Line #218 Main/LGBTFanbase


1	!This trope is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=17052471600.30683200 under discussion]] in the Administrivia/TropeRepairShop.
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7	%% Please place examples in alphabetical order.
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9	[[quoteright:275:[[Series/DoctorWho https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/qdtl_cover_2194.png]]]]
10
11	->'''Interviewer:''' How does it feel to have a huge gay fan base?\
12	'''Joey:''' Really, me? Wow, I don't even know any huge gay people.
13	-->-- ''Series/{{Friends}}'', "[[Recap/FriendsS8E19TheOneWithJoeysInterview The One With Joey's Interview]]"
14
15	When a story (or a character within the story) resonates strongly with the UsefulNotes/{{LGBT community}} without being specifically made for them.
16
17	The reason for this is not always known. Maybe it's intentional {{Fanservice}}, maybe it's merely unintentional fetish fuel, a [[RainbowLens plotline that inadvertently acts as a metaphor for LGBT experiences]], or maybe just relatable CharacterDevelopment of an AudienceSurrogate (whether intentional or not). Not all LGBT Fanbases are unintentional; quite a bit revolves around canon LGBT characters or relationships. It could be "acceptable" HomoeroticSubtext by creators who are otherwise straight, as with ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack''. It could even have started unintentionally but later [[WordOfGay have been made official]] to please [[AscendedFanon the acknowledged fans]], as famously happened with ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess''. If the trope is applied to musical artists, you can expect them to be a popular musical choice for LGBT-friendly bars and annual Pride events.
18
19	Whatever the case, this trope is for when a work appeals to the LGBT community as well as the mainstream world.
20
21	HoYay can be considered a subtrope of LGBT Fanbase when the fans are LGBT, but YaoiFangirls and {{Yuri Fan}}s do that too. Whichever way you put it, the fans are here, and the fans are queer.
22
23	When editing examples, keep in mind that '''a LGBT fanbase doesn't have to be unintentional''' (compare PeripheryDemographic). Works centering on LGBT+ experiences, often made by LGBTPlusCreators, go under QueerMedia. See also LGBTRepresentationInMedia, QueerShowGhetto, WatchedItForTheRepresentation.
24
25	----
26
27	!!The following works have developed a definite LGBT Fanbase:
28	[[index]]
29	* LGBTFanbase/AnimeAndManga
30	* LGBTFanbase/ComicBooks
31	* LGBTFanbase/AnimatedFilms
32	* LGBTFanbase/LiveActionFilms
33	* LGBTFanbase/{{Literature}}
34	* LGBTFanbase/LiveActionTV
35	* LGBTFanbase/{{Music}}
36	* LGBTFanbase/VideoGames
37	* LGBTFanbase/WesternAnimation
38	[[/index]]
39	[[foldercontrol]]
40
41	[[folder:Advertising]]
42	* Tony the Tiger, the mascot of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes (or, Frosties). The size of his gay male fanbase is grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat!
43	* There is a commercial for a suicide prevention campaign for San Diego County in California called [=Up2SD=] that features a guy that matches the "workman bear" look, standing around in a ''bottle factory'', describing his suicidal feelings as such, [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant "I feel so empty inside, there's nothing left."]] The AccidentalInnuendo thus turns the commercial into instant {{narm}} and HehHehYouSaidX.
44	%% * The Charmin Bears, mascot of Charmin toilet paper.
45	* There are a considerable number of people who envy the man in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9HFH2k8bzY this]] Advertising/{{Orangina}} ad. The UsefulNotes/FurryFandom is understandably all over this particular marketing concept.
46	[[/folder]]
47
48	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
49	* ''ComicStrip/RupertBear'': Pong-Ping has a few LGBTQ+ fans who like to headcanon him as a trans girl (due to him being [[GenderFlip Gender-Flipped]] into Ping-Pong in ''Rupert Bear, Follow the Magic...'')
50	* Jughead of ''Franchise/ArchieComics'' fame has always been interpreted by some as asexual, but when [[ComicBook/ArchieComics2015 the revival series]] not only [[WordOfGay canonised that interpretation]] but actually delved into it in a nuanced and intelligent way, he exploded onto the scene as a universally beloved asexual icon. Some asexuals and aromantics have even said that that comic series was the best representation they've seen of themselves ''ever''.
51	[[/folder]]
52
53	[[folder:Mythology and Religion]]
54	* Most of Myth/{{Classical mythology}} -- especially Hellenic mythology -- falls under this.
