Beginning as a children’s TV presenter for Nikolodeon UK, Amstell was fired because his sarcasm upset the wee kids. It was embraced, however, by the viewers of his next programmes, Popworld the amazingly popular Sunday mornings TV spot that took an irreverant look at the world of popular music, which he left last year to replace Mark Lamaar as the presenter of the late night musical comedy panel game show Never Mind the Buzzcocks. In both these shows he’s been entirely open about his sexuality, using it as a very successful and oft-talked-about comedy point when playing off against the homophobia of artists such as Beenie Man. His irreverance for his celebrity guests has also led to making Britney Spears cry on Popworld, and having Preston walk off of a Buzzcocks set when Amstell hit a nerve about the intellect of his wife Chantelle. [Simon Amstell bio written by Robin for QA.] [Back to top]

Barrowman was in the public eye over 10 years ago as a presenter of the now cancelled BBC Children’s Saturday morning offering Live & Kicking. Splitting his time before and since between the UK and the US, he recently regained fame, first as the mysterious character Captain Jack inDoctor Who (and later starring in the spinoff Torchwood) and then as one of the judges in the musical theatre talent searches How do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? and Any Dream Will Do. Barrowman came out in between his two bouts of fame, and has recently had a civil partnership with British partner Scott Gill – although he objects to the term “marriage” for his partnership, saying “why would I want a ‘marriage’ from a belief system that hates me?” [John Barrowman bio written by Robin for QA.] [Back to top]

Boy George is a global TV and media personality, as much as he is the frontman of the 80’s band Culture Club. His name is synonymous with his brand — androgyny combined with extreme dress-sense. “His barely concealed homosexuality, though no problem to his many fans, caused considerable comment in the tabloid press.” – VH1. The thing that caused more controversy however, was his drug addiction, at one point taunting the media with the statement that he was “your favourite junkie.” He was however successfully treated for his dependancy. More recently he has been producing dance mix compilations for the Ministry Of Sound label, often in conjunction with fellow DJ, Pete Tong. [ Boy George bio written by Grum for QA.] [Back to top]

Born in the East End of London. By the age of 12 he was performing in Lionel Bart’s musical Oliver which was running in one of London’s west end theatres. He then went on to stage school in Surbiton, Surrey. He has had a distinguished career as an actor and singer spanning thirty seven years. He has also worked as a director. He then moved to a career in politics, and is now Labour MEP for the West Midlands. He is also the European Parliamentary Labour Party Spokesperson on Northern Ireland. He has been an active campaigner across a wide range of issues. During his time on EastEnders (playing Colin Russell), he formed the Stonewall Group (British group campaigning for lesbian and gay equality) and was its founding chair, and he was awarded a Special Service Award in 1988 for his campaigning work by the American Association of Physicians for Human Rights and the Gay Medical Association. Michael is currently living with his partner, Paul, and they have been together for 18 years. [Michael Cashman MEP bio written by Rebecca Dale for QA.] [Back to top]

The son of fashion icon Gloria Vanderbilt and the great-great-great grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the second wealthiest person in American history, Anderson Coo-per has used his visibility as the prime-time anchorman of the news channel CNN to bring important LGBT issues, such as anti-gay bashing and the rash of recent suicides of bullied gay youth in the States such as that of Tyler Clementi, out of the shadows and into the mainstream. As a guest on the Ellen DeGeneres show, referring to an anti-gay comment contained in a preview for the new Vince Vaughan film “The Delima”, Cooper dropped this comment: “There was a preview of a movie, and in it, the actor said, ‘That’s so gay,'” Cooper told DeGeneres, “and I was shocked that not only that they put it in the movie, but that they put that in the preview. They thought that it was OK to put that in a preview for the movie to get people to go and see it.” The studio has removed the offen-sive comment from its trailer. Anderson does not speak about his own gay life publicly, and has said that the decision allows him to objectively report on LGBT issues without seeming biased. He is affectionately known as “The Silver Fox.” [Anderson Cooper bio written byJohn Morganfield for QA.] [Back to top]

