Soviet stars of non-traditional sexual orientation: destinies. Soviet gay celebrities Russian gay actresses

No matter how carefully the censorship hides the details intimate life Soviet society, information still leaked out. Today we will talk about Soviet celebrities who were gay.

1. Georgy Millyar

2. Sergei Eisenstein

4. Faina Ranevskaya

5. Yulia Lemigova

6. Sergei Parajanov

7. Rudolf Nureyev

8. Vadim Kozin

As is known, there was no sex in the Soviet Union. And discussing one’s sexual orientation was not only indecent, but also life-threatening. Since 1934, a criminal article for “sodomy” has been in force in the country.

But today we'll talk about outstanding personalities Soviet cinema, theater and music, which did not neglect same-sex relationships.

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Faina Ranevskaya
There are still many rumors surrounding the personal life of the great actress. And many stubbornly conclude that Faina Georgievna still preferred to love women. Remember her famous saying: “Lesbianism, homosexuality, masochism, sadism are not perversions. Actually, there are only two perversions: field hockey and ice ballet!”

Georgy Millyar
“All the evil spirits of our cinematography”- that’s what the actor called himself. Due to his unsociable character, colleagues and neighbors accused the actor of all mortal sins in reality. The lack of personal life gave rise to many rumors regarding his sexuality. Although, of course, Georgy Frantsevich himself never openly declared his homosexuality.

Yuri Bogatyrev
“One among strangers, a stranger among one’s own”- this is how one can characterize the life of this amazing actor in the realities of Soviet life. Yuri Georgievich was very sensitive to his so-called peculiarity. Denial of his nature ultimately led the actor to severe depression, and subsequently to alcoholism, which was the cause of the sudden death of this great actor.

Rudolf Nureyev
Despite the world fame and worship of the highest-ranking officials, one thing awaited Nuriev in his homeland - imprisonment with confiscation of property. Therefore, its famous "leap to freedom" at the Paris airport was rather a forced step. They say that Rudolf Khametovich had a very bad character. For example, his favorite pastime in the West was to kiss passionately when meeting people, and then ironically remark that this was an old Russian tradition.

Yulia Lemigova
The last Miss USSR, Yulia Lemigova, has been living in the USA for many years. Since the 2000s, the model began dating the famous tennis player Martina Navratilova. In 2014, after the US Open, Navratilova proposed to her lover, and within a couple of months the couple got married in New York.

Sergei Eisenstein
An innovator, creator of cult films included in the golden fund of world cinema, Sergei Eisenstein never hid his tender feelings for men, despite having a wife. In many of his films, he openly admires the beauty of the male body. “If it weren’t for Marx, Engels and Lenin, I would have been the second Oscar Wilde”, - said the great director.

Vadim Kozin
It is known that Vadim Kozin received the Order of the Red Star for his performances on the front line during the Great Patriotic War. But even this did not help the legendary singer avoid imprisonment. Moreover, Vadim Kozin is the only USSR celebrity convicted of homosexuality twice. In total, the artist spent about 15 years of his life in the camps.

One of the most prominent Soviet bisexuals and one of famous people persecuted for homosexuality, became an outstanding director Sergei Iosifovich Parajanov (birth name Sarkis Parajanyan, 1924-1990), who spent four years in prison after being convicted under the infamous Article 121.

Parajanov made eight films and wrote four scripts during his creative life. It would seem that this is not so much, but Parajanov’s path in the art of cinema seems to be torn into two worlds by a fifteen-year abyss of silence. From 1969 to 1984, the great director was not allowed to film. Moreover, in December 1973, the confrontation between the freedom-loving artist and the authorities ended in imprisonment. (Vladimir Kirsanov, “69: Russian gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals”(GanimeD, 2005), pp. 348-354).

He was a unique director who worked in different national cultures.

His film “Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors” became one of the pinnacles of Ukrainian cinema.

In Armenia he is considered one of the classics of Armenian cinema. His film “The Color of Pomegranates” became the highest achievement of Armenian cinematography. The Parajanov Museum, opened in Yerevan, is one of the most visited.

In Georgia, he shot the film “The Legend of the Surami Fortress,” which surprisingly accurately conveys the features of the Georgian character, which also became one of the best achievements of Georgian cinema. And a monument to him adorns one of the squares in the center of Tbilisi.

And finally, the most phenomenal thing is that he, an artist deeply connected with Christian cultural traditions, in his last job“Ashik-Kerib” penetrated just as deeply into the essence of the Muslim mentality and created a film that became an event in Islamic culture. Levon

Sergei Parajanov was born into an old Armenian family in Tiflis, as Tbilisi was then called. After school, he studied at the vocal department of the Tiflis Conservatory, then briefly at the Institute of Railway Transport Engineers... In 1949, he got a job as an assistant director at the Kyiv Film Studio named after Alexander Dovzhenko, worked at Armen Film and Georgia Film until 1960.

In 1952, Parajanov graduated from VGIK and became a certified director. He openly called his first works “trash,” believing that he found his individual style only in the film “Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors” (1965), a romantic fairy tale based on the works of M. Kotsyubinsky. After the release of “Shadows...” the forty-year-old director woke up famous. Over the course of several years, the film collected 30 prizes at international festivals in 21 countries. The name of Parajanov stood on a par with the names of Fellini, Antonioni, Godard, Kurosawa. Parajanov’s reputation as a cinematic genius was finally cemented immediately after the release of the film “The Color of Pomegranates” (original title “Sayat-Nova”, 1967 - 1969). However, all subsequent scripts of the director were rejected by Goskino with reference to the opinions of members of the party and government. (see ibid.).

