Last Night’s Celebration of Pop Divas (and the Gay Men Who Love Them)
Last night, the Billboard Music Awards crowned Mariah Carey with their prestigious Icon Award, showcased the live premieres of new music from Madonna and Taylor Swift, were hosted by Kelly Clarkson, and closed with Paula Abdul doing a medley of her greatest hits. And somehow there was not a single report of a thirty-something gay man dying from heart failure.
The relationship between gay men and female pop stars has never entirely made sense to me. Sure, I know gay men who have no interest in female pop stars and I know straight men who either secretly or openly adore female pop stars. But the disproportionate fandom for female pop stars among gay men is undeniable. And it has existed for at least a half century.
First there was Judy Garland, perhaps the original Hollywood diva to become a gay icon. The ’60s then brought Cher, Barbra Streisand, and Diana Ross. The ’70s brought us Liza Minnelli and Bette Midler. The ’80s gave us Madonna, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, and Paula Abdul. In the ’90s we were blessed with Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, and Beyonce. And this century we have several aspiring gay icons like Adele, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Rihanna, and Ariana Grande, along with one who has already cemented her status — Lady Gaga.
