Every year, more and more celebrities come out as being part of the LGBTQ+ community, but there are even more famous stars who feel like they are family even though they’re not. These stars may be fierce allies, have massive queer fanbases, or simply have a gay aura, but identify as straight.
A social media post recently went viral on X (formerly Twitter), racking up more than a million views, for pointing out that there are celebs out there who you would be shocked to know are actually heterosexual.
"bob fosse is likely the only man to ever actually be sexually straight but culturally gay," the post reads.
What does it mean to be "culturally gay," and which celebrities fall into this camp?
What does 'culturally gay' mean?
Some celebrities fit so perfectly into gay culture, are often part of the queer zeitgeist, and often even read as gay, but then only sleep with opposite sex partners.
It's often so confusing that these stars have to quite literally come out as straight because fans refuse to believe they aren't bumping purses with the same gender.
"Sexually straight but culturally gay" just means that while a celeb may be straight as an arrow, they are gay icons who have been adopted by the queer community.
Bob Fosse
Bob Fosse is one of the most influential dancers and choreographers of all time, who not only is responsible for gay faves like All That Jazz, Cabaret, and Chicago, but also worked with Liza Minnelli for years.
Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli is the ultimate gay icon. She’s the daughter of Judy Garland (also beloved by the gays), starred on Broadway and in the Cabaret movie, is one of only a handful of EGOT winners, has been a lifelong gay ally, and has a style and personality that can't be duplicated.
Darren Chris
Darren Chris first made a name for himself by starring as Kurt’s love interest Blaine in Glee and has been coming out as straight ever since.
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman’s star turn as Wolverine could have cemented him as a straight action hero, but then we all found out he's really a song and dance man. He may be dating Sutton Foster, but The Greatest Showman star is 100 percent culturally gay.
Stanley Tucci
The man has impeccable style, loves to cook elaborate meals, has a legendary Negroni recipe, and so convincingly played a gay man in The Devil Wears Prada, Burlesque, and Supernova. He's literally dubbed the "gayest straight actor you know."
Anne Hathaway
If her roles in Brokeback Mountain and The Devil Wears Prada didn’t cement her place as a member of the "sexually straight, culturally gay" club, then her style, beauty, and allyship surely have.
Cher
We’re not sure we even need to explain this one. Whether it’s her constant support for her trans son, her affinity for the company of gay men, her flamboyant fashion sense, or the way she belts out ballads like the diva she is, Cher has always been culturally gay, no matter who she shares her bed with.
Madonna
Not only was Madonna an early and unwavering LGBTQ+ supporter, but she brought ballroom culture into the mainstream with "Vogue." She's always put sexuality at the forefront of her music career and never gets on stage in anything less than a fierce look.
Baz Luhrmann
The fact that the director who created Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge isn’t gay is proof why the phrase "sexually straight but culturally gay" needs to exist.
Vincent Price
If anyone is "sexually straight but culturally gay," it’s the campiest actor to ever act.
Britney Spears
The gays love a diva! Combine that with how much play her music gets in gay clubs, her outsider status in Hollywood, and the way she is unapologetically too much all the time, and you’ve got a gay icon who is also definitely straight.
