Robert De Niro's 10 Gayest Movies

In addition to being one of the most accomplished actors of our time, Robert De Niro is a strong gay ally.  One reason why: his father, artist Robert De Niro Sr., came out as gay when he was three years old, and divorced his wife but stayed close to her and his son.  In the documentary Remembering the Artist, the elder De Niro is remembered as a father, an artist, and a gay man.

You could write a book about the films of Robert De Niro (and there are several), but the most memorable for gay fans must include:

1. Bang the Drum Slowly (1973): buddy-bonding between two baseball players, one dying an incurable disease.

2. Mean Streets (1973): buddy-bonding between two Italian-American hoods, De Niro and Harvey Keitel.

3. 1900 (1976): buddy-bonding between two Italian boys, one rich, one poor (De Niro, Gerard Depardieu).  Their three-way encounter with a woman features frontal nudity.

4. Taxi Driver (1976): Travis Bickle becomes a vigilante, and rescues lesbian Jody Foster. Mega beefcake.

5. New York, New York (1977): "Lullaby of Broadway" romance between De Niro and gay fave Liza with a Z.

6. Raging Bull (1980): De Niro as a self-destructive boxer.  Beefcake.

7. The Mission (1986): buddy-bonding in 18th century South America, between a Jesuit priest and a reformed slave trader (Jeremy Irons, De Niro).

8. Midnight Run (1988): Bounty hunter De Niro and prisoner Charles Grodin become the hunted.

9. We're No Angels (1989): Escaped cons De Niro and Sean Penn hide out as priests.

10. A Bronx Tale (1993): Father (De Niro) disapproves of his son's friendship with a gangster (Chazz Palminteri).

11. Flawless (1999): Homophobic cop (De Niro) moves in next door to a drag queen.

Sorry, I ran out of room in 1999.  There's another 14 years to go.