Our 296 Noble and Worthy Contenders
Adhemar, Count of Anjou [Rufus Sewell], A Knight's Tale (2001)
Prince Aemond Targaryen [Ewan Mitchell], House of the Dragon (2022-)
Aguilar de Nerha [Michael Fassbender], Assassin's Creed (2016)
Ahchoo [Dave Chapelle], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
Ahmad [Mahesh Jadu], Marco Polo (2014)
Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan [Antonio Banderas], The 13th Warrior (1999)
Alessandro Farnese [Diarmuid Noyes], Borgia (2011-2014)
King Alfred the Great [David Dawson], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)
Shah Ala ad Daula [Olivier Martinez], The Physician (2013)
Allan-A-Dale [Joe Armstrong], BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-2009)
Sultan Alauddin [Ranver Singh], Padmavaat (2018)
Amarendra Baahubali [Prabhas], Baahubali Series (2015-2017)
Amleth [Alexander Skarsgård], The Northman (2022)
Ancelyn ap Gwalchmai [Marcus Gilbert], Doctor Who: “Battlefield” (1989)
Antonius Block [Max von Sydow], The Seventh Seal (1957)
Aragorn, Son of Arathorn [Viggo Mortensen], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Arman [Matevy Lykov], I Am Dragon (2015)
Arn Magnusson [Joakim Nätterqvist], Arn: The Knight Templar (2007)
Arondir [Ismael Cruz Córdova], The Rings of Power (2022-)
Arthur Pendragon [Oliver Tobias], Arthur of the Britons (1972, 1973)
King Arthur [Richard Harris], Camelot (1967)
King Arthur [Graham Chapman], Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
King Arthur [Nigel Terry], Excalibur (1981)
King Arthur [Sean Connery], First Knight (1995)
King Arthur [Alexandre Astier], Kaamelott (2004-2009)
King Arthur [Bradley James], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)
King Arthur [Charlie Hunnam], King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
Asbjörn [Tom Hopper], Northmen: A Viking Saga (2014)
Ash Williams [Bruce Campbell], Army of Darkness (1992)
Asneez [Isaac Hayes], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
Athelstan [George Blagden], Vikings (2013-2020)
Azeem [Morgan Freeman], Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
Azog the Defiler [Manu Bennett], The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)
Balian de Ibelin [Orlando Bloom], Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
Bard the Bowman [Luke Evans], The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)
Ser Barristan Selmy [Ian McIlhinney], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Father Beocca [Ian Hart], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)
Beowulf [Gerard Butler], Beowulf & Grendel (2005)
Bilbo Baggins [Martin Freeman], The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)
Bjørn Ironside [Alexander Ludwig], Vikings (2013-2020)
Bofur [James Nesbitt],The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)
Boromir, Son of Denethor [Sean Bean], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Sir Bowen [Dennis Quaid], Dragonheart (1996)
Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert [Sam Neill], Ivanhoe (1982)
Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert [Ciaran Hinds], Ivanhoe (1997)
Bronn [Jerome Flynn], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Brother Cadfael [Derek Jacobi], Cadfael (1994-1998)
Carlos I [Álvaro Cervantes], Carlos Rey Emperador (2015-2016)
Caspian X [Ben Barnes], The Chronicles of Narnia (2010)
King Caspian X [Samuel West], Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1989)
Cesare Borgia [Mark Ryder], Borgia (2011-2014)
Cesare Borgia [Francois Arnaud], The Borgias (2011-2013)
Charles Brandon [Henry Cavill], The Tudors (2007-2010)
Prince Charmont [Hugh Dancy], Ella Enchanted (2004)
Prince Chauncley [Daniel Radcliffe], Miracle Workers: The Dark Ages (2020)
Chris Vexler [Karan Soni], Miracle Workers: The Dark Ages (2020)
Chu Hun [Peter Ho], Double World (2020)
“Cinderella’s Prince” [Chris Pine], Into the Woods (2014)
Connor MacLeod [Christopher Lambert], Highlander (1986)
Corlys Velaryon [Steve Toussaint], House of the Dragon (2022-)
Ser Criston Cole [Fabien Frankel], House of the Dragon (2022-)
Daario Naharis [Michiel Huisman], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Prince Daemon Targaryen [Matt Smith], House of the Dragon (2022)
Darkness [Tim Curry], Legend (1985)
Ser Davos Seaworth [Liam Cunningham], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Prince Dastan [Jake Gyllenhaal], Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)
Dong Yilong [Henry Lau], Double World (2020)
Khal Drogo [Jason Momoa], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Durotan [Toby Kebbell], Warcraft (2016)
Eamon Valda [Abdul Salis], The Wheel of Time (2022-)
King Ecbert Ealhmunding [Linus Roache], Vikings (2013-2020)
Lord Eddard Stark [Sean Bean], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Edgin Darvis [Chris Pine], Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves (2023)
King Edmund the Just [Skandar Keynes, Mark Wells], The Chronicles of Narnia (2005-2010)
King Edward I Plantagenet [Stephen Dillane], Outlaw King (2018)
King Edward III Plantagenet [Blake Ritson], A World Without End (2012)
King Edward IV Platagenet [Max Irons], The White Queen (2013)
