Category talk:Gay actors

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CategorisationDisputedPeople[edit]

This category contains numerous bios that don't even mention the person is gay. If somebody is gay, the article should explicitly say so, and cite a source. At this moment, I won't list the specific ones that have a problem, as I don't wish to bother with people who say "But everybody knows so-and-so is gay". If it's not worth mentioning in the article, with a source, it's not worth putting in the category. If we don't do sourcing properly, it's to easy for people to slip a false label. If you add this category to another person, please cite your source. --Rob 22:05, 15 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

  • i dont think it should "explicitly" say so. some actors are openly gay, and don't wish to make that a big part of there career.
I agree with Rob, and strongly advocate that we adhere to WP:V here -- we're an encyclopedia, and not a tawdry tabloid. --Heath 69.174.65.58 03:44, 2 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]


I think that if a famous person has stated publicly in any capacity that they are gay, then the information belongs in that person's article. Be that as it may, there is no reason for this article to be locked down. Pacian 02:08, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

any reason Luke Perry is listed here? His main page says he is separated from his wife and has two children. Nothing about being gay. Here, is is listed as being gay, nothing about rumors. Now, I am not saying a person who was married with children can never be gay, I just think it is odd though if he is not listed as gay on his bio, has been married with children, and to my knowledge never said he was gay to be listed here. if anything, if he is rumored, it should state that, not state as a fact he is gay if it is not a known or acknowledged fact. and if someone thinks he is and is not out of the closet, and thus has a problem with listing him as rumored as if this was a tabloid, then shouldn't it not be listed at all?

In case this hasn't been resolved, it has to be. No one should have this category tag on their article page unless the article specifically cites a reliable source that they are gay. This isn't arguable, it's Wikipedia policy: Wikipedia:Verifiability. Part of that policy (and all of it needs to be read and adhered to) states:
"Biographies of living people need special care because biographies containing unsourced material might negatively affect someone's life and could have legal consequences. Remove unsourced material about living persons immediately if it could be viewed as criticism, and do not move it to the talk page."
If Wikipedia lists someone as being gay it definitely could negatively affect that person's life, and it certainly could lead to legal consequences (Tom Cruise, for example).
This policy isn't limited to biographies of living persons. It applies to every article that is written on Wikipedia. In short:
"Information on Wikipedia must be reliable and verifiable. Facts, viewpoints, theories, and arguments may only be included in articles if they have already been published by reliable sources. Articles should cite these sources whenever possible. Any unsourced material may be challenged and removed."
Bottom line: if the article has this category tag on it, it must explicitly state that the person is/was gay and cite reputable sources.Chidom talk  03:33, 13 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Page Protected?[edit]

I wanted to add openly gay actor Jim Verraros but the edit page is blank. Am I to assume this page is protected because of the dispute? Never mind, I figured it out :)

Nothing disputed about it[edit]

Alexis Arquette is not gay (i.e., not a gay man, and not a lesbian either). From her bio page:-

She mentioned [...] that she does not want people to call her either a man or a woman, but a transgendered individual — in her words, a "tranny."

Arquette spent most of his male-period identifying as a gay man. He played primarily gay roles. Being a transexual, or a "tranny", does not have anything to do with one's sexual preference. There are, for instance, female-to-male transexuals who identify as lesbians because although they are now living a male life and have female partners, they still have female genitals. Pacian 02:11, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Is it possible to refer to the term orientation rather than preference? Thanks 11:24, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Jimmy Shields?[edit]

Why is Jimmy Shields on the page? I'm not disputing that he was gay, I've just never heard any mention of his having been an actor, even though he was partnered to one.--Saxophobia 23:48, 12 July 2006 (UTC)--Saxophobia 23:48, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I removed Sheilds. his biography says nothing of him being an actor and he has no entry on IMDB.com Pacian 02:09, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]


I was very surprised and sorry when I read that Mr Porter was classified in gay actors.