Parajanov, apparently, was bisexual - he was married, and really married for love. Parajanov’s first love was called Nigar Seraeva. A modest girl, raised in a patriarchal family, became not only his first love, but also his first wife. Alas, even legalized, their union did not save Nigar from the cruel judgment of her relatives, who did not forgive her for choosing an “unfaithful” husband.

His second wife, Svetlana, a true Decembrist of our century, walked next to him throughout his entire thorny path, even no longer being his wife. She was the first to support him during the years of camp and prison sentences and subsequent defamation.

Parajanov admired and appreciated women, sincerely loved his wife, but homoeroticism was not alien to him. He was clearly not indifferent to male beauty, which he noticed among his acquaintances and even in random people. Levon Grigoryan, "Parajanov"(M.: Young Guard, 2005), 351 pp. - (ZhZL)

Friends and everyone close to Parajanov always knew that he was also attracted to male beauty. He never made a secret of this, never went into deep secrecy, moreover, he always drew the attention of those around him to an example of the beauty that attracted him.

Thus, cameraman Vasily Katanyan shared the following memories of Sergei Parajanov: “Here he is at the market scolding me for buying tomatoes from the wrong person.

- Who needs it?

- That priest over there has his hair cut off. Look how beautiful he is, you should buy from him!

Let's approach. It turns out that this is not a pop-cut, as Seryozha wanted, but a hairy farrier, and his tomatoes are useless, and his eye is slightly squinted - in a word, a complete fiasco.” (Vasily Vasilievich Katanyan, “ Touching idols"(M.: Zakharov, Vagrius, 1997), p. 216.)

Or again: “In Kyiv, he got hold of a pipe for smoking and began to persuade Grisha Chukhrai to give it to Boris Barnet (a famous Soviet actor and director). Why Barnett? They were almost strangers and for what reason anyway? “Don’t you feel it, it would suit Barnett to smoke a pipe. It will be so picturesque. Especially in profile.” - “Yes, he doesn’t seem to smoke.” - “It doesn’t matter, just imagine: Barnet in profile with a pipe. He is beautiful. We need to give it to him. It will be so imposing - a profile, a pipe...” And he showed it.” ( Ibid., p. 219).

For the first time, Parajanov had to suffer for his orientation when he was an unknown student. In the summer of 1948, he was arrested as part of a group of young homosexuals who were allegedly engaging in sexual relations with a high-ranking MGB (Ministry of State Security) official, head of the Georgian Society of Cultural Relations (GOKS), Nikolai Mikava. (James Steffen, “The Cinema of Sergei Parajanov”(University of Wisconsin Press, 2013), p. 29).

Parajanov was convicted in October, but in December 1948 his sentence was replaced with a suspended sentence and he was released. Subsequently, in an interview with French journalist Patrick Casal, he did not deny the very essence of the accusations of homosexual behavior, although he said that he himself did not have a relationship with Mikawa. (Patrick Cazals, “ Sergueï Paradjanov”(Paris: Cahiers du cinéma, 1993), pp. 32-33.

The fact that Parajanov did not hide his bisexuality from others was subsequently stated in the case opened against the outstanding director.

It must be said that Parajanov did not have a good relationship with the Soviet authorities. In addition to the fact that the deep and thoughtful, lyrical style of his works was incomprehensible to the Soviet leadership, his civic position also played a big role. In 1965-1968, Parajanov, together with other famous figures of Ukrainian science and culture, protesting against mass political arrests in the Ukrainian SSR, appealed to the highest party and government bodies with a demand to explain the reasons for the persecution of Ukrainian intellectuals and advocated for open trials, which would ensure fair consideration of cases. In 1968, his signature was the first to sign the “Letter of 139 Intellectuals” against illegal political trials. He has repeatedly spoken out for respect for freedom of speech in the press. Having become the target of persecution and trying to avoid arrest, Parajanov left for the Armenian SSR.

In many ways, Parajanov’s arrest in 1973 was the result of the desire of the Soviet authorities to put pressure on a director they did not like.

On December 17, 1973, Sergei Parajanov was interrogated and then arrested on charges of sodomy with violence (Article 122, parts 1, 2 of the Criminal Code of the Ukrainian SSR) and distribution of pornography (Article 211) and sent to the Lukyanovskaya prison in Kyiv. A painful closed trial took place for the artist (“my apartment was confiscated, and I was deprived of the uniform of an artist and a man”).

In the 1970s, this article was more than a formidable weapon in the hands of the authorities. That’s why they chose not just punishment, not just humiliation, but practically the destruction of Parajanov as a creative personality, assuming, perhaps, that this would be followed by physical destruction. And for an article that would usually have given him a couple of years in general regime, he was given five years in maximum security camps. Levon Grigoryan, " Parajanov"(M.: Young Guard, 2005), 351 pp. - (ZhZL).

