Help us brainstorm the gay icons of video games

One of the notable aspects of gay culture is the individuals we turn into our icons. Thanks to a big personality, big talent and a unique sense of style, gay icons have managed to succeed despite having the odds against them, whether that be Judy Garland's personal tragedies or Bette Midler's rule-breaking career path. And, of course, it helps that they're usually very supportive of their gay fans.

In the latest edition of "Ask the Flying Monkey" Brent asked readers if there are potential gay icons in video games. As a long time gamer, that's certainly a question that allows for some fun speculation. To get the conversation going here are a few suggestions.

Bella Goth
From: The Sims franchise

As a constant presence (along with her husband Mortimer) in The Sims franchise, Bella Goth personifies a world where gay gamers feel welcomed and even the game's fandom is notably gay-friendly. However, that's not all Bella has to offer.

Beyond her beauty and commanding presence, Bella is at the center of most of the storylines in the second Sims game. Hers is a soapy life (perfect for gay-iconhood) having mysteriously disappeared from her home, only to reappear in Strangetown (a Roswell-inspired setting) with no memories. It probably helps that The Sims 3 revealed that a teenaged Mortimer looked a lot like Jake Silbermann.

Princess Toadstool (aka Princess Peach)
From: The Mario Brothers games

She may have first appeared as one of several princesses who waits for Mario to rescue her in Super Mario Brothers, but by the time Super Mario Brothers 2 came out she was fighting along with Mario and Luigi.

Video games are still dominated by guys with an easily-threatened sense of masculinity, Princess Toadstool has shown she can be pretty tough and still dress in her iconic, frilly pink gown. That incredibly girly style combined with her kick ass attitude makes PT stand out.

Jimmy Hopkins
From: Bully

While a cursory glance at the Grand Theft Auto series would have you expecting otherwise, Rockstar Games has a pretty gay-friendly history with Bully being one of the company's highlights. This game about a boy who fights back against abusive upperclassmen, apathetic school officials and neglectful parents, lets gay gamers further identify with Jimmy Hopkins' rebellion when it turned out he could regain health by kissing female or male students.

You might notice that Jimmy is the only character on this list whose history doesn't span across a long-lived franchise. Jimmy definitely owes some of his iconic nature to conservative anti-video game crusader Jack Thompson, who tried to use the game's gay content to further his arguments that the game should be taken off Florida store shelves and helped make Jimmy's potential homosexuality even more widely known.

The Women of Fighting Games

In general, the women in fighting games have at least a few qualities in common with other gay icons. They hold their own in a field dominated by men; they all find their own unique strengths; and with a few exceptions, they know how to stay stylish while fighting.

Sure, their good looks are primarily meant for straight male players to enjoy but it also means these women mix grace, attitude and toughness into a potent mix even their gay fans can enjoy. Whether that means Kitana's deadly fans in Mortal Kombat, Aoi's flowing kimono sleeves in Virtua Fighter or BB Hood's mix of cuteness and heavy weaponry in Darkstalkers, the majority of video game women definitely have their own distinctive sense of style.

And, let's not forget that when Street Fighter became a movie, producers turned to gay icon Kylie Minogue to bring Cammy to life.

Samus Arran
From: The Metroid series

Samus Arran is probably video games' best example of a woman finding her own success in a field dominated by men. Throughout the original Metroid game, Arran battles space pirates in a gender-neutral battle suit that left most gamers presuming she was a man until the game's end.

At the time of Metroid's 1986 debut, video game women were usually left to giving quests or waiting for a man to rescue them. Much like Sigourney Weaver would in Aliens (which also came out in 1986), Arran showed the gaming world that blasting down bad guys with a variety of guns wasn't just for the boys' club.

The Cho Aniki Brothers
From: The Cho Anikigames

The homoerotic tendencies of the Cho Aniki games are so hard to miss it has made the game infamous in the U.S. despite not getting a major release here. Full of imagery of barely-dressed, muscular guys and a campy, absurd sensibility, Cho Aniki's gay tendencies has earned it a following even if the games aren't reportedly very good.

Team Rocket
From: Pokemon

Including Team Rocket on this list may be a bit of a cheat since their queer sensibility comes out strongest in the animated Pokemon series instead of the video game. Still, when you consider how Jesse lists her occupation as "diva", James' schemes often involve him dressing in drag and Meowth's origin involves a journey of self-discovery and transition that invokes empathy in transgender fans, it's hard to skip them over.

Lara Croft
From: The Tomb Raider series

While Lara Croft started out with straight male gamers primarily in mind, Croft's ability to navigate a dangerous underground passage made it easy to overlook her, uhm, exaggerated proportions in favor for her abilities as an adventurous archeologist who looks flawless no matter what trouble she faces. Plus, when the franchise graduated to the big screen, the movie made sure Angelina Jolie wasn't the only overwhelmingly sexy presence on the screen, thanks to Daniel Craig.

Honorable mentions

There are also a number of characters who have earned their share of gay fans even if their games have failed to make a long term impact on gaming that lend their characters iconic status. Rhythm games featuring dance music often include songs from actual gay icons and whle gay gamers may fondly remember characters like Space Channel 5's Ulala (whose sense of style owed some credit to Lady Miss Kier) or Bust a Groove's disco diva Pinky Diamond. Too bad the one major dancing game, Dance Dance Revolution didn't include any recurring characters.

Space Channel 5's Ulala and Bust a Groove's Pinky

Similarly, plenty of characters from the Final Fantasy and Resident Evil games have gained their share of gay fans but since neither series sticks with a protagonist for long, none have had a chance to build a long term following.

Meanwhile, as the woman who leads the main character through an over-the-top world of gimmicky assassins and themed battle arenas, Sylvia Christel commands an understated power that could make her a more important character if No More Heroes ever finds the audience that critics say it deserves.

No More Heroes's Sylvia Christel and Final Fantasy's Yuna

And there are a few gay characters who could become iconic if given the chance though further exposure, such as Street Fighter's Freddie Mercury-inspired Eagle, King of Fighters' Benmairu, the various gay characters from Metal Gear Solid or Fallout 3's arm dealers Flak and Shrapnel.

But what do you think? Who would you see as a potential gay icon amongst video game characters?