A number of female pop singers with overtly heterosexual styles, like Cher, Kylie Minogue, and Tina Turner, to name only three, have large followings among the male homosexual community. Other famous heterosexual women, like the late Princess Diana, have such followings as well.

"Minogue is regarded as a gay icon, which she encourages with comments such as "I am not a traditional gay icon. There's been no tragedy in my life, only tragic outfits." While part of her appeal lies in her flamboyant costumes, her confident sexual posturing and her sense of fun, she acknowledges the gay community throughout the world by performing at gay venues and events, and by supporting AIDS causes. She has said that she believes gay fans responded to her apparent distress when the news media began heavily criticising her in 1989, and that those fans have remained loyal, explaining, "My gay audience has been with me from the beginning. they kind of adopted me".

Cher: Last of the Gay Icons?
Michael Westley, Salt Lake Tribune, Aug. 13, 2002

When Cher takes the Delta Center stage on Wednesday night, the audience probably will be diverse in age. Having a No. 1 hit four decades in a row will do that.

But if what happened at her January 2000 concert in Salt Lake City happens again, the first 20 rows will be filled mostly with young gay men - confirming that Cher's long-established status as a gay icon, unlike many of her peers, remains fresh to a new generation.

Cher has all the attributes of a gay icon: style, versatility, a larger-than-life personality and an unbreakable spirit. She is one of a handful of famous women - among them Judy Garland, Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minelli, Diana Ross and Madonna - who became symbols of hope to gay men seeking freedom and acceptance.

"There were no role models, so you would invent them from these women," said Rick Everett, a Salt Lake City designer.