The late star hid his sexuality for years but later became a defiant LGBT icon.
Its so common for pop stars to come clean about their sexuality these days.
Some declarations barely register a blip on the media radar.
His formative suppression also inspired some of his most meaningful music.
Maybe that gives gay men the perspective that many have turned into art.
And maybe I can do that in a way that will continue to make my life constructive.
The struggle to establish a viewpoint took decades for Michael to develop.
My depression at the end of Wham!
was because I was beginning to realize I was gay, not bisexual, he said in a2009 interview.
But six months later, Feleppa was diagnosed HIV positive.
It was terrifying news, helater said.
I didnt know how to share it with [my family].
They didnt even know I was gay.
In fact, Georges family had its own deep history of camouflaging identity.
His maternal grandmother was Jewish but married a Gentile and never informed her children about their true religion.
She had good reason to do so.
At the time, Hitler terrorized Europe.
That songs lyrics celebrate public sex without a hint of shame.
In the early to mid-90s, stars like k.d.
lang, Melissa Etheridge, Elton John, and David Geffen made their first statements about their sexuality.
But, as Corey Scholibo, an editor at theAdvocate, told theL.A.
Scholibo went on to call Michael one of the most important gay musicians.
On the surface, Michaels smash Freedom!
