Princess Diana Looked Gay, According to This Instagram Account

It’s no secret that the art of theorizing is a particularly common lesbian pastime—just check Tumblr for any exotic combination of female co-stars on-screen, and you’ll probably find exactly what you’re looking for. One Instagram user has taken to theorizing about Princess Diana, a previously—and surprisingly—untapped market for the lesbian community.

Lauren Pellerano Gomez, a magazine editor in Cambridge, Mass., has launched an Instagram fan page called @princessdianalookinggay, which is pretty self-explanatory. The account depicts the late princess in her queerest getups, from posing with a tennis racquet to making us swoon in an extremely dapper bow-and-tie look.

Pellerano Gomez has already been interviewed by Vanity Fair for her important contribution to the gay community. Though she alleges that she started the account as a joke, she insists that history is constantly being written in real time and amended, especially by queer people, who have been so historically erased that we must take it upon ourselves to document our own legacy. “Unless we’re doing it ourselves, no one else will do it for us,” she says.

The account has everything, from baggy pants, an oversized blazer, and a stylish baseball cap,  to plaid-inspired coats and chic vests. She does all the work herself, though a couple people have submitted images to Pellerano Gomez. She hopes to receive more submissions, as she believes “Princess Diana Looking Gay” is a slice of heaven in such a dark era of American history. “The whole point of it is it’s just light. It’s for comedic relief in a sad, dark time,” she tells Vanity Fair.

While the page admin believes Princess Diana to be an icon in terms of celebrity culture, pop culture and fashion, she doesn’t care about all the hubbub surrounding this summer’s Royal Wedding. “People went crazy over this, and I didn’t watch the wedding—I don’t think it’s interesting,” she says. “I remember Princess Diana’s impact feeling really big to me at the time. I thought, ‘Let’s throw it back to Princess Di. Let’s get her back in the conversation.’”

A few simple Google searches like “Princess Diana looking gay,” “Princess Diana vest,” and “Princess Diana drama” kickstarted her deep dive into photos of the late royal, and she culled paparazzi images for photos that read as queer. “I found her speaking very closely [with] another woman or looking androgynous,” she reveals. “There’s one photo where she’s wearing those sweatpants and that hat? I just thought, ‘That’s a downtown Los Angeles lesbian.’ How have we not seen this already everywhere?”

Though Diana did not identify (as far as we know) as queer, posthumously she’s been hailed as a queer icon, not just for her indelible style, but also for her strong allyship and advocacy for the LGBTQ community, especially in helping to destigmatize HIV.

Pellerano Gomez explains that Princess Diana is “definitely part of the queer lexicon,” but the page is just meant to celebrate her aesthetics with humor.

“I want people to laugh, and share with their friends if they think that it’s funny,” she says. “I want to keep it light and fun. I want people to feel like they can engage in whatever way they want.”

Header image via Getty

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