I have been working for quite a year on my french article about him and read a lot of english articles from several sources as The Royal Shakespeare company's dictionnary, some obits, theatre articles and TV articles and there was no clear mention of this. Yes he was a bachelor and a loner but is it necessary to say he was gay straight away ?

I cannot believe when he said :"If Nyree Dawn Porter has not been already married I should have proposed." that he was perhaps lying in order that people think he was straight !

He is not there anymore to defend himself as he defended (very well indeed) his private life in his lifetime but until we find proof to the contrary (what are the sources !!!) he is not gay.

May be the little frech fan was romantic and blind for 30 years but I want to be sure in a way or another , it is very important for me and for his image. If it is not true though I do not think it is infamous to be gay. I just want the situation to be in accordance with reality and not with free suppositions.

Is it possible to find proof of this in England (articles ?)

Anyway I am not going to write the result in my article, I want to know it for myself for personal reasons as well.

Is there anybody to answer me ?

Marie-Christine SAGLIER-GALLICHER 86.203.192.127 07:12, 26 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Mr Eric Porter[edit]

I was very surprised and sorry when I read that Mr Porter was classified in gay actors.

I have been working for almost a year on my french article about him and read a lot of english articles from several sources as The Royal Shakespeare company's dictionnary, some obits, theatre articles and TV articles and there was no clear mention of this. Yes he was a bachelor and a loner but is it necessary to say he was gay straight away ?

I cannot believe when he said :"If Nyree Dawn Porter had not been already married I should have proposed." that he was perhaps lying in order that people think he was straight !

He is not there anymore to defend himself as he defended (very well indeed) his private life in his lifetime but until we find proof to the contrary (what are the sources !!!) he is not gay.

May be the little french fan was romantic and blind for 30 years but I want to be sure in a way or another, it is very important for me and for his image. If it is not true though I do not think it is infamous to be gay. I just want the situation to be in accordance with reality and not with free suppositions.

Is it possible to find proof of this in England (articles ?)

Anyway I am not going to write the result in my article, I want to know it for myself for personal reasons as well.

Is there anybody to answer me ?

Marie-Christine SAGLIER-GALLICHER 86.203.192.127 07:28, 26 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The onus is on the person who adds the category to come up with proof. If there isn't any, he shouldn't be in the category. Sumahoy 01:52, 2 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, Eric Porter was gay. (SueBrewer 14:51, 29 September 2007 (UTC))[reply]

Ian McKellen mentions that he was gay here in an interview on the Inside The Actors Studio show http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl1ffUGoLzo?t=21m59s . Whilst he doesn't mention him by name if you do you research you discover Eric Porter played the role of the Professor. Hope this helps. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.103.49.226 (talk) 03:02, 1 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Susan Engel told biografer Robert Sellers that Eric Porter was gay: "His memorable performance as Soames in the BBC's 1967 television adaptation of The Forsyte Saga should have led to greater things, but it didn't. 'He couldn't cope with his own sexuality,' says Susan. 'It was so awful for gay men in those days. I don't know how some of them managed to survive; and many didn't. You went to prison if you were caught. I think he suffered terribly. He was tortured.' (Peter O'Toole: The Definitive Biography by Robert Sellers - 2015, p. 40.) [1]

Use of Categories[edit]

I notice that there are names in the categories 'Gay Actors', 'Gay Actors from the United States and similar for UK. Some names are in more than one category. Is this part of a managed transition to a single logical structure, or does it need to be tidied? VJDocherty 01:03, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Aren't we missing Rupert Everett?

Ummmm...[edit]

Should Chris Crocker really be on this list? Being a so called 'Internet Celebrity' does not make one an actor. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.150.250.69 (talk) 00:03, 17 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Non-Gay Actors[edit]

Wouldn't it be faster and more compact to compile a non-gay actor list? There currently is no "Straight Actor" category; does this mean that there aren't any? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.36.86.218 (talk) 14:16, 15 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Rock Hudson[edit]

Why no Rock Hudson? 209.90.140.72 (talk) 01:11, 15 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]