55	** Sexual relations between men were widely accepted and practiced in Ancient Greece, and tolerated in Rome.[[note]]Although this would today be perceived as gay, the cultural background of the Greek ancient world has quite less in common with the present concept of homosexuality. While today being gay (or queer in any way) is associated with an identity and homosexual (or any non-heterosexual) relationships as a (Western, contemporary) concept/ideal turn on romantic relationships between equal partners, it was different back then. In ancient Greece it was more about pederasty, in which a boy/young man (usually pubescent) was [[LoverAndBeloved the "beloved" and was educated by an (older) adult man, the "lover"]]. Sexual relations between them were seen as a normal part of the student-teacher relationship (although there were different levels of acceptance of this depending on the city state or specific time period). It was not intended to be permanent (in fact, it was expected to end once the younger one grew up), romantic or monogamous (men could be in different relations like this, also with different roles) and the partners ''must not'' be equal (huge age difference, teacher-student only). It was just normal, even expected for men in such relationships to be married to a woman without getting blamed for infidelity. This also applied to men specifically; since the ancient Greek society was very patriarchal, focusing on male elites (maybe more than today) there are few sources about sexual relations between women (erotic poems by {{Creator/Sappho}} of Lesbos being the main one-it's from her name we get the term "lesbian", plus "[[UsefulNotes/{{Sapphism}} sapphic]]" and "sapphist", older ones for the same thing.[[/note]] As a result, vast swathes of Ancient Greek mythological figures have serious HoYay going on, and on top of that, many have explicit romantic relationships with the same sex. Furthermore, most of the Gods were bisexual. Things were toned down in Roman times (the original Narcissus myth had him spurning a male suitor) but a lot still lingered on. Greek mythology has subsequently inspired a lot of homoerotic art, such as this [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/The_Death_of_Hyacinthos.gif painting]] of Apollo cradling Hyacinth. For the Greeks and Romans however, who was "top" versus "bottom" were the defining aspects of relationships (same-sex or not). In ancient Rome, men "bottoming" to others was taboo and could result in the status of "infamy", i.e. a loss of civil rights. Being a "top" was acceptable however.
56	** Achilles and Patroclus are, without a doubt, one of the biggest examples. Their relationship was extremely close and intimate, they speak to one another like lovers, Achilles went into a massive RoaringRampageOfRevenge when Patroclus died and his last request in his own death was to have his and Patroclus' ashes mixed together so they could be together for all eternity in death.
57	** [[MakingASplash Poseidon]] and [[PrettyBoy Nerites]]. They ''mutually fell in love'' (that's ''huge'' by Greek Mythology standards) and even [[HomosexualReproduction had a son together]] (a son who went on to become the God of Reciprocated Love). Unfortunately, things didn't end well for them, after [[PowerOfTheSun Helios]] (or [[LoveGoddess Aphrodite]] in some versions) turned Nerites into a shellfish because he (or she) was jealous.
58	** Several Greek Goddess are beloved by asexuals and aromantics for being boldly swearing against marriage or sexual contact with men, most often Artemis but sometimes Athena and Hestia as well. Many lesbians and bi women also find Artemis' lifestyle of living in the wilderness with her band of maidens appealing, although Artemis disallowed ''all'' sexual relationships, not just ones involving men.
59	* ''Literature/TheBible'':
60	** The story of [[HerHeartWillGoOn David and Jonathan]]. Though David had no fewer than ''eight'' wives, he was said to have loved [[ClosetKey Jonathan]] with a passion above all other people. The HoYay of this relationship has been [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_and_David#Homoeroticism acknowledged and celebrated in art]] at least since the Renaissance.
61	** [[LovelyAngels Ruth and Naomi]] have some significance in the lesbian community as well.
62	* Nearly any {{mytholog\|y}}ical hero or WorthyOpponent in a world of [[AmbiguouslyGay ambiguous]] or [[HoYay blatantly homoerotic]] sexuality. Heracles, the Minotaur, Zephyrus and Hyacinth, [[Myth/CelticMythology Cú Chulainn]], Literature/{{Beowulf}}...
63	* It's been noted by at least one organization and several psychologists that transgender children are often fond of merpeople. This doesn't only apply to trans girls and mermaids either, as trans boys and nonbinary children also show this interest. One theory is that merpeople are fascinating because they have human tops but nondescript, androgynous bottoms. There's also the fact that [[Literature/TheLittleMermaid the most famous mermaid]] in the Western world (and especially [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989 the Disney movie most kids would be familiar with]]) undergoes a story arc about changing her body to be able to live the life she wants--and in the Disney movie, she succeeds. The fascination is so prominent than one trans rights charity is outright called "Mermaids".
64	* Myth/CelticMythology has its own fair share, namely "[[http://gemaecca.blogspot.com/2008/08/playful-mating-with-another-woman.html The Tale of Niall Frossach/Niall of the Nine Showers]]" being popular among bi and gay women. The gist of the story is a woman who got pregnant despite not having been with a man in years and needs the [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure king's]] divine wisdom to determine the father. She admits that she engaged in "[[UnusualEuphemism playful mating]]" with another woman, from which the king deduces that the other woman had recently been with a man and passed on his seed to this woman when they "mated." Any embarrassment involved between the mother and the king is more about talking about such a personal issue (like asking a politician about a personal medical condition) than homophobia, and in the [[WeirdnessMagnet king's]] case, he's so embarrassed he shoots [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext heat waves directly upwards that knocks down a priest being tortured by sky demons after]] [[DealWithTheDevil selling his soul]] [[SkewedPriorities to quickly fix his roof]]. In other words, ''girl-on-girl sex saved a man of the cloth from eternal damnation.''