Edward, the Black Prince [James Purefoy], A Knight’s Tale (2001)
Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford [Claude Rains], The Prince and the Pauper (1937)
Elendil [Lloyd Owen], The Rings of Power (2022-)
Elrond Half-elven [Hugo Weaving], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Elrond Half-elven [Robert Aramayo], The Rings of Power (2022-)
Sir Elyan [Adetomiwa Edun], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)
Éomer, Son of Éomund [Karl Urban], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Erik Thurgilson [Christian Hillborg], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)
Étienne de Navarre [Rutger Hauer], Ladyhawke (1985)
Faramir, Son of Denethor [David Wenham], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Fezzik [André the Giant], The Princess Bride (1987)
Fili [Dean O’Gorman], The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)
Finan [Mark Rowley], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)
Fjölnir [Claes Bang], The Northman (2022)
Forge Fitzwilliam [Hugh Grant], Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
Francesco de Pazzi [Matteo Martari], Medici (2016-2019)
Francois Villon [Ronald Colman], If I Were King (1938)
Frodo Baggins [Elijah Wood], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Sir Galahad [Michael Palin], Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Galavant [Joshua Sasse], Galavant (2015-2016)
Galessin, Duke of Orkney [Alexis Hénon], Kaamelott (2004-2009)
Gandalf [Ian McKellan], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Gawain [Dev Patel], The Green Knight (2021)
Gendry Waters [Joe Dempsie], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Geoffrey Chaucer [Pier Paolo Pasolini], The Canterbury Tales (1972)
Geoffrey Chaucer [Paul Bettany], A Knight’s Tale (2001)
George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence [David Oakes], The White Queen (2013)
Geralt z Rivii [Michał Żebrowski], Wiedźmin {The Witcher} (2002)
Geralt of Rivia [Henry Cavill], The Witcher (2019-)
Gest [Jakob Þór Einarsson], Hrafninn flýgur {When the Raven Flies}(1984)
Gimli, Son of Gloin [John Rhys-Davies], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Giuliano de Medici [Bradley James], Medici (2016-2019)
Glenstorm [Cornell John], The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)
Prince Graydon Hastur [Tony Revolori], Willow (2022)
Gríma Wormtongue [Brad Dourif], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Gu Tingye [Feng Shaofeng], The Story of Minglan (2018)
Guildenstern [Tim Roth], Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1990)
Gündoğdu Bey [Kaan Taşaner], Diriliş: Ertuğrul {Resurrection: Ertuğrul} (2014-2019)
Sir Guy of Gisbourne [Basil Rathbone], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
Sir Guy of Gisburne [Robert Addie], Robin of Sherwood (1984-1986)
Sir Guy of Gisborne [Michael Wincott], Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
Sir Guy of Gisborne [Richard Armitage], BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-2009)
Sir Gwaine [Eoin Macken], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)
Haldir of Lothόrien [Craig Parker], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Prince Hamlet [Laurence Olivier], Hamlet (1948)
Prince Hamlet [Christopher Plummer], Hamlet at Elsinore (1964)
Hamlet [Iain Glen], Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1990)
Lord Harekr [Bradley James], Vikings: Valhalla (2022-)
King Henry II Plantagenet [Peter O’Toole], Becket (1964)
King Henry II Plantagenet [Peter O’Toole], The Lion in Winter (1968)
King Henry V Plantagenet [Laurence Olivier], Henry V (1944)
King Henry V Plantagenet [Kenneth Branagh], Henry V (1989)
King Henry V Plantagenet [Tom Hiddleston], The Hollow Crown (2012-2016)
Henry VII Tudor [Luke Treadaway], The Hollow Crown (2012-2016)
King Henry VIII [Ray Winstone], Henry VIII (2003)
Prince Henry [Dougray Scott], Ever After (1998)
Hubert Hawkins [Danny Kaye], The Court Jester (1955)
Hugh Beringar [Sean Pertwee], Cadfael (1994-1998)
Prince Humperdink [Chris Sarandon], The Princess Bride (1987)
Inigo Montoya [Mandy Patinkin], The Princess Bride (1987)
Isildur, Son of Elendil [Maxim Baldry], The Rings of Power (2022-)
Ivanhoe [Anthony Andrews], Ivanhoe (1982)
Ivar the Boneless [Alex Høgh Andersen], Vikings (2013-2020)
Jacques le Gris [Adam Driver], The Last Duel (2021)
Jack [Tom Cruise], Legend (1985)
Jafar [Marwan Kenzari], Aladdin (2019)
Ser Jaime Lannister [Nikolaj Coster-Waldau], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
James Douglas [Aaron Taylor Johnson], Outlaw King (2018)
Jareth, the Goblin King [David Bowie], Labyrinth (1986)
Jaskier [Joey Batey], The Witcher (2019-)
Prince Jingim [Remy Hii], Marco Polo (2014)
Little John [Nicol Williamson], Robin and Marian (1976)
Little John [Eric Allan Kramer], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
Prince John [Claude Rains], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
Prince John [Richard Lewis], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
Prince John [Oscar Isaac], Robin Hood (2010)
