JEMAL POLSON
twitter@JemalPolson
ARE WE TOO CASUAL WITH BESTOWING THE WORD ‘HERO’ UPON PEOPLE?
I’ve been thinking about the word ‘heroes’ a lot recently. Not in the sense of a gallant or valiant individual riding up on their white horse to save the day – more in line with those who many idolise and whose works they consider influential and hold in higher esteem than anyone else. Honestly, it’s a word that I hardly ever hear, and it’s not a term I ever tend to think of all that much.
When listing the LGBT personalities many are influenced by, it’s easy to jump to some of the most prominent figures within the entertainment industry. I wouldn’t call them my ‘heroes’ per se, but I love the works of Michael Moore, Lee Daniels, Kanye West and Joss Whedon. Straight talking musicians and entertainers such as Sir Elton John and Lady Gaga, as well as the near omnipotent Stephen Fry, tend to spring to mind for many. It’s easy for me to see why these three individuals are so widely adored. They’ve fought tirelessly to get to their points of prominence, and have used their status to raise awareness of a number of LGBT issues. John’s nonprofit organisation, the Elton John AIDS Foundation has reportedly raised over $200,000,000 since its inception in 1992. In addition to serving as the president of Mind, Fry has supported numerous gay rights causes. Gaga helped raise awareness calling for the dismissal of the US Army’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy and also has her own non-profit organisation, the Born This Way Foundation.