Married to Hilary Lion from 1985 to 1993, Cumming, who holds actor, writer, producer and director credits, now lives in New York City with his partner Grant Shaffer. “As residents of America we would have loved to marry there, but we hope that soon the civil rights that we have been afforded in the U.K. will be available to all gay Americans, and we look forward to celebrating not only our marriage, but the end of prejudice.” Despite having entered into a legal civil partnership at the Old Royal Naval College Greenwich in 2007, Cumming has said, “I don’t believe that monogamy is feasible.” Prior to the civil union, Cumming had publicly dated actress Saffron Burrows for two years, and had a six year relationship with theater director Nick Philippou. It is no wonder Cumming has been labelled “a frolicky pansexual sex symbol for the new millennium.” [Alan Cumming OBE bio written by John Morganfield for QA.] [Back to top]

Degeneres was voted Funniest Person in America way back in 1982, won the Comedy Award for Best Female Club Standup in 1991, and was named Entertainment Weekly’s Entertainer of the Year in 1997. In the same year she came out, mirroring the coming out of her character Ellen in the ABC sitcom of the same name. Once in a high-profile relationship with Anne Heche, she is now enjoying a quieter relationship with fellow celeb Portia De Rossi, and has moved away from acting to presenting. She hosted the last Academy Awards, as well as a regular chat show, The Ellen Degeneres Show. [Ellen Degeneres bio written by Grum for QA.] [Back to top]

The stars of the Bravo US show Queer Eye (for the Straight Guy) are Thom Filicia (design), Carson Kressley (fashion), Ted Allen (food & wine), Kyan Douglas (grooming) and Jai Rodriguez (culture). The rise in popularity of the show during its five year run, and the low popularity of its spin-offs, shows that the unique mix of the five personalities was accepted by an American and International audience. They certainly played their part in the huge downfall in the popularity of homophobia that occured in the first few years of the 21st century. [The Fab Five bio written by Robin for QA.] [Back to top]

Jodie Foster has been making headlines since she was 14 when she appeared as an underage prostitute in the De Niro film Taxi Driver. Since then she’s starred in many acclaimed films and has won several awards, including two Oscars. Although there had been rumors about Foster’s sexuality for several years, she only finally came out in December 2007, paying tribute to her partner of 14 years, Cydney Bernard, after winning a Women in Entertainment award. Foster and Bernard met on the set of the film Sommersby in 1993 and are raising two boys, ages 9 and 6, in their home in Malibu. [Jodie Foster bio written by Annabelle for QA.] [Back to top]

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts since 1981, this openly gay politician has pushed for LGBT equality where it counts most: in Washing-ton. Famously witty, he claimed not to be able to comment on the Bill Clinton – Monica Lewinsky scandal because it was “too much about heterosexual sex.” Speaking about publicly coming out (in 1987), he said “I’m used to being in the minority. I’m a left-handed gay Jew. I’ve never felt, automatically, a member of any majority.” In 1995 American politician Dick Armey addressed Frank as “Barney Fag” in an interview. Ar-mey apologized, dismissing it as a “mispronunciation”. Congressmen Frank refused to accept the apology, and later explained, “I turned to my own expert, my mother, who re-ports that in 59 years of marriage, no one ever introduced her as Elsie Fag.” [Barney Frank bio written by John Morganfield for QA.] [Back to top]

Fry began as an actor, performing in a huge number of plays across the UK, and then TV and movies, most commonly appearing with his performing partner Hugh Laurie (with whom he shares a complicated friendship) including a part as Oscar Wilde in a biopic film. Fry has more recently been in front of the camera as himself, presenting the increasingly popular BBC intellectual series QI, as well as recently hosting a documentary that brought us in to his Secret World of the Manic Depressive, a world that has led him to extreme behaviours, including attempted suicide, and later disappearing for several weeks to Belgium. Fry has been openly gay since the age of 16, and is an avid supporter of the Macintosh! [Stephen Fry bio written by Tris Davies for QA.] [Back to top]