Jon Snow [Kit Harrington], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Ser Jorah Mormont [Iain Glen], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Kai [Michael Gothard], Arthur of the Britons (1972, 1973)
Kili [Aiden Turner], The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)
The Kurgan [Clancy Brown], Highlander (1986)
al’Lan Mandragoran [Daniel Henney], The Wheel of Time (2022)
Sir Lancelot [Luc Simon], Lancelot du Lac (1974)
Sir Lancelot [Nicholas Clay], Excalibur (1981)
Sir Lancelot [Richard Gere], First Knight (1995)
Sir Lancelot [Santiago Cabrera], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)
Legolas Greenleaf [Orlando Bloom], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Leofric [Adrian Bower], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)
Sir Leon [Rupert Young], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)
Lin Shu [Hu Ge], Nirvana in Fire {Lángyá Bǎng} (2015)
Loial [Hammed Animashaun], The Wheel of Time (2022-)
Lurtz [Lawrence Makoare], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Madmartigan [Val Kilmer], Willow (1988)
Le Maître d'Armes (the fencing master) [Christian Bujeau], Kaamelott (2005-2009)
“Man With Snake” [Barry John Clarke], Edward II (1991)
King Mark of Cornwall [Rufus Sewell], Tristan & Isolde (2006)
Martin [Rutger Hauer], Flesh + Blood (1985)
Massetto [Dave Franco], The Little Hours (2017)
Matrim “Mat” Cauthon [Donal Finn], The Wheel of Time (2022)
“The Mayor of Hamelin” [Claude Rains], The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1957)
Mehmed II [Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu], Rise of Empires: Ottoman (2020-2022)
Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck [Dominic Monaghan], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Merlin [Nicol Williamson], Excalibur (1981)
Merlin [Sam Niell], Merlin (1998)
Merlin [Colin Morgan], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)
Mikoláš Kozlík [František Velecký], Marketa Lazarová (1967)
Miles Hendon [Errol Flynn], The Prince and the Pauper (1937)
Mordred [Jason Done], Merlin (1998)
Much [Sam Troughton], BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-2009)
Murtagh Morzansson [Garrett Hedlund], Eragon (2002)
The Mute [John Bernthal], Pilgrimage (2017)
Nasir [Mark Ryan], Robin of Sherwood (1984-1986)
Niankoro [Issiaka Kane], Yeelen (1987)
Niccoló Machiavelli [Julian Bleach], The Borgias (2011-2013)
Niccoló Machiavelli [Thibaut Evrard], Borgia (2011-2014)
Nicodemus Ravens [Jakob Oftebro], Skammerens Datter {The Shamer's Daughter} (2015)
Prince Oberyn Martell [Pedro Pascal], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Odda the Elder [Simon Kunz], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)
“One-Eye” [Mads Mikkelsen], Valhalla Rising (2009)
Osferth [Ewan Mitchell], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)
Sir Percival [Tom Hopper], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)
Peregrin “Pippin” Took [Billy Boyd], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Pero Tovar [Pedro Pascal], The Great Wall (2016)
Perrin Aybara [Marcus Rutherford], The Wheel of Time (2022-)
Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish [Aiden Gillen], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
High King Peter the Magnificent [William Moseley, Noah Huntley], The Chronicles of Narnia (2005-2010)
Philip II [Timothy Dalton], The Lion in Winter (1968)
Phillippe Gaston [Matthew Broderick], Ladyhawke (1985)
“The Player” [Richard Dreyfuss], Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (1990)
Podrick Payne [Daniel Portman], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Prince Prospero [Vincent Price], The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
Ragnar Lothbrok [Travis Fimmel], Vikings (2013-2020)
Ramsay Bolton [Iwan Rheon], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Rand al’Thor [Josha Stradowski], The Wheel of Time (2022-)
Ravenhurst [Basil Rathbone], The Court Jester (1955)
“The Red Death” [John Westbrook], The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
Renly Baratheon [Gethin Anthony], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Richard Cypher [Craig Horner], Legend of the Seeker (2008-2010)
King Richard [Timothy Omundson], Galavant (2015-2016)
Richard II Plantagenet [Ben Whishaw], The Hollow Crown (2012-2016)
Richard III Plantagenet [Aneurin Barnard], The White Queen (2013)
King Richard III Plantagenet [Benedict Cumberbatch], The Hollow Crown (2012-2016)
King Richard IV [Brian Blessed], The Black Adder (1982)
Rilk [Jesse Lee Keeter] JourneyQuest (2010)
Robert of Artois [Jean Piat], The Accursed Kings (1972)
Robert of Huntingdon [Jason Connery], Robin of Sherwood (1984)
Robert the Bruce [Chris Pine], Outlaw King (2018)
Robin Hood [Errol Flynn], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
Robin Hood [Richard Todd], The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)
Robin Hood [Sean Connery], Robin and Marian (1976)
Robin Hood [Michael Praed], Robin of Sherwood (1984)
Robin Hood [Kevin Costner], Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
Robin Hood [Cary Elwes], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
