How Judy Garland beme a gay in — and why she endur as one |

Contents:

• HOW JUDY GARLAND BEME A GAY IN — AND WHY SHE ENDUR AS ONE
• WHY JUDY GARLAND IS STILL SUCH A GAY IN
• JUDY GARLAND HELPED ME FEEL SEEN AS A GAY MAN

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.

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.

WHY JUDY GARLAND IS STILL SUCH A GAY IN

" 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. "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.

JUDY GARLAND HELPED ME FEEL SEEN AS A GAY MAN

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.

"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.