Parent article: List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people;
Siblings:
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This is a partial list of confirmed famous people who were or identify themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual. Famous people who are simply rumored to be gay, lesbian or bisexual, are usually not listed, but since it's often extremely difficult to provide definite proof of a historical person's homo/bisexuality, they may be included where there are numerous reliable sources.
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 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 narrow majority (51 percent) believes homosexuality should be accepted, while 42 percent disagree."[4]
Name | Lifetime[5] | Nationality | Notable as | Notes[6] |
---|---|---|---|---|
Touko Laaksonen (Tom of Finland) | 1920–1991 | Finnish | Artist | G [7] |
Bruce LaBruce | b. 1964 | Canadian | Filmmaker | G [8] |
David LaChapelle | b. 1969 | American | Photographer | G [9] |
Lady Catiria | 1959-1999 | Puerto Rican | Female impersonator | G [10] |
Lady Sovereign | b. 1985 | British | Rapper | L [11] |
Carole LaFavor | b. ? | American | Novelist, AIDS activist | L [12] |
Erling Lae | b. 1947 | Norwegian | Politician | G [13] |
Selma Lagerlöf | 1858–1940 | Swedish | Author | L [14] |
Kay Lahusen | b. 1930 | American | Photojournalist | L [15] |
John Laird | b. ? | American | Politician | G [16] |
Gavin Lambert | 1924–2005 | English | Screenwriter, novelist | G [17] |
Adam Lambert | b. 1982 | American | American Idol Season 8 Runner-up, singer, actor | G [18] |
Lawrence La Fountain-Stokes | b. 1968 | Puerto Rican | Scholar, short story author | G [19] |
Vladimir Lambsdorff | 1845–1907 | Russian | Politician | G [20] |
Amy Lamé | b. 1971 | British | Comedian, radio and TV presenter | L [21] |
Nomy Lamm | b. ? | American | Musician, activist | L [22] |
Christopher B. Landon | b. 1975 | American | Screenwriter | G [23] |
Nathan Lane | b. 1956 | American | Actor | G [24] |
k.d. Lang | b. 1961 | Canadian | Pop musician | L [25] |
Karl Lange | b. 1915 | American/German | Imprisoned by the Nazis under anti-homosexuality laws | G [26] |
Ruby Rose Langenheim | b. 1986 | Australian | MTV VJ | L [27] |
Tom Lanoye | b. 1958 | Belgian | Writer | G [28] |
Eyre de Lanux | 1894–1996 | American | Artist, writer | L [29] |
Napoleon Lapathiotis | 1888–1933 | Greek | Writer | G [30] |
Laurier LaPierre | b. 1929 | Canadian | Senator, journalist, broadcaster | G [31] |
Lauren Lappin | b. 1984 | American | Olympic medalist | L [32] |
John Lapus | b. 1973 | Filipino | Television personality, comedian | G [33] |
Robert Laramée | b. ? | Canadian | Politician | G [34] |
Storm Large | b. 1969 | American | Rock musician, reality show contestant | B [35] |
Patty Larkin | b. 1951 | American | Singer-songwriter | L [36] |
Jack Larson | b. 1928 | American | Actor | G [37] |
Chi Chi LaRue | b. 1959 | American | Porn director | G [38] |
Manoly Lascaris | 1912–2003 | Greek | Lover of author Patrick White | G [39] |
Derek Laud | b. 1964 | British | Political activist, reality show contestant | G [40] |
Charles Laughton | 1899–1962 | British | Actor | G [41] |
Yves Saint Laurent | 1936–2008 | French | Fashion Designer | G [42] |
Arthur Laurents | b. 1918 | American | Playwright, novelist, stage director | G [43] |
Bryony Lavery | b. 1947 | British | Playwright | G [44] |
Olof Lavesson | b. 1976 | Swedish | Politician | G [45] |
Lynn Lavner | b. ? | American | Comedian | L [46] |
Mike Lawlor | b. 1956 | American | Politician | G [47] |
David Laws | b. 1965 | British | Politician | G [48] |
Chris Lea | b. ? | Canadian | Politician | L [49] |
David Leavitt | b. 1961 | American | Novelist | G [50] |
René Leboeuf | b. ? | Canadian | Gay rights activist, half of first same-sex marriage in Canada | G [51] |
Gerald L'Ecuyer | b. 1959 | Canadian | Film and TV director | G [52] |
Mark Leduc | 1964–2009 | Canadian | Boxer | G [53] |
Violette Leduc | 1907–1972 | French | Writer | B [54] |
Bruce George Peter Lee | b. 1960 | English | Serial killer | G [55] |
Jon Lee | b. 1982 | English | S Club 7/S Club | G [56] |
Justin Lee | b. 1977 | United States | Founder and Executive Director of Gay Christian Network | G [57] |
Quentin Lee | b. 1971 | Canadian | Filmmaker | G [58] |
Sky Lee | b. 1952 | Canadian | Writer, artist | L [59] |
Nicole LeFavour | b. 1964 | American | Politician | L [60] |
Krystian Legierski | b. 1978 | Polish | Politician | G [61] |
Fernand Legros | 1931–1983 | American | Art director, forger | G [62] |
Reichen Lehmkuhl | b. 1973 | American | Reality show contestant, actor, model, LGBT rights activist | G [63] |