Born Alberto Aguilera Valadez, Juan Gabriel went from a poor start at life (he began working as a craftsman at age 13) to becoming one of the most legendary singers of Mexican ranchera music, as well as a huge star in the worlds of latin pop, mariachi, and ballads. Gabriel has consistently given large sums to support Mexican orphans, and has 4 adopted children of his own. To be an out-of-the-closet entertainer in Hollywood is one thing, but in seriously traditional Mexico it is indeed another. When asked if he was gay, Gabriel famously responded, “What is seen does not need to be asked. I don’t have to tell you things that do not concern you or others. I think that I am an artist who has given much with my music.” However, he has confirmed rumors that he is engaged to marry his boyfriend of two years, Spanish singer Jaz Bael. Proving that actions speak louder than words. Ay dios mio! [Juan Gabriel bio written byJohn Morganfield for QA.] [Back to top]

Stephen rose to fame during his time with the chart-topping boyband Boyzone and went on to pursue a solo career. He came out in The Sun newspaper, giving his story for free, on 16 June 1999. He stated that “it shouldn’t be an issue”, however he knew he was about to be ‘outed’ by a member of security staff – so Stephen stole his thunder, good on him… Stephen entered into a civil partnership with long-term partner Andrew Cowles in 2006. Stephen passed away in his sleep while on holiday in Spain on 10 October 2009 at the young age of 33. [Stephen Gately bio written by Grum for QA.] [Back to top]

A definite favourite of the QA staff, Andrew began his career in the popular BBC Children’s drama Byker Grove before being a presenter on CBBC itself for a number of years. He had a small part on a Doctor Who serial in 2006 and since decided he wanted to concentrate on acting rather presenting. He hasn’t been heard from since, but his undoubtable talent means we will sooner or later. He came out to Attitude magazine in Febuary 2005, making him the first children’s TV presenter to actually admit he’s gay while on the job. In a later interview, he said he knew he was gay when he was five years of age. [Andrew Hayden-Smith bio written by Robin for QA.] [Back to top]

His real name is possibly just as famous as his ‘rock star name’. Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in Middlesex, UK, and started playing the piano at the age of 4. Despite his obvious talents as a musician, he struggled to conquer the charts – even with favourable reviews by the critics. The renamed, more saleable Elton John, got his first hit major in 1970 with the release of Your Song. From there, John whent on to become the most successful rock pianist in the world. Within the same decade, bravely for the time, John announced he was bisexual, and has been open about it ever since. He married Renate Blauel in 1984, but they seperated in the following years. John now lives with his husband David Furnish whom he “loves very much.” Their civil partnership was one of the earliest when they were brought in, and probably the first involving celebrities. Elton’s nature as a “diva” has been revealed more and more by recent documentaries and interviews. [Elton John bio written by Grum for QA.] [Back to top]

Amy Lamé has been in the UK for most of her career, where she has been a mainstay of the London gay scene. Well known as an events host and entrepreneur, she was one of the mentors on the 2007 Channel 4 series that charted the efforts of four teens who set up the UK’s first gay youth prom in 2006. She has also been a participant in Celebrity Fit Club, although her rotund figure is often considered part of her ironic 50s-style trademark image. She lives in London with her partner Jenny in London, and became an official British citizen this year. [Amy Lamé bio written by Robin for QA.] [Back to top]

Lang, born Kathryn Dawn Lang in Consort, Alberta, is the daughter of a farmer. She became skillful at playing the guitar and the piano at a young age, and she persued a career in performing arts when she left school. She eventually chose to sing country – a style she had once hated, describing it as “the corniest in pop.” Angel With A Lariat, lang’s debut release on a major label, was given positive feedback from rock magazines such as Rolling Stone, but most country radio stations refused to play it, prejudiced by her spiky hair cut, vegetarianism and her ambiguous sexuality. lang came out in June 1992 in The Advocate magazine, and entered a serious relationship with musician Leisha Hailey in 1996. Oh, and she prefers her name in lower case because “it’s generic and unlike Cherry Bomb, it’s a name, not a sexuality”… [k.d. lang bio written by Grum for QA.] [Back to top]

Most famous for being one half of the creative duo that brought the world Little Britain, which in turn brought us the well known gay character Daffyd (amongst others), Matt Lucas is somewhat a role model for those young gay people who, unlike the stereotypes he portrays, just wants to sit down when they get home from work and watch whatever’s on TV. Recently marrying partner Kevin McGee in a civil partnership ceremony, Kevin has recently been rumoured to be becoming a Blue Peter presenter. [Matt Lucas bio written by Robin for QA.] [Back to top]