Robin Hood [Jonas Armstrong], BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-2009)
Robin Hood [Tom Riley], Doctor Who: “The Robot of Sherwood” (2014)
Robin Longstride [Russell Crowe], Robin Hood (2010)
Rodrigo Borgia [Jeremy Irons], The Borgias (2011-2013)
Rollo [Clive Standen], Vikings (2013-2020)
Roose Bolton [Michael McElhatton], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Rosencrantz [Gary Oldman], Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1990)
Count Rugen [Christopher Guest], The Princess Bride (1987)
Saburo Naotora Ichimonji [Ryu Daisuke], Ran (1985)
Saladin [Milind Soman], Arn: The Knight Templar (2007), Arn: The Kingdom at Road’s End (2008)
Samwise Gamgee [Sean Astin], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Sandor Clegane [Rory McCann], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Saruman [Christopher Lee], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Stannis Baratheon [Stephen Dillane], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Tajomaru [Toshiro Mifune], Rashomon (1950)
“The Sherriff of Nottingham” [Alan Wheatley], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955-1959)
“The Sherriff of Nottingham” [Peter Cushing], The Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960)
“The Sherriff of Nottingham” [Alan Rickman], Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
“The Sherriff of Rottingham” [Roger Rees], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
Sid [Luke Youngblood], Galavant (2015-2016)
Sihtric Kjartansson [Arnas Fedaravicius], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)
Simon Aumar [Justice Smith], Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
Steapa [Adrian Bouchet], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)
Syrio Forel [Miltos Yerolemou], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
“Taunting French Guard” [John Cleese], Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Theoden, Son of Thengel [Bernard Hill], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Thierry de Janville [Jean-Claude Drouot], Thierry la Fronde (1963-1966)
Thomas Becket [Richard Burton], Becket (1964)
Thomas Cromwell [Mark Rylance], Wolf Hall (2015-2024)
Sir Thomas Gray [Nigel Terry], Covington Cross (1992)
Thorin Oakenshield [Richard Armitage], The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)
Thranduil, The Elvenking [Lee Pace], The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)
Thraxus Boorman [Amar Chadha-Patel], Willow (2022)
Tom Builder [Rufus Sewell], The Pillars of the Earth (2010)
Tormund Giantsbane [Kristofer Hivju], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Sir Tristan [Kingsley Ben-Adir], King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
Trumpkin [Peter Dinklage], The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)
Mr. Tumnus [James McAvoy], The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
Turgut Alp [Cengiz Coşkun], Diriliş: Ertuğrul (2014-2019)
Tyrion Lannister [Peter Dinklage], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Lord Tywin Lannister [Charles Dance], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Ubbe [Jordan Patrick Smith], Vikings (2013-2020)
Uglúk [Nathaniel Lees], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Uhtred of Bebbanburgh [Alexander Dreymon], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)
Ulrich von Jungingen [Stanislaw Jasiukiewicz], Knights of the Teutonic Order (1960)
“Unnamed Elf Escort” [Bret McKenzie], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Uther Pendragon [Gabriel Byrne], Excalibur (1981)
Uther Pendragon [Anthony Stewart Head], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)
Vaisey, Sheriff of Nottingham [Keith Allen], BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-2009)
Vlad III Dracula [Luke Evans], Dracula Untold (2014)
King Vortigen [Jude Law], King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
Wat [Alan Tudyk], A Knight’s Tale (2001)
Wen Kexing [Gong Jun], Word of Honor (2021)
Westley [Cary Elwes], The Princess Bride (1987)
Wil Ohmsford [Austin Butler], The Shannara Chronicles (2016)
William Wallace [Mel Gibson], Braveheart (1995)
Will Scarlet O’Hara [Matthew Porretta], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
Will Scarlett [Patrick Knowles], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
Will Scarlett [Christian Slater], Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
Will Scarlett [Harry Lloyd], BBC’s Robin Hood, (2006-2009)
William Thatcher [Heath Ledger], A Knight’s Tale (2001)
Willow Ufgood [Warwick Davis], Willow (2022)
Xenk Yendar [Regé-Jean Page], Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
Zbyszko z Bogdanca [Mieczyslaw Kalenik], Knights of the Teutonic Order (1960)
98 notes
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THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY
based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more …
September 18
53 AD – Trajan, Roman emperor, born (d.117 AD); The first non-Italian Roman emperor. His accomplishments were both martial and civic, including construction of the aqueducts, the restoration of the Appian Way and the building of the massive Forum of Trajan.
