04/07/2008
Out Names 50 Most Powerful Gays and Lesbians in America
OUT magazine has released its second annual "Power" issue, ranking the 50 most influential gays and lesbians in America. They write: "The rankings were determined by scoring each candidate on these criteria: (1) political clout; (2) pop-cultural resonance; (3) individual wealth; and (4) current personal profile."
At least one of them has never officially come out of the closet.
Check out who made the list, AFTER THE JUMP...
50. Kelly Bush
49. Benny Medina
48. Brian Swardstrom
47. Susan Arnold
46. Martina Navratilova
45. Jonathan Burnham
44. Bob Greenblatt
43. Adam Rose
42. Bryan Lourd
41. Carolyn Strauss
40. Christine Vachon
39. Jon Stryker
38. Lorri L. Jean
37. Simon Halls & Stephen Huvane
36. Annie Leibovitz
35. Randy Lovely
34. Craig Zadan & Neil Meron
33. Jim Nelson
32. Jeremy Bernard & Rufus Gifford
31. Rosie O'Donnell
30. Sheila Kuehl
29. Adam Moss
28. Tim Gunn
27. Jasper Johns
26. Fred Hochberg
25. Tom Ford
24. Suze Orman
23. Anthony Romero
22. Nick Denton
21. Nate Berkus
20. Andrew Sullivan
19. Greg Berlanti
18. Christine Quinn
17. Martha Nelson
16. Perez Hilton
15. Brian Graden
14. Rich Ross
13. Jodie Foster
12. The New York Times Gay Mafia
11. Scott Rudin
10. Peter Thiel
9. Marc Jacobs
8. Joe Solmonese
7. Jann Wenner
6. Andrew Tobias
5. Tim Gill
4. David Geffen
3. Anderson Cooper
2. Barney Frank
1. Ellen DeGeneres
(image source)
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 9:35 AM EST by Andy in Magazines, News | Permalink
Comments
How did Anderson and Jodie make the list? Are we just appointing gays now? They have never "officially" come out of the closet.
Posted by: Appointing Gays Now | Apr 7, 2008 9:41:41 AM
Is Out Magazine owned by the Aryan Nation?
Posted by: Derrick from PhIlly | Apr 7, 2008 9:47:00 AM
PEREZ HILTON? Give me a break!
Posted by: Allen | Apr 7, 2008 9:53:05 AM
Larry Craig didn't make the cut?
Posted by: John In Manhattan | Apr 7, 2008 9:58:26 AM
Jodie did kinda make it 'out'. However, my CNN wet dream is still in his armoire. OUT should have a separate list for the 100 Silliest Gays and head it with Perez Hilton. Maybe Clay Aiken would get an honorary mention.
Posted by: Jack Scribe | Apr 7, 2008 10:02:15 AM
If we are appointing gays as the first comment suggests can we start the paperwork to have Perez Hilton's credentials revoked?
Posted by: John M | Apr 7, 2008 10:04:51 AM
This why myself and so many people I know have stopped reading Out magazine. Plus the fact that they insist on putting straight people on their cover...Arent there enough Out gay people to put on there?
Posted by: Ethan | Apr 7, 2008 10:06:03 AM
Dave Annable from "Brothers & Sisters" is sadly not one of the 50 most powerful gays and lesbians in America. He's not even gay. So wtf is he doing on the cover?
I do love Greg Berlanti though.
Posted by: crispy | Apr 7, 2008 10:06:10 AM
Berlanti's shows actually feature openly gay and trans actors. Wouldn't one or two of them have made appropriate cover subjects instead of, or even in addition to, the three handsome straight actors?
Posted by: sam | Apr 7, 2008 10:07:36 AM
Berlanti's shows actually feature openly gay and trans actors. Wouldn't one or two of them have made appropriate cover subjects instead of, or even in addition to, the three handsome straight actors?
Posted by: sam | Apr 7, 2008 10:09:41 AM
This list is such crap. Gays have powerful positions in other areas of the world than showbusiness!
You're telling me that congressmen and congresswomen are not as powerful as Brad Pitt's f-ing publicist??!!!
Not to mention that Kevin Huvane is the most powerful gay in entertainment after Geffen, and somehow got left off the list? The man runs CAA.
This list is a TOTAL joke.
