Why Is Queen Latifah On Equality Forum’s List of LGBT History Month Icons?
This week, the Equality Forum released its eighth-annual list of LGBT History Month icons, 31 gay role models who will be featured on LGBTHistoryMonth.com during the month of October. Lots of out-and-proud queer folks made the cut – from Anderson Cooper and Edward Albee to Tracy Chapman and Nathan Lane. There’s one inductee that has us scratching our heads, though: Queen Latifah.
Now don’t get me wrong, we’re all pretty sure Miss Queen is a lesbian, but she’s never come out of the closet. How on Earth did she make the cut on a list that purports to “teach our history, enhance self-esteem, provide inspiring role models and make a civil rights statement of the LGBT community’s impressive national and international contributions?” I reached out to the Equality Forum and was told that, “based on information available to the LGBT History Month selection committee at the time of the Icon selection process, Queen Latifah was expected to officially come out when her new talk show premieres in September. Now she has made it clear that is not going to happen. In the future, living LGBT History Month nominees will not be considered eligible if they are not out.”
Whether Queen Latifah will be pissed that she’s on the list or not, she can at least take comfort in the fact that she’s there with excellent company. Check out all 31 icons below, and tune into LGBTHistoryMonth.com in October, when one icon a day will be featured along with a video, bio and downloadable images and other educational resources.
1. Zackie Achmat – South African Activist
2. Edward Albee – Playwright
3. Gwen Araujo – Transgender Hero
4. Reinaldo Arenas – Cuban Author
5. Axel Axgil – Activist
6. Djuna Barnes – Author
7. Joseph Beam – Activist
8. Gad Beck – Holocaust Survivor
9. Joan Biren – Documentarian
10. Patrick Califia – Author
11. Mandy Carter – Activist
12. Willa Cather – Author
13. Tracy Chapman – Singer/Songwriter
14. Tim Cook – Apple CEO
15. Anderson Cooper – Journalist
16. Elio Di Rupo – Belgium Prime Minister
17. Martin Duberman – Historian
18. Tom of Finland – Artist
19. Brenda Howard – Mother of Pride
20. Nathan Lane – Actor
21. Queen Latifah – Entertainer
22. Simon Nkoli – South African Activist
23. Bruce Nugent – Author
24. Ma Rainey – Mother of the Blues
25. Sally Ride – National Hero
26. Marlon Riggs – Filmmaker
27. Vito Russo – Film Historian
28. Jose Sarria – Activist
29. George Takei – Actor
30. Jason Wu – Designer of Michelle Obama’s Gowns
31. John Lawrence & Tyron Garner – Won a Landmark Gay Rights Case
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