In 1973, he was already a famous director with a worldwide reputation, and therefore it was possible to attract the attention of the world community to his work. Thanks to an international protest campaign (appeals signed by François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti, Roberto Rossellini, Michelangelo Antonioni, Andrei Tarkovsky, Mikhail Vartanov and Louis Aragon, who personally addressed Brezhnev), Sergei Parajanov was released on December 30, 1977 . Due to the ban on living in Ukraine, Parajanov settled in Tbilisi. For his civic position and for the persecution to which he was subjected for it, Parajanov was called “an Armenian born in Georgia and imprisoned in a Russian prison for Ukrainian nationalism.” Sergei Parajanov also wrote scripts and was an artist - he created a huge number of drawings and collages.

Sergei Parajanov died of lung cancer on July 21, 1990 in Yerevan.

Another Soviet gay Gennady Leonidovich Bortnikov (1939-2007)- actor of the Soviet theater and cinema of the 1960-1980s - was a real idol of his generation. The roles of 30-year-old Bortnikov in the Mossovet Theater productions “On the Road” (1963), “Uncle’s Dream” (1965), “Through the Eyes of a Clown” (1968), and “Petersburg Dreams” (1969) brought him incredible success, sometimes on the verge of mass success. hysteria. Two works - Hans Schnier in “The Clown” based on the novel by Heinrich Böll and Raskolnikov in “Dreams” based on Dostoevsky - became decisive in the life of the bright young artist.

Gennady Bortnikov was fond of drawing since childhood, and it so happened that it was this hobby that brought him to the theater. After school, he designed several performances in a theater group, and then even played several roles. Although Bortnikov did not aim professionally at art: despite his creative interests, after 7th grade he went to a mechanical engineering college, then even worked as a mechanic at a factory. But later he dropped out of technical school and followed the path of an artist, entering the Surikov Art School. He didn’t finish it either, but he started studying at a youth theater studio. And only then I decided to enroll in a theater school and passed the exams for the course as an external student. high school and was accepted into a studio school at the Moscow Art Theater. After graduation, he entered the Mossovet Theater, where he worked from 1963 until his death.

A key role in Bortnikov’s creative life was played by director Yuri Zavadsky (1894-1977), who largely supported and even patronized the young actor. By the way, it is curious that in 1965 Zavadsky warned Gennady, who went on tour in Paris to meet the famous choreographer Serge Lifar (in the 1920s, protégé and lover of Sergei Diaghilev): “Be careful with Lifar. He has a bad reputation." Zavadsky obviously knew about the dancer’s homosexuality, and any unnecessary conversations on this topic could interfere with Bortnikov’s success in Russia.

Bortnikov’s personal life has always remained out of the public eye, and therefore it is covered in legends about unimaginable experiences and even tragedies. For example, they said that a certain student poisoned himself with pills and left a touching letter with confessions addressed to Bortnikov. These stories, overgrown with details and turned into legends, reached the beginning of the 2000s, when the actor, almost forgotten, quietly ended his life.

In the performances “Through the Eyes of a Clown” and “Petersburg Dreams” the main star roles of Gennady Bortnikov were played. Raskolnikov is the actor’s loudest work, thundering throughout the Union. And the abandoned clown Hans Schnier is the longest: the performance ran for almost 20 years, and changed with the era.

After the death of director Yuri Zavadsky, Bortnikov began to be offered fewer and fewer roles. In 1980, he again shone in the stage interpretation of Dostoevsky in the role of Smerdyakov in The Brothers Karamazov. There were two or three more main roles, and then - silence. For ten years since 1990, I did not receive any roles at all. In 1999, he was denied the opportunity to celebrate his anniversary on the stage of the theater, whose glory he had been responsible for for several decades. For the first time in his life, the 60-year-old actor applied for “financial assistance” and was given... 290 rubles. From the hole into which the theater pushed him in the 1990s, the actor climbed out on his own.

In order to somehow compensate for the “creative downtime,” Bortnikov began to pay more attention to painting and writing. His essays were published about the actors of the Mossovet Theater - People's Artists of the USSR Rostislav Plyatt (1908-1989), Leonid Markov (1927-1991). He made several stage adaptations and planned to design a number of performances.

The actor did not have a family, although his home circle was, by his own admission, quite wide. (“Gennady Bortnikov. Small victories of a normal person” // Gay.ru based on materials from the book by V. Kirsanov “+31: Russian gays, lesbians and transsexuals")

… Such were the fates of gays and bisexuals in Soviet cinema - men who were born different and because of this were forced to hide their true selves. But even under such pressure, they created bright works of cinematic art, sometimes trying to at least a little express their “otherness” in works, without which it is impossible to imagine Soviet and Russian culture. It is impossible to erase these wonderful people and their creations from our history - we must remember that , who they were, what they created and how difficult their fate was, hidden from the public.

The LGBT community is developing every day. All new public faces come out and admit their sexuality without hiding anything. This is a serious trend, since in the 21st century the attitude towards gays has completely changed. And now you can almost calmly talk about who you really are.

In Russia, unlike in the world, this is a little more problematic. While Australia and Germany have legalized same-sex marriage, Russian Federation passed a law banning LGBT propaganda among minors. Therefore, in Russia, openly public gays are mainly LGBT activists who defend the rights of homosexuals. Among representatives of show business, politics and other fields of activity, there are only rumors. But no one openly admits their sexual preferences.

The most famous “gays” in Russia according to society

As he says, not only the Earth is full of rumors. Many fans and media conducted investigations, trying to figure out Russian pop stars. But in the end - only rumors, guesses and conjectures. To keep abreast of all the events, let’s go through the main list of who is included in the LGBT community.