Posted by: Dan B | Apr 7, 2008 10:12:51 AM
Hasn't everybody heard? OUT is out. Nobody reads them anymore.
Posted by: Jack | Apr 7, 2008 10:30:39 AM
Clearly, Out mag has put this list together with sales in mind. I don't see a lot of integrity here. Perez? Who'd he pay to earn such an "honor". They should have done a better job of exploring the world of business to highlight gay people with actual power and wealth... instead, all we have is a list of navel gazers and publicity whores. All in all, it reminds me of why I never buy or read this PC trash. Never again... not one red dime.
Posted by: ChristianX | Apr 7, 2008 10:35:51 AM
Aryan Nation is right!
When is OUT going to come to terms with, and showcase ALL of the amazing people who are LGBT - and not just the white ones???
It's gross. The list is more than stupid, but OUT is just plain gross.
Posted by: Biffy | Apr 7, 2008 10:36:00 AM
Clearly, Out mag has put this list together with sales in mind. I don't see a lot of integrity here. Perez? Who'd he pay to earn such an "honor". They should have done a better job of exploring the world of business to highlight gay people with actual power and wealth... instead, all we have is a list of navel gazers and publicity whores. All in all, it reminds me of why I never buy or read this PC trash. Never again... not one red dime.
Posted by: ChristianX | Apr 7, 2008 10:37:05 AM
And that's such bullshit the magazine targets "suspected" gay actors and personalities like Anderson and Jodie when there are COUNTLESS "suspected" homosexuals throughout Hollywood that are more powerful than these two.
I dare the magazine to name Tom Cruise, John Travolta, or Oprah Winfrey (to name a few).
Boo on them for choosing such easy targets.
Posted by: jeff | Apr 7, 2008 10:45:56 AM
Perez Hilton? Ugh.
Posted by: iMachias | Apr 7, 2008 10:46:08 AM
And not one of them is powerful enough to be on the cover of the magazine...in the "most powerful" issue no less!
Posted by: Pissed | Apr 7, 2008 10:57:03 AM
That's Greg Berlanti on the left. He's #19.
Posted by: crispy | Apr 7, 2008 11:07:31 AM
Maybe the rural lifestyle has caught up with me - I can't identify more than five or six of these folks.
Posted by: Butch | Apr 7, 2008 11:08:57 AM
Jasper Johns has never come out. And neither has his ex boyfriend Robert Rauschenberg.
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | Apr 7, 2008 11:30:37 AM
My heart skipped a beat because that looks like Billy Baldwin on the cover! Who is that??
Posted by: soulbrotha | Apr 7, 2008 11:35:27 AM
Anderson Cooper was out when he was younger and living in D.C. and L.A. I used to see him at clubs. To my knowledge he has never discussed his sexual orientation in the media, which is his right. But he has also never denied being gay, nor has he sought to cover it up by "dating" women. I think it's extremely important to be be out, but I can live with the fact that others don't agree.
Posted by: DCposter | Apr 7, 2008 11:39:32 AM
oh nevermind, I see now. In order to sell more copies, the *gay* publication threw a bunch of *straight* celebrities on the cover to represent our *GAY POWER*, which isn't quite POWERFUL enough to sell magazines.
Just brilliant. Why even bother?
Posted by: soulbrotha | Apr 7, 2008 11:41:45 AM
Why give that walking pus-bag Perez Hilton any more power than he already has?
What a total waste of oxygen.
Does Andre Leon Tally have any power?
Or Keith Boykin?
Or Ms J?
Or Rod McCollum?
jus' askin'.
Posted by: banjiboi | Apr 7, 2008 11:51:46 AM
The first thing I did when I saw this post was laugh out loud, for three reasons 1) the fact that there are three straight white guys on the cover 2) the fact that OUT will now do whatever it takes to create press including naming Anderson & Jodie (hahaha) to the gay list. No one's noticing OUT! 3) The fact that the commentators actually take OUT seriously. Uh, it's too funny.
Posted by: junior | Apr 7, 2008 11:54:10 AM
Nick Denton considered more powerful then Benny Medina, Tom Ford, and Rosie O'Donnell?
Is Out trying to score some points with Gawker?
Posted by: JP | Apr 7, 2008 11:54:53 AM
In light of the anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I can't help but read this list with surprise and sadness.
