Diversity Rules Magazine

14 Diversity Rules Magazine June 2019 Tony Guadag- nino is a mar- ke ng consul- tant. Located in New Jersey, his clients are based across the country, focusing on social media to build their presence on the internet. He studied crea ve wri ng in college and is currently working his first novel on the subject of bullying. He lives with his partner Mark. There are a plethora of female singers from the 1970s who can be classified as "Gay Icons." In the 1970s, women began changing the lyrics of sug- ary love songs to tunes of independence. Women weren't just singing men's songs; women were writ- ing their own hits. It was the 1970s that we were introduced to Linda Rondstadt, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, Carole King, Debbie Harry, and many others. Personally, I call them "Women With A tude;" their persona on stage gave the fans the feeling that they would kick your bu in an alley if you messed with them. In music, there are two specific women of the 1970s who define sibling rivalry and yet hold the high stan- dards of a Gay Icon. Who are they? BETTE MIDLER and CHER Be e Midler began her illustri- ous career in the late 1960's, playing small roles on Broadway shows as Fiddler On The Roof and Salva on. But it was 1970 when she made the decision to perform at the Con nental Baths, a gay bathhouse in the Ansonia hotel. Accompanied by pianist Barry Manilow, it was there that she began to build her core following of gay men. She appreciated the au- dience of gay men, draped in towels and disrup ng their "visi ng hours" to watch her perform. It was here where Be e developed her "Divine Miss M" persona, one that she s ll uses today. In the late 1990s, during the release of her album Bathhouse Be y, she commented about her me there (Houston Voice, 1998): Despite the way things turned out [with the AIDS crisis], I'm s ll proud of those days. I feel like I was at the forefront of the gay libera on movement, and I hope I did my part to help move it forward. So, I kind of wear the label of 'Bathhouse Be y' with pride." The Divine Ms. M always had edgy performance to her, making racy jokes at her concerts that would make parents cringe and leave the children at home. Her provoca ve wardrobe was flashy, and while she never exposed any nude part of her body, one would leave her show thinking she did. Be e has mellowed over the years, starring in a string of Dis- ney films, as well as contemporary classics like The Rose, Beaches, Hocus Pocus, and The First Wives Club. She has become an Emmy, Grammy and most recently, a Tony Award winner. However, she has never lost her essence. She s ll speaks her mind (check out her twi er feed). And she is at the fore- front of many LGBT events and chari es. Cher had a different start of her career, yet she's become an Icon of Gay Icons. Beginning in the 1960s, Cher was a part of the pop scene with her then-husband Sonny Bono, forming the team Sonny and Cher. With some hits like "I Got You Babe" and "The Beat Goes On," Cher and Sonny moved to television, and the famous Bob Mackie dressed Cher in provoca ve gowns that turned heads of many. Always lacking con- fidence, Cher's new a en on gave her the self- confidence that she needed to end her marriage and start a new career on her own, winning her Gay Icons By Tony Guadagnino

• Cover