Elton John voted top gay icon of all time

The 62-year-old Grammy-winning pop star, who married his long-term lover David Furnish in a civil partnership ceremony in 2005, has been declared the male most respected by homosexuals, alongside the late actress Judy Garland who was named the most iconic female among the gay community, Contactmusic reported.

The male list was topped by gay men, including late Queen singer Freddie Mercury, British TV star Stephen Fry and 'Faith' hitmaker George Michael with the exception of footballer David Beckham, who is married to Victoria Beckham.
On the other hand, the female list was full of straight glamorous female stars like singers Kylie Minogue, Madonna and Cher rather than homosexuals.

"Interestingly only one of the men in the top 10 list of male celebrity gay icons isn't gay, David Beckham. And yet most of the women put on a pedestal by the gay community are straight," said a spokesperson from www.OnePoll.com which commissioned the survey of over 5,000 gay men and women.

"It just shows that to advocate a certain way of living, you don't have to live the lifestyle but simply be more accepting of those around you, the spokesperson added.