Sergey Zverev. Famous showman, winner of the World Hairdressing Championship. His appearance can be described in one word – “shocking”. Due to his appearance and his occupation, Zverev is classified as a person of non-traditional sexual orientation.

According to the same criteria, the “rainbow community” also includes Boris Moiseev. In fact, his grandfather Boris Moiseev is a real gay, which he has spoken about publicly more than once.

An information boom was caused by the news that Sergey Lazarev- homosexual. He is a famous singer, presenter, and performed at Eurovision 2016. This is not the first time he has been credited with a fascination with men. This topic became especially relevant after he broke up with his girlfriend Lera Kudryavtseva. The media literally exploded with headlines that Lazarev was gay. According to them, this was confirmed by his mother ex-girlfriend, all his friends talk about it. The singer himself has never said that he considers himself to be part of the LGBT culture. He only advocates support, but, according to him, is not part of it.

Maksim Galkin- comedian, presenter, husband of Alla Pugacheva, has two children from her. But the label “gay” hangs on him even after the wedding. According to the majority of media: a handsome, well-groomed, successful man is necessarily homosexual.

For the same reason, the list included Nikolay Baskov. The media has visited the “Golden Voice” of Russia more than once: for the hairstyle, for the behavior, and for the songs. Like others, Nikolai does not say anything about his identity in the context of homosexuality.

The list of possible “gays” on the Russian stage does not end there. But these are just guesses, and you shouldn't pay much attention to them. Moreover, considering that they also like to call “non-traditional” Philip Kirkorov.

The most famous real gays in Russia

Moving from possible homosexuals to those who actually openly admit their orientation, it should be remembered that these are mainly activists who defend LGBT rights. You cannot hear about them on federal channels; they are not actors or singers. There is little, if any, information about these people. But they exist and are not ashamed to be themselves.

Pavel Samburov– coordinator of the LGBT Rainbow Association. A simple, kind person. His organization is engaged in promoting the ideas of tolerance, getting rid of various forms discrimination on different levels life - from everyday to political.

Igor Kochetkov– LGBT activist, public figure. Considered one of the founders of the Russian LGBT Network. By education, he is a candidate of historical sciences.

Initially, Igor became known as a publicist. Worked in projects such as GayNews and GayRussia. After the creation of the LGBT Network, he was its executive director. Currently he is the head of the LGBT organization “Coming Out”.

Igor Kochetkov is a well-known human rights activist, author of reports and articles on the situation of LGBT people in Russia. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. Married. But, since same-sex marriage is impossible in Russia, he got married in New York with his loved one.

Igor Kochetkov He is a very nasty and aggressive person. He is very hostile towards non-gay people.

Evgeny Pisemsky– head of the organization “Phoenix PLUS”, the main directions of which are information about sexual health and relationships of LGBT people. Talks about HIV in the gay community.

Maxim Lapunov– LGBT rights activist who suffered at the hands of homophobic offenders. He spoke at a conference on the persecution of LGBT people in Chechnya. He was forced to openly oppose the current situation because he was subjected to torture and death threats. According to him, Maxim is far from the only one who ended up in a Chechen prison on suspicion of homosexuality. But he is the only one who was not afraid to announce this to the whole world and at least somehow try to change the situation.

The most famous homosexuals in the world

Unlike Russia, in the rest of the civilized world things are much more positive with openly gay people. Many representatives of the LGBT community can be found among actors, singers, cultural figures and politicians.

Sir Elton John- composer, musician, singer. He received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II herself. At the same time, he periodically acts in films. Elton John is 70 years old today. In addition to his creativity, he is known as a public figure. Especially for his participation in the fight against the AIDS epidemic.

In 1994, Elton John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Initially, he declared his bisexuality (gives equal preferences to both sexes), but later called himself a pure homosexual. In 2005, he legalized his relationship with David Fisher. Over time, the couple used the services of a surrogate mother, and their first son was born in 2010, the second in 2013.

Elton John is also known for writing the soundtracks for the cult cartoon “The Lion King.”

Sir Ian McKellen- the magnificent Magneto, the mysterious Gandalf... And these are not all of his roles! For his excellent acting talent, he was awarded the title of knight in 1990. At 78 years old, he is not giving up his acting career, having just recently starred in the film “Beauty and the Beast.”

McKellen came out back in 1988 live BBC radio stations. Then this step required extraordinary courage. Ian risked public wrath and a lot of problems. However, his talent could not be stopped - and after admitting his homosexuality to the whole world, the actor received his best roles.

Ian McKellen is a civil activist. He does not ignore events concerning the LGBT community. Including in the Russian Federation. He even called Sergei Sobyanin a coward when he decided to cancel the gay pride parade in 2011.

Neil Patrick Harris- the main “playboy” of the series “How I Met Your Mother”. For this role he received two Golden Globe nominations and four Emmy nominations.

Also known for the films “Gone Girl” and “Starship Troopers”. He became the first openly gay man to host the Oscars in 2015.

The actor admitted his sexuality in 2006 in an interview with People magazine. The actor said that he was glad to finally dispel misconceptions and rumors. And that he can openly declare that he is gay and lives a happy and fulfilling life.

In 2014, Neil Patrick Harris married actor David Burtka.