With appearances in more than 100 movies and television shows to her credit, Jane Lynch has been one of the most candid out-of-the-closet gay actors in modern Hollywood. Lynch credits Ellen Degeneres on Lynch’s own ability to be both an out lesbian and one of the busiest actors in the entertainment industry: “You were at the height of your fame and you came out. That just blazed the trail for me. It really did. It made it so much easier for me, what you did.” She married Dr. Lara Embry on May 31, 2010 in Massachusetts. After her breakout role in 2000 in the critically acclaimed Christopher Guest mocumentary “Best in Show,” Lynch was cast in another Guest film, “A Mighty Wind,” in which she was perfect as an ex porn star who becomes a folksinger. Lynch won an Emmy award for her starring role as Sue Sylvester in the hit TV series “Glee.” [Jane Lynch bio written by John Morganfield for QA.] [Back to top]

This Wimbledon winner, former world number one and Olympic silver medalist (2004) came out as a lesbian to the world press at the tender age of 19 when, after beating top-seeded Lindsay Davenport at the Australian Open, she embraced her then-girlfriend 31-year-old nigh club owner Sylvie Bourdon. This resulted in homophobic comments from Martina Hingis famously who called her “half a man” and from Davenport, who claimed Mauresmo “played like a man.” However, after coming out, her sponsors Nike, Dunlop, and Babolat stuck by her. She made history as the first player, along with Dinara Safina, to play an official match under the multi-million-dollar roof system that had been installed at Wimbledon during the 2009 championships. She retired shortly thereafter and is now doing TV commentary and coaching for the French Tennis Federation. However with her career prize money of US$14,992,112, we doubt she needs the work. [Amelie Mauresmo bio written by John Morganfield for QA.] [Back to top]

Joseph, or Joe, was born in South Shields, Tyne & Wear, and studies performing arts at Newcastle College. In 2008, Joe was Pride of South Tyneside’s Young Performer of the Year. His break came in 2009 when he was a contestant on the British reality TV show, X Factor, which he went on to win. The prize was a recording contract reported to be worth £1million with Simon Cowall’s Syco record label. His first single was “The Climb”, a cover of a song by Miley Cyrus that was first released only 9 months earlier. Having previously stated that he was straight, Joe came out on his official site on 30 July 2010. [Joe McElderry bio written by Grum for QA.] [Back to top]

A treasure not only of the gay community, but Britain itself, Sir Ian McKellen is undoubtedly one of the finest actors and finest gentlemen of the moder world. On the thespianic side of things, he is a classically trained Shakespearian actor on a par with Patrick Stewart, and like Stewart balances his time between the legitimate theatre and those Hollywood projects that catch his eye, such as the eternal Lord of the Rings. As a gay man, McKellen was out to his colleagues from day 1 of his career, and to the general public since the late eighties. He founded the gay rights campaign juggernaught Stonewall, and campaigned strongly for such issues as Section 28 – including once writing on an autograph for the Tory politican Michael Howard’s children, “Fuck off, I’m gay.” He continues to champion for gay rights and visibility today, launching the 2007 Gay History Month for personal friend and organiser Sue Sanders. [Ian McKellen bio written by Robin for QA.] [Back to top]

In a career spanning over 20 years, Michael has had six US number 1’s, eleven British number 1’s, and has sold more than 67 million records worldwide. He started off as one member of the duo Wham! in the early eighties, and went on to play some of the biggest concerts in history, including Live Aid and The Freddie Mercury Tribute. Michael didn’t come out as much as he was ‘outed’ after being arrested for lewd conduct in an LA public toilet. You’ve gotta give him respect though, as he then mocked the whole incident in his later music video, Outside. In addition, he talked openly about it, and many other things in an infamous interview with Parkinson. He still has a “fantastic relationship” with his partner, Kenny Goss. Lately, he has been involved in a number of drug-related scandals, but his career goes strong, having just been the first ever performer at the new London Wembley Stadium. [George Michael bio written by Grum for QA.] [Back to top]

