From the sublime and glamorous to the comic and tragic: Adrian Gillan counts down the Top Ten Famous Historic Gay Male Couples of All Time…

1. Alexander the Great (general 356-323BC) & Hephaistion (confidant and lover 356-323BC) – Alexander had to be pulled off his dead lover’s corpse; shaved his head; and threw a mega funeral!

2. Julius Caesar (emperor, 100-44BC) & Nicomedes (King of Bithynia, died 74BC) – Nicomedes was referred to as Caesar’s “Queen” by political rivals!

3. Rimbaud (poet, 1855-1891) & Verlaine (poet, 1844-1896) – tempestuous absinthe-fuelled love!

4. Oscar Wilde (writer and wit, 1854-1900) & Lord Alfred Douglas a.k.a. “Bosie” (poet and aristocrat, 1870-1945) – perhaps the most infamous gay affair in history!

5. Nijinsky (dancer, 1890-1950) & Diaghilev (producer, 1872-1929) – talent and money: combined!

6. Benjamin Britten (composer, 1913-1976) & Peter Pears (singer, 1910-1986) – classy, arty duo!

7. Francis Bacon (artist, 1909-1992) & George Dyer (burglar and artist’s model, died 1972) – Bacon met Dyer whilst being burgled by the suicidal model!

8. Joe Orton (writer, 1933-1967) & Kenneth Halliwell (writer, 1926-1967) – ended in bloodbath!

9. Elton John (pop star, born 1947) & David Furnish (film producer, born 1962) – world-famous pair!

10. George Michael (pop star, born 1963) & Kenny Goss (businessman, born 1958) – vie with Elton & David as the world’s most famous gay couple!

You too could find the love of your life, to stand the test of time!

BOX-OUT: Top Tips for Strong Gay Male Relationships…

• Be honest with yourself and your partner.
• Communicate your thoughts and feelings - both to yourselves and supportive friends.
• Agree and regularly review rules, needs and boundaries – especially re sex drives and open relationships.
• Respect each other for your differences as much as your similarities.
• Compromise and collaborate.
• Develop shared interests; and cultivate mutual friends - including straight friends!
• Think about sex where you are present rather than absent (ie off-your-head).
• Beware acting out other people’s preconceptions: whether being the proverbial gay “bad boy”; or playing “happily married”.

Adrian Gillan