Who are the most significant gay icons and how did they develop? What influence do they have on gay individuals and communities? This book focuses on the superstars, femmes fatales and divas of the gay celebrity pantheon--Mae West, Julie Andrews, Britney Spears, RuPaul, Cher, Divine, Sharon Needles and many others--and their contributions to gay culture and the complications of sexual and gender identity. The author explores their allure along with the mechanisms of iconicity.
Who are the most significant gay icons and how did they develop? What influence do they have on gay individuals and communities? This book focuses on the superstars, femmes fatales and divas of the gay celebrity pantheon--Mae West, Julie Andrews, Britney Spears, RuPaul, Cher, Divine, Sharon Needles and many others--and their contributions to gay culture and the complications of sexual and gender identity. The author explores their allure along with the mechanisms of iconicity.
Demonized by the Church throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, homosexuals became the scapegoats of society, constantly facing exile or a brutal death. In 'Heroes and Exiles' the human cost of this long exile is told through the lives of the most eminent homosexual men and women in history.
The LGBTQ+ community is a loving family. As such, this colorful book celebrates our most iconoclastic sisters and brothers (and gender-nonbinary friends) across history. This beautiful book is an illustrated and alphabetic celebration of LGBTQ+ activists, artists, comedians, writers, philosophers, musicians, poets, and Olympic gold medalists. These icons of the queer community have collectively championed civil rights, radically increased queer visibility and provided a means of escapism through their soul-affirming artistry. Just some of the trailblazers featured in Queer Icons from Gay to Z include Josephine Baker, Laverne Cox, Ellen DeGeneres, Keith Haring, Neil Patrick Harris, Marsha P Johnson, Harvey Milk, Martina Navratilova, Cynthia Nixon, Frank Ocean, Ruby Rose, and so on--all the way to Z. Loaded with trivia and factoids about each icon, this colorfully illustrated book unites pop-culture icons of the current day with the activists and revolutionaries who fought (sometimes literally to the death) for the right to be who they are, and the right to love whoever they damn well please.
Braun traces the cinema's gay and lesbian heritage from the uncensored extremes of the Roaring Twenties, through the repressive regime of Hollywood's Production Code, to the camp extravagence of the sixties and seventies, and beyond into the modern era. Along the way, he offers fascinating and often hilarious profiles of the stars idolised by gay audiences worldwide, from Mae West to Madonna.--Jacket flap.
These cat lovers are out and purr-oud! Freddie Mercury, Sylvia Rivera, Alison Bechdel, Dusty Springfield. This book is a celebration of queer icons of the past and present and their furry feline friends. From images of lost legends such as Josephine Baker and James Baldwin, to snapshots of contemporary trailblazers like comedian Tig Notaro and fashion designer Jason Wu—these charming and eccentric photographs capture what it truly means to be a cat purr-son. • PURR-FECT FOR CAT LOVERS: This book celebrates the love between human and cat. What better gift could you get the feline fancier in your life? • AMEWSING ANECDOTES AND IMPAWTENT MOMENTS: Learn about the lives of the queer heroes who came before us and those who are still fighting for equality and inclusion. We're not kitten around—with watershed moments like the Stonewall riots and sweet stories of domestic bliss, this book will both entertain and inspire you. • PHOTOS WITH CATITUDE: In these purr-ecious photographs, you'll get to see your heroes in unguarded moments expressing love for their pets. This collection of images will bring joy to any cat lover's heart. Perfect for: • LGBTQIA+ cat lovers and the people who shop for them • Anyone interested in learning more about influential queer figures—and their pets!
An unconventional history of homosexuality We all remember Oscar Wilde, but who speaks for Bosie? What about those ‘bad gays’ whose unexemplary lives reveal more than we might expect? Many popular histories seek to establish homosexual heroes, pioneers, and martyrs but, as Huw Lemmey and Ben Miller argue, the past is filled with queer people whose sexualities and dastardly deeds have been overlooked despite their being informative and instructive. Based on the hugely popular podcast series of the same name, Bad Gays asks what we can learn about LGBTQ+ history, sexuality and identity through its villains, failures, and baddies. With characters such as the Emperor Hadrian, anthropologist Margaret Mead and notorious gangster Ronnie Kray, the authors tell the story of how the figure of the white gay man was born, and how he failed. They examine a cast of kings, fascist thugs, artists and debauched bon viveurs. Imperial-era figures Lawrence of Arabia and Roger Casement get a look-in, as do FBI boss J. Edgar Hoover, lawyer Roy Cohn, and architect Philip Johnson. Together these amazing life stories expand and challenge mainstream assumptions about sexual identity: showing that homosexuality itself was an idea that emerged in the nineteenth century, one central to major historical events. Bad Gays is a passionate argument for rethinking gay politics beyond questions of identity, compelling readers to search for solidarity across boundaries.
"20th Century Icons is a stylish, quirky and instantly collectible series of little books created to celebrate the last hundred years. Famous names in the arenas of film, rock and pop, kitsch and camp have all chosen their own personal icons, recorded in these pocket-sized volumes with interesting, amusing and sometimes controversial results. Readers will enjoy discovering the eclectic, surprising, and humorous selections in every title, with luminaries as diverse as Elvis, Liberace and Mr. Potato Head all rubbing shoulders with one another."
