Now that we have kicked off the divas portion of our Who’s Hot Contest, it’s time to bring the big guns, and in some cases the “big uns.” These ladies have captured the hearts of nearly every gay man in the world, so I know you love them all…
Now that we have kicked off the divas portion of our Who’s Hot Contest, it’s time to bring the big guns, and in some cases the “big uns.” These ladies have captured the hearts of nearly every gay man in the world, so I know you love them all. Make sure you make your voice heard and stop by our contest to vote. I don’t want to play favorites so they appear from oldest to youngest.
Aretha Franklin – born: March 25, 1942
She sang to us about “shame, shame, shame” and R.E.S.P.E.C.T two things our community know all about. Aretha IS THE QUEEN OF SOUL and she continues to belt out her hits despite some recent health scares.
Born in Memphis, her father was a preacher and her mother was a piano player and singer, Aretha has always been embraced by the gay community. Maybe it’s because of the songs I already mentioned, or because we are able to relate to her other music, but either way, we love her. She is famous for her diva ways. She once threatened to leave the stage when the arena she was performing in was too cold. In the middle of the show, she said she was walking out, if they didn’t turn up the AC. Now that’s a diva!
Barbara Streisand– born April 24, 1942
Barbara Streisand is one of the most commercially and critically successful entertainers in modern entertainment history, with more than 71.5 million albums shipped in the United States and 145 million records sold worldwide. She is the best-selling female artist on the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) Top Selling Album Artists list, the only female recording artist in the top ten, and the only artist outside of the rock and roll genre.
Streisand has a gay son, who, shamefully, was outed by tabloids in the early 1990’s long after his mother was considered a gay icon. She was asked recently how she feels about the “gay icon” moniker and she responded “I love being an icon to anybody. Equal rights, you know?”
Cher –born May 20, 1946
Cherilyn Sarkisian was born in California to parents who were married and divorced three times. (To each other) She got her big break with her first husband Sonny Bono, after she had dropped out of high school at 16. The pair performed in night clubs in southern California before she was signed to a record deal and Sonny was brought along as her producer.
Her scandalous love life post Sonny as well as her skimpy outfits have cemented her gay diva status, and she happens to be the mother of one of the most famous transsexuals in the world, Chaz, her son. Before undergoing gender reassignment surgery, Chaz lived as a lesbian, something that was not always so easy for his mother to accept. But luckily for him, Cher came around, and fully supports her son.
Madonna – born August 16, 1958
Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan but moved to New York City at the age of 17 to pursue her dream as a dancer. Like Cher before her, she is only known by one name, a true sign you have made it as a diva. With her first hit Everybody, her “lucky star” had a meteoric rise and she has never looked back. From setting fashion trends in the 80’s to showing off her well sculpted 50 year old arms on tour this past fall, she has proven time and time again that she is a star.
She is an outspoken proponent of marriage equality, releasing a statement urging her fans to back gay marriage in New York before it passed there. She came on stage dressed as a boy scout last year to present Anderson Cooper with an award at the GLAAD Media Awards, proving that she isn’t scared to speak up for what’s right, and against bigotry. Plus, she taught us how to Vogue… How gay is that?
