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A 1969 review of her Palace Theatre show in Esquire Magazine reads: “Homosexuals tend to identify with suffering. What’s more, Garland’s funeral was held on the 27th of June, the evening before the Stonewall riots in the early hours of the 28th of June. While Garland was still alive, critics made ham-fisted attempts to answer this question.

Queer film historian Jack Babuscio defines camp as “irony, aestheticism, theatricality and humour” – four pillars that form the foundation of Garland’s public persona. "You're my best Judy"), as was depicted earlier this year on RuPaul's Drag Race. When asked if she minded having such a large gay following – as if she ever would – Garland responded by saying: “I couldn’t care less.

Garland's second husband, Vincente Minnelli, the father of Liza, was rumoured to be a closeted bisexual. Her fourth husband, Mark Herron, was gay, too. In a 2007 article, writer Steven Frank mused that Dorothy's journey from Kansas to Oz "mirrored many gay men's desires to escape the black-and-white limitations of small town life ...

The rise of the diva is steeped in history, and their nuanced relationship with their queer fans has been around for just as long.

Of course, each diva has their own fanbase and I simply cannot cover all of them, so I will be taking a closer look at just one of my all-time favourites, Judy Garland. In fact, her life story is practically a blueprint for our modern understanding of what makes a gay icon.

According to Gerald Clarke, author of Garland biography Get Happy, Ethel would give her daughters pills in the morning and at night, saying “I’ve got to get those girls going!” Eventually, after her older sisters both married, Garland was signed by studio giant MGM as a teenager on a seven-year contract. I sing to people!” So many of her queer fans had suffered, living mostly in the shadows from fear of persecution and homophobia, and yet Judy had created a space that was safe and accepting by simply showing kindness and a mutual understanding of pain.

There are also debates over how much her death played into one of the most influential social movements in history – Stonewall.

At face value, it seems arbitrary that the Over the Rainbow singer would have been such an influence in the queer world, but upon investigation, it is no surprise. At 17, she starred in her breakout role as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz. It is almost impossible to articulate her sound, and there is nothing quite like it, especially in this album.

The Stonewall riots were of course not caused by one single event or person, however I do agree that it is highly likely Judy Garland’s funeral just hours before played some part. 

This ‘diva worship’ exists across many communities, including many influential famous women, from Lady Gaga, Diana Ross, even Garland’s daughter Liza Minnelli, and has existed as a way for marginalised communities to feel loved and accepted in a world that does not make them feel welcome.

They are a persecuted group and they understand suffering. Just like many others, Judy Garland’s legacy lives on; she is constantly used as a reference in queer language and art. Her untimely death occurred on the 22nd of June 1969 due to an accidental overdose on medication she had been taking since she was young, just six days before the start of the Stonewall riots.

Her mannerisms and iconic performances also continue to be frequently referenced in shows like Will & Grace, which, in turn, has been credited with moving the pin forward on gay representation in the mainstream media since premiering in 1998.

Over the years, emerging details of Garland's fraught personal life have only served to further cement her resonance for members of the LGBTIQ+ community.

Garland's own father, Francis Avent Gumm, was gay.

The album was released a couple of months later, winning 5 Grammy awards.