What do William Shakespeare, Tennessee Williams, and Oscar Wilde have in common? For one thing, each of their works is most likely being dramatised somewhere in the world at any given moment. But there is a lesser known, far more significant common denominator: Shakespeare, Williams, and Wilde - arguably three of the greatest playwrights who ever lived - were gay. They join 97 other entrants on an esteemed ranking of men and women - by action or example - have allowed homosexuals to take their place in the world.
Encompassing 2,500 years, the list includes individuals as diverse as Socrates and Freddie Mercury; as Alexander the Great and the Material Girl. Some were married with children, closeted until the day they died; others freely acknowledged their sexuality - and more than a few suffered for it.
At once uplifting and heart-wrenching, these one hundred portraits capture the real people behind the legends and affirm that gay men and lesbians have been an integral part of history from ancient times through the present day.
