List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people

List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people

Encyclopedia

Tutorials

Encyclopedia

Dictionary

Directory

Email this to a friend List_of_gay,_lesbian_or_bisexual_people

List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people

Parent article: List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people;
Siblings:
This is a referenced overview list of notable gay, lesbian or bisexual people. 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]^[2]^[3] 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.

The high prevalence of people from the West on this list may be due to societal attitudes towards homosexuality. The Pew Research Center's 2003 Global Attitudes Survey found that "[p]eople in Africa and the Middle East strongly object to societal acceptance of homosexuality. But there is far greater tolerance for homosexuality in major Latin American countries such as Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil. Opinion in Europe is split between West and East. Majorities in every Western European nation surveyed say homosexuality should be accepted by society, while most Russians, Poles and Ukrainians disagree. Americans are divided ? a thin majority (51 percent) believes homosexuality should be accepted, while 42 percent disagree."^[4]

Controversy
Persons of confirmed lesbian, gay or bisexual orientation
See also
References
External links

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?publicizing 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,^[5] 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.