24 Queer Pop Culture Moments That Are Too Iconic To Not Think About

For example: Every Falguni Pathak music video.

If you're like me, you don't just consume pop culture, you thrive on it! From Jennifer Coolidge playing the hot-mess Tanya in The White Lotus to "Jenny from the Block" getting back with her ex, nothing on the internet fails to catch your eye.

But gay pop culture is worlds apart. With a little bit of oomph and a lot of sass, the queer riches are something else entirely. So here's a list of moments that live in my head, rent-free.

1. Lil Nas X giving Satan a lap dance.

Lil Nas X / Via youtube.com

The only thing that could have upped Lil Nas X's song "Montero", which is already a massive bop, was its official music video that, honestly, should be taught in institutions. Right from the visual storytelling to the subtle biblical references, it created waves on the internet.

2. When Rekha said GAY RIGHTS! 🤌

SimiGarewalOfficial / Via youtube.com

Every now and then, a gem from Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, a show that otherwise isn't remembered much, pops up on our screens in the form of a Reel or a YouTube Short and gets people talking. In one of the episodes, when Simi asked Rekha when she was planning on getting married again, Rekha, without hesitation, asked if it had to be with a man to which Simi followed up by saying, "Well not a woman, obviously". It was then that Rekha, with all the aplomb in the world, said, "Why not?" and gave us an iconic moment to celebrate. The fact that this was said on Indian television in the early 2000s makes it all the more groundbreaking.

3. Jennifer Coolidge's iconic line from The White Lotus (Season 2).

HBO / Via instagram.com

You've seen the memes and you've heard the pathbreaking, "Please...these gays, they're trying to murder me", line multiple times. However, let's face the fact that this clip from The White Lotus (Season 2) is not what put Jennifer Coolidge in the gay icons hall of fame. She has ALWAYS been and will forever be the legend and the moment. 

4. This moment from Season 1 of The White Lotus.

Sydney Sweeney’s character in the White Lotus is the most psychotic yet realistic portrayal of a young adult i’ve seen in years. pic.twitter.com/jozljAQikj

— adrian. (@penacolada2293) July 26, 2021

Via Twitter: @penacolada2293

The first season of The White Lotus was in a league of its own — a subtle critical commentary on white guilt and class barriers with Hawaiian sunsets serving as the backdrop was just chef's kiss. But then came this unfiltered moment wherein Sydney Sweeney uttered these lines and took the internet by storm, thereby putting the franchise on everyone's watchlist.

5. John Abraham's cheeky moment from Dostana.

Dharma Productions

While Dostana was anything BUT a good queer movie, it did give us something that everyone remembers even today — John Abraham rocking those yellow trunks and glistening from head to toe. 

6. When Kristen Stewart dragged Donald Trump on SNL.

@snl on GIPHY / Via giphy.com

While the Twilight actor has never shied away from her sexuality, it was Kristen candidly saying, "I'm, like, so gay, dude", on Saturday Night Live, while also poking fun at Trump's obsession with her and Twilight that made it so memorable.

7. And when Karlie Kloss was dissed by a Project Runway contestant.

"Not even to dinner with the Kushners?" I SCREAMED!!! #ProjectRunway pic.twitter.com/UWf4FaMxfB

— Luke (@TweetsByLuke) January 3, 2020

Twitter: @TweetsByLuke

On an episode of Project Runway, the contestants were tasked with creating a design that Karlie Kloss could wear to an upcoming event. However, the designer received feedback that his dress didn't look like something that Karlie would wear, so he instantly clapped back with, "Not even to dinner with the Kushners?"  For context — Karlie is married to Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, whose wife is Ivanka Trump. This was true TV gold.

8. When Dutee Chand became India's first openly gay athlete.

Instagram: @duteechand / Via instagram.com

Dutee Chand not only became India's first openly gay athlete, fighting the backlash against her sexuality, but also won the landmark case against the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which had removed her name from the Commonwealth Games team in July 2014 due to her higher-than-usual levels of testosterone.

9. When Troye Sivan released a song about bottoming.

Troye Sivan / Via youtube.com

Nah! "Bloom", contrary to the visuals, is NOT about flowers blooming. 

10. Uorfi Javed on the cover of The Dirty Magazine.

Instagram: @thedirtymagazine / Via instagram.com

In an era of uninspired Indian magazine covers and celebrity styling, Uorfi's presence has shaken up the biggest names in the industry, and this cover for The Dirty Magazine speaks for itself.

