The Independent top 100 gays

[pauliepoos]

The Independent on Sunday have done their annual Pink List, and there's been a shift in power at the BBC.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-iiosi-pink-list-2008-852032.html

So to coincide, let's have our own poll of those on the list who pop up in discussions on here from time to time.

[Feral]

John Barrowman is GAY? !!!!

[Muinimula]

The best thing about that Independent list is that it says, "Matt Lucas; comedian", "George Michael; musician", and "Stephen Fry; everything"...!

Cameron Mackintosh is Nancy. Ho ho.

[drooboy]

Hmm, interesting how the Independent's list puts the Independent's columnist Johann "twat" Hari about 50 places higher than the Times's columnist Matthew Parris, despite the Times having about 5 times the readership of the Indy and the latter having a far higher profile.

[Feral]

I'm most dissappointed by the non-inclusion of Celebrity Lesbian Mary Portas. I guess it's probably becuase she writes for the Telegraph.

[jetsetwilly]

The numbering is so random in that, especially in the "last year's countdown" figures. It's just a list of 100 famous gays.

I didn't know Matt Lucas had split up with his boyfriend. Sadface.

[somethingbiblical]

Shame Amstell turned it down, he is rather an influential gay these days.

I've never heard of Matthew Parris but I have heard of Johann Hari. He did a brilliant article on men who are celebrated despite or even for their violence and misogyny, it still gives me the chills reading it, especially the bit about Norman Mailer.


I certainly don't remember Rhona Cameron outing Sue Perkins on I'm A Celeb, it's news to me that she's even a lesbian (though I could have guessed)

[Muinimula]

Jun 22, 2008 11:12:13 GMT jetsetwilly said:

I didn't know Matt Lucas had split up with his boyfriend. Sadface.

It amused me that in several newspaper articles, they referred to Matt Lucas' "wedding" and that he was "married", but when they talked about the divorce, they didn't use inverted commas. As if the divorce was more real than the "wedding".

[pauliepoos]

I don't know why I put the results on hidden until the poll is locked, but the result is quite surprising so far, with only 2 people yet to be voted for.

And when they do the Irish equivalent, a certain Mr Rory Nugent's influence had better be noted, or there'll be trouble.

[jetsetwilly]

Oooh, I was torn between three people. If my rejected third hasn't received any votes I will be upset.

[SweatShop]

Jun 22, 2008 11:11:50 GMT Feral said:

I'm most dissappointed by the non-inclusion of Celebrity Lesbian Mary Portas. I guess it's probably becuase she writes for the Telegraph.

Wikipedia says she's a celebrity bisexual rather than a celebrity lesbian. Maybe they think that bisexuality is half-arsed and didn't include her.

[booers]

I was surprised Brian Paddick is at 101. He should be much higher up for being the hottest daddy in politics.

Samantha Fox has had the biggest influence on me - I can't go a day without listening to That Sensation from her second album.

[Ceeb]

Jun 22, 2008 17:08:56 GMT somethingbiblical said:

Shame Amstell turned it down, he is rather an influential gay these days.

You can turn down being in a list? How did that come about?

[coxy1979]

Safron Burrows? Seriously?

(Cranky would have been on there, until the Bingo consumed him)

[Maureen]

Most of that list reads like it was 'gays and mingelickers we could remember in time for the deadline' rather than a thoughtfully-compiled list of movers and shakers.

[Robbing the Dead]

Brian Dowling.

[Joel]

Lewis from I'd Do Anything.

By which I mean Any Dream Will Do, obvs.

[somethingbiblical]

Jun 22, 2008 23:06:29 GMT Ceeb said:

Jun 22, 2008 17:08:56 GMT somethingbiblical said:

Shame Amstell turned it down, he is rather an influential gay these days.

You can turn down being in a list? How did that come about?

Well it says
"The top 10 would have contained a young comedian (and something of a role model, we suspect), but he preferred not to receive the plaudit, which is a shame. Only three new Pink List nominees declined, which perhaps shows that, though the old stigma against homosexuality remains, it continues to decline."

and it's pretty obvious who that means. Though the last line implies that he turned it down cause he thinks there's a stigma about being gay but it's clear that Amstell thinks the complete opposite and doesn't treat it like it's a special issue so I would think that that's why he would have declined to be on the list

[Ceeb]

Thanks for that somethingbiblical. I've always thought previously that Simon Amstell doesn't really make his sexuality an issue one way or the other so I'm surprised it's worded like that.

In fact on a similar note I'm sure Steven Fry (or was it Russell T Davis - probably both) has said about his inclusion in this list that the only "stigma" as it were is the fact that this list has to exist at all.