Quentin Crisp (born Denis Charles Pratt; 25 December 1908 – 21 November 1999) was an English raconteur, whose work in the public eye included a memoir of his life and various media appearances. Before becoming well-known, he was an artist's model, hence the title of his most famous work, The Naked Civil Servant. He afterwards became a gay icon due to his flamboyant personality, fashion sense and wit. His iconic status was occasionally controversial, due to remarks about subjects like the AIDS crisis. This invited censure from gay activists, including human-rights campaigner Peter Tatchell.