Who is Judy Garland?
Q: Who is Judy Garland?
A: Judy Garland was an American actress and songstress who rose to iconic status in the 1950s.
Q: What made her a gay icon?
A: Gays admired her talent as a performer, and her value as a camp figure. Her struggles with drugs, alcohol, and personal relationships during her adulthood mirrored similar struggles among urban closeted gays during the same era. Additionally, her role as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz may have been the foundation stone of her iconic status.
Q: When did Garland's status as a gay icon begin to slip?
A: Following her death in 1969 and the Stonewall riots, Garland's status as a gay icon began to slip. Young gay men embraced their sexual orientation with pride rather than shame, and could or would not identify with Garland's melodramatic victimhood and emotionalism.
Q: How was she parodied in drag revues?
A: She was often parodied in drag revues.
Q: What were some of the struggles that she faced during adulthood?
A: During adulthood, she struggled with drugs, alcohol, and personal relationships.
Q: How did young gay men view Judy Garland after Stonewall Riots?
A: After the Stonewall Riots, young gay men embraced their sexual orientation with pride rather than shame and could not identify with Garland's melodramatic victimhood and emotionalism.