Jim Parsons became famous for his role in the TV series “The Big Bang Theory”, where he played Sheldon Cooper, a theoretical physicist who believes that he knows everything, that he is a genius, and loves to teach other characters.

For this role, the actor received four Emmy awards and a Golden Globe award.

Rumors about his orientation circulated for days. It was only in 2012 that he spoke about his relationship to the New York Times. His partner Todd Spivak is an art director. Jim also shared that he does not consider his life to be anything special. He never considered himself an activist. The actor lives an ordinary life with Todd: they have breakfast, drink coffee, and walk the dogs.

Matt Bomer is an actor who people remember as the charming swindler Neal Caffrey from the TV series White Collar. He also played in the film “The Normal Heart,” dedicated to the problems of sexual minorities.

The actor's coming out was quite simple - a correspondent from Details magazine simply asked him about Matt's orientation. However, the actor decided not to answer directly, but only hinted that he was gay. And only two years later, Bomer publicly admitted his homosexual orientation.

Xavier Dolan- a film director who dropped out of school at the age of 16 and was left without an education, but received a prize at the Cannes Film Festival at the age of 20 for the film “I Killed My Mother.” He is extraordinarily talented. In 2015, Xavier was already on the jury of the Cannes Film Festival - this is unthinkably fast. In addition to his directing career, he sometimes acts as an actor, but only in his own films - for example, “I Killed My Mother.”

Xavier Dolan's homosexuality is nothing new. The director never hid his orientation. His films often contain discussions about homosexuality. But that’s not all he films about. The paintings are distinguished by their depth.

Zachary Quinto I remember him as the villain Sylar from the series “Heroes” and as the unrivaled Spock from “Star Trek.” There was also an unusual, even partly tragic role - in American Horror Story, Zachary appeared in the role of a homosexual ghost. While alive, it committed suicide along with its lover, and now the gay ghosts are unable to rest.

In 2011, Quinto publicly came out as gay in an interview with New York Magazine. It all started innocently enough - with a simple discussion of the prospect of legalizing same-sex marriage in the United States. But then he expressed his opinion from a gay point of view, which was the beginning of his coming out.

Moriarty also did not stand aside. Andrew Scott- an openly gay man who played the role of the main antagonist in Sherlock Holmes. Andrew is Irish-born and plays on television, film, and theatre. Won a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also participated in the next James Bond film, which was released in 2015.

When talking about the gay community, it is impossible to leave out of sight Stephen Fry. He is best known as a British comedian. But he is also an actor, writer, playwright. He became famous for such TV series as “Black Adder”, “Jeeves and Wooster”. His work together with Hugh Laurie also brought him popularity. Stephen has repeatedly been included in ratings of the funniest people on the planet. He played the role of a gay man in the dystopian film “V for Vendetta” based on the script of the Wachowski brothers (now transgender women, the Wachowski sisters).

For a long time, Fry hid his sexuality. He discovered it for himself a very long time ago, when he was at school. But information about his homosexuality became public only in 1997, when the actor was already 40 years old. Fry writes about this in his autobiography. From 1995 to 2010 he lived with his colleague Daniel Cohen. Since 2010, he dated another actor, Stephen Webb.

Later, Stephen entered into new relationships. And on January 6, 2015, he announced his future marriage to comedian Elliot Spencer, who was 27 years old at the time. The relationship was formalized on January 17. It is Spencer who is called the person who gave Fry a new thirst for life, thereby helping him get rid of depression and loneliness.

Fry became equally famous as an LGBT activist. He is interested in the problem of the homosexual community in Russia. In particular, in 2013, Stephen personally met with Vitaly Milonov, a homophobic deputy of the Russian Federation. Moreover, he expressed support for the campaign against the human rights-violating gay propaganda law in Russia.

The world did not stop at Sherlock Holmes's opponent. Hodor from Game of Thrones joined the rainbow ranks. Or rather, an actor Christian Nairn. His character is stupid, but also strong and loyal to the Starks. The actor admitted that he was gay during the filming of the fourth season of the famous series. This happened when the topic of same-sex marriage was raised on the Game of Thrones forum. Christian responded to everyone who was dissatisfied that when they try to hurt the LGBT community, they hurt his community.

After this, he stated that he had never been ashamed of his sexuality. And, moreover, he did not make it a secret. They just didn't ask him. Nairn's greatest pleasure was that he was able to destroy everyone's favorite stereotype of what gay people are like. After all, many see them as cute boys who for some reason are more inclined to wear feminine clothes, because they are so fragile and cute. And it was Christian who, with his powerful shoulders, destroyed this stupid stereotype, showing that gays are different. And for this, the “rainbow” community thanked him more than once or twice.

Wentworth Miller– the main sex symbol of all prisons. Leading actor in the TV series "Escape". Where, in order to save his brother from execution in the electric chair, he himself ends up in prison. And then he pulls him and himself out, relying on his brilliant mind and cunningly developed plan. After which, Wentworth can be found in series such as The Flash, where he plays Captain Cold. He later plays the same character in Legends of Tomorrow, where he happily kisses the hero Lucha.

And, although today Miller is openly gay, he had to go a long way to admit it. In 2007, Wentworth proudly announced that he was going to get married, after which he would have children and continue to happily build his family life. The media never raised suspicions about his sexuality. And he explained his lack of a girlfriend quite easily - he was too busy filming.