65	* [[Myth/NorseMythology Loki]] is well noted for being beloved by trans and genderfluid audiences because he shifts genders pretty casually in recorded sources. The fact that he is something of an underdog only makes him more sympathetic for marginalised audiences.
66	[[/folder]]
67
68	[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
69	* AJ Styles has a following in the gay community as shown in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpZCKnha464 this infamous interview question]].
70	[[/folder]]
71
72	[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
73	* Franchise/TheMuppets:
74	** Miss Piggy is cited as somewhat of a queer icon due to being both a classic diva and is traditionally played by a male performer. She's even made appearances at LGBT-related fundraisers at least twice.
75	** Gonzo became somewhat of a meme among queer folk (arguably more so than Miss Piggy) due to being considered an outsider even by Muppet standards which a lot of queer children tend to relate to. There's also [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cr2Lg9YUsAAdXpl.jpg one comic strip]] that circulated where he goes to the bathroom labeled "Whatever", and while it's mostly in reference to his ambigious species it regardless became a meme among non-binary people.
76
77	[[/folder]]
78
79	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
80	* An InUniverse example in the "Ecksian Cart Wars" setting for ''TabletopGame/DiscworldRoleplayingGame'': Arena manager Auntie Ante (a parody of Aunt Entity in ''Film/MadMaxBeyondThunderdome''), is said to have a fanbase within Bugrup's trans/crossdressing community, with the explanation that her "Amazonian femininity" appeals to those who are working on their own female identities.
81	* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
82	** The elven TopGod Corellon Larethian has been [[{{Elfeminate}} described as androgynous]] since 1980, and is able to appear as male, female, both or neither - art for the 3rd Edition ''Deities and Demigods'' sourcebook even [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/corellon_p63.png depicts Corellon]] with rainbow-colored eye-liner. Then the 5th Edition ''Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes'' book explained that some elves have the "blessing of Corellon" and are able to change their sex at will after an eight-hour rest, part of a conscious attempt by Wizards of the Coast to embrace its LGBTQ players and make gender fluidity part of the game's official lore.
83	** Traditionally, a character's "astral self," as generated by the spell ''{{astral projection}}'', looked identical to their sleeping body, save for the infinitely-long silver cord extending back from their heads. But the 5E [[BareFistedMonk Monk]] subclass that follows the "Way of the Astral Self" learns to manifest their astral body in combat, and in a nod to trans players, a sidebox notes that a character's astral self doesn't necessarily look anything like the monk's physical body. "For example, the astral self of a lanky human might be reminiscent of a minotaur - the strength of which the monk feels within. Similarly, an orc monk might manifest gossamer arms and a delicate visage, representing the gentle beauty of the orc's soul. Each astral self is unique, and some of the monks of this monastic tradition are known more for the appearance of their astral self than for their physical appearance."
84	* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'''s publishers have explicitly stated their intent to appeal to a wide variety of players, regardless of race, gender or sexual preference. As such, many of the setting's iconic characters, [=NPCs=], or deities are gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual, or trans: for example, in the licensed comic book series the [[OfficialCouple main romantic pairing]] is a lesbian couple (and an [[InterspeciesRomance interspecies one]] between a light-skinned elf and a brown human, no less), and two prominent {{NPC}}s in the ''Wrath of the Righteous'' campaign for 1st Edition are a married trans woman and half-orc woman. Paizo has also said that unless specified otherwise, any romanceable NPC has a compatible sexuality with whatever PC chooses to romance them--and they almost never specify otherwise.
85	[[/folder]]
86
87	[[folder:Theatre]]
88	* To the (limited) extent that AllGaysLoveTheater is TruthInTelevision, all musical theater has a gay fanbase.
89	* ''Theatre/TheChildrensHour'' is about two women being accused of being in a relationship in the early 20th century. Despite its [[BuryYourGays notoriously depressing]] ending the play, and especially the '60s movie, are a hit with queer women. Several {{Fix Fic}}s exist for the ending.
90	* ''Theatre/{{Elisabeth}}'' has developed a LGBT fanbase thanks to: Death being OtherworldlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous in some productions being a hit with nonbinary people (and people attracted to nonbinaryness), his seduction of both Elisabeth and Rudolf (the latter is still kept in productions with an intensely masculine Death), and Creator/TakarazukaRevue's all-women cast leading to LesYay (technically HoYay) abounding.
