceremonies.  At first, Yankees management was unwilling to make the stadium available, but mayor Rudy Giuliani appealed to Yankees owner George Steinbrenner's civic spirit.

 

 

 

More than 10,000 athletes from 44 countries participated in 31 events, including HIV+ athletes who were allowed entry into the US after the Clinton administration waived visa restrictions (but they were limited to a 10-day visit).  Sporting events included traditional ones such as weight lifting, swimming and track & field, as well as more off-beat competitions such as badminton, in-line skating and aerobics.  Billie Jean King and Greg Louganis spoke at the opening ceremonies and Sir Ian McKellen presided over the closing ceremonies.  Louganis also gave a diving exhibition.

 

 

 

At the same time as the Gay Games, the United States was playing host to soccer's World Cup for the first time; the first three matches were played in the New York area at Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey.  It was estimated that these two events plus Gay Pride festivities drew 1.2 million visitors.

 

 

Greg Louganis Reveals He's HIV-Positive (February 22, 1995)

On February 22, 1995 35-year old Olympic diving legend Greg Louganis called a press conference and disclosed that, not only was he gay (long rumored), but also HIV+ (which he was aware of since 1988). 

 

These revelations were in preparation for publication of his autobiography Breaking the Surface.  Two days after the press conference he was interviewed by Barbara Walters on 20/20 (see video clip below).  The following week he spoke at a meeting of NYC's gay professional group, New York Advertising & Communications Network (now called Out Professionals), at Cooper Union before an audience of 500.

 

Two years later a TV movie about Louganis' life, with the same title as his autobiography, aired on USA Network.  It starred 23-year old Mario Lopez.  

 

                                                                                          Louganis' disclosure came 2-1/2 years after NBA great Magic Johnson revealed that he was HIV+.  And in 2000 openly gay figure skater Rudy Galindo (1996 U.S. Men's National figure skating champion) also announced his HIV status.  A very important lesson conveyed by Johnson, Louganis and Galindo, all still alive, was that life can go on despite an HIV diagnosis, i.e. HIV does not equal death.  For many it's a chronic condition that can be managed with anti-viral drugs, not a death sentence. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bradley Cooper Plays Gay in "Valentine's Day" Movie (February 12, 2010)

 

In perhaps a sign of how far society has evolved in regards to the integration of homosexuals into the mainstream, a rising star in Hollywood played a gay role in a major theatrical release and it didn't cause a stir.  The movie was Valentine's Day, which opened on February 12, 2010.  What's curious, however, is why this relationship was invisible in the movie's previews.  

 

 

Starring an ensemble cast, including Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx, Anne Hathaway, Emma Stone, and Taylor Lautner, the movie at first blush appeared to be a typical Hollywood celebration of heterosexual romance.  However, it had an under-publicized gay subplot involving characters played by Bradley Cooper and Grey's Anatomy heartthrob, Eric Dane.  Dane is a closeted NFL quarterback who Cooper is preparing to break up with because of his impatience with the secretive life he is forced to lead with his boyfriend. 

 

(In a case of life imitating art, rumors began circulating in 2013 about Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers being gay and living with a male "roommate" who was also his personal assistant.)

 

 

Despite being panned by most critics and moviegoers (it got an awful 18 rating on "Rotten Tomatoes"), the film had a huge opening weekend and ended up grossing more than $200 million worldwide.  I didn't see the movie and didn't hear about its gay storyline until last year when a friend told me about it after he rented it on Netflix.    

 

This unpublicized subplot brought to mind last year's movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.  It also had a gay character (played by Tom Wilkinson), but you would never have known it from watching the trailers for the movie.  

 

 

So how has playing gay impacted Bradley Cooper's career?  Well, in 2011 he was named People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive"; in 2013 he was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his role in the movie Silver Linings Playbook; and he's on the cover of January 2014's issue of GQ.  So it seems not to have been an impediment - which is another welcome development.

 

 

Interestingly, this wasn't the first time Cooper played gay in a movie.  Nine years earlier he was cast in another ensemble movie, Wet Hot American Summer, about counselors in a summer camp.  In his first movie role, he has a gay make-out session with another counselor, played by Ian Michael Black.  The movie was a big flop at the box office, but has since developed a huge cult following (Amy Poehler, Christopher Meloni and Paul Rudd also appeared in it).   

