OUT.com has just released their 2nd Annual Power 50 List - a compilation of the most influential gays and lesbians today. The candidates were restricted to those who are (1) gay themselves (not just gay-friendly) and (2) living and working primarily in North America. So don’t expect high profile people like Elton John, Sir Ian McKellen, Anne Will, or Satsu the Vampire Slayer, even though it would’ve been fun to see them on the list. Closet king and queen Anderson Cooper of CNN and Jodie Foster, however, made it through.

The Criteria

To narrow things down, the candidates were judged on their (1) political clout; (2) pop-cultural resonance; (3) individual wealth; and (4) current personal profile. This explains why a lot of those who made the cut are political players who have a say on the ongoing US presidential campaign, or entertainment moguls both in front and behind the camera.

The result? It’s 14-36 in favor of the gents. Darn. Even in a gay list, equality is but an elusive dream. At least we got the top spot, eh? Here are the ladies who made it to the list:

50. Kelly Bush
47. Susan Arnold
46. Martina Navratilova
41. Carolyn Strauss
40. Christine Vachon
38. Lorri L. Jean
36. Annie Leibovitz
31. Rosie O’Donnell
30. Sheila Kueh
24. Suze Orman
18. Christine Quinn
17. Martha Nelson
13. Jodie Foster
1. Ellen DeGeneres

Comments

With all due respect, the people of OUT made two glaring omissions: Ilene Chaiken, creator of The L-Word, and Sarah Warn, chief editor over at AfterEllen.com. In terms of shaping the pop culture landscape of the community, those two are way up there.

Looking back at the list, it seems they put a premium on how well-placed a person is in society (who just happens to be gay), rather than the actual work these people have done to spread awareness and further the causes of the gay community.