The actor opened up to society in 2013, when he refused to attend the film festival in St. Petersburg. With this, he supported the action against the new Russian law “on the promotion of homosexuality.” It was strange for him to attend an event in a country where open love is prohibited and where there is no understanding of basic human rights.

Later, the actor honestly stated that it was difficult for him to admit to himself that he was homosexual. And, when he was 17 years old, he even tried to commit suicide, afraid of how society would react to his coming out. As an adult, Miller became terrified that coming out could harm his career or simply end it.

Ben Whishaw- a person who is easily recognized by his role as a maniac in the film “Perfume”. This film brought him fame in 2013. Like many stars, he did not hide his personal life, but simply did not talk about it. In August 2012, he entered into a civil partnership with Mark Bradshaw, an Australian composer. They met when they worked together on the film “Bright Star”, this happened in 2009. Mark played music and Ben played main role. And they had an office romance, which eventually became something more. Ben announced that he has an official partner (common-law spouse) through his agent.

Ruper Everett ( Quiet Don), Richard Chamberland (“The Thorn Birds,” also played an older gay man in the TV series “Desperate Housewives”), Jesse Ferguson (“Class,” “Modern Family”).

The list of openly gay people in the world does not end there. But to describe all the people who are openly ready to admit their love and their true selves, several volumes the size of Les Misérables are not enough.

The Richest portal has compiled a rather unusual list - TOP 15 richest celebrities gay. Many names may seem unfamiliar to you, but among them are the CEO of Apple, a music tycoon, the famous Armani and others. Let's go in order...

15. Bella Thorne - $2 million.

Once upon a time, 18-year-old Bella Thorne came out in one tweet (to a fan’s question “are you bisexual?”, she simply answered “yes”). And it seems like just a week after breaking up with Gregg Sulkin, whom she dated for a year, Miss Thorne was already promoting her relationship with her friend Bella Pendergast. Be that as it may, this beauty is already worth a couple of million bucks, and her most notable film, by the way, is called “Dirty Wet Money” (2007).

14. Clay Aiken - $7 million

Clayton Aiken is an American singer, winner of the American Music Award and Billboard Music Awards, who started out on a folk show similar to “The Voice.” He is completely unknown here, but in the USA he is very popular and is considered one of the most beloved graduates of the American Idol competition in its entire history. Aiken came out in 2008 after his son was born, and he appeared on the cover of People magazine holding the baby, telling the world that he couldn't raise him while living a lie. Previously, People asked Aiken about his sexuality, and he responded: “What I say doesn’t matter because people will still believe what they want to believe.” A well-known gay portal sadly writes about Akin: “alas, we still live in a world where all people are considered heterosexual by default, so the coming out of a famous person only counts if she does it publicly.” Well, we believe that this cunning man will earn the 8th million, and he will go far!

13. Ellen Page - $14 million

Well, the first real actress on the list, we can talk about her roles, and not about coming out... Ellen is known for her leading roles in many great films: “Juno” (for this role she received an Oscar nomination), “Inception”, “Tallulah”, “Face to Face” and a dozen others. She excels at portraying complex, psychologically authentic characters. And it is logical that her fees grow from year to year.

Most recently, she starred opposite Evan Rachel Wood in Into the Woods and earned $1.16 million. Well done, Ellen!

12. Neil Patrick Harris - $16 million

Oh, times, oh, morals! Neil Patrick Harris is known mainly as an actor in the series How I Met Your Mother, as well as a couple of rom-coms. As reported in 2013, Harris takes home $225,000 per episode of How I Met Your Mother, which certainly says a lot about the times in general and decent pay in particular. His partner, David Burtka, a news and entertainment correspondent, has equity in the amount of $2 million. They have not hidden their relationship since 2007, and they have two children. We wish the same for you - both millions and children!

11. Anderson Cooper - $100 million

Now Russians will recognize this name - Anderson Cooper. But this is a highly respected person in the global news industry. His show, Anderson Cooper 360, has aired over 1,500 episodes on CNN. And that's not to mention his wealth of reporting experience. Cooper is a multiple Emmy Award winner throughout his career, covering important events such as the death of Princess Diana, the death of Pope John Paul II and the wedding of Prince Charles.

Anderson came out publicly in 2012: "The fact is, I'm gay, always have been and always will be, and I've never been happier and prouder and more comfortable being gay." He told DailyMail that his loved ones always knew about his “secret”, and he did not consider it necessary to expose this fact to the public, because the main thing is that he always strived to be a good and honest journalist.
The American publication OUT included Cooper in the ranking of “The Most Influential Gay Celebrities of 2012,” and he took sixth place on this list.

10. Christina Aguilera - $130 million.

Christina, how did she get here? She, of course, collaborates with LGBT representatives (Linda Perry, and Sih with Le Tigre)... In 2005, Aguilera said in an interview, without thinking, that scenes of lesbian love turned her on: “Two women in bed are sexier than two men. I love experimenting with my sexuality. Sex is a wonderful thing, I love having sex.” And then many considered her as bisexual, but since then she has married twice and become a mother, and the public has finally lost interest in her sexuality. And Christina herself never spoke out on this topic, and even more so, she never considered herself LGBT. But, nevertheless, they put it on the list...

