Ask most people, even today, to name some of hollywood's sexiest men, and name's like Marlon Brando and James Dean will still crop up, some 60 year's after they first set flame to the silver screen.What might come as a surpirse (or not, depending on how 'switched' on your are) is that both Dean and Brando were quite open about being bisexual, although those interviews were most certainly NOT the one's broadcast on the BBC.

Brando, who's most public interview about his sexual conquest's was held with biography writer Gary Carey around the time of the PR campaign for strange and wonderful western 'The Missouri Break's, had this to say ;

"homesexuality is so much in fashion it no longer makes news, like a large number of men, i too have had homosexual experiences and i am not ashamed. I have never paid much attention of what people think about me.."

Given that this interview date's from the mid 70's, when the world had David Bowie and glam rock thrust upon them everytime they opened a news paper or turned on the TV, it was perhaps a little easier to discuss it without fear of being ridiculed, but as Brando state's, and i believe him, he really didnt care what people thought of him.

But what about other actor's who were also either bisexual or exclusively gay ?

After a little research many name's crop up, some may surpirse you, some definately wont.

Burt Lancaster, Rock Hudson, Leonard Bernstein, Montgomery Clift, Robert Wagnor, Peter Fonda, Errol Flynn, Yul Brynner, Paul Newman, Tony Curtis and Steve Mcqueen all experimented with the same sex. The list just goes on and on. However, such was the strength of the PR machine, many of these men were never questioned in main stream media until later on in life about sexuality.

The sad thing is, many young people growing up in the 50s and 60s could've benefited from knowing about such high profile actor's dating other men, yes it was a dangerous political time, but even just rumour's would have maybe lifted the spirits of some young men (and women) suffering awful homophobia.

Although for from surprising to me, it does appear than the 'cream of the crop' of 50s era leading men were bisexual, if not completely gay, and one assumes thing's havent really changed. Let's face it, hypothetically if such actor's as Richard Gere, John Travolta, Matt Dillon and Tom Berringer came out, would people really stop buying their film's ?

For me, i think personal choice is important, and i dont agree with the 'outing' process, it can do more harm than good and is basically a selfish act. I just think it's odd that in this day and age, actor's earning million's from each movie/DVD release cannot be honest role models, instead of instilling a false image to the youth of today, of what 'real' men should behave like.

Yes of course it's easier to be outwardly gay in 2011 than it was in 1952, teenage soap shows are full of gay imagery that today seem's normal, but lets not forget it wasnt all that long ago that show's like 'Brookside' were considered 'cutting edge' in showing a lesbian kiss.

The time's may have changed, but the golden era of 'gay' is still very much with us.

AB.