stylistic:tone, structural:expansion, linguistic:paraphrasing
Gay icon

Garland had a large fan base in the gay community and became a gay icon. Reasons given for her standing among gay men are the admiration of her ability as a performer, the way her personal struggles mirrored those of gay men in the United States during the height of her fame and her value as a camp figure. In 1965, a reporter asked how she felt about having a large gay following. She replied, " I could care less. I sing to people!"