Contemporary LGBTQ+ icons

We live in times of diversity but also of conservative reaction to some freedoms that we thought were consolidated. That is why the role of celebrities as icons and references to sexual freedom continues to be important. Here is a list of LGTBIQ+ icons. Kristen Stewart, of course, has to appear in it: Absolutely free and militant.

The CEO of Apple was the first major executive of a large company to admit to being homosexual. "Being gay is God’s greatest gift to me," he said in an interview with CNN International.

The leader and vocalist of the band REM already declared himself as a "gay artist" in Time magazine in 2001 and he also said so openly in Spin magazinein 2008. He wanted to help any young person out there and admitted that he "didn't always" see how useful he could be to others as an openly gay celebrity.

The vocalist of the band Green Day is bisexual and he actually believes that this is innate in all people. In an interview with The Advocate, he said that "I think people are born bisexual, and it’s just that our parents and society kind of veer us off into this feeling of 'Oh, I can’t.' They say it’s taboo. It’s ingrained in our heads that it’s bad when it’s not bad at all. It’s a very beautiful thing."

He is gay and married the publicist Simon Halls in 2011, with whom he had three children. In an interview with Attitude magazine, Bomer said that coming out of the closet hurt his career, but that he believed there was no other option to live freely.

The American actress and comedian is openly homosexual and, after winning the Emmy in 2016 for best-supporting actress in a comedy, she assured that Ellen Degeneres was among her big examples.

Although she has always been married to men, the reality is that Angelina Jolie is bisexual. She has discussed this on numerous occasions. The actress is a great defender of the collective and was especially vehement in criticizing the censorship of the film 'Eternals' for its homosexual plot.

Drew Barrymore is another of those well-known Hollywood actresses who is bisexual. "Do I like women sexually? Yeah, I do. Totally. I have always considered myself bisexual," she said in an interview in 2007.

"I just wanted to take a quick moment to say I'm gay." With those words, Carl Nassib made NFL history by becoming the first active American football player to come out as gay.

The father of the Jenner sisters and stepfather of the Kardashians is a transgender woman and declares herself homosexual. She decided to take the leap and change to the life she always wanted, culminating in this step at the age of 66 in order to "live fully".

The former tennis player fought for equality between women and men on the court and is now an important activist for the rights of LGTBIQ+ people. A lesbian, she secretly married her longtime girlfriend after 34 years together.

The protagonist of 'Prison Break' is gay and declared himself as such in the most vindictive way possible, refusing to go to the Saint Petersburg film festival in 2013 due to the treatment that LGTBIQ+ people received in Russia.

In 2013, the Canadian actor told a famous blogger in an interview that he was gay. "I have never really spoken publicly about it, but everyone knows it" he recounted and made reference to his relationship with the plastic artist Rainer Andreesen.

The 'Game of Thrones' actress who played the role of Sansa Stark, declares herself bisexual. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, she said: "I fall in love with the soul, not with the gender."

Sam Smith is another celebrity who is considered non-binary. The singer said on Instagram that they prefer to avoid referring to themselves with the pronouns "he" or "she".

Portia de Rossi married Ellen DeGeneres in 2008. She is a lesbian and has acknowledged that it was difficult for her to come out of the closet.

The guitarist and leader of the band The Who said that he used to be pansexual. Townshend had been acknowledging his sexual curiosity since the 1990s until he declared that he was "probably bisexual" and had a strong attraction to Mick Jagger.

The Spanish film director has always been clear about his sexuality. In addition, the LGTBIQ+ collective is highly recognized by him: he has always given it great visibility throughout his entire filmography.

Known for his time on 'American Idol', Adam Lambert disclosed in an interview with Rolling Stone in 2009 that he was homosexual, something that had cost him a lot to tell his parents. Today, he is a great activist involved in charity projects and collaborations with the LGTBIQ+ collective.

A veteran who continues to fight against all forms of discrimination, British actor Ian McKellen takes an active part in Pride Day demonstrations. He "came out of the closet" in 1988 during an interview on a BBC radio program.

Demi Lovato has declared herself as a non-binary gender person and promotes its acceptance with statements like the one made to Entertainment Weekly in 2021: "‘I am too gay to marry a man right now."

Neil Patrick Harris has become the ambassador of the LGTBI community in Israel and is a true reference within the group. He always insists that he does not want to be an icon, but his way of making his sexual orientation visible and normalizing it is exemplary.