According to Spartianus, he was a proud possessor of a paedogogium, a harem of boys he took along with him on campaign, apparently for his and his officers' pleasure.
Dio Cassius, sometimes known as Cassius Dio, reports that Trajan drank heavily and loved boys. "I know, of course, that he was devoted to boys and to wine, but if he had ever committed or endured any base or wicked deed as the result of this, he would have incurred censure; as it was, however, he drank all the wine he wanted, yet remained sober, and in his relation with boys he harmed no one."
This sensibility was one that influenced even his governing, leading him to favor the king of Edessa out of appreciation for his handsome son: "On this occasion, however, Abgarus, induced partly by the persuasions of his son Arbandes, who was handsome and in the pride of youth and therefore in favor with Trajan, and partly by his fear of the latter's presence, he met him on the road, made his apologies and obtained pardon, for he had a powerful intercessor in the boy."
His sexuality was never in question, only the stories used to illustrate his preferences. The monumental erection, the Column of Trajan, was Rome's highly appropriate tribute to this emperor, considered to have been one of the "good emperors."
1883 – Gerald Tyrwhitt-Wilson, 14th Baron Berners born (d.1950), also known as Gerald Tyrwhitt, a British composer of classical music, novelist, painter, & aesthete. Berners was notorious for his "eccentricity," e.g. dyeing pigeons at his house in Faringdon in vibrant colors and at one point having a giraffe as a pet and tea companion.
Berners' musical works included Trois morceaux, Fantasie espagnole (1919), Fugue in C minor (1924), and several ballets, including The Triumph of Neptune (1926) (based on a story by Sacheverell Sitwell) and Luna Park (1930). In later years he composed several songs and film scores, notably for the 1946 film of Nicholas Nickleby.
His friends included the composers Constant Lambert and William Walton and he worked with Frederick Ashton; Walton dedicated Belshazzar's Feast to Berners.
He bequeathed his estate to his companion Robert ('Boy') Heber Percy, who lived at Faringdon until his own death in 1987.
Berners obtained some notoriety for his roman-à-clef The Girls of Radcliff Hall, (punning on the name of the famous lesbian writer), in which he depicts himself and his circle of friends, such as Cecil Beaton and Oliver Messel, as members of a girls school. This frivolous satire, which was published and distributed privately, had a modish success in the 1930s. The original edition is rare; rumor has it that Beaton was responsible for gathering most of the already scarce copies of the book and destroying them. However, the book was reprinted in 2000.
1905 – Greta Garbo (d.1990) was regarded as one of the greatest and most inscrutable movie stars ever produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and the Hollywood studio system. Garbo received a 1955 Honorary Oscar "for her unforgettable screen performances" and was ranked as the fifth greatest female star of all time by the American Film Institute. Garbo's biographer Barry Paris notes that she was "technically bisexual, predominantly lesbian, and increasingly asexual as the years went by."
Garbo began life in poverty as Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, the daughter of a janitor in Stockholm, Sweden. When her father died in 1919 of tuberculosis, Greta had to quit school at the age of fourteen and go to work. Her good looks helped her get jobs in a couple of advertising films before she was discovered in 1922 by unabashedly homosexual Swedish filmmaker Mauritz Stiller. He cast her as the female lead in Gosta Berling's Saga (1924) and got her a role in a German film, The Joyless Street (1925). Stiller took control of the actress's career, changing her last name to Garbo. When he went to the United States to work for Louis Mayer at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Stiller took his protégée along.