THIS is the BEST our community has to offer?
All this so called "power" yet so little of it aimed at making our country a more just, equitable and fair place for gay Americans like them.
Where is the gay community's nation-wide MLK JR.? Where are 2008's Harvey Milk and Frank Kameny (a living legend and HERO of the gay community since the 1950’s)?
Unfortunately I know exactly where they went. They got INCORPORATED into organizations like HRC and just like ALL major, faceless corporations they became ALL about making money and selling a product. They have been sucked into the very system that they should be fighting against leaving them unwilling to call out legislators and other elected officials (whom they have befriended) when they are less than fully supportive of full gay equality; ESPECIALLY when those legislators are Democrats.
This list is a sad testament, not only because of who is on the list but also because of who ISN'T on it.
DERRICK, you are absolutely right. There is a distinct lack of color in this list.
Posted by: Zeke | Apr 7, 2008 11:57:13 AM
Is there even one Black person on this racist list? Keith Boykin should be in the top 10.
Posted by: Javier | Apr 7, 2008 12:20:06 PM
BS!
For all of the reasons listed by others who have posted already.
BS! sums up Out's list
Posted by: Jimmyboyo | Apr 7, 2008 12:43:11 PM
Javier, yes, Benny Medina is black and he manages Mariah f-ing Carey so you know he has SO MUCH power.
The only thing I agree with is calling out Anderson and Jodie. This puts them in a spot to either admit through silence, or publicly refute. There is no way that inclusion on the list goes unnoticed by them, or their team of handlers (like Kelly Bush, Simon Halls and Steven Huvane)
Posted by: Dan B | Apr 7, 2008 12:53:59 PM
Ethan, I assume the guys on the cover are there because Berlanti is gay, and made their careers with his hit TV shows...
Posted by: Toby | Apr 7, 2008 12:55:52 PM
If Perez Hilton is one of the most powerful gay people, it's no wonder homophobia exists. He is a walking example of every gay stereotype gone awry.
Posted by: Larry | Apr 7, 2008 1:06:56 PM
Dan B:
Out put Anderson Cooper and Jodie Foster on the list last year. It was the infamous cover featuring two models holding pictures of Anderson and Jodie over their faces.
And they sorta have responded. Jodie Foster publicly thanked her partner for the first time last year... Out columnist Michael Musto suggests that the Out cover was the reason for this.
And Out asked Anderson Cooper if he'd pose for this year's cover. His publicist responded: "Thanks for thinking of Anderson for this issue but we are going to pass."
Posted by: crispy | Apr 7, 2008 1:07:07 PM
If they're not out, what are they doing on OUT's list of "50 most powerful gays and lesbians in America?"
Posted by: queendru | Apr 7, 2008 1:08:22 PM
I'm surprised Anderson's publicist made ANY kind of statement about the Out issue - usually they stay mum on anything connected to his "rumored" gayness.
Posted by: Nate | Apr 7, 2008 1:22:09 PM
To paraphrase Kanye (should he be on the list? ):
OUT MAGAZINE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE!
But seriously, the list is a reflection of the power in the LGT community. Are there any non-white Executive Directors of national organizations (besides Alexander Robinson of the National BLACK Justice Coalition)? There's only ONE Black out state legislator (guy from CT who came out a few months ago) and maybe two Latino out state legislators (Jennifer Veiga in CO and ???).
Posted by: Mad Professsah | Apr 7, 2008 2:13:12 PM
Yes, it is reprehensible that the list is waaaaaaaaaaay too white...and the inclusion of closet cases like Anderson Cooper and Jodie Foster is laughable when there are so many out GLBT power brokers...but the most egregious omission of all is one that no one has yet mentioned: the fact that Andy Towle is nowhere on that list!
Posted by: peterparker | Apr 7, 2008 3:14:24 PM
Since it's inception Out has struggled with issues of inclusiveness and diversity - you would be shocked and then saddened to hear some of the arguments that have been made against including people of color on the Cover and in the magazine itself - especially in its fashion stories - under the banner of "increasing sales". GQ and even Men's Vogue have somehow mangaged to find a balance yet Out - which is meant to be an "umbrella" magazine - always falls short of the mark.
Posted by: Giovanni | Apr 7, 2008 3:40:20 PM
They would have named the magazine White-Out but BIC Corporation would have sued them for trademark infringement.
