In the past, people who were gay were often persecuted because of their sexual orientation. They could be jailed or even executed for being gay. However, in the present, society is becoming more accepting of homosexuality and same-sex relationships. As a result, many people are coming out as homosexual and living their lives openly. Now we are also able to research about the gay figures who concealed their sexual relationships.

It is important to know that there are many historical figures who were thought to be gay, but who never publicly acknowledged or acted on their feelings.

The following five people are just a few of the many gay historical figures that you may not have heard about. Historical figures who were thought to be gay include Oscar Wilde, Alan Turing, Walt Whitman and James Baldwin and many others. The famous Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard is claimed to have been a homosexual and these claims are often cited as evidence for his “anti-Christian” philosophy.

Let’s know about gay figures from history.

1) Edward II (1284-1327)

Edward II was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327 by his wife Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer. Edward’s homosexuality has been debated for centuries, but most historians believe that he did have an affair with Piers Gaveston, a knight and member of the king’s household.

2) Richard I (1157-1199)

King Richard, who had no children and barely ever engaged with his wife, was rumored to have had a scandalous relationship with Philip II of France.

The two “ate every day at the same table and from the same dish, and at night their mattresses did not separate them,” according to his royal secretary Roger Hovedon. The King of England was utterly astounded by the intense affection between them and wondered what it might mean. And the King of France adored him as though he were his own soul.”

3) Michelangelo (1475-1564)

Michelangelo was one of the greatest Renaissance artists and most famous for his work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo was a tortured and conflicted person who had many secret relationships with members of his own family and other men.

4) William Shakespeare (1585–1613)

The answer to the question “Did he have sex or sexual feelings for other men?” isn’t certain, but it’s also not inconceivable that he may have. However, one thing is certain: at that time, there was no self-identification as gay, homosexual, or, as far as we are aware, any other name. Later than that, with the advent of the molly-house culture, self-identification may have been tied to sexuality. Shakespeare, then, most likely did not outwardly identify as a homosexual, bisexual, straight, or gay person. Nobody can definitively determine but his sonnets have revealed that he had love relationships with men exclusively, along with women.

5) Robert de Montesquieu (1689-1755)

Montesquieu is best known for his work The Spirit of the Laws, which outlined a theory of government designed to maintain stability and prevent change. Although Montesquiou’s gay desires were openly apparent, he may have led a straight life. He didn’t engage in any female affairs.

We strongly hope that you are surprised to read about these popular gay people in the history.