91	* Creator/TakarazukaRevue also has a queer fanbase. Despite the upper management being largely comprised of men, queer fans are drawn to the Revue partially because of their portrayals of queer relationship and characters. Two out of three of Zuka's flagship shows have queer relationships and main characters that straddle the line of gender conformity: ''Manga/TheRoseOfVersailles'' (Oscar Francois de Jarjayes is a girl raised as a boy and typically portrayed by ''otokoyaku'', male role actresses) and ''Theatre/{{Elisabeth}}'' (Death, as mentioned above). Fans repulsed by other media's overt portrayal of sexuality (due to asexuality and/or personal trauma) have also found a home in Zuka's choreography of intimacy between characters regardless of orientation. (Zuka actresses are technically not allowed to have their lips touch during kissing scenes, but accidents do happen.)
92	* A lot of Creator/WilliamShakespeare's work has a gay fanbase, as does the man himself, but ''Theatre/TwelfthNight'' in particular is a favorite among queer readers. It makes sense when you consider all the HoYay (Antonio's feelings for Sebastian are nearly canon), LesYay (yes, Olivia thinks Viola's a guy, but ''still''), blurry gender lines (especially since, through a contemporary lens, it's easy to see Viola as trans or nonbinary), and the fact that most modern productions go full-force with the {{Camp}}.
93	* ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}'' has outrageously good musical numbers, a strong emphasis on female relationships, attractive leads, and is based on ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' (which already has a LGBT fanbase). It has many LGBT fans as a result. Gelphie is canon per WordOfGay in the books and musical, and it [[HomoeroticSubtext shows]]. It's common to joke that the girls mistook their budding attraction for [[FoeRomanceSubtext "loathing"]]. So as of now, both Dorothy and the Wicked Witch of the West are gay icons.
94	[[/folder]]
95
96	[[folder:Toys]]
97	* Mattel's doll line "Creatable World" has proven to be quite popular with LGBT members of the Doll Community (Particularly Trans & Non-Binary collectors.). But considering the nature and theme of the dolls is as they put it "a doll line designed to keep labels out and invite everyone in" this was possibly intentional.
98	* Surprisingly, ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' gained a following of transgender women around the start of The New Twenties, most of whom grew up with brand before to their transition. It also helps that many of the sets for female characters had gender-neutral body proportions and appearances, and that the one female character that did have an obviously female appearance is a member of a species where even the males share the same body proportions and anatomy as the females.
99	* BLÅHAJ, a large shark plush toy sold at IKEA, has gained a significant fan following in the transgender community. IKEA Canada eventually [[AscendedMeme acknowledged this]] by producing a limited edition blue-and-pink striped BLÅHAJ and offering them in a giveaway to transgender people.
100	* What's the best-selling doll of Ken, Franchise/{{Barbie}}'s boyfriend? It's [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earring_Magic_Ken Earring Magic Ken]]. The reason for its popularity? He looks just like a CampGay stereotype with a purple mesh shirt and leather vest, a single earring, and a necklace that some interpreted as a cock ring. As a result, it gained a huge PeripheryDemographic of gay men, who rushed to toy stores in droves to buy it, before controversy caused Earring Magic Ken to be recalled.
101	* ''Toys/{{Monster High}}'' has this in spades. The themes of acceptance, conquering prejudice, and the creator himself being gay have contributed. This only heightened with Generation 3 having Frankie Stein be nonbinary and have an implied romantic interest in Cleo De Nile.
102	[[/folder]]
103
104	[[folder:Web Animation]]
105	* ''WebAnimation/{{Alphabet}}'': The popular ship of F and N, as well as the simple and cute character designs have resulted in the series attracting many young LGBT fans, with ships and headcanons regarding sexuality and personal relationships flourishing.
106	* ''WebAnimation/HelluvaBoss'', being a spin-off of ''Hazbin Hotel'' (see Western Animation), largely shares the same fanbase and has a lot of content along the same veins (Blitzo is pansexual and voiced by openly gay WebVideo/BrandonRogers, Moxxie is bisexual and his sister-in-law is a trans woman who is in turn voiced by trans woman Morgana Ignis, Stolas is implied to be demisexual with a single-target attraction towards Blitzo and most of Verosika Mayday's entire entourage are SuccubiAndIncubi with all of the tropes that imply, just to name a few examples).
107	* ''WebAnimation/InanimateInsanity'' his a pretty sizable LGBTQ fanbase, likely due to the show having several canonically trans characters like [[spoiler:Paintbrush]] and [[spoiler: Bot]].
108	* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': From very early on in the series, Monty and the cast, several of whom are members of the LGBTQ community, were open about the show having LGBT characters who would gradually come out to the audience. This attracted LGBTQ fans to the work, including some prominant LGBTQ fan artists. In Volume 5, Ilia became the show's first openly LGBTQ character, with Volume 6 introducing the first LGBTQ family unit through Jaune's sister, Saphron, and her wife and son. They have since been joined by other named characters, such as May Marigold, [[Literature/RWBYAfterTheFall Coco Adel]], and [[Literature/RWBYBeforeTheDawn Scarlet David]], with Volume 7 confirming ShipTease exists between fan-favourite pairing, Blake and Yang.
