[Natalie]

Why does it seem that gay men have all the icons, while lesbians have none? There’s Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, etc., but lesbians have none. I’m a 16-year-old lesbian, and I really want to know why this is. If I’m wrong, who are our icons? The only one I can really come up with is Sappho, and I’m not sure if she counts.

User Detail :  

Name : Natalie, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : Italian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 17, City : New York, State : NY, Country : United States, Occupation : actress, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

[Sarah-Jayne28378]

I agree that gay men have been a lot more successful than lesbians in terms of social acceptance and recognition, which is unfortunate, not because gay men should not be successful, but because lesbians should be. Still, kd lang is one lesbian icon many of us can admire. I think the problem is that many lesbians are so alienated from society that they don’t even want acceptance from the broader community. That is not their fault. It’s just how it is at the moment.

User Detail :  

Name : Sarah-Jayne28378, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 24, City : Melbourne, State : NA, Country : Australia, 

[Anna23828]

There are a lot of lesbian icons, but because we’re lesbians, we’re hidden (or segregated) from popular culture (notice the icons you listed were heterosexual women whom gay men have claimed as their icons). Gertrude Stein was a brilliant lesbian. So were Audre Lorde and Adrienne Reich (poets), Virgina Wolf, maybe Eleanor Roosevelt, Alice B. Toklas… There have been lesbian feminists, mothers, intellectuals, artists, thinkers, revolutionaries – we’re here. We’re our own icons.

User Detail :  

Name : Anna23828, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Lesbian, Race : Black/Haitian American, Religion : Catholic, Age : 22, City : Orlando, State : FL, Country : United States, Occupation : student/vagabond, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[tallie]

excellent question! basically, gay men’s icon’s are either already in a socially accepted catagory (like judy garland) or just really powerful otherwise (white, rich, male..) whereas our ‘icons’ are more along the lines of underground musicians, closet activists, authors, etc. we have a long history of womyn as role models. gertrude stien, eleanor roosavelt, chris williamson, tret fure, virgina uribe, gail rolfe, ani difranco, julie cypher, melissa ethridge, bell hooks, tracy chapman, angela davis, alice walker, joan armtrading… just off the top of my head. there are a LOT of us, lurking in the margins of mainstream media. look for us. read books. watch movies. (go fish is excellent)

User Detail :  

Name : tallie, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Lesbian, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Pagan, Age : 17, City : g. hills, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

[Douglas25675]

Get thee to the internet! Or a library or bookstore. There are LOTS of lesbian icons. Let’s see, in addition to Sappho and KD Lang there is: Eleanor Roosevelt, Sandra Bernhard, Greta Garbo, Edith Head, Rita Mae Brown, Gertrude Stein and Alice B Toklas, Catherine Denueve (for her role as a lesbian vampire), Jodie Foster, and Lucy Lawless/Xena Warrior Princess. And that list is from a gay man!

User Detail :  

Name : Douglas25675, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : New Age/Metaphysical, Age : 38, City : Phoenix, State : AZ, Country : United States, Occupation : Administrator, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[hey!]

women in the media have appeal in there sexuality. I think you have to look at rosie o’donnal she is a very open lesbian parent and i think she is a very good role model

User Detail :  

Name : hey!, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 16, City : hollywood, State : FL, Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

[Claire]

Melissa Etheridge, k.d. lang, Ani diFranco that tennis player I can’t remember the name of, many many others

User Detail :  

Name : Claire, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Lesbian, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 16, City : sydney, State : NA, Country : Australia, Occupation : student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

[Melissa]

There are many many lesbian icons today. Many of these women are lesbians, but some are not. These are women who are idolized in different social circles that i know of. This list is just off the top of my head: Ani DiFranco the Indigo Girls Dorothy Allison Ellen DeGeneres Melissa Etheridge Melissa Ferrick Audre Lorde Adrienne Rich Rose Troche Clea Duvall Radclyffe Radclyffe Hall Lillian Faderman k.d. lang emily dickinson virginia woolf gina gershon

User Detail :  

Name : Melissa, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Lesbian, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 23, City : North Adams, State : MA, Country : United States, Occupation : social work, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Author]

Posts