Who’d be at the top of yours?
BY ALEX BRUGMAN, IMAGE BY ALEXANDER’S IMAGES VIA PEXELS
As we all know, a good Christmas tree is a staple for the festive season. Be it a trusty plastic tree hauled down from the attic each year, or an annual trip to the garden centre to pick out the least scraggly looking one you hope will last you until Boxing day. Then of course, there’s the traditional annual debate on what should go at the top. A star? An angel? That hideous thing you made at nursery that one year that your mum can’t let go of?
How about you ditch those options all together and have your very own Queer-mas icon on top of the tree. Here’s a run-down of queer icons to put at the top of your Christmas tree this year.
Sarah Paulson
Starting off with a classic. Sarah’s had many queer roles in the past but in 2015 featured in Carol, arguably a Christmas movie and arguably one of the best queer movies of all time. She plays Abby, Carol’s best friend, who she’s (still) madly in love with. And who wouldn’t be really? Sarah and her partner, Holland Taylor, and their two recently adopted dogs are also just queer family goals. So, whether you put just Sarah or the whole family up there I think they deserve to be on top of the queer tree.
Cate Blanchett
Following on from Carol, it is of course Carol herself. I think that’s all the explanation we need there.
Frida Kahlo
One of the most acclaimed artists of all time, her works resonate with people across the world. She’s also had many affairs with women. I went to an exhibition of hers recently and a little girl who looked about five or six turned to her mum and said “Mum, it says here she liked men and women.” Her mum looked down calmly and said “Yes, some people love men and women.” The girl looked up, a bit sternly, and said, “That’s not allowed though, is it?” Her mum looked slightly shocked and said, “Really, why?” The girl just looked back at the exhibition board and shrugged. Her mum gently explained that people can love who they want and it’s not a problem, why would it be? And for sparking that moment alone, Frida deserves to be on top of the tree.
Cynthia Nixon
We all know Cynthia from Sex and the City, but another recent acting performance can be seen alongside Sarah Paulson in Ratched, a prequel to One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. The two women strike up a romance, lest we forget the domestic queer life in Mexico montage, and it’s the most adorable thing to come out of 2020. She’s also active in politics and continues to advocate for LGBTQI causes. Nixon lives in New York with her wife and children and of course they’re #CoupleGoals. Surely, they deserve to be on top of the tree?
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