Gay actors in the 50s and 60s
5. Stars from a Bi-Gone Era
Most of the stories that we discussed came from one guy: Scotty Bowers, a Hollywood pimp of the queer silver screen actors of the s and beyond. He was also associated with Alfred Kinsey in his famous study of human sexuality in the s by providing many of the interview subjects.
A former marine, Bowers kept peaceful for many years about these stories, as he did not want to adversely affect the lives of any of the actors who were still around. Many of the stories were actively hushed up using fixers paid by the studios at the time, and several of the actors were in "lavender marriages"marriages arranged by the studio, frequently with another queer star. At the time, studios especially would not possess wanted the queer attractions of their headlining actors to be widely acknowledged, as that would contain damaged the 'wholesome family image' of many of the films they wanted to market.
After all of the actors died, Bowers finally decided that his experiences and stories couldn't harm their image or beloved statusplus the society was a more unseal place to queer attracti
For many, June represents the month of pride; a time to celebrate, instruct and communicate all that is queer, gay and fabulous. Although today organism gay isn&#;t much of a deal, back in the 50&#;s it was a dangerous label to have. Throughout history, thousands have 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 have a glance at some celebrities from the golden age of Hollywood who were lgbtq+, or at least thats what the rumours said. It&#;s difficult to realize if all these celebrities, and of course many more, were truly lgbtq+, but I wanted to share a few stories just so see how far we&#;ve come. Glad 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 O Let's state the obvious: Being a gay public figure during the days of Old Hollywood was no step in the park. Behind Tinseltown's glitzy facade loomed the specter of Hollywood's "sexual gestapo," a term coined by Matt Tyrnauer, director of the documentary Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood (via NPR). "It was very difficult," he said, "for people to have authentic lives." And Tyrnauer should know: His clip profiled L.A. character Scotty Bowers, who reportedly acted as a "confidante, partner, and pimp for Hollywood's closeted show stars." The threat of exposure was actual 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 compress in their quest to hobble reputations. Definitively name-checking these stars is impossible, as they were all in the closet through The gay subculture of preceding Hollywood has gained more attention recently thanks to the Netflix series Hollywood. While the display does feature portrayals of some real celebrity characters, its main focus is on the imaginary minority characters and the made-up success story of their diverse film. Many stars in Hollywood from the s suppressed their sexuality. They didn&#;t get the freedom that LGBT performers contain now, but that doesn&#;t denote their lives needed a inaccurate happy ending in order to be recognized and appreciated. Knowing the complete history of LGBT stars in the first decade of Hollywood is difficult since, in order to appeal to the public, 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 gay or linear. Biographies were changed to sound more interesting or relatable to fans, and relationships were deliberately orchestrated to publicize a feature
Old Hollywood Stars You Didn't Know Were Gay
The Real LGBT Stars of Antique Hollywood