11. The mix-up between Moonlight and La La Land at the 2017 Oscars.

ABC News / Via youtube.com

2017 was truly a tough year for the gays. The mix-up between La La Land — a story of two struggling artists in Hollywood that brought musicals back to the limelight — and Moonlight, an incredibly important coming-of-age tale that also delves into race and sexuality, left the queerdom divided.

12. When Emma D'Arcy spoke about their favourite drink.

Max / Via youtu.be

Emma D'Arcy saying "a Negroni...sbagliato...with Prosecco in it" was some "stunnin'" poetry that should be carved into queer literature for eternity. Period.

13. THAT one episode of Satyamev Jayate.

youtu.be

Satyamev Jayate was already way ahead of its time. And when you add the idea of sexual orientation being discussed on prime-time TV, the episode was bound to bring a major cultural shift for the audience, especially for the younger queer people watching it.

14. When Milind Soman was "Made In India".

SonyMusicIndia / Via youtube.com

It's been over two decades since supermodel Milind Soman walked in at the end of Alisha Chinai's spectacular music video for "Made In India" and became the reason behind an entire generation's sexual awakening. 

15. When Lady Gaga gave us "Born This Way."

Lady Gaga / Via youtube.com

I still remember the day I watched this video for the first time on VH1. I was only 12 years old and this song was a breath of fresh air that made me want more. Thirteen years down the line, I still believe that "Born This Way" will always hold the title for THE gay anthem.

16. When Ranbir Kapoor and Imran Khan kissed on Koffee With Karan.

Disney+ Hotstar

A whole episode prior to what become the most memorable episode of Koffee with Karan (the one with Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor), season three of the "Koffee couch" had Ranbir Kapoor and Imran khan as guests and the two debutants made the audience witness one of the most iconic moments in TV history, albeit problematic in all sorts of ways. 

17. When Vidya Balan sucked Rani Mukerji's thumb.

Disney+ Hotstar

No list of queer pop culture moments is complete without moments from Koffee with Karan, so here's another gem that is accompanied with some very confusing words by Karan Johar. But who's focusing on that!? Right? 

For context, Rani Mukerji and Vidya Balan were demonstrating a scene from Vidya's movie, Dedh Ishqiya, in which she sucks a character's thumb. And we were deceased.

18. Everything about Kajal from Hum Paanch.

Instagram: @sheikhimaan / Via instagram.com

Imaan Sheikh took to her Instagram to talk about how Kajal Mathur from the very popular Indian sitcom Hum Paanch was a queer icon. She pointed out how Kajal always self-identified with he/him pronouns and dressed in unconventional clothes, but, at the time, we had no idea that we had an icon we could worship.

19. Badhaai Do.

Junglee Pictures

Badhaai Do was a landmark movie that tackled the heavy subject of lavender marriages with sensitivity and just the right amount of humour. While Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar did justice to their roles as a closeted queer couple who had to share this "marriage of convenience", it was Gulshan Devaiah playing the adorable Guru who truly won our hearts. Oh and the chemistry between Rajkummar and Gulshan was just the cherry on top.

20. The sexual tension between Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff in War.

Yash Raj Films

Theirs was a romance and not a bromance. 'Nuff said.

21. "Pasoori" and its queerness.

Coke Studio / Via youtube.com

Coke Studio has given us a plethora of gems but "Pasoori" is certainly its crown jewel. If "art is love made public", "Pasoori" is the manifestation of that love devoted to God. Ali Sethi, with his bold lyricism, delivers a powerful and very queer message that leaves us hopeful for the lovers in the song to transcend every obstacle and be reunited.

22. Every Falguni Pathak music video.

FalguniPathakVEVO / Via youtube.com

For those of us who grew up in the 90s, Falguni Pathak, with her beautifully nonconformist music videos, was the queer icon we did not know we had.

23. "Girls Like To Swing" from Dil Dhadakne Do.

T-Series / Via youtube.com

Two of the biggest Bollywood "gworls" dancing to a song that celebrates femininity and girls just having fun. A moment.

24. And finally, "Pooja, what is this behaviour?"

Big Brother Universe / Via youtube.com

Lastly, we have the meme queen herself who still continues to rule our hearts. Not to be controversial but, "You do not tell me what to do", is one of the gayest things EVER said. Hear me out, please, for it has all the things we love about pop culture — drama, reality TV, and a slightly inconvenienced villain. Truly iconic!

Which moments did you think deserve to be on this list? Tell us in the comments!

h/t: 24 Of The Most Iconic Moments In Queer Pop Culture History

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Ryan Pattie / BuzzFeed

UPDATE: This post was updated to include more information.

Jun. 30, 2023, at 13:02 PM