Annie Leibovitz | b. 1949 | American | Photographer | L [64] |
Carol Leifer | b. 1956 | American | Comedian | B [65] |
Mitchell Leisen | 1898–1972 | American | Director | G [66] |
Andy LeMaster | b. ? | American | Singer-songwriter | G [67] |
Kevin P. Lembo | b. ? | American | Politician | G [68] |
Don Lemon | b. 1966 | American | News Anchor | G [69] |
Tom Lenk | b. 1976 | American | Actor | G [70] |
Jasmine Lennard | b. 1985 | English | Model | B [71] |
Mark Leno | b. 1951 | American | Politician | G [72] |
Robert Lentz | b. 1946 | American | Iconographer, Franciscan friar | G [73][74] |
Zoe Leonard | b. 1961 | American | Photographer and visual artist | L [75] |
Leonardo da Vinci | 1452–1519 | Italian (Florentine) | Artist, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor | G [76][77][78] |
Leo Lerman | 1914–1994 | American | Writer, editor | G [79] |
Arthur Lett-Haines | 1894–1978 | British | Painter, sculptor | G [80] |
Brian Leung | b. 1964 | Hong Kong | Radio presenter | G [81] |
Mark Levengood | b. 1964 | Finnish-Swede | Writer, journalist, talk show host | G [82] |
Larry Levan | 1954–1992 | American | DJ | G [83] |
Harvey Levin | b. ? | American | Producer, lawyer | G [84] |
Ariel Levy | b. 1974 | American | Writer | L [85] |
William Alexander Levy | 1909–1997 | American | Architect | G [86] |
Zoë Lewis | b. ? | British-born American | Folk musician | L [87] |
Liang Ji | d. 159 | Chinese (Han Dynasty) | General | B [88][89] |
Liberace | 1919–1987 | American | Classical/pop musician | G [90] |
Mitchell Lichtenstein | b. 1956 | American | Actor, writer, director | G [91] |
Ivri Lider | b. 1974 | Israeli | Rock musician | G [92] |
Ali Liebegott | b. ? | American | Writer | L [93] |
Marko Liias | b. 1981 | American | Politician | G [94] |
José Lezama Lima | 1910–1976 | Cuban | Poet | G [95] |
Iyari Limon | b. 1976 | American | Actor | B [96] |
Ylva Lindberg | b. 1976 | Swedish | Olympic ice hockey player | L [97] |
Virginia Linder | b. ? | American | Judge | L [98] |
Bai Ling | b. 1966 | Chinese | Actor | B [99] |
Duke Ling of Wei | 534- 493 BC | Chinese (Wei) | Head of state | B [100] |
Paul Lisicky | b. 1959 | American | Writer | G [101] |
Anne Lister | 1791–1840 | English | Diarist | L [102] |
Reg Livermore | b. 1938 | Australian | Actor | G [103] |
Spencer Livermore | b. 1975 | English | Politician | G [104] |
Phyllida Lloyd | b. ? | English | Theatre director | L [105] |
Alain LeRoy Locke | 1886–1954 | American | Writer, philosopher, African American studies educator | G [106] |
Annea Lockwood | b. 1939 | New Zealand | Contemporary classical composer | L [107] |
Frederick Loewe | 1901–1988 | Austrian-American | Musical theater composer | G [108] |
John Logan | b. 1961 | American | Writer | G [109] |
Kristanna Loken | b. 1979 | American | Actor | B [110] |
Lindsay Lohan | 1986 | American | Actress, Singer | B [111] |
Bjørn Lomborg | b. 1965 | Danish | Author | G [112] |
James Loney | b. 1964 | Canadian | Peace activist | G [113] |
Robert Long | 1943–2006 | Dutch | Musician, TV presenter | G [114] |
Rebecca Loos | b. 1977 | Spanish | Glamour model | B [115] |
Margarita Lopez | b. ca. 1965 | Puerto Rican-American | Politician and activist | L [116] |
Jason Lorber | b. 1966 | American | Politician | G[117] |
Audre Lorde | 1934–1992 | American | Writer, activist | L [118] |
Max Lorenz | 1901–1975 | German | Opera singer | G [119] |
Lance Loud | 1951–2001 | American | Reality television star, rock musician | G [120] |
Greg Louganis | b. 1960 | American | Olympic high-diver | G [121] |
Cindi Love | b. ? | American | Christian minister, activist | L [122] |
Kermit Love | 1916–2008 | American | Costume designer, Muppet designer/builder | G [123] |
Sharon Lubinski | b. ? | American | United States Marshal | L [124] |
Craig Lucas | b. 1951 | American | Playwright, theatre and film director | G [125] |
Matt Lucas | b. 1974 | British | Comedian, actor, writer | G [126] |
Jean-Baptiste Lully | 1632–1687 | French | Classical composer | B [127] |
Ulrike Lunacek | b. 1957 | Austrian | Politician | L [128] |
Lydia Lunch | b. 1959 | American | Rock musician, poet, writer, actress | B [129] |
Mark Lund | b. 1965 | American | Writer, figure skating analyst | G [130] |
Andreas Lundstedt | b. 1972 | Swedish | Pop musician (Alcazar) | G [131] |
Michael Lupo | 1953–1995 | Italian | Serial killer | G [132] |
Jane Lynch | b. 1960 | American | Actor | L [133] |
Laurie Lynd | b. ? | Canadian | Film and television director | G [134] |
Paul Lynde | 1926–1982 | American | Actor, game show personality | G [135] |
Porsche Lynn | b. 1962 | American | Porn actor | B [136] |
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