Mauritz Stiller did not succeed in Hollywood, but Greta Garbo was destined to become a star. She made fourteen silent films, among them The Torment (1926) and Flesh and the Devil (1927), where she tended to play the beautiful femme fatale, luring men into passion. Garbo made the rocky transition from silent films to talkies flawlessly. Her husky, accented voice fitted intriguingly with her ethereal beauty, enabling her to create more complex characters than she ever had in silents.
In Anna Christie (1930), Anna Karenina (1935), Camille (1936), and others, she played a tragic heroine, passionate, but doomed. In the delightful 1939 comedy Ninotchka, she mocks this gloomy sensuality with charming self-deprecation, causing MGM to tout the film with the single headline, "Garbo Laughs!" In 1941, prompted perhaps by the failure of Two-Faced Woman, her comedy follow-up to Ninotchka, Garbo took a break from filmmaking. Although she reportedly considered several projects for a comeback, the title roles in Hamlet and The Portrait of Dorian Gray, among them, her break turned into permanent retirement.
It has been suggested that Garbo struggled greatly with her sexuality, only becoming involved with other women in affairs that she could control. Some also suggest that Garbo remained single in the United States because of an unrequited love for her drama school sweetheart, the Swedish actress Mimi Pollak. Garbo's personal letters recently released to the public indicate that she remained in love with Pollak for the rest of her life. When Pollak announced she was pregnant, Garbo wrote: "We cannot help our nature, as God has created it. But I have always thought you and I belonged together."
Famously connected to Mercedes de Acosta, one of the more Sapphic companions of the day, de Acosta wrote of their affair in her book Here Lies the Heart. Upon her death in 1990, Garbo left her entire, substantial estate to her niece, Gray Reisfeld, and nothing to Claire, the elderly female companion with whom she lived for many years.
Rose (C), son "Luis" (L) and Sam Steward
1909 – Francis Cyril Rose (d.1979), also Sir Francis, 4th Baronet of the Montreal Roses, was an English painter vigorously championed by Gertrude Stein. His wife Frederica, Lady Rose (1910-2002) became a well known travel writer, notably on Corsica, under the name of Dorothy Carrington.
Rose was born at Moor Park (Hertfordshire), England. He took up residence as an expatriate in Paris between 1929 and 1936, where he trained under Francis Picabia and José Maria Sert. Francis Rose got his beginning as a set painter for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. He occasionally collaborated in his work with another English painter, and his sometime lover, Christopher Wood. In the 1930s he traveled with his future wife, Dorothy Carrington, in France, Italy, and North Africa.
In France, Rose became an intimate acquaintance of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, the former helping to launch his painting career by commissioning several of his works (most notably a portrait of herself) for her own notable art collection. Her memorable utterance, "Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose" dates from 1913, however, long before her acquaintance with the artist. Rose would go on to have exhibits in Paris, London, and New York. He also worked as an illustrator for a cookbook by Toklas, The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook.
The English artist was the last, and probably the most infamous, though least known, of Gertrude Stein's many protégés. Several of Francis Rose's drunken escapades are wonderfully recollected in Samuel M. Steward's Dear Sammy. One story, peculiarly or not-so-peculiarly omitted from the artist's autobiography, Saving Life. (1961), is about Luis, his valet de chambre. In 1952 Alice B. Toklas wrote Sam Steward to tell him that Francis Rose "was in a good deal of trouble with Luis his 'valet de chambre" boyfriend."A casual encounter between the artist and a Spanish gypsy boy in front of a bistro in Paris had resulted in not only an evening pickup, but in the young man being hired for the entire summer, as both valet and bedmate. As Sam Steward tells it, "It was only after Luis got into some trouble with the gendarmérie over a stolen bicycle that Francis — after he called to help him out of his difficulty — examined his papers and discovered that the boy was his illegitimate son. This episode titillated both France and England for some time. It certainly titillated Alice B. 'Francis,' she wrote, 'is saying that he is going to recognize Luis so he will inherit his title!! As yet this tale has not been confided to any English friends — who would put him straight about bastards inheriting titles…' "
Rose married the writer Dorothy Carrington in 1942. Alice Toklas for one was greatly enthusiastic about Rose's marriage to "Frederica" (Carrington), noting that the marriage had done Rose "a world of good." But Rose was a noted homosexual and the marriage eventually foundered. They divorced in 1966. Rose spent his final years in penury, helped along by certain friends, among them Cecil Beaton. Some of his paintings today form part of the Yale University Art Gallery (Stein-Toklas collection) and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
In 1961 Rose published a memoir, Saving Life.