109	[[/folder]]
110
111	[[folder:Webcomics]]
112	%%* ''Webcomic/CarpeDiem''
113	* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', of the main ten characters, two are genderfluid, a third is asexual, a fourth is effectively pansexual, a fifth is questioning, a sixth is effectively trans, and a seventh and an eighth are bisexual. The last two are a lesbian and a gay guy. There are also a couple of explicitly transgender people plus several lesbians, gays, and bisexuals. Though the comic is not explicitly aimed at the LGBT community, its LGBT content receives prominent focus so it may be considered QueerMedia as well. It helps that the author is bisexual and describes his gender identity as "[[http://egscomics.com/comic/2016-06-02 Non-committal shrug]]". Also helped by the author being willing to listen to criticisms about UnfortunateImplications in early strips, admit that the parts that are problematic, and making a serious effort after that to be respectful about how gender identity and sexual orientation got treated.
114	* ''Webcomic/TheGlassScientists'' has an entire queer main cast and deals with themes that resonate with a lot of LGBTQ-people, such as hiding your true self to gain acceptance from mainstream society, and the shame,self-loathing and anger that comes with it. Needless to say, it has a lot of queer fans.
115	* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' features an entire race of EveryoneIsBi trolls. Because of this (as well as a lot of HoYay and fairly thoughtful treatment of queerness altogether) it has become rather popular among LGBT people. [[LipstickLesbian Kanaya]] is especially popular. Among the humans, Dirk is gay (though he doesn't identify with the term), Jake is bisexual or pansexual, Rose is in a relationship with the aforementioned Kanaya, and Dave is bisexual. The only ones confirmed to ''not'' be gay are John and (offhandedly) Jane, and there's some evidence towards the former being asexual, and the latter having a SingleTargetSexuality - for her best friend Jake, and [[CelebrityCrush Ron Swanson]].
116	%%* ''Webcomic/LastRes0rt''
117	* ''Webcomic/MenageA3'' has a big LGBT fanbase as a majority of the cast can be seen to fall into EveryoneIsBi and the HoYay and LesYay is in amble supply.
118	%%* ''Webcomic/PennyAndAggie''
119	%%* ''Webcomic/{{Profiles}}''
120	* ''Webcomic/StandStillStaySilent'': The comic is written with the intention of showing nothing more intimate than close friendship on-panel and leaving any {{Shipping}} to the fandom. The OddFriendship of two of the male characters runs on a platonic version of LanguageOfLove and went on to become a very popular romantic pairing. While cases can be made for some heterosexual couples as well, there is enough HoYay and LesYay within the rest of the fairly small cast for CastFullOfGay to show up fairly often in fanfic. Throw in ViewerGenderConfusion-inducing character designs, a world showing a few signs of GenderIsNoObject and the canon situation making asexuality a possibility for the entire main cast, and you get a quite LGBT-friendly work.
121	* ''Webcomic/TheirStory'' is a Chinese webcomic about two girls who fall in love. It's terribly adorable and LGBT people love it.
122	* ''Webcomic/VinciAndArty'' is a comic about a canonically gay couple[[note]]one of them is CampGay, the other doesn't concern himself that much with gender issues in his romantic interests[[/note]] living together, and as such gets a fair bit of interest from the LGBT portion of the UsefulNotes/FurryFandom.
123	* ''Webcomic/{{Wuffle}}'' has one as a decent portion of its fandom, partly because of its artist's other works and the [[MrFanservice main character]].
124	[[/folder]]
125
126	[[folder:Web Original]]
127	* ''Podcast/TheAdventureZone'' has a very large LGBT following. This is helped by many characters themselves being LGBT. The creators know about this and have gone to great lengths to avoid negative cliches and tropes of the LGBT in media while also providing great characters for those to look up to. In fact, when they introduced a lesbian couple only to kill them off, the podcast faced some criticism for falling under a [[BuryYourGays very well known trope.]] They rectified this by bringing in a new lesbian couple, while also reviving the previous couple.
128	* ''Podcast/ThePenumbraPodcast'' features a large cast of predominantly LGBT characters (particularly the ''Juno Steel'' storyline, which is set in a distant future where gender and sexuality are non-issues and, as of season 3, has an [[CastFullOfGay entirely LGBT main cast]]); as such, the series attracts a large queer following.
129	* WebVideo/BuzzfeedUnsolved has a large gay following. Shane on [[https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/7hzugm/hi_reddit_its_ryan_and_shane_from_buzzfeed_in_our/dqv6avd/ Reddit]] said he was delighted about it, and you can find many gay women on Tumblr who adore Maizie, a holographic corn lesbian in the Hot Daga, who was introduced getting married to her girlfriend and whose whole motivation is to undo BuryYourGays.
130	* ''WebVideo/CarmillaTheSeries'' has a large LGBT following on the internet, due to the implications that [[CastFullOfGay none of the characters are hetereosexual]], [[LesbianVampire Carmilla herself]], a smart [[UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} nonbinary character]] and most of the actors and production team being [[CastFullOfGay LGBT themselves.]] It helps that the original story is a [[Literature/{{Carmilla}} famous example]] of classic LGBT-related literature.
