The Naked Civil Servant (book) he faced by refusing to hide his homosexuality and flamboyant lifestyle during a time when such behaviour was criminalized in the United Kingdom. Crisp also recalls his various jobs including book designer, nude model, and prostitute. The title derives from Crisp's quip about being an art model: employed by schools, models are ultimately paid by the Department for Education. They are essentially civil employees who are naked during office hours. The Naked Civil Servant (book) The Naked Civil Servant is the 1968 autobiography of British gay icon Quentin Crisp, adapted into a 1975 film of the same name starring John
Gay icon according to David Bret, author of "Joan Crawford: Hollywood Martyr", it was not until her 1953 film "Torch Song" that she was seen as a "complete gay icon, primarily because it was shot in color." Bret explains that seeing the actress' red hair, dark eyes and "Victory Red" lips linked her to "gaydom's other sirens: Dietrich, Garland, Bankhead, Piaf, and new recruits Marilyn Monroe and Maria Callas." Actress Lucille Ball was also a prominent icon from this period. In Lee Tannen's book "I Loved Lucy: My Friendship with Lucille Ball", the author describes his experience when he witnessed Lucille Ball