Her career peaked in 2013, when she brought home $82 million from various royalties, appearances and a concert tour. Aguilera also had a major success in 2010 when she appeared in the film Burlesque, which grossed more than $100 million and proved that Aguilera is a star in more than just the recording studio.

9. Miley Cyrus - $165 million

This girl has everything in order with both her brains and her sense of humor. When she appeared on the cover of the men's magazine Maxim, readers ranked her first on the list of the sexiest girls. Miley rightly notes: “Everyone says that I’m a lesbian, but I say that for me it’s a compliment, and if you want to insult me, then call me something else. People think that if I have a short haircut, it means I’m a lesbian... But it was after I cut my hair that I ended up on the cover of Maxim magazine, where I took first place on the list.”

Miss Cyrus told the press, which is so worried about her sexuality, that she is pansexual: sex and the gender of her partner do not matter to her. However, many celebrities began to declare themselves as pansexual - this is such a new fashion among celebrities who do not want to consider themselves heterosexuals or the LGBT community. Pansexuality means being interested in a person regardless of their gender, orientation, or gender identity. And bank accounts... but Miley is completely fine with that! She earns decent money both as a musician and as an actress. When she participated in the show Hannah Montana, she received $15,000 for each episode. By the age of 17, she had already earned more than $100 million. Not bad at all, isn't it?

8. Lady Gaga - $280 million

An outrageous singer and actress (have you seen her in American Horror Story?), having earned a net $280 million, Gaga, in principle, can already retire. She earned $33 million in 2014, and her most successful year so far was 2015 ($59 million). And the question of the crazy Gaga’s orientation doesn’t interest us too much. She herself says this: “I love sex, and it doesn’t matter to me what gender my partner is, but not all of my boyfriends understand this. They're scared that I like women. Having learned about this, they begin to feel out of place, whining that we are good together and do not need a third person in our relationship.”

7. Ellen DeGeneres - $400 million

DeGeneres is the host of the entertainment talk show “Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and a favorite of the American public. She wrote three books, opened the Eleveneleven record company and received thirteen Emmy statuettes." Ellen became the first openly lesbian to play a lesbian character in film. Ellen's popularity peaked in February 1997, when the comedian appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" (The Oprah Winfrey Show). Oprah Winfrey Show is openly gay and has earned over $70 million in the last three years. In case you're wondering, her partner and fellow actress Portia de Rossi has a net worth of $20 million.

6. Tim Cook - $400 million

You probably guessed that in the position general director Apple pays well. But so good! Tim Cook has earned $400 million so far. Before that, Cook was chief operating officer and received $73.9 million in 2013. As you can imagine, Cook's income is fairly closely related to iPhone sales (sorry, not to the quality of their chargers ).
If you care about his personal preferences, then he says it this way: “I am proud to be gay, and I believe that this is God’s greatest gift.”

5. Sir Elton John - $480 million

This guy is known and loved all over the world, which, in fact, confirms the size of his fortune. After all, $480 million doesn't fall from the sky.

Sir Elton John says he has never spoken about his sexual orientation before because no one has ever asked him about it. Yes, they didn’t ask him about the details of his personal life until 1976, when Rolling Stone magazine published an interview with him. Currently, he is married to David Furnish and happily talks to the press about himself and his life. The couple has two children – Zachary and Elijah. Interestingly, the millionaire is not going to leave his children a large inheritance. "Children must learn the value of hard work; wealth can ruin their lives." Here it is...the original!

This very wealth of Elton John would have been even more substantial if he had not squandered money left and right. He cannot deny himself a bunch of different expensive collections (photos, glasses, art and antiques, etc.), and owns real estate all over the world.

4. Michael Kors - $1 billion.

Billionaire, first on the list of American special celebrities... Michael Kors may be an incredibly rich fashion designer, but, as you will see below, he is not the richest on this list. However, with $1 billion in the bank, there is nothing in this world that is out of Mr. Kors's reach. His brand produces a line of clothing, bags, accessories, jewelry, shoes and fragrances. It also probably helped that he was a judge on Project Runway for five seasons.

In 2011, the US tabloids (and not only) were filled with funny headlines like “Michael Kors is getting married.” Michael Kors has never hidden his sexuality. He has been living with Lance Leper for about 20 years (Lance holds the position of creative director of the Michael Kors brand). An office romance, practically: once upon a time young Lance came as an intern to the Kors company.

3. Jennifer Natalia Pritzker - $1.76 billion.

According to Forbes, Jennifer Natalia Pritzker has become the first transgender billionaire. Before her gender reassignment, she was known as James Pritzker, a retired lieutenant colonel who served 11 years on active duty in the US Army and 16 years in National Guard. Jennifer is one of 11 members of the Pritzker family on Forbes' list of the richest. In 2007, the family sold its stake in industrial conglomerate Marmon Holdings to Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway for $4.5 billion, but continues to control the Hyatt Hotels chain. This is how a woman made it to the top of the richest Americans for the first time...

Natalya donated $1.35 million to a project related to transgender people on military service, which is designed to improve the quality of public dialogue on the issue. Openly trans people are still prohibited from serving in the American army: the abolition of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy applied only to gays, lesbians and bisexuals.

2. Giorgio Armani - $6.8 billion.

His biography is well known to the general public, we will not repeat it. From latest messages The paparzzi know that the world famous Italian couturier, 81-year-old Giorgio Armani, vacationed with his young lover Jano at the ski resort of Sir Moritz. The old man is still wow!