131	* Dom of ''WebVideo/TheDomReviews'' has garnered a significant queer following over the years due to sheer amount of respect he shows to the community. He goes out of his way to give glowing reviews to LGBT-themed novels he finds, openly calls out and gets rid of any bigotry that shows up in his comments, once checked in with the bi community because he was worried his blue-purple-pink background was appropriative, and dropped JK Rowling very quickly after her transphobic attitude became more evident.
132	* The ''WebVideo/DreamSMP'' has quite a large one. Dream, Wilbur and Schlatt often [[HoYay jokingly flirt]] with the people around them, no matter their gender. There's also some representation in the roleplay, as several server-members have gotten into same-gender relationships with one another as characters... and by this, we mean about [[CastFullOfGay half the cast is either queer or implied to be queer in one way or another]]. About 30% of the content creators are also LGBTQ in real life.[[note]]Dream himself having an unlabelled sexuality, Ponk using all pronouns, Eret being bi and using all pronouns other than it/its, Niki and Puffy also being bi, Eryn being bi and using he/they pronouns, Boomer using he/they pronouns, Antfrost being gay, Karl being on the ace spectrum, Tina [[https://twitter.com/tinakittenalt/status/1399858112819974154 leaning towards being demi]] (an aspec identity), Aimsey being a lesbian who uses all pronouns, and Ranboo being gay and using he/they pronouns.[[/note]]
133	* ''WebVideo/GameGrumps'' quickly gained a following of LGBT fans, helped by the copious amounts of HoYay the various Grumps use in any episode. No really, pick any episode with Arin and count how many times he talks about penetrating an asshole, most often Dan's or Jon's.
134	-->'''Jon:''' Wow, we're close to the microphone now!\
135	'''Arin:''' ''(suggestively)'' Oh my god. Take it.\
136	'''Jon:''' So, next time on Game Grumps, we-\
137	'''Arin:''' Take it, Jon.\
138	'''Jon:''' Take what?\
139	'''Arin:''' ''Take it.''
140	* WebVideo/Jerma985 has a downright massive one, to the extent where "gay people talk about big Jerma streams like they're the Superbowl" is a popular joke online. Much of this stems from the {{camp}}y, elaborate nature of Jerma's content and the lack of any prominent "dudebro" elements. This section of Jerma's fanbase further increased in size after he [[https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/jerma985-speaks-out-over-transphobia-and-lgbt-hate-in-his-twitch-chat-1528557/ explicitly called out]] transphobic chat members, ([[https://youtu.be/t6MWTxlKLRE&t=22 video link]]) and voiced solidarity with the LGBT+ community.
141	* ''Podcast/WelcomeToNightVale'' has a pretty large queer following, considering its only featured canon couple is a gay couple, and the fact it never makes a big deal out of them being gay.
142	[[/folder]]
143
144	[[folder:Real Life]]
145	* Many job occupations have earned the LGBT Fanbase of gay men everywhere, especially the manliest, most rugged and hottest-looking careers. Sometimes the HotMenAtWork don't have to be from modern times, but can be from occupations OlderThanDirt. Certain careers have since been glamorized in the LGBT Fanbase because of either a famous [[TruthInTelevision gay person]] or a person who otherwise achieved gay icon status — for example, divers, after the fame of gay American diver Greg [[SignificantName Louganis]]. [[TransparentCloset Anderson Cooper]] appears to have also done the same for newscasting.
146	* Not all male fashion designers are gay or bisexual, but many of them are, and fashion being a famously gay-friendly business, various designers have developed LGBT followings over the years.
147	** UsefulNotes/GianniVersace came out in the 1990s and even before he was officially out developed a huge LGBT fanbase who were drawn to his colorful, sexy and often outrageous designs.
148	** UsefulNotes/ChristianDior was never out publicly but is widely thought to have been gay. His "New Look" silhouette is a favorite among gay men, especially in its more campy iterations. There's also a persistent rumor that his death did not occur while eating lunch but while in bed with a young, male prostitute.
149	** UsefulNotes/YvesSaintLaurent is another designer who came out officially in the 1990s but lived in the TransparentCloset prior to that, openly cohabitating with his lover and business partner Pierre Bergé. He pioneered androgynous styles for women that were embraced by women of all sexualities.
150	** Other designers with a large LGBT following include Pierre Balman, Michael Kors, Tom Ford, Valentino and Jean Paul Gaultier, to name just a few.
151	* Various famous people past and present have developed significant gay admiration today, and often believed to have been gay or bi. Examples that are either straight or of [[AmbiguouslyGay unclear sexuality]] include:
152	** Famously with UsefulNotes/JamesBuchanan, believed by many to have possibly been the first LGBT President of the United States. However, given Buchanan's distinct lack of esteem compared to Lincoln, turning up on most historians' lists of America's ''worst'' presidents, he tends not to come up nearly as often.[[/note]]
153	** Music/ColePorter. He was in the closet (and had a [[TheBeard beard]]), but some of his lyrics are believed to contain HomoeroticSubtext.
