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    From: BBC World News By  :  Nick Levine Edited by : Amal Udawatta Getty Images (Credit: Getty Images) A Roman soldier who was killed for his Christian beliefs, Sebastian has been a hero for gay men over the centuries – from Oscar Wilde to Keith Haring. Here's why. Loaded and emotive, the term "gay icon" is often applied to resilient female celebrities like Judy Garland (embattled), Cher (high camp) and Madonna (tireless). When Dusty Springfield died in 1999, Pet Shop Boys singer Neil Tennant was asked why his friend and collaborator had become "such a gay icon". Tennant's response, as he recalled in a 2024 interview with Mojo , was pretty dismissive: "To call her a gay icon is simply to marginalise her. It's to say, 'She's only of interest to gay people.'" Tennant made a good point regarding Springfield, but attaining "gay icon" status can also be celebratory and subversive. This is certainly the case with Saint Seba...

  By Steven McIntosh Entertainment reporter, Edited by Amal Udawatta IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Leto said it was a "nice surprise" to see his mother through the window when he reached the 80th floor He's known for going to great lengths to win an Oscar - and now Jared Leto is going to great heights to promote his band's next tour. The actor and musician has become the first person to legally scale the 102-story Empire State Building. Leto, 51, climbed the outside of the New York landmark in a bright orange jumpsuit and using a rope and harness. He took on the challenge to promote the forthcoming world tour for his band Thirty Seconds To Mars. Leto told NBC's Today show:  "I was more excited than nervous to tell you the truth. But I have to be honest, it was very, very hard. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. "Just the endurance that it took, the stamina that it took, and it was very sharp." The actor won an Oscar for his ...