The British model and actress declares herself pansexual. "I grew up in an old-fashioned, repressed English family and I used the word ‘gay’ to describe things which were s— all the time: ‘That’s so F gay of you, man' ... I didn’t want to upset my family. I was deeply unhappy and depressed. When you don’t accept a part of yourself or love yourself, it’s like you’re not there, almost," she told Variety.

Everybody loved Ellen Page and now everybody loves Elliot Page. The actor who appeared in hits like 'Juno' and 'The Umbrella Academy' is trans and a spokesperson for this collective.

One of the pioneers of "coming out" in the world of entertainment, Ellen married actress and model Portia de Rossi in 2008.

Good old Sheldon is gay and has been married to producer Todd Spiewak since 2017. In an interview with The New York Times in 2012, the actor publicly declared his homosexuality.

The Scottish actor considers himself bisexual and he married graphic artist Grant Shaffer in 2007. However, he hates being asked about it because he thinks it's a way of labeling people he doesn't like.

The actress, whom we saw in 'The Hunger Games' as Rue, declared in 2016 that she was bisexual and, later, homosexual. "My sexuality is not a byproduct of my past experiences with men, who I have loved, but rather a part of myself I was born with and love deeply," she told Wonderland magazine.

She was Cara Delevigne's partner and, like her, the actress has become an iconic character within the LGTBIQ+ collective.

The actress and singer, who had initially declared herself bisexual, clarified in 2019 that, in reality, she is pansexual. She is an icon of festive freedom when it comes to sexuality.

An LGTBIQ+ icon par excellence. A staunch defender of the group, to which she gave visibility in times much less tolerant than ours. He said in an interview with The Advocate: "I think everybody has a bisexual nature. That’s my theory. I could be wrong."

In a video of a campaign for the rights of LGTBIQ + people in 2010, the actress who played Rogue in 'X-Men', said openly: "I'm Anna Paquin. I'm bisexual and I give a da**."

The actor, who we saw as a fairy godmother in the modernized version of Cinderella, is well known for his fabulous looks. He is one of the most important activists of the collective in the United States, participating in any initiative that is proposed to him.

The 'Sex and the City' actress - who married activist Christine Marinoni in 2012 and had a child together - has come to be questioned about her lesbian status due to her 15-year relationship with Danny Mozes, but she has always insisted that she was "gay by choice."

Like Ian McKellen, this pop hero was another veteran of the LGTBIQ+ fight before it was even described that way. He declared himself openly homosexual in 1988. Elton John has also been one of the most active defenders of his rights and was married to David Furnish as soon as the United Kingdom approved gay marriage.

It was on Twitter in 2011 that Evan Rachel Wood declared herself bisexual. She has been a great activist, to the point that in 2017 she received an award for giving visibility to the group.

The singer, once part of the band Black Eyed Peas, discussed her bisexuality in an interview with The Advocate. She said: " I think women are beautiful, I've had a lot of fun with women, and I'm not ashamed of it."

Gigi Gorgeous is a transgender woman who "came out" as such in 2013 and is proud of it, both professionally, through her YouTube channel and acting, as in her private life as a great defender of the LGTBIQ+ community.

The former actress of 'The X Files' and 'Sex Education' spoke in a 2012 interview about a relationship she had with a (now deceased) woman. She also had a relationship with Jemima Goldsmith. LGTBIQ+ icon? Well, yes, she fits in this list of people with free sexuality.

The American singer identifies as bisexual, she told in her GLAAD video "I’m a young, bisexual woman, and I’ve spent a large part of my life trying to validate myself — to my friends, to my family, to myself — trying to prove that who I love and how I feel is not a phase; it’s not part of some confusion that’s going to change or could be manipulated."

The world of sports is perhaps one of the most complicated to "come out of the closet". For this reason, the brave swimmer Ian Thorpe is a reference for the collective. On the day he made it public, he said, "I am telling the world that I am gay. I hope this makes it easier for others now."

A transgender woman that we all remember for her role in 'Pose', a series that speaks precisely of the African-American and Latin LGTBIQ+ cultural scene. In an interview, she said: "I just think that trans people should be able to visit any place we want to go, but we should also be careful, ... just because the country has laws protecting trans people, it does not mean we are necessarily safe there. I want us to travel, have full lives, and have so much fun."

