“Little Richard: Down, Not Out”: The Quasar of Rock’s LGBTQ Iconicity and the Historical Reception to His Sexuality and Gender Presentation, 1955–Present

Abstract: This article explores how musician Little Richard’s image and persona were perceived historically and the extent to which historical observers associated his effeminacy with same-sex desire. Also scrutinized is Little Richard’s present-day status as a so-called LGBTQ icon and whether LGBTQ observers in the past felt a similar kinship with the musician. I illuminate the protean and utilitarian essence of LGBTQ iconicity and argue that, in the 1950s, the link between effeminacy in men and same-sex desire was not ubiquitously acknowledged and understood. I also assert that 1950s popular culture was more accommodating of different types of men, including unconventional men, than is typically acknowledged in retrospective assessments of the period.