154	** Creator/JamesWhale, the gay director of ''Film/{{Frankenstein 1931}}'', ''Film/BrideOfFrankenstein'', and ''Film/{{The Invisible Man 1933}}''. The film ''Film/GodsAndMonsters'' is about his life. His films are also thought to have homoerotic subtext, especially ''Bride''.
155	* This tends to happen with medieval Arabic and Persian poetry, since in order not to ruin a woman's honour, Islamic poets often wrote odes to beautiful young boys. And in mystical Sufi poetry, God was seen as a distant, teasing beloved, also male--the poems were about agape but presented through eros. Historians and translators often throw apoplectic fits when gay readers ''dare'' love poets like Rumi because of the m/m symbolism.
156	* There are a number of straight male athletes who have large gay followings, to which they respond with varying degrees of warmth; some, like rugby star Ben Cohen, go so far as to pose for nude pictures and market them to their male fans.
157	* Kellan Lutz ([[Film/{{Twilight}} Emmett Cullen]]) has quite a few gay fans. He has lampshaded this in interviews, but has said that he really loves his gay fanbase.
158	* The WNBA has a healthy LGBT fanbase, and a fair number of lesbian or bisexual players, and has embraced it over the years. Most teams hold annual Pride Nights, mixers, or both. Not all players are welcoming.
159	* As does the National Women's Soccer League, the current top level of US women's soccer.
160	* Women's professional golf, especially the LPGA Tour in the US, also has a significant lesbian/bisexual presence among players and fans. In fact, one of the biggest gatherings of lesbians in the country, held in the Palm Springs, California area, had coincided for several decades with the first major championship of the LPGA season, the event now known as the Chevron Championship. While the golf tournament moved to the Houston area in 2023, the lesbian gathering continues to this day, and has frequently been called "spring break for lesbians".
161	* [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff Brazilians love volleyball]], and the female version is very popular among lesbians, if not LGBT as a whole, as there's no dearth of lesbian or bisexual players.
162	* Unsurprisingly, the UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco Bay Area's major league sports teams--the [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball Giants]] ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and the Oakland Athletics]]), the [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague 49ers]], the [[UsefulNotes/NationalHockeyLeague San Jose Sharks]], and the [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation Golden State Warriors]]--all acknowledge their LGBT fans in various ways, such as annual Pride Nights and anti-bullying efforts.
163	* The UsefulNotes/{{Bodybuilding}} hobby has notoriously had a gay male fanbase historically, in particular during the era of the so-called "physique" magazines of the 1950s and 1960s. In much of the western world, nascent gay male culture coalesced to a degree around publications which were [[PoorMansPorn supposedly about fitness and training]] but were really created as an excuse to print photos of hot guys in minimal clothing. A few of these would later transform into more open gay porn or lifestyle publications. It should be noted that this didn't always go down well with bodybuilders themselves, some of whom were consciously homophobic with others more broadly uncomfortable with their hobby being sexualised.
164	* Creator/JudyGarland had a large LGBT fanbase. In fact, it's believed that her song "Over the Rainbow" is what inspired the LGBT movement's Rainbow Flag. [[note]] In the mid 20th century, "friend of Dorothy" was a euphemistic slang term for a gay man. Her funeral may have been one of the contributing factors to the Stonewall Riots as well. [[/note]] Her daughter, Creator/LizaMinnelli, has garnered a similar fanbase.
165	* Tammy Faye Messner has a following among [=LGBTQ+=] Christians, mainly because she was one of the few prominent Christian televangelists to support LGBT rights.
166	* As stated in this [[https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/06/how-subarus-came-to-be-seen-as-cars-for-lesbians/488042/ article in The Atlantic,]] Subaru's popularity with queer women (and later queer men) in the 1990s saved the company in North America, mainly because Subaru was one of the first car companies to directly target them in advertising.
167	* Similar to Subaru, Volkswagen has a following among gay men, mainly for their inclusiveness towards the [=LGBTQ+=] community (which earned Volkswagen of America honors from the Human Rights Campaign in 2017) and being another one of the few car companies to regularly target [=LGBTQ+=] audiences in advertising.
168	* Creator/LauraDern's open advocacy for gay rights and media representation throughout TheNineties led to a huge LGBT following, notably from gay men. Infamously, starring as Creator/EllenDeGeneres' lesbian friend in Ellen's eponymous sitcom (which was also the same episode two-parter where [=DeGeneres=] came out) [[NeverLiveItDown caused a backlash so huge]], her A-list popularity from being in ''Film/JurassicPark'' dropped like a stone and she only regained it in the 2010s, particularly from ''Series/{{Enlightened}}'' and ''Series/BigLittleLies''. In 2020, the Spirit Awards guest starred the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles, whose [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlQotkWWDQI song about gay subtext]] in 2019's films turned into serenading Dern for almost a minute.
