10 Historical Figures And Celebrities You Didn’t Know Were Gay

While being homosexual is becoming something that public officials don’t need to hide from, there was a time not that long ago where it was considered more than just offensive to some people’s religious temperament. There was a time where it was illegal in certain parts of the world and even certain parts of the US. This is why we tend to find out if someone from history was gay well after the fact. Being “out” has become something someone can only do with a certain measure of confidence these days but it was something closely guarded not all that long ago. That’s why when you check out our list of 10 historical figures and celebrities you didn’t know were gay you’ll be quite shocked by some of the names.

Alec Guinness

Probably best known to the movie going public as Obi Wan Kenobi from the Star Wars franchise, very few people knew the British actor was gay. While he often tried to keep his personal life personal, Guinness was once arrested, back in 1946 for having sex with a man in a public bathroom.

Joan Crawford

Joan Crawford was considered one of those women who was passionate about people in general. While she was known for seducing more than one married man, her children have corroborated stories about her many affairs with women. Among the most famous women she slept with were Marilyn Monroe and Bette Davis.

King David

The King David we’re talking about is the David who fought Goliath in the bible. Despite being a hero to Christian loyalists, there are accounts where David talks about loving to look into the eyes of his friend Jonathan for hours at a time. He also says Jonathan’s love was better than that of any woman.

Eleanor Roosevelt

While Eleanor Roosevelt had a deep and abiding respect for her husband, Franklin Roosevelt, she was also bisexual and had a number of different female lovers in her time. One of the most famous affairs the woman had was with political reporter Lorena Hickok. The two wrote many letters to each other pronouncing their love for one another. Roosevelt even admitted she would kiss Hickok’s picture at night when the reporter wasn’t with her.

James Dean

While Dean was considered a wild child and one of the first American heartthrobs, it turns out men made his heart throb a lot more than women. Dean reportedly had a long affair with his college roommate, writer William Bast. He also supposedly had affairs with Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter.

Marlon Brando

While Marlon Brando was married and divorced to three different women, one of the greatest actors in cinema came clean about the true love of his life, an actor named Wally Cox. He also had several affairs with other men, including Laurence Olivier and he’s rumored to have slept with James Dean. These days, Brando and Cox are buried together as if they had been married in life.

Marlene Dietrich

Marlene Dietrich may have been around during a period of time that wasn’t exactly friendly to gay people but she wasn’t shy about her love of other women, at least around her friends. Among those women she loved was Greta Garbo. The two reportedly had a relationship for more than 20 years and Dietrich would complain to friends that Garbo wore dirty underwear.

Robert Reed

Turns out one of America’s favorite TV dads wasn’t really all about the ladies. Reed hid his homosexual nature from his fans and coworkers because he believed it would hurt his career. Reed even married a woman in order to keep up appearance. It wasn’t until it was near the end of his life when Reed admitted he was gay.

Errol Flynn

Errol Flynn was a notorious playboy who enjoyed having sex with both men and women. Often times he was doing the deed with both sexes at the same time. In letters found in his home by biographers, several passionate love affairs with men are detailed including Truman Capote, Rock Hudson, Tyrone Power and Howard Hughes.

William Shakespeare

While William Shakespeare is widely regarded as one of the best writers of all time when it comes to epic romance, it turns out his romantic eye was directed towards males rather than females.

Fans of his work back in the day actually changed his many tomes in order to look as though his romantic interests were aimed at females. It turns out most of his work referred to his love of a man, who most think was the Earl of Southampton.