He made a brief appearance as "Lord Chaos" in Kenneth Anger's film Lucifer Rising (1972).
1928 – Jack Robinson (d.1997) was an American photographer famous for 1960s celebrity and fashion photography and documenting the New Orleans of the 1950s. Jack Uther Robinson, Jr. was born in Meridian, Mississippi. He grew up in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, an area famous for racial injustice, the Blues, and social and religious conservatism. His father was a mechanic and auto parts dealer.
Robinson attended Clarksdale High School, from which he graduated in 1945. He then enrolled at Tulane University in New Orleans, where he completed five semesters before dropping out in 1948. In 1951, he began his professional career in photography, working as a graphic artist for an advertising agency in New Orleans. He took numerous photographs of the city and his friends, many of them artists and photographers. His early work captured the charm of the French Quarter and documented New Orleans night life. It also preserved valuable glimpses into the New Orleans gay subculture of the 1950s.
Among Robinson's most fascinating images are photographs of the Mardi Gras festivities in the years between 1952 and 1955. Some of these document the celebrations in the gay area of Bourbon Street, especially around Dixie's Bar of Music, then one of the most prominent gay bars in the country.
In addition to architectural photographs, society portraits, and Mardi Gras pictures, Robinson also took a number of photographs of young gay couples, romantically posed. These photographs are striking because of their rarity, and touching because of their sincerity. At a time when there were few precedents for posing gay couples, Robinson conveyed homoerotic attraction in a number of ways, including having the young men stare deeply into each other's eyes and touch tentatively. The very awkwardness of these embraces conveys a profound sense of commitment.
During the New Orleans period, Robinson fell in love with a young man named Gabriel, whom he photographed incessantly, often in the nude. The Gabriel photographs are especially distinguished by their play of light and shadow and by their sensuality.
In 1954, Robinson and Gabriel travelled to Mexico. There the artist captured Mexican scenes in large and medium format photographs.
In 1955 Robinson and Gabriel moved to New York where he quickly became noted for his fashion photography. He was sought out by many of the top designers and others in the fashion industry. By 1959, one of his photographs graced the cover of Life magazine, signalling his arrival as a top commercial photographer.
Vogue's legendary editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland recognised Robinson's particular gift for portraiture. In addition to commissioning fashion photography from him, she also commissioned portraits of celebrities, especially the rising stars of music, film, television, and literature. Robinson's work appeared in Vogue over 500 times between 1965 and 1972.
By 1970, Robinson had established himself as one of the leading commercial photographers in the world. He travelled to Europe to record the fashion innovations of the great design houses. His work was regularly featured in the most prestigious fashion and celebrity magazines of the day.
But even as Robinson succeeded professionally, his personal life became increasingly problematic. His relationship with Gabriel failed. He suffered from the stigma associated with homosexuality. He increasingly turned to drugs and alcohol for solace. Frequently in the company of Andy Warhol and his entourage, he became part of New York's frenetic club scene.
Such fast living soon affected Robinson's work. His daybooks and list of commissions reflect the deterioration of his life. As jobs dwindled, he was forced to move from his fashionable studio at 11 East 10th Street. Finally, in December of 1972, he retreated to Memphis, where his parents and older brother lived.
Broken and addicted to alcohol, Robinson sought help from a long-time friend, who sponsored his membership in Alcoholics Anonymous and helped him recover his emotional health.
In Memphis, Robinson abandoned his career as a commercial photographer. He began painting and soon took a job as assistant to noted artist Dorothy Sturm, who designed stained glass windows for churches at Laukauff Studio, one of the largest stained glass studios in the country. Although he was undoubtedly lonely, and in the words of a friend 'full of anger and angst,' he seemed to enjoy his anonymity and seldom revealed that he had once been a leading photographer in New York City. In 1976, Robinson left Laukauff Studio to work at another glass studio, Rainbow Studio, where he was to remain for the rest of his career.
Robinson fell ill in November 1997 and was soon diagnosed with cancer. He died on December 15, 1997.
Robinson left his estate to his employer, Dan Oppenheimer, owner of Rainbow Studio. Oppenheimer was surprised to discover in Robinson's small and spartan apartment over 140,000 negatives. In 2002, Oppenheimer opened the Jack Robinson Gallery and Archive in Memphis. It is dedicated to preserving and promoting Robinson's legacy.
Although Robinson soon slipped into obscurity, his work has recently been rediscovered, thanks to the efforts of the Robinson Gallery and Archive and to several recent exhibitions in Memphis, London, and New Orleans.