The openly gay Graham Norton started out as a struggling actor, working in bars to supplement his income. However he soon moved onto stand-up comedy, and got his big break in 1997 when he was nominated for the prestigious Perrier comedy award at the world-famous Edinburgh International Festival. TV offers rolled in, and Norton ended up as a stand-in presenter before he was given his own comedy chat show,So Graham Norton, which became hugely successful. After a brief stint in America, Norton’s contract was bought by the BBC, and he has been presenting a similar chat show for them, as well as fronting the recently popular musical theatre talent shows How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? and Any Dream Will Do. [Graham Norton bio written by Grum for QA.] [Back to top]

Rosie came out a month after playing the lesbian mother of Jack’s son on the sitcom Will & Grace in 2002. Since, and before, Rosie had endeared herself to some and incurred the wrath of others by being more than happy to say what she feels in order to right wrongs in the world. Her coming out was shortly followed by some harsh words for the politicians that prevented gay adoptions, which adds on to the long list of things she’s objected to, including gun control laws, the Iraq war and family values in general. She currently lives with her civil partner Kelli Carpenter and their four children. [Rosie O’Donnell bio written by Robin for QA.] [Back to top]

David has had relatively little exposure in relation to how renowned he is in the gay community. His only TV parts have been on Holby City, the relatively unknown Tinsel Town and a bit part on the quirky T4 drama As If. He was featured in an interview with American magazine XY, despite the fact that none of these were shown in the States. A mainstay of the Top 10 of QA’s predecessor GSO, and one-time Sexiest Man in Britain according to the readers of the Gay Times, David’s been heard from very little recently, other than a part in a film adaptation of While England Sleeps. [David Paisley bio written by Robin for QA.] [Back to top]

Harris found stardom playing a 16 year old medical doctor on the popular t.v. comedy-drama “Dougie Howser, M.D.” As an adult,his career was re-ingnited with his role in the stoner comedy films “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” and “Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay” in which he played a drug-and-sex-crazed psychotic version of himself. At the 2007 Emmy awards, Harris attended with David Burtka, his boyfriend since 2004. A host of the Emmy Awards in 2009, Harris himself has been honored with an slew of Emmy’s for his acting work in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. As of October 2010 he and Burtka are expecting twins via a surrogate mother. Interestingly, it is re-ported that the couple have used the same surrogate agency that Burtka and his ex-boyfriend, film-producer Lane Janger, used to have their own son and daughter back in 2000. [Neil Patrick Harris bio written by John Morganfield for QA.] [Back to top]

Rice has the (dis?)advantage of being the son of poet/artist Stan Rice and megastar author Anne Rice (Interview With the Vampire, 1976). Rice, however, grew up with the ambition of being an actor and only started writing after being disheartned because he wasn’t called back after an audition. He initially started writing screenplays, later claiming “I always thought that I wouldn’t write novels, that I wasn’t cut out for it.” His first novel, A Density Of Souls, published when he was 21, is a thriller which tells the story of four young friends in New Orleans whose lives are pulled in drastically different directions when they enter high school. One character is loosely based on himself; tall, blue-eyed, and gay. [Christopher Rice bio written by Grum for QA.] [Back to top]

Kieron Richardson came out on 15 September 2010 while talking about an unexpected gay storyline for his character Ste Hay, in the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks. His public coming-out followed his private one four years previously, at the age of 20. He says his family and friends have known he’s gay and have been supportive since then. With his character (a single father realising he’s gay after a tumultuous past) and himself (a young man in the public eye) both coming out, it’s a revelation not dissimilar to the coming out of Ellen Degeneres and her character back in 1997. [Kieron Richardson bio written by Robin/Grum for QA.] [Back to top]