Jaden Smith, the son of Will Smith, went viral by congratulating Tyler The Creator and referring to him as his partner. There are those who accuse him of playing with ambiguity but, in reality, he is a young man of the 21st century who left behind normative schemes of sexual orientation or gender.

She was Clarice Starling in 'The Silence of the Lambs' and she broke the silence about her homosexuality in 2013 when she "came out" in style during her speech at the Golden Globes gala.

Kaitlynn Carter is bisexual and, throughout her life, she has been known to have relationships with both men - Brody Jenner, Cody Simpson - and with women, as was the case with Miley Cyrus.

The actress, singer and dancer declares herself pansexual and a member of the LGTBIQ+ community. She talked about it on her social media in 2021. She also appeared in Pride parades and even presented her best friend, Kylie Prew, as her partner.

The previously unknown Australian footballer became world famous when he became the first active gay soccer player. Not only did he make this important leap in the complicated sport of soccer, but he also generated a campaign for normalization.

"I speak my truths, and I paint my fantasies into these little bite-size pop songs. For instance, I kissed a girl and I liked it. Truth be told, I did more than that," said the singer, who considers herself bisexual and did not hesitate to walk the multi-colored flag at the 2008 National Equality Award in Los Angeles.

The American Olympic champion in athletics is gay. He told Outsports: "I was tired of loving in the dark and being in the dark by myself, ... Love is love. I have an attraction to men. It’s who I am and it’s what made me become the athlete I am today."

Lady Gaga has become an important icon within the LGTBIQ+ community due to her strong involvement in various causes to combat discrimination against this group. In addition, the actress and singer declares herself bisexual.

The Fifth Harmony singer (second from right) is bisexual and a great defender of the rights of people from the LGTBIQ+ collective. She says she "could fall in love with anyone as long as their soul was genuine," per Nylon Magazine.

Actress, reality TV star, television producer, and defender of the rights of the LGTBIQ+ community. Laverne Cox became the first transgender woman to be nominated for an Emmy in the best actress category in 2014.

The actress and screenwriter of 'Master of None' is a very committed activist with the LGTBIQ + collective. Who doesn't remember her for that emotional speech on diversity that she gave at the 2017 Emmy Awards?

Little 'Matilda' revealed her bisexuality on her Twitter account. "I said I *used* to identify as mostly straight. I've embraced the Bi/Queer label lately." she posted right after the homophobic massacre at Orlando's Pulse nightclub in 2016.

The American rapper and songwriter came out via Twitter on the last day of Pride month in the United States. "I 100% want to represent the LGBT community, ... My family knows I’m gay now. But it’s not something that’s ever brought up or we speak about. We’re quiet on it," he told The Guardian.

The 'Riverdale' actress is bisexual, something she discovered "from a very young age", as she stated in an interview with Flaunt Magazine. She also said: "But to my close friends and those in my life, my bisexuality has been no secret."

The former Czech tennis player, winner of nine tournaments at Wimbledon, is an activist for the rights of people from the LGTBIQ+ collective. She declared herself a lesbian in 1981, when she became a US citizen, and is involved in various charities that promote gay rights.

"Putting the B in #LGBTQIA for over two decades," the actress posted on Instagram in celebration of Gay Pride Month 2021. Yes, Megan Fox is openly bisexual and tends to give the collective a lot of visibility whenever she can.

The American actor, known for his role as Kyle Trager in the series 'Kyle XY', announced to the world that he was gay in 2013. He also made public his commitment to Blue Hamilton, whom he married in 2015. Together they normalize gay marriage with a child through their YouTube channel: 'Matt & Blue'.

The actor, producer, and director, known for his role as Marc in 'Ugly Betty,' came out as bisexual and is in favor of gay characters being played by gay actors, as he insisted on doing with the Netflix Christmas movie, 'Single All The Way'.

The Lebanese singer has declared that he is gay, something that distanced him from his family. He is a strong fighter for the LGTBIQ+ collective.

Miley Cyrus is pansexual and non-binary, as well as an artist immersed in the LGTBIQ+ community. She attends events, raises the flag at her concerts, and promotes gay rights through her social media.

