Old hollywood gay actors
For many, June represents the month of pride; a period to celebrate, coach and communicate all that is gender non-conforming, gay and fabulous. Although today entity gay isn’t much of a deal, back in the 50’s it was a dangerous label to have. Throughout history, thousands own lost their lives because they were labeled as ‘gay’ or ‘queer’ and many lived out their true sexual preferences in secrecy. As it’s almost the end of Pride month, I wanted to hold a look at some celebrities from the golden age of Hollywood who were gay, or at least thats what the rumours said. It’s complex to know if all these celebrities, and of course many more, were truly gay, but I wanted to share a several stories just so see how far we’ve come. Delighted pride everyone.
*Disclaimer: Please note that some of the following stories may depict graphic descriptions and behaviours which some readers may find disturbing. Discretion is advised.
Katherine Hepburn
Iconic Hollywood actress and Academy Award-winning performer in films such as Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, The Lion in Winter, and On Golden Pond, Katherine Hepburn reportedly had an insatiab
Oliver Wolf Sacks, (9 July 1933 – 30 August 2015) was a British neurologist, naturalist, historian of science, and author. Born in Britain, and mostly educated there, he spent his career in the United States. He believed that the brain is the "most incredible thing in the universe." He became widely known for writing best-selling case histories about both his patients' and his own disorders and unusual experiences, with some of his books adapted for plays by major playwrights, feature films, animated short films, opera, move, fine art, and musical works in the classical genre.After Sacks received his medical degree from The Queen's College, Oxford in 1960, he interned at Middlesex Hospital (part of University College, London) before moving to the US. He then interned at Mount Zion Hospital in San Francisco and completed his residency in neurology and neuropathology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He relocated to New York in 1965, where he first worked under a paid fellowship in neurochemistry and neuropathology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Upon realising that the neuro-research career he envisioned for himself would be a poor fit, in 1966 he
The Real LGBT Stars of Old Hollywood
The gay subculture of early Hollywood has gained more attention recently thanks to the Netflix series Hollywood. While the show does film portrayals of some real celebrity characters, its main point is on the fictional minority characters and the made-up success story of their diverse movie. Many stars in Hollywood from the 1930s suppressed their sexuality. They didn’t get the release that LGBT performers have now, but that doesn’t signify their lives needed a false delighted ending in arrange to be established and appreciated.
Knowing the complete history of LGBT stars in the first decade of Hollywood is difficult since, in order to appeal to the common, publicists believed that aspect of their lives needed to be hidden. Knowing as much as we do about some LGBT stars is a feat considering how much rewriting and covering up the Hollywood studio heads did to everyone they managed, whether male lover or straight. Biographies were changed to sound more fascinating or relatable to fans, and relationships were deliberately orchestrated to publicize a movie or announce a new luminary to the common. The only indication of some stars’ hidden
Old Hollywood Stars You Didn't Know Were Gay
Let's state the obvious: Being a gay celebrity during the days of Vintage Hollywood was no amble in the park. Behind Tinseltown's glitzy facade loomed the specter of Hollywood's "sexual gestapo," a word coined by Matt Tyrnauer, director of the documentary Scotty and the Confidential History of Hollywood (via NPR). "It was very difficult," he said, "for people to include authentic lives." And Tyrnauer should know: His clip profiled L.A. personality Scotty Bowers, who reportedly acted as a "confidante, comrade, and pimp for Hollywood's closeted movie stars."
The threat of exposure was authentic and ever-present for these entertainers. Per Tyrnauer, studio contracts contained so-called "moral clauses" that could instantly vaporize a lucrative career. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Police Department's vice squad were all too willing to bust celebrities, often working in cahoots with the press in their quest to hobble reputations.
Definitively name-checking these stars is impossible, as they were all in the closet throughout their careers. SFGate cannily suggested that "gossip is where the real truth lies" in this are