1961 – Dag Hammarskjöld (b.1905), U.N. Secretary-General, dies in a plane crash while attempting to negotiate peace in the war-torn Katanga region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Despite holding a position of public prominence as Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1953 until his death in 1961, he managed to withhold even the most minor details of his personal life from the world. Even his posthumously published journal, Markings, shies away from any mention of his private life. Possibly asexual, probably homosexual, Hammarskjöld was unable to accept his sexuality and lived an unhappy, frustrated life of sexual abstinence, suffering slurs from political figures and the international media. But though he couldn't resolve his own internal conflicts, he was masterful at settling external conflicts as he worked to solve disputes in Palestine, Vietnam, Egypt, and the Congo, demonstrating one of the classic, same-sex archetypes of the mediator.
1978 – Openly gay Billy Eichner is an American comedian, actor, writer, and television personality. He is the star, executive producer and creator of Funny Or Die's Billy on the Street, a comedy game show that airs on Fuse TV. Eichner was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Game Show Host" in 2013. He is also known for playing Craig Middlebrooks on the sitcom Parks and Recreation.Eichner gained attention as the host and writer of Creation Nation: A Live Talk Show, a critically acclaimed stage show in New York. He also appeared on Conan as a special correspondent in original video shorts and as himself on Bravo's Watch What Happens: Live with Andy Cohen, Last Call with Carson Daly, The Wendy Williams Show, and Fashion Police with Joan Rivers, among others.
On August 5, 2013, it was revealed that Eichner would guest star in the sixth season of Parks and Recreation. Eichner's first episode aired on October 10, 2013. He stars as Donna's Eagleton counterpart, Craig Middlebrooks, who joins the Pawnee Parks and Recreation Department when Pawnee absorbs Eagleton. He became a series regular in episode four of the seventh season of the show.
Eichner starred in a Hulu original series titled Difficult People with Julie Klausner, and executive produced by Amy Poehler.
In July 2020, Eichner announced that he and Tom McNulty were developing a film biography of fellow Northwestern University alum Paul Lynde called Man in the Box, with Eichner portraying Lynde.In March 2021, Eichner announced that he is currently writing and starring in the film Bros, which tells the story of two gay men with commitment issues who decide to settle down with each other. Being produced by Universal Pictures, it is set to be the first adult-oriented LGBT movie ever produced by a mainstream film studio. In August of that same year, Amazon Studios announced that they had bought the rights to develop the film Ex-Husbands, starring Eichner and co-written by him and Paul Rudnick.
2011 – Died: Jamey Rodemeyer (March 21, 1997 - September 18, 2011) was an openly bisexual teenager, known for his activism against homophobia and his videos on YouTube to help victims of homophobic bullying. He committed suicide as a result of constant bullying.[
Jamey T. Rodemeyer lived with his parents and his sister in their home near Buffalo, New York. He was open about his sexuality, and faced severe bullying as a result of it. Rodemeyer's inspiration to help others came from Lady Gaga, whom he admired most. He often referred to her in his videos, and quoted her lyrics to provide guidance to others. He also made a video for the "It Gets Better" project, a website dedicated to preventing teen suicide.
Rodemeyer was found dead by his sister on the morning of September 18, 2011, in an apparent suicide by hanging. Before his death, he posted a final update on Twitter directed to Lady Gaga. The tweet read, "¡ladygaga bye mother monster, thank you for all you have done, paws up forever".
In an interview with Ann Curry on The Today Show Jamey's parents said that their son was still being bullied, even after his suicide. When his sister attended a school homecoming dance, Jamey's friends began chanting his name in support when a Lady Gaga song began playing. As a result, bullies at the dance began chanting that they were glad he was dead.
Lady Gaga later met with President Barack Obama to discuss what his administration would do to prevent bullying in schools. Also in response to his death, reigning Miss New York Kaitlin Monte founded an online petition to bring the issue of cyberbullying (known as "Jamey's Law") to New York legislators. Shortly after, State Senator Jeffrey Klein proposed new cyberbullying legislation. The two joined to launch the New York Cyberbully Census.
In October 2011 actor Zachary Quinto noted Rodemeyer's death as the genesis of his decision to come out publicly as gay, saying on his website "...but in light of Jamey's death - it became clear to me in an instant that living a gay life without publicly acknowledging it - is simply not enough to make any significant contribution to the immense work that lies ahead on the road to complete equality". In response to Quinto's coming out (and in reaction to gay suicides caused by bullying), Dan Kloeffler of ABC News Now also came out.
2012 – Berkeley, California becomes what is thought to be the first city in the U.S. to officially proclaim a day recognizing bisexuals. The Berkeley City Council unanimously and without discussion declared Sept. 23 as Bisexual Pride and Bi Visibility Day.
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