Stunning, glamorous, campy as hell — is this smattering of adjectives describing a drag show or an Old Hollywood movie? The answer is “yes” to both. Queer culture and film culture are joined at the hip, taking mutual inspiration from one another in a centuries-long testament to art and its tendency to imitate life. Beautiful films are often built around a beautiful face, and some of these gorgeous stars were elevated to full-blown icons after a hindsight look at their staggering impact on pop culture. These are 10 Old Hollywood stars who became queer icons, and queer culture has become all the more elevated by them.
