Watch Renee Zellweger Expla Why Judy Garland Is a Gay In

Contents:

• HOW JUDY GARLAND BEME A GAY IN — AND WHY SHE ENDUR AS ONE
• WHY JUDY GARLAND IS STILL SUCH A GAY IN
• THE MANY, MANY REASONS WHY JUDY GARLAND WILL FOREVER BE A GAY IN: HER TRIUMPHS AND STGGL
• RUF WAWRIGHT ON JUDY GARLAND AT 100 AND WHY SHE’S THE ULTIMATE GAY IN
• DID A STAR IS BORN MAKE JUDY GARLAND A GAY IN?
• ‘FRIENDS OF DOROTHY’: HOW JUDY GARLAND BEME A GAY IN

HOW JUDY GARLAND BEME A GAY IN — AND WHY SHE ENDUR AS ONE

Judy Garland was an entertaer of the hight orr, a eply troubled movie star, and, even durg her lifetime, a gay in. While she was alive, Garland was a figure of tense adulatn among the gay muny; she herself was very aware that many of her most voted fans were queer. As early as 1967, mastream publitns were discsg the profn of gay men attendance at Garland's ncerts and attemptg to dissect her particular appeal.

WHY JUDY GARLAND IS STILL SUCH A GAY IN

The term "Friend of Dorothy, " referencg her The Wizard of Oz character, beme popular among gay men to self-intify, and mors still persist that was Garland's 1969 funeral that sparked the epoch-fg Stonewall rts, the begng of the morn gay-rights movement. Richard Dyer, who first wrote about Garland's stat as a gay in 1986's Heavenly Bodi: Film Stars and Society, suggts that her reer followed a trajectory of self-disvery, siar to those of many of her fans. In a way, that is the gay bgraphy growg up.

THE MANY, MANY REASONS WHY JUDY GARLAND WILL FOREVER BE A GAY IN: HER TRIUMPHS AND STGGL

" Nathaniel Frank, an expert on LGBTQ public policy and thor of Awakeng: How Gays and Lbians Brought Marriage Equaly to Ameri, ph the pot further. While neher Frank or Dyer n ppot how or why the term "Friend of Dorothy" entered the gay lexin, they both cred the beloved 1939 fantasy as playg a key role Garland's ntued ronance. " Some have suggted that Garland's imable performance of "Over the Rabow" is part of what led to the rabow beg adopted as a symbol of gay pri.

RUF WAWRIGHT ON JUDY GARLAND AT 100 AND WHY SHE’S THE ULTIMATE GAY IN

"A lot of the gay ins are mp the sense that she n be imated — there's a certa kd of exaggeratn her mannerisms that's very easily imated, " he says.

At MGM, she was surround by gay men and workg closely wh them, so she was very ward wh that culture and beme part of her vobulary. " THE WIZARD OF OZ, Judy Garland, 1939 Judy Garland 'The Wizard of Oz' | Cred: Everett Collectn Another plited ponent of Garland's stat as a gay in was her own timacy wh gay men.

Both Dyer and Frank say Garland was aware that many of her fans were gay.

DID A STAR IS BORN MAKE JUDY GARLAND A GAY IN?

"She wasn't as explic about embracg gay people as stars a later era might've been, but she was no fool. And she didn't nvey homophobia or transphobia any explic way, eher.

" It's also well-talogued that Garland had personal relatnships wh several gay men. Many historians believe her father was gay or bisexual, and she married at least two gay men (Vcente Mnelli, Mark Herron).

‘FRIENDS OF DOROTHY’: HOW JUDY GARLAND BEME A GAY IN

"I wouldn't venture to say that Judy was fully nsc of the fact that she had close relatnships wh men who turned out to be gay, " says Frank.

He rells a letter he once received om a gay Garland fan, which scribed the shows as moments that "gave you permissn to be gay public for an eveng. " Dyer remas somewhat surprised by Garland's stayg power, particularly the face of more recent gay-ronant ins who have followed her, artists such as Kylie Mogue, Lady Gaga, and Madonna.

That sense of 'There's somethg there but n't que be said' is such a part of the emotns her image and her performanc, that is dramatizg that very moment of movg om beg the closet to beg open about beg gay. Judy Garland has long been nsired one of the world's most regnised and celebrated gay ins, somethg that has been reaffirmed this year by what is about the sger and actrs, once dubbed, that mak her cultural legacy so endurg, particularly for members of the LGBTIQ+ muny?