Gay icon a prototypical portrait of a tortured closet case." Due to Saint Sebastian's status as a gay icon, Tennessee Williams chose to use the saint's name for the martyred character Sebastian in his play, "Suddenly, Last Summer". The name was also used by Oscar Wilde—as Sebastian Melmoth—when in exile after his release from prison. Wilde, an Irish writer and poet, was about as "out of the closet" as was possible for the late 19th century, and is himself considered to be a gay icon. Marie Antoinette was an early lesbian icon. Rumors about her relationships with women circulated in pornographic detail
Arthur Melmoth Walters spent some time as a volunteer in the army, and in August 1886, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the 3rd Surrey Rifles. Walters eventually qualified as a solicitor in 1899, and joined the family firm. He was president of the Law Society of England and Wales. He became a director of the London Guarantee and Accident Co., and of the Phoenix Assurance Co. He died at his home at Minnickwood, Holmwood, Surrey on 2 May 1941 aged 76. Old Carthusians Arthur Melmoth Walters Arthur Melmoth Walters (26 January 1865 – 2 May 1941) was an English