Madonna as a gay icon

Madonna was introduced to the gay community while still a teenager. It was her ballet teacher, Christopher Flynn, a gay man, who first told Madonna that she was beautiful and that she had something to offer the world.[3] He also introduced her to the local gay community of Detroit, Michigan, often taking her to local gay bars and discotheques. Flynn also encouraged Madonna to walk away from her partial scholarship to the University of Michigan and move to Manhattan to pursue a career as a professional dancer.[3][4]

In August 2009, during a show in Bucharest, Romania, during her Sticky and Sweet Tour, Madonna criticized discrimination against the Roma, also speaking against the discrimination of gays.[5] In his 2008 autobiography Hit Man, record producer David Foster relates a meeting with Madonna where he expresses distaste at the sight of two men kissing; Madonna scowled and responded, "Two men kissing should be looked at as normal! You represent everything I'm trying to change."

In June 2010, Madonna released a statement criticizing the decision to jail two men in Malawi because they celebrated their union with a ceremony. Madonna's statement included the following excerpt: "As a matter of principle, I believe in equal rights for all people, no matter what their gender, race, color, religion, or sexual orientation. This week, Malawi took a giant step backward. The world is filled with pain and suffering; therefore, we must support our basic human right to love and be loved. I call upon the progressive men and women of Malawi—and around the world—to challenge this decision in the name of human dignity and equal rights for all."[6][7]

In November 2010, Madonna made a special appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to speak against the bullying of children and teenagers in general, including the bullying of gay teens and related recent suicides. In her conversation with DeGeneres, Madonna reiterated how she became close to the gay community when she was a teenager, stating that she felt different in high school and found acceptance and sympathy among gay friends, particularly her dance instructor. She also said "In fact, I wouldn't have a career if it weren't for the gay community."[8]

In June 2011, Madonna urged her fans to support same-sex marriage in New York, posting the following message on her website: "New Yorkers your voices must be heard. Tell your state Congressmen to support same sex marriage bill. All you need is love."[9] The Marriage Equality Act passed one week later, legalizing same-sex marriage in New York.

In March 2013, Madonna presented the Vito Russo Award to openly gay journalist Anderson Cooper at the 24th GLAAD Media Awards in New York City. Dressed as a Boy Scout, in protest of the Boy Scouts of America's ban on homosexual Scouts and Scout leaders,[10] she gave a speech in which she stated that "things like bigotry, homophobia, hate crimes, bullying and any form of discrimination always seem to be a manifestation of fear of the unknown." and wagered that "if we just took the time to get to know one another, did our own investigation, looked beneath the surface of things, that we would find that we are not so different after all." She also said "you cannot use the name of God or religion to justify acts of violence to hurt, to hate, to discriminate." and called to start a revolution, asking the crowd "Are you with me? It's 2013, people. We live in America — land of the free and home of the brave? That's a question, not a statement."[11]

In 2016, to pay tribute to her contributions to the LGBT community, contestants of the eighth season of reality competition show RuPaul's Drag Race were asked to present iconic Madonna looks on the runway. Of the 8 contestants that were still in the competition, 4 wore kimono looks in reference to Madonna's "Nothing Really Matters" music video.[12] In effort to address the criticism the runway received for its repetitiveness, it was brought back for season nine.[13] In season 12, the reality show paid tribute to Madonna again as the contestants performed in Madonna: The Unauthorized Rusical, a musical that chronicled her major accomplishments and contributions to the LGBT community.[14][15]

In 2019, the book "Madonna : the greatest gay obsession : interpreting the essence of the emotion, the rational and the never-seen-before admiration by gays towards the greatest diva in the world" by Doron Braunshtein Aka Apollo Braun was published.

In 2020, she posted on her Instagram story encouraging her fans to sign a petition on anti-LGBTQ legislation.

Additionally, several of Madonna's songs and projects addressed homosexuality. Her 1991 documentary Madonna: Truth or Dare and music videos for her songs "Justify My Love", "Erotica", and "Vogue" helped bring awareness to the LGBT community. The music video for "God Control", which related to gun violence, contained a scene of Madonna and a group of people being gunned down at a nightclub, similar to that of the 2016 Orlando nightclub shootings.

Dykes for Madonna. Although lesbianism with Madonna is less popular that within gay discourse, she has had an impact in that sub-culture.

Associate professor Judith A. Peraino proposes that "no one has worked harder to be a gay icon than Madonna, and she has done so by using every possible taboo sexual in her videos, performances, and interviews".[16] Scholars Carmine Sarracino and Kevin Scott in The Porning of America (2008), wrote that the singer "gained particular popularity with gay audiences, signaling the creation of a career-long fan base that would lead to her being hailed as the biggest gay icon of all time".[17] Her impact was also remarked by numerous LGBT publications and organizations with The Advocate naming Madonna "the greatest gay icon".[2] Out magazine pondered that she "positioned herself to be a gay icon before it was cool to be one".[18] President and CEO of GLAAD, Sarah Kate Ellis stated in 2019 that Madonna "always has and always will be the LGBTQ community's greatest ally".[19]

Outside LGBT publications, Samuel R. Murrian of Parade confirmed that she "is considered by many to be the greatest LGBTQ icon" and wrote of "Madonna's unique, historic connection to the LGBTQ community".[20] One of her contributions is her role for bringing gay culture into the mainstream,[21][22] and for music critic Kelefa Sanneh, she "helped define gay nightlife in New York".[23]

Madonna is also referred to as a queer icon and icon of queerness. Theologian Robert Goss expressed: "For me, Madonna has been not only a queer icon but also a Christ icon who has dissolved the boundaries between queer culture and queer faith communities".[24] Musicologist Sheila Whiteley wrote in her book Sexing the Groove: Popular Music and Gender (2013) that "Madonna came closer to any other contemporary celebrity in being an above-ground queer icon".[25] For Constantine Chatzipapatheodoridis, she has been contributed in the socio-artistic evolution of queer culture worldwide.[26]

• Homosexuality
• LGBT history
• Queer Theory

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