Posted by: Zeke | Apr 7, 2008 5:18:27 PM
@ PETERPARKER
TEAM ANDY!!
Posted by: banjiboi | Apr 7, 2008 5:23:21 PM
Oh for Kreyest's sake - STOP YOUR WHINING!
Geezus H. Kreyest - all you people can do is moan and complain!
No wonder people think we're frivolous and vapid!
Posted by: Tynkyr Belle | Apr 7, 2008 6:04:25 PM
What about Andy Towle??
Posted by: john | Apr 8, 2008 12:50:45 AM
This looks more like the MTV/Bravo list. Pretty lame list of wanna-be's. Perez Hilton? Come on, are you kidding? Hardly relevant. There are multi-billionaires and top artists and authors noticeably absent from the list. Where is Michelangelo Signorile? Barry Diller? Tony Kushner? Edward Albee? Who wrote this article --- a teenager? Speaks volumes about the magazine --- a real lightweight tabloid, in need of an editor.
Posted by: Richard | Apr 8, 2008 1:27:52 AM
Jasper Johns is still alive?
David Ehrenstein-- About two or three years ago there was a profile of Rauschenberg in the New Yorker by their art critic Peter Schedjal in which Rauschenberg, and others around him, openly speak of the relationship between him and Johns. In fact, I remember there being a part in the article where it spoke of their dislike of Warhol was based on being "too swishy."
Posted by: phil | Apr 8, 2008 2:45:14 AM
The List is a subjective power list, not a list of people who are worthy or wonderful (obviously: Rudin? Hilton?). It’s a Power list, not a Best list. This isn’t the Out 100 list, which IS a list of the notable and worthy. You may notice the reason that Out 100 is more diverse is precisely because power is still a largely white phenomenon in the U.S. Look at Congress. But worthiness is another matter. (But still, Lovely is Native American, Media is Black, Romero & Perez are Latino.) There are business leaders and politicians on the list, but most gay people who truly wield power in are in entertainment. There aren’t a lot of gay Fortune 500 CEOs (or Black, Latin, or Asians for that matter). These people aren’t compared with other LGBTs but are compared with the society at large. That’s a BIG difference.
Posted by: Johnny | Apr 8, 2008 12:49:43 PM
Johnny,
How are the offices there at Out magazine? Are they nice? Do you have a window?
Posted by: crispy | Apr 8, 2008 1:01:05 PM
So, Johnny, how is Marc Jacobs among the top 10 most powerful LGBTs? He sells expensive clothing, mainly to straight women. What kind of power does that provide?
And Tim Gunn hosts a popular TV show. Does that really make him powerful, or just visible?
More to the point, I read many different forms of media pretty much every waking minute, yet I don't recognize at least half these names. So these people are powerful only in very small circles. Believe me, it's not a matter of me not being well informed about developments in the gay community, as well as the straight.
Posted by: Paul R | Apr 8, 2008 1:56:44 PM
Out's lists are much more often than not
just crap. So is the rest of the magazine.
When it reached 90% advertisements, I
cancelled. Hmmmm, I think there's a trend
here, they just got dumped by their parent
company (which also publishes the expensive
pamphlet The Advocate, who also got dumped)
They'll both be a bit more psychotic until
the new drugs kick in.
BBB
Posted by: brokebackbob | Apr 12, 2008 7:52:38 PM
What? No Drag Queens??? Where is Ru Paul? This is a sad state of affairs if this is all they have to offer. Maybe I should cancel my subscription!
Posted by: QueenZafrona | Apr 13, 2008 7:05:07 AM
Okay, so I just checked my Webster's and the first entry for power is: "ability to act or produce an effect..." I don't know about you kids, but my gays are ALL quite powerful when it comes to acting or producing effects ... at home, at work, at play AND in the voting booth.
Posted by: Lulu B. | Apr 13, 2008 1:05:56 PM
@Larry: Thanks for bringing up last year's cover w/ the Jodie and Anderson masks. I thought no one would!
Yes, the list is terrible. You'd like think an "Out list" would only include those who have come out.
I think a better way to handle this would be to create a Out 50 by Towleroad.
Posted by: MattSF | Apr 15, 2008 3:16:50 AM
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