Blanca Rodriguez -Evangelista in the series Pose' - is a trans woman who claims the rights of the collective in fiction and in reality. 'Pose' tells us about the Latino LGTBIQ+ community in the United States. Rodriguez shares the screen with other icons such as Indya Moore.

A well-known YouTuber specializing in makeup, she took the opportunity to tell her followers that she was a trans woman in one of her videos.

The model and TikToker declared on the video platform that she was bisexual "and proud to be." She presented her girlfriend to all her TikTok followers.

The actor and singer of Years & Years is gay, something that he shouts from the rooftops. Yet, he has come from a difficult place, as he related in an interview with Vice, because he had his particular battle against depression and anxiety. "It's very hard to be gay in a 'straight world,'" he said.

He's an icon of the LGTBIQ+ community for being the first boxer to recognize himself as gay. He has never been shy about claiming it by going to his fights with the multicolored flag on his back and decorating his pants.

One of the best soccer players of all time. The American is a lesbian, something she revealed in an interview with Out magazine in 2012, and she is also an important activist within the collective in the United States, for her rights and those of women.

Many will remember her for being Claudia in 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' or Olivia in 'The Bill Cosby Show', but over the years and after a long career in music and acting, she has also become an LGTBIQ+ icon. She is a lesbian and an activist for marriage equality.

The Puerto Rican singer declared himself gay in 2010, a respite to be able to freely live his condition as a member of the LGTBIQ + collective. He recalled how in the early 2000s he had an interview in which he was almost forced to come out, which caused him post-traumatic stress.

This American football player became the first openly gay player to be selected in an NFL draft. He gave visibility to the collective in the realm of sports.

Australian model and actress Ruby Rose defines herself as a fluid gender person and is a great supporter of the LGTBIQ+ community. She vindicates herself outside and inside her roles, such as Stella in 'Orange Is the New Black' or 'Batwoman'.

Model, actor, singer, songwriter, and drag queen. He is also homosexual and has been married to the Australian Georges LeBar since 2017, although they have been together since 1994.

Rupert Everett defines himself as bisexual and was one of the first famous people to come out of the closet in very difficult times.

The producer, director, and screenwriter confirmed that he was gay at the 1990 Bafta Awards. He married photographer David Miller in 2012 and together they have a son. He has fought to show a more inclusive world through his productions, in addition to donating part of his profits to LGTBIQ+ organizations and foundations.

Tennis player Amélie Mauresmo came out as a lesbian at the age of 19 after reaching the Australian Open final. She was number one in global women's tennis and later coached the male tennis star Andy Murray. She is also a fighter for the rights of LGBTQ people.

Known, above all for her role as the surgeon Calliope 'Callie' Torres in 'Grey's Anatomy', she has declared herself as a non-binary person and is an important activist campaigning for and supporting the LGTBIQ+ collective.

The singer Rita Ora defines herself as bisexual. She fights for the LGTBIQ+ collective from the world of music, giving it a lot of visibility in her songs anda shows.

The model is a lesbian and was a partner of Miley Cyrus. She has been able to use her fame through social media to promote organizations like GLAAD and to serve as an example of a queer model with great influence.

The actress assured in a tweet that, although it was not openly spoken about in the movie 'Thor: Ragnarok', the character she played, Valkyrie, was bisexual, just as she is in real life.

"Being a queer black woman in America, someone who has been in relationships with both men and women, I consider myself to be a free-** mother...--." she told Rolling Stone magazine.

"I want to fall in love with a man," said the Italian singer in a national magazine in 2010. It was the moment he decided to tell the world that he was gay. A difficult step that was also a good example for many.

The Olympic trampoline jumping champion is another icon who encourages all like him to follow in his footsteps.

The South African actor and singer-songwriter -before YouTuber-, whom many will remember for his role as a young Wolverine in 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine', is gay but stressed in an interview with GQ that he does not want to be a gay icon.

The Spanish model was the first transsexual and transgender woman to become Miss Universe Spain and compete in Miss Universe globally.

Rachel Slawson was Miss Utah and went down in history as the first openly bisexual contestant in the Miss USA pageant. She spoke about the responsibility she felt to be a representative of the LGBTIQ+ community in the contest, which she won in January 2020.

The Spanish director revealed that he was gay in an interview in 2004 while promoting his film 'Mar Adentro'. "I'm scared that people might intrude on my private life, but on the other hand, I don't mind admitting that I'm gay," he said then.