David Sedaris is an openly gay author who was born in Johnson City, New York, raised in North Carolina. David Sedaris began his career by reading his essays on radio, which aired in America and the UK in the mid-nineties. He developed a knack for making people laugh by humorously telling of his own stories throughout his life, such as his family, jobs, and relationships. His books include: Naked, Barrel Fever, and Me Talk Pretty One Day. He still does essay readings on the radio, and also live readings of his books, which are very funny. Sedaris’ latest book, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, was released in June of last summer and was the New York Times bestseller for Nonfiction. After an extreme drug adiction and a period of akward jobs (described in parts of Me Talk Pretty One Day), he’s somewhat settled down in France with his long-term boyfriend (husband?) Hugh Hamrick. [David Sedaris bio written by Billy for QA.] [Back to top]

Bryan Singer is a gay, Jewish New-Yorker, who’s gone on record as saying that growing up as a member of (at least two!) minorities has influenced his movie-making, as well perhaps, as his love of certain comic book characters. Singer brought X-Men and X2 to the screen (and was mercifully not responsible for the dire third installment), in which a very clear parallel between growing up gay and growing up a “mutant” is seen, in the way both are unseen and misunderstood. He’s also at least partially responsible for popular phenomena such as Superman Returns,House MD, and is slated to be at the helm for an upcoming remake of Logan’s Run. [Bryan Singer bio written by Robin for QA.] [Back to top]

Michael Stipe is most famous for being the frontman of R.E.M., a band that some would call the most important and influential American rock band of the post-punk era. Stipe met fellow band-member, guitarist Peter Buck, while he was studying painting and photography at the University of Georgia, US. R.E.M. was then formed in 1980 with bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. Stipe has also published photo collections and produced feature films (such as Being John Malkovich, 1999, through his company Single Cell). Stipe finally came out in May 2001 saying “I was being made to be a coward about it, rather than someone who felt like it really was a very private thing.” At the same time, it was revealed he was in a relationship of over 3 years. [Michael Stipe bio written by Grum for QA.] [Back to top]

Tatchell was born and raised in Melbourne, came out in 1969 at the age of 17, and moved to London in 1971. He’s been at it (campaigning) for over 30 years, written 6 books, 2,000 published articles, and staged numerous political stunts. His controversial, up-front approach has gained him as much criticism as respect, from both gays and straights. However, the massively successful OutRage!, co-founded by Tatchell, has undoubtably gone a long way to changing attitudes towards homosexuality in the UK. Recently, he has announced he will be standing as a prospective MP for the Green Party in the next general election.[Peter Tatchell bio written by Grum for QA.] [Back to top]

Tila Tequila was born under the legal name Thien Thanh Thi Nguyen, and is most well known by her hit MTV reality show A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila, her hosting job on the cult game show Pants-Off Dance-Off, and by her status as MySpace royalty. Born and raised in Houston, Texas to strict Vietnamese immigrants, Tequila often rebelled during her school years by attending nightclubs while underage, taking part in recreational drug use, and by joining cliques. She has been quoted as saying that at one point during her adolescence, she didn’t know whether she was black, hispanic, or Asian at times. Discovered at a mall when she was 18, Tequila became the first Asian Playboy cover model, began acting and music careers, and furthered her often negative public image. She has been an outspoken advocate for more education and understanding of bisexuality, and of the LGBT community in general. [Tila Tequila bio written by Jordan for QA.] [Back to top]

Dale Winton is a household name in the UK, he’s been presenting television programmes for the BBC since 1986, and has fronted numerous shows ranging from Supermarket Sweep to The Other Half to The National Lottery. He never officially came out, or publicly addressed his sexuality in any way, until writing about it in his autobiography. Some would say this is due to a fear of damaging his career. In an interview with Richard & Judy however, he made it clear that he wasn’t sure for a long time, and felt it to be of a very personal nature. [Dale Winton bio written by Grum for QA.] [Back to top]

Will won the first Pop Idol talent competition (that spawned the even bigger American Idol) in 2002, and came out to newspapers shortly after. He’s been an exception to the usual rule regarding musical talent competition winners by actually succeeding in the business, breaking records for selling a phenomenal number of singles in the first week of his victory. He’s also reached the number 1 spot in Ireland. While he makes no bones about not wanting to be a champion for the gay community, he’s confident and comfortable discussing his sexuality, in so far as he is willing to talk about his private life, and in recent years been performing at venues such as London’s G-A-Y. [Will Young bio written by Robin for QA.] [Back to top]