Peter Tatchell is definitely a hero of mine. I met him once off a train in Manchester in about 94 to take him to an event but I can't remember what the event was although I do remember he was promoting his book on safer sex at it. Great man who lives by his convictions.

How about Lily Savage? I used to go and see her at the Vauxhall Tavern in London in the early 90's, fantastic although Adrella was better.

"...lives by his convictions" ... Probably why he was a total failure as a politician - he wouldn't have fitted in at all.

How do you mean "failure" LeC? When he stood for Bermondsey in the 80s he was the focus of violent homophobic attacks including an orchestrated campaign by the Liberal Party's Simon Hughes. He wasn't elected.

Well, as you said, "he wasn't elected" - in some ways I'd see his "failure" as a mainstream politician as a good thing given the hypocrites at the forefront of British politics (on all sides).

Back to the OP's question: Magnus Hirschfeld, Harvey Milk and Oscar Wilde have already been mentioned.

I would like to add Lawrence of Arabia and King Ludwig II of Bavaria.

There are quite a few kings and even more queens that become iconic.

This has truly been most enlightening, in all honesty I didn't know many of the names at all. Hopefully someday someone will author a book for the new gen to learn about some of these devoted people.

I don't know why I feel no connection to singers - Madonna, Cher, Bete Middler I assume it's for the work they do off stage that garners such a following, anyway it's nice to see some history here with all the names and nationalities.

Thank you amd keep them coming I suspect there are many more.

This has truly been most enlightening, in all honesty I didn't know many of the names at all. Hopefully someday someone will author a book for the new gen to learn about some of these devoted people.

Didn't you know? We're everywhere

This has truly been most enlightening, in all honesty I didn't know many of the names at all. Hopefully someday someone will author a book for the new gen to learn about some of these devoted people.

I don't know why I feel no connection to singers - Madonna, Cher, Bete Middler I assume it's for the work they do off stage that garners such a following, anyway it's nice to see some history here with all the names and nationalities.

Thank you amd keep them coming I suspect there are many more.

Hopefully at some time in the dim and distant future it'll have no more significance than heroes and icons who have ginger hair.

Back to the OP's question: Magnus Hirschfeld, Harvey Milk and Oscar Wilde have already been mentioned.

I would like to add Lawrence of Arabia and King Ludwig II of Bavaria.

"Mad" King Ludwig??

I love Schloss Neuschwanstein, and its pretty clear he was gay, but I can't think of anything else that made him particularly heroic!

Lawrence of Arabia's sexuality is a bit unclear - he wrote a fair bit about homosexuality, but many see him personally as a bit of an asexual masochist.

Don't forget David Kato of Uganda, possibly the most homophobic nation on the planet:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/642694-a-gay-rights-hero-of-our-times-david-kato-of-uganda-rip/?p=6449228

Back to the OP's question: Magnus Hirschfeld, Harvey Milk and Oscar Wilde have already been mentioned.

I would like to add Lawrence of Arabia and King Ludwig II of Bavaria.

"Mad" King Ludwig??

I love Schloss Neuschwanstein, and its pretty clear he was gay, but I can't think of anything else that made him particularly heroic!

Lawrence of Arabia's sexuality is a bit unclear - he wrote a fair bit about homosexuality, but many see him personally as a bit of an asexual masochist.

Yes, King Ludwig II was declared mad, but whether he really was or whether this was a political move, is not clear.

And you are right, Lawrence of Arabia being gay is not proven. But I am a follower of the theory that he was.