169	* Standup comic Paula Poundstone identifies herself as asexual and androgynous and has a large following amongst [=LGBTs=], particularly lesbians.
170	* Inverted and doubling as IfItsYouItsOk, transgender porn star [[InconsistentSpelling Vaniity]] has a prominent straight male fanbase that are fully aware of her biological sex, but don't care. Her appearance at a convention showed them taking pictures, receiving kisses and happily letting her grind her (underwear-clad) junk on their heads no different than a typical night at a strip club.
171	* Creator/PedroPascal earned LGBT fans by portraying people on the spectrum, such as [[Series/GameOfThrones Oberyn Martell]], in a non-degrading manner, and by advocating for LGBT rights and acceptance, helped by putting his pronouns in his Website/{{Twitter}} name and his younger sister Lux coming out as transgender. While Pascal hasn't publicly referred to himself as gay, he doesn't seem to mind those who do; when he actively used Twitter for non-promotional purposes, he pushed Like on posts reading, "Pedro Pascal gay".
172	* Creator/CateBlanchett. Due to portraying a lesbian in the incredibly popular lesbian romance ''Film/{{Carol}}'', along with her tendency to often portray very powerful, assertive, badass female characters and also often wear suits or other androgynous clothing in Real Life, she has amassed an increasingly huge lesbian fanbase, to the extent that she's often referred to as being 'Queen of the Lesbians' or 'Queen of the Gays' on social media.
173	* Creator/{{Sanrio}}:
174	** The company has become popular in the LGBTQ community over time, thanks to works like ''Anime/SanrioBoys'' which has male characters bonding together over their love of Sanrio and with [[https://i.imgur.com/y7oHl9Q.jpg collabs for anime]] like ''Anime/YuriOnIce'' which features two male characters getting engaged after sharing their first kiss.
175	** Since Main/TheNewTens, the [[Anime/OnegaiMyMelody My Melody series]] has become popular with LGBTQ fans, with My Melody/Kuromi and [[https://www.clipartkey.com/mpngs/m/112-1123842_transparent-my-melody-png-my-sweet-piano-and.png My Melody/Piano becoming popular pairings.]] Especially [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DdbUqP5UwAAuYE9?format=jpg&name=small My Melody/Piano]] due to both having a very close relationship and [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D8e_YkTXUAEcLIV?format=jpg&name=orig Piano]] [[SweetSheep being the sweetest of My Melody's friends]] in Mariland.
176	** Though they're lesser known in the west, [[https://i.pinimg.com/564x/41/07/f5/4107f5f89f30d6887e3d7208ce03a4c5.jpg Wish me Mell/Maimai]] are also often seen as a couple since their relationship is on par with My Melody/Piano.
177	* Creator/KatieMcGrath has a very large lesbian fanbase from her LGBT roles in both ''Series/{{Dates}}'' and ''Series/Dracula2013''. This only grew due to the amount of LesYay between Lena Luthor and Kara Danvers on ''Series/Supergirl2015'' and her support of the [=SuperCorp=] ship.
178	* Creator/LanaParrilla has a large fanbase of lesbian and bisexual women going all the way back to her role as the AmbiguouslyBi Trina Decker on the short-lived ''Series/{{Swingtown}}''. This only increased after the airing of ''Series/OnceUponATime'', where her character, Regina Mills, has loads of LesYay with nearly every female character on the show, particularly Emma. Lana being very supportive to shippers of ''OUAT''[='=]s FanPreferredCouple, Regina/Emma (also known as [[IdiosyncraticShipNaming Swan Queen]]), has only endeared her more to her LGBT fans, especially in comparison to what many of them felt was her castmates' indifference.
179	* Creator/CharlizeTheron has a large group of LGBT fans online who openly admit to finding her drop dead gorgeous, especially following her CareerResurrection with her role as Furiosa in ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad''. It helps that she has played members of the LGBT community in films like ''Film/{{Monster}}'' and ''Film/AtomicBlonde'', as well appearing in LGBT friendly films like ''Film/TheOldGuard''. In fact, a large part of the lesbian and bisexual female fans of ''Film/TheSchoolForGoodAndEvil2022'' have admitted to watching it just to see Theron in a pantsuit.
180	* Creator/RossLynch has a large fanbase of gay men thanks to his status as a teen heartthrob turning him into MrFanservice.
181	* Creator/GwendolineChristie has a very vocal lesbian and bisexual fanbase online, even as far back as her role as Brienne of Tarth on ''Series/GameOfThrones'', and it was only increased by her time on ''Series/{{Wednesday}}'' as Larissa Weems. This is mainly due to both her tendency to play strong female roles and her [[EvenGirlsWantHer being very beautiful]].
182	* Creator/AlyciaDebnamCarey has a large group of lesbian and bisexual fans, mainly due to her role as the lesbian Lexa on ''Series/The100''.
183	[[/folder]]

Context Main / LGBTFanbase