Exploring the Early Chroniclers of Queer History: Billy Haines and Edouard Roditi

The quest to identify the first famous openly gay person in history often leads us to explore the lives of individuals who lived much earlier than we might initially think. Two prominent figures stand out: Billy Haines and Edouard Roditi. Though their legacies are quite different, both contributed significantly to the recognition of queer identities in the public sphere. Let's delve into their stories and the times they lived in.

Billy Haines: The First Openly Gay Celebrity

Billy Haines, the silent film actor from the 1920s and early 1930s, is often credited as the first celebrity to come out as gay. This recognition, however, came not from a public declaration but from a controversial incident that revealed his sexual orientation to the public in 1933.

At a YMCA event, Haines' sexuality was outed, leading to an ultimatum from MGM film studio boss Louis B. Mayer. Haines was faced with the choice between dating and marrying a woman or being fired from his acting role. Faced with this decision, Haines decided to leave the world of acting and pursued a career as an interior decorator. This move allowed him to live his life openly and maximize his creative expression outside of the constraints of his former career.

Edouard Roditi: A Surrealist Poet and Translator

Edouard Roditi, on the other hand, was an openly gay surrealist poet and translator whose work and life spanned much of the 20th century. Born in Paris in 1910, Roditi carved out a unique niche for himself in both the literary and political realms. His identity as a gay man was one that he embraced, often discussing his sexuality in public and advocating for the recognition of queer identities.

Early in his life, Roditi cruised in Paris and began writing poems with a homoerotic edge during his teenage years. He eventually attended Charterhouse and then Oxford in 1929, where he also visited the United States for the first time. It was in the U.S. where he met notable figures such as Carl van Vechten and Hart Crane. Roditi's writing and advocacy were part of a broader movement in the early 20th century that began to challenge traditional societal norms around sexuality.

Navigating the Identities and Influences

Both Roditi and Haines navigated their identities in the shadows of larger societal expectations and norms. In an era before the LGBTQ rights movements, making public declarations about one's sexuality was a daunting and often dangerous task. Their stories are a testament to the courage it took to live openly in those times.

Edouard Roditi's contributions were manifold, including his work with the journal Transition, where he published writings that influenced major 20th-century literature, and his groundbreaking 1962 book De L'Homosexualité, which was one of the earliest serious studies of homosexuality in the arts and scholarship.

Billy Haines, though his career was cut short due to his sexuality, continued to live his life openly, working as an interior decorator and maintaining a public life that many could not afford to embrace during that period.

Legacy and Impact

The legacies of both Roditi and Haines are markers in the broader narrative of LGBTQ history. While their stories are separate, they intersect in the broader arc of the recognition of queer identities. Their lives were marked by a time when publicly expressing one's sexuality was not only challenging but potentially career-ending. Yet, through their actions, they paved the way for future generations of LGBTQ individuals to live more openly.

By exploring the lives of such figures, we can better understand the journey of the LGBTQ community and the ongoing struggle for acceptance and equality. Both Billy Haines and Edouard Roditi lived their lives with authenticity and integrity, leaving lasting impacts on their respective fields and on the broader cultural conversation.