Beyonce Sings National Anthem at Super Bowl (February 1, 2004)

Since Super Bowl XXXVIII (Feb. 1, 2004) was being played in her hometown of Houston, 23-year-old Beyonce Knowles was invited to sing the National Anthem.  Not surprisingly, she looked beautiful and did a faaabulous job (I rank it up there with Cher's and Jennifer Hudson's renditions). 

 

However, Beyonce's performance has been long forgotten by most because this was the Super Bowl that witnessed the infamous Janet Jackson-Justin Timberlake "wardrobe malfunction" (which, ten years later, still reverberates).  I may have been one of the few persons watching the game who missed this incident as I was in the kitchen washing dishes.  However, I did see Beyonce make Houston proud.   

 

 

 

Happily, nine years later Beyonce received a lot more attention when she was chosen to provide the halftime entertainment at Super Bowl XLVII and wowed viewers with her Victoria's Secret meets dominatrix outfit.

Reviewing the Year in Gay History: 2013

 

Jan 1 - The first same-sex marriages take place in Maryland.

Jan 13 - At the Golden Globes, Jodie Foster sorta/kinda comes out while accepting a lifetime achievement award.

 

 

Jan 15 - 80-year old actor/singer Jim Nabors, most famous for playing the title role in the 1960's CBS sitcom, Gomer Pyle, marries his partner of 38 years in Seattle.

Jan 21 - In his inaugural address, President Obama makes a reference to Stonewall and is the first president to mention gay rights in an inaugural address.

 

 

Feb 3 - Hungarian-born, gay porn superstar Arpad Miklos is found dead in his Manhattan apartment, apparently the victim of a suicide.  He was just 45 years old.

 

 

Feb 20 - In a new TV commercial for the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, a woman reading at the beach informs a man, whom she thinks is flirting with her, that her husband is at the bar getting her a drink.  The fellow then replies that his husband is at the bar as well!

 

 

Feb 24 - The Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles appears very briefly during the opening of tonight's Academy Awards telecast, joining host Seth MacFarlane in a song called I Saw Your Boobs. 

Feb 25 - Gay divorce is the cover story of this week's issue of New York Magazine (cover date 3/4).

 

 

March 6 - Mexico's Supreme Court rules that anti-gay expressions like 'maricon' are not protected under the constitution's Freedom of Expression.

March 15 - In a blow to the Republican party's anti-gay platform, Republican senator Rob Portman of Ohio reverses his stand against same-sex marriage in support of his gay son.

April 6 - Liza Minnelli makes a guest appearance as herself on tonight's episode of Smash.

 

 

April 17 - New Zealand becomes the 13th nation to legalize same-sex marriage.

April 29 - NBA veteran Jason Collins becomes the first active player of one of the Big Four sports leagues to come out.  He did it in an interview in Sports Illustrated, which hit newsstands today.

 

 

May 2 - Rhode Island becomes the 10th state to legalize same-sex marriage.

May 7 - Less than a week after Rhode Island, Delaware's governor signs into law legislation legalizing same-sex marriage there. 

May 7 - Famed club DJ and music producer, Peter Rauhofer, dies from a brain tumor at the age of 48.

 

 

May 10 - Despite sporting the Ryan Murphy pedigree, his NBC sitcom about gay parenting, The New Normal, is cancelled after one season.

May 14 - Minnesota becomes the 12th state to legalize same-sex marriage.  56 million Americans, or 18% of the US population, now live in states that allow gay couples to marry.

May 17 - Michael Musto, the Village Voice's iconic entertainment and gossip columnist, is let go by the paper after nearly 30 years.

 

 

 

May 18 - France becomes the 14th nation to legalize same-sex marriage.  With a population of 65 million, it passed South Africa as the most populous country where same-sex couples can marry.

May 18 - On Saturday Night Live, a parody TV commercial airs for "Zanax for Gay Summer Weddings", formulated for heterosexuals attending gay weddings who feel insecure because of how perfect they are.

 

 

May 23 - The Boy Scouts of America vote to allow openly gay youths as members, while continuing its policy of excluding openly gay adult leaders. 

May 26 - The TV movie, Behind the Candelabra, airs on HBO.  It looks at the relationship of Liberace (played by Michael Douglas) and his much younger lover, Scott Thorson (played by Matt Damon).

June 3 - The Fosters, a drama about a lesbian couple raising their family of inter-racial children, debuts on ABC Family.

June 20  - Exodus International, a ministry that claimed people could change their sexual orientiation from homosexual to heterosexual through reparative therapy, announces it will shut down after 37 years of operation.  Its president also issues a profuse apology.

