Listen up straights, because I'm about to give you a lesson on how to be iconic while also advocating for the rights of LGBTQ+ folk. As a few of you might know, this month is LGBTQ+ history month, a month in which we celebrate the great strides the LGBTQ+ community has made while on the road to acceptance. While we have made great progress on our own as a community, we couldn't be there without those that are allies.
These five women have proven themselves, time and time again, as great friends to the LGBTQ+ community and surrogate mothers to those who have lost their own through coming out. Let these ladies snatch you bald.
1. Lady Gaga
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It's no secret that Lady Gaga is the new Queen of the Gays. Since her debut in 2008, Lady Gaga has always been an ardent supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, being bisexual herself. She has always supported organizations that worked with LGBTQ+ youth, one of them being the Robin Hood Foundation which helps homeless queer youth with finding safe spaces to live. She also started her own foundation, The Born This Way Foundation, which focuses on generating kindness and acceptance within the world.
2. Madonna
An original Gay Icon, Madonna has definitely earned her rainbow stripes over the course of her thirty-year career. During the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, Madonna cared for several friends who were stricken with the disease and even paid for their funerals in full. She also called out Ronald Reagan on his unwillingness to address the epidemic, a huge move for her in the conservative '80s. She even famously stated that she's a "Gay man trapped in a woman's body."
3. Cher
With her fabulous Bob Mackie gowns and campy performances, it's really no wonder that Cher would be considered the patron saint of the gay community. With her powerful contralto voice and free-spirit, she became the ultimate gay man's dream. Cher's advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community started when her son, then female, came out as a lesbian and later as transgender. She is a staple with drag queens (Chad Micheals, I'm looking at you) and her concerts are just one big gay club. If you ever go to a Cher concert, you'll probably be the only straight person there (that is, if you are straight).
4. Cyndi Lauper
In the 1980's you were either a Madonna type of gay or a Cyndi Lauper type of gay. Known for her punk-inspired image and soprano-esque voice, Cyndi Lauper was considered an outcast in the pop community. This, of course, gave her many gay fans. Her song "True Colors" became a coming out anthem for many, causing Lauper to lend the name to her foundation known as the True Colors fund which seeks to put an end to LGBTQ+ homelessness. Cyndi Lauper is always a staple at Gay pride parades and has won numerous GLAAD awards for her continued support of the gay community.
5. Janet Jackson
No, her first name ain't baby: It's Janet, Miss. Jackson if you're nasty! Like her brother, Janet Jackson used her music to address social issues and push people into action. Her 1997 album "The Velvet Rope" addressed Homophobia with songs about sexual orientation and same-sex relationships, thus cementing her status as a gay icon. She has been awarded several GLAAD awards for her work as an advocate of the LGBTQ+ community as well as a humanitarian award from the Human Rights Campaign.
