List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people
Encyclopedia
This is a referenced overview list of notable gay
, lesbian
or bisexual
people, who have either been open about their sexuality or for which reliable sources exist. 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. 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 toward 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. 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." Attitude towards homosexuality in Latin American countries have increasingly been more legally tolerant, but the traditional society and culture in even major countries like Mexico and Brazil have nevertheless remained rather unaccepting and taboo about the subject.
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
or bisexual
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
people, who have either been open about their sexuality or for which reliable sources exist. Famous people who are simply rumored to be gay, lesbian or bisexual, are not listed.
The historical concept and definition of sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
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. 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
Identity (social science)
Identity is a term used to describe a person's conception and expression of their individuality or group affiliations . The term is used more specifically in psychology and sociology, and is given a great deal of attention in social psychology...
. See homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
and bisexuality
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
for criteria that have traditionally denoted lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
) people.
The high prevalence of people from the West on this list may be due to societal attitudes toward homosexuality. The Pew Research Center
Pew Research Center
The Pew Research Center is an American think tank organization based in Washington, D.C. that provides information on issues, attitudes and trends shaping the United States and the world. The Center and its projects receive funding from The Pew Charitable Trusts. In 1990, Donald S...
's 2003 Global Attitudes Survey found that "[p]eople in Africa and the Middle East strongly object to societal acceptance of homosexuality. 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." Attitude towards homosexuality in Latin American countries have increasingly been more legally tolerant, but the traditional society and culture in even major countries like Mexico and Brazil have nevertheless remained rather unaccepting and taboo about the subject.
Persons of confirmed lesbian, gay or bisexual orientation
The following list includes notable people who have self-identified as homosexual or bisexual, or whose homosexuality or bisexuality has been backed by sources that are usually considered reliable.- List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people: A
- List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people: Ba–Bh
- List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people: Bi–Bz
- List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people: C
- List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people: D–E
- List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people: F–G
- List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people: H
- List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people: I–J
- List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people: K
- List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people: L
- List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people: M
- List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people: N–O
- List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people: P–Q
- List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people: R
- List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people: Sa–Sc
- List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people: Sd–Si
- List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people: Sj–Sz
- List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people: T–V
- List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people: W–Z
See also
- LGBT people in BrazilLGBT people in BrazilLGBT people in Brazil represent 8.35% of the Brazilians, or approximately 20,000,000 LGBT citizens.A 2009 survey conducted by University of São Paulo revealed 7.8% of Brazilian males identified as gay and 2.6% identified as bisexual, for a total of total of 10.4% of the male population...
- LGBT people from the United Kingdom
- LGBT people from the United States
- List of transgender people
- Lists of bisexual people
- Lists of LGBT figures in fiction and myth
External links
- Rob's A-Z of famous gay, lesbian and bisexual people
- The gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender queer encyclopedia – contains entries on thousands of LGBT people.
- FemBio – Notable Women International includes biographies of lesbians and a search function, German Version complete, English Version growing
- FamousAndGay.com – extensive list of famous LGBT people current and historical