1. David Gaffan - $7 billion.

When it comes to show business bigwigs and the most influential people in the music industry, we can't help but mention David Gaffen. He created the labels Asylum Records (1970), Geffen Records (1980) and DGC Records (1990), which recorded The Eagles, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Share and many other stars. Elton John, Aerosmith, Guns N' Roses and Nirvana are just some of the big names who have signed contracts with his company. He sold Asylum Records in 1990 for $550 million.

They say that when Gaffen took up filmmaking, Tom Cruise became his lover for many years. And Tom soared to the very top of Hollywood Olympus, and Gaffen helped him get into the films of cult directors such as Coppolla, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Scorsese, Barry Levinson and Oliver Stone. They say it, but we don't believe it.

Perhaps the most impressive fact about Gaffen is this: he was kicked out of college for a fake UCLA diploma, which he forged to get a job at the William Morris Agency.
In 2007, OUT magazine named Gaffen the most influential gay man in America (congratulations!).

Open and voluntary recognition by our famous contemporaries of their non-traditional sexual orientation (coming out) has become a fashionable phenomenon and has become a trump card for attracting attention to one’s own person.

In the puritanical USSR there were also celebrities who at least once directly declared their belonging to sexual minorities. They definitely didn’t need PR for sin. Moreover, some of those who made that difficult coming out did not live even a few months after confessing. Why then did they do it?

The love of manhood of the poet Nikolai Klyuev

The peasant poet Nikolai Klyuev, Sergei Yesenin’s senior comrade, unlike his young friend, a mischievous reveler, did not have affairs with women throughout his 53-year life. And it was, apparently, not a matter of Nikolai Alekseevich’s religiosity. The poet repeatedly (including in his works) sang love for men, mentioning the handsome Caucasian Ali, who fell in love with him “as Kadra-noch (Night of Predestination) teaches,” about the young artist Anatoly Kravchenko, for whom Klyuev composed poems full of passion and wrote over 40 love letters...

In fact, the passionate stanzas addressed to the subject of same-sex love served as an indirect reason for Klyuev’s first arrest: the poet decided to publish sensual poems not just anywhere, but in the newspaper Izvestia All-Russian Central Executive Committee. And its editor-in-chief, fighting off the annoying author, took and reported the persistent preacher of poetic sodomy to the NKVD. The authorities had long had a grudge against the rebellious poet - in his poems, Klyuev did not favor the Soviet world order.

During one of the interrogations, Nikolai Alekseevich admitted to sodomy, named the names of his lovers and the dates of intercourse with them. It is noteworthy that the corresponding Soviet law on criminal punishment for homosexuality was adopted only a few months after the poet’s arrest. However, having added the more menacing label of “counter-revolutionary behavior” to this charge, Klyuev was sent to Tomsk. But 3 years later, in the ominous 1937, he was arrested again and shot as an obvious enemy of the people.

The shameful confession of the “bloody dwarf” Yezhov

“Bloody dwarf” head of the NKVD Nikolai Yezhov, being in favor, was very popular among the people - songs and poems were written about him, the writing public with carnivorous pleasure relished in the press the common expression “take a tight rein”, applied to various enemies of the people - “already Our brave People’s Commissar will give the anti-Soviet evil spirits a light!”

But the Stalinist moloch ground Yezhov in his merciless millstones, as well as many other executioners of the regime. According to the tradition of that time, he was accused of being an anti-Soviet, a traitor, a terrorist. They were known to the “Bloody Dwarf” better than anyone, because until recently the People’s Commissar himself branded his victims with them.

Yezhov himself wrote a statement about his inclination towards pederasty to the Investigative Unit of the NKVD of the USSR. The document outlined in detail in what years and with whom he indulged in sodomy, more often in “interactive relationships.” Those “mutually active” officials (by the way, of a fairly high rank), whom the once all-powerful People’s Commissar dragged along with him, in turn, also admitted to a vicious relationship - like Yezhov, they hoped that better time for pederasty than a bullet in the back of the head for anti-Sovietism. But in the end, everyone was shot anyway.

Sad script by Sergei Parajanov

The outstanding Soviet film director and screenwriter Sergei Parajanov was arrested twice on suspicion of homosexuality, in 1947 and 1973. The first time he was acquitted, the second time he served 4 years in prison. Sergei Iosifovich, like the poet Nikolai Klyuev in his time, was not distinguished by his loyalty to the current government in the USSR. Those who do not believe in the veracity of the accusations of sodomy brought against Parajanov believe that the artist suffered solely for his political beliefs.

Parajanov made a confession of sodomy during the investigation - also detailed, detailed. But many are still wondering whether this accusation was fabricated or not: Sergei Iosifovich did not shy away from women, he was married, and a son was born from the marriage...

World-class artists strove for the famous director - Francois Truffaut, Fellini, Visconti... After the French communist writer Louis Aragon personally appealed to Brezhnev, Parajanov was released.

... In the USSR, openly admitting an addiction to same-sex love was very dangerous - criminal liability for sodomy (for some reason, lesbians were not touched) existed for almost 60 years: it was introduced in 1934 and the corresponding legal norms were in force until 1993. According to official statistics, during this time in the Soviet Union, tens of thousands of men were convicted and sent to colonies under the “shameful” article of the Criminal Code.