 

 

 

June 26 - In two landmark decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court overturns DOMA and also upholds an earlier Circuit court ruling that invalidated Prop 8 in California, thus restoring same-sex marriage in the nation's most populous state.

June 30 - In honor of Gay Pride Day and the legalization of gay marriage in Washington state, the Seattle Mariners become the first Major League Baseball team to fly the rainbow flag at a game.

 

 

June 30 - Russian president, Vladimir Putin, signs into law legislation that bans gay "propaganda".

July 1 - This week's issue of the New Yorker celebrates week's Supreme Court regarding same-sex marriage by showing Bert & Ernie on its cover snuggling in front of the TV.  

July 11 - Orange is the New Black, a drama set in a women's prison, debuts on Netflix.

 

 

July 17 - With Queen Elizabeth giving her royal stamp of approval to Parliament's legislation, England legalizes same-sex marriage.

July 28 - Just four months into his papacy, Pope Francis makes a surprisingly compassionate comment about gay priests, saying that "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" It is also notable that he uses the term "gay" rather than "homosexual".

 

 

Aug 2 - Secretary of State John Kerry announces that effectively immediately the US will treat visa applications of married same-sex couples in the same manner as opposite-sex spouses. 

Aug 11 - Chelsea's popular bar Splash closes after nearly 22 years, unable to staunch the flow of patrons to bars and clubs in Hell's Kitchen. 

Aug 28 - The Internal Revenue Service announces that all same-sex couples who are legally married will be recognized as such for federal tax purposes, even if the state where they live doesn't recognize their union.

Sept 2 - In her fifth attempt, 64-year-old lesbian swimmer, Diana Nyad, successfully swims for 53 hours between Havana, Cuba and Key West - without a shark cage.

Sept 22 - For the third time in the past four years openly gay actor Jim Parsons wins the Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Sitcom for his portrayal of lovable science nerd Sheldon on CBS's The Big Bang Theory.

Sept 26 - In its 11th season, CBS's hit sitcom Two and a Half Men replaces its "half man" with the lesbian daughter of one of the Two Men.

 

 

Oct 3 - For the first time since co-starring on Will & Grace seven years earlier, Sean Hayes returns to NBC in the sitcom Sean Saves the World, playing a gay man raising his teen daughter.  

Oct 21 - The first gay marriages take place in New Jersey, the 14th state to legalize them.

Oct 25 - The lesbian drama, and winner of the Palme de Or at Cannes, Blue is the Warmest Color, opens in US theaters.  Much attention is given to the NC-17-rated movie's explicit 7-minute sex scene.

 

 

Nov 5 - Openly gay Washington state senator Ed Murray is elected mayor of Seattle and delivers his acceptance speech with his husband at his side. 

Nov 20 - Illinois joins 15 other states and DC in legalizing same-sex marriage.

Nov 22 - The movie Philomena opens.  It tells the true story of Philomena Lee, who searched for her son Michael 50 years after she game him up for adoption.  In the course of her search she discovers that he was gay and died of AIDS.

Dec 10 - India's Supreme Court declares homosexual sex illegal, reversing a ruling four years ago that had struck down the ban.  

Dec 19 - To absolutely no one's surprise, figure skating great Brian Boitano, who won a gold medal for the US at the 1988 Winter Olympics, finally came out.  This came two months after he turned 50.

 

 

 

Dec 19 - New Mexico's Supreme Court rules in favor of same-sex marriage, the sixth state to legalize it in 2013 and seventeenth state overall (and DC).

 

 To read about LGBT milestones from other years, double click here.

Barry Manilow Sings "National Anthem" at Super Bowl (January 22, 1984)

Female vocalists asked to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl have outnumbered male vocalists by 2:1.  This select group of male singers includes Barry Manilow, who was given the honor in 1984 at Super Bowl XVIII - the same Super Bowl made memorable for airing Apple's famous "1984" TV commercial that introduced the company's new Macintosh computer.  (Beyonce's singing of the Anthem in 2004 was similarly overshadowed - by the scandalous "Nipplegate" incident during halftime.) 

 

(Unfortunately, the clip of BM's performance that used to be in this space is no longer available.)

 

In addition to Manilow, other male singers who've sung the Star Spangled Banner include Neil Diamond; Billy Joel (twice); Aaron Neville (once solo, once w/Aretha Franklin); Harry Connick, Jr.; and Garth Brooks.  Other divas have included Cher; Diana Ross; Whitney Houston; Mariah Carey; Jennifer Hudson - and Luther Vandross (in 1997).