Five Timeless Queer Icons We Love

From popstar Madonna to Bollywood queen Sridevi.
In honor of Pride month, we’re spotlighting the most timeless queer legends that we love.
From David Bowie’s gender-defying style that was a step forward in queer representation to Rekha quipping “Why can't I marry a woman?” in an interview with Simi Garewal, here’s our homage to the most timeless queer icons.

SRIDEVI

Sridevi was admired her commitment to self-expression, no matter how outrageous, klutzy, or garish.

She was known for playing characters who were varying degrees of different — misfits, underdogs, brazen vigilantes.

She was the epitome of on-screen rebellion. She channelled camp and glamour in an era when Bollywood barely recognized queerness.

MADONNA

“Voguing” is among the most unapologetically queer of art forms, originating from dance balls in Harlem.

Madonna sampled it in the David Fincher-directed music video for her smash hit song.

Heavy on disco but also cutting-edge with a killer bass line, “Vogue” topped the charts of over 30 countries, becoming the highest-selling single of the year, an indispensable Pride anthem.

REKHA

Rekha delivered a signature style that is inimitable in its idiosyncrasy.

From high-octane ‘80s maximalism in Khoon Bhari Maang to shimmering anaarkalis in Umrao Jaan, she defined a transcendent, expressive sartorial palette that is divorced from fleeting fads and temporary trends.

DAVID BOWIE

Ziggy Stardust, Bowie’s alter ego, was created in 1971, and was featured in one of Bowie’s most famous albums: ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust’ and the ‘Spiders from Mars’.

Everything about the character, from the way he dressed to the way he acted on stage, was a step forward for queer representation and influenced many of our queer icons today.