The Most Influential LGBTQ + Celebrities

June is Pride Month – a time to celebrate, recognise, and support the LGBTQ+ community. At StudySmarter, we don’t want our efforts for Pride Month to be performative and meaningless. We’re not here to profit off Pride – we genuinely want to recognise the LGBTQ+ community and raise awareness about the issues the community faces. Today we’re bringing you a post on LGBTQ+ celebrities and historical figures who have significantly impacted the fight for equal rights for LGBTQ+ individuals.

Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen DeGeneres is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer from Louisiana
She starred in the sitcom Ellen from 1994 to 1998, for which she won an Emmy Award. The sitcom revolved around her coming out as a lesbian, making her one of the first openly gay lead characters on TV.
Ellen has hosted her popular talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show since 2003, making her one of the most popular and highest paid TV hosts. The show has won over 60 Daytime Emmy Awards.
Ellen is an activist for animal rights and conservation causes. She launched The Ellen Fund to support environmental organizations and her Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund helps protect wildlife.
Ellen has won multiple awards including a Peabody Award and a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
In 1997, she publicly came out as a lesbian, prompting an intense public debate about homosexuality. However, her career has continued to flourish since then.
Time magazine named Ellen one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2013 and Forbes listed her as one of the 100 most powerful women in the world from 2014 to 2016.

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi broke barriers when they tied the knot in August 2008, and continue to inspire others with their love story.

In short, Ellen DeGeneres is an iconic and influential comedian, talk show host, actress, and LGBTQ activist. She rose to fame in the 1990s for her sitcom which revolved around her coming out, and today hosts a popular and award-winning talk show while advocating for animal rights and the environment.

Neil Patrick Harris

Neil Patrick Harris is an American actor, producer, writer, comedian, magician, and singer. He is known for portraying Barney Stinson on the sitcom How I Met Your Mother and hosting the Tony Awards.

Neil Patrick Harris was born in New Mexico and raised in Ruidoso, a small town in the mountains.
He dreamed of being an actor from an early age and often put on plays and shows for his family.
Neil’s big break came when he was cast as Doogie Howser, M.D. at age 18, making him a teenage star.
After Howser ended, Neil focused on theater roles, winning a Tony Award in 2014 for hosting the Tonys.
Neil has won 4 Primetime Emmy Awards for acting and producing, including for How I Met Your Mother.
Neil married actor David Burtka in 2014 and they have twins together through surrogacy.
In addition to acting, Neil is an accomplished magician, appearing on Penn & Teller: Fool Us and hosting his own magic specials.
He also released a pop rock album called “Neil Patrick Harris” in 2002 and has done Broadway musicals like Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

Neil Patrick Harris is Happily married to David Burtka

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka have been in a loving and committed relationship for over 17 years.

They first met in 2004 and made their relationship public in 2007 when they attended the Emmy Awards together. Prior to that, Neil had confirmed he was dating someone but did not reveal David’s name.

Neil and David got engaged in 2011 and married in September 2014 after same-sex marriage was legalized in New York. David also guest starred on How I Met Your Mother as Lily’s high school boyfriend.

The couple became parents in 2010 when they had twins, Harper and Gideon, through a surrogate.

In short, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka are an enduring LGBT celebrity couple who found love, married and built a family together after nearly two decades of dating. Their relationship highlights the strength that love, commitment and shared values can bring even in the face of social challenges.

Miley Cyrus

• Miley Cyrus is an American singer, songwriter and actress from Tennessee.

• She starred in the Disney Channel TV series Hannah Montana from 2006 to 2011, becoming a teen idol.

• Miley released 4 studio albums between 2005 and 2013, most successfully Breakout (2008) and Can’t Be Tamed (2010).

• Her music has transitioned from country pop to pop rock. Her singles “Party in the U.S.A.” and “Wrecking Ball” were major hits.

• Miley is known for her unconventional and controversial behavior. She frequently makes headlines for twerking, drug use, and racy outfits.

• Miley founded the Happy Hippie Foundation, which aims to rally young people to fight injustice facing homeless youth, LGBTQ youth and other vulnerable populations.

• Miley has won 5 Teen Choice Awards, 2 European Music Awards, 9 People’s Choice Awards and 11 MTV Video Music Awards.

• Time magazine named Miley one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2014.

• Miley has acted in several films, most notably The Last Song in 2010.

In summary, Miley Cyrus is an American singer, songwriter and actress who gained fame starring in the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana. Her music has evolved from country pop into pop rock. While known for controversial behavior, Miley is also an advocate for at-risk youth through her nonprofit the Happy Hippie Foundation.

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga, born Stefani Germanotta, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress.
She is known for her fashion style and artistic performances. Her music incorporates pop, dance, and rock.
Gaga released her debut album The Fame in 2008, which featured the hit singles “Just Dance”, “Poker Face”, and “Paparazzi”.
She has won 11 Grammy Awards and an Academy Award for her song “Shallow” from the film A Star Is Born.
Gaga is known for advocating for LGBTQ rights and addressing issues like sexuality, gender identity, mental health, and body positivity.
She launched the Born This Way Foundation with her mother to empower youth and address issues like wellbeing, bullying and discrimination.
Gaga is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with sales exceeding 32 million albums and 146 million singles.
Time magazine named Lady Gaga one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2010 and 2016.
In addition to her music, Gaga has acted in films including A Star Is Born, American Horror Story: Hotel, and Machete Kills.

In summary, Lady Gaga is an American singer, songwriter and actress known for her bold fashion style, pop-dance music, and activism around LGBTQ rights, mental health and body positivity issues. She has won numerous awards including Grammys, an Oscar and has one of the best-selling music catalogs of all time.

David Bowie

• David Bowie was an English singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer.

• Bowie was influential in music for over five decades, known for his distinctive voice and chameleon-like ability to reinvent himself.

• He is considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. His innovative music and stagecraft significantly impacted popular music.

• Bowie rose to fame in the 1970s with hit albums The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and Aladdin Sane.

• He pioneered glam rock and electronic music with albums like Low and “Heroes”.

• Bowie acted in numerous films from the 1970s onwards. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his role in The Man Who Fell to Earth.

• Throughout his career, Bowie’s music and stagecraft significantly influenced commercial and mainstream pop music.

• Bowie sold an estimated 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

• Time magazine named Bowie one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2005.

• Bowie died in 2016 after a long battle with cancer, two days after the release of his final album Blackstar.

In summary, David Bowie was an iconic English singer, songwriter, actor and producer known for groundbreaking albums like The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and for constantly reinventing and evolving his music, style and persona over more than five decades. He is regarded as one of the most influential and pioneering figures in rock music history.

Overall:

These LGBTQ celebrities are changing the world with their work from the small screen to the big screen. Meet iconic figures like Ellen DeGeneres, Lady Gaga, Neil Patrick Harris and more who are using their influential platforms to champion LGBTQ rights, foster representation, and normalize diverse sexual orientations and gender identities within popular culture.