She is known the world over for being a gay icon as much as she is for being a prolific singer, actress, film producer, director and author. Much of her fan base is made up of gay men. Surely Barbra Streisand wouldn’t be so unwise to make such a tactless remark?

The 72-year-old legend has spent 25 years attempting to get a largely autobiographical play by Larry Kramer made into a movie, she recently told The Hollywood Reporter.

Her labour was fruitless, with production companies turning down the option, aside from a sole offer from US network HBO, who are never afraid of controversy and offered to bring it to a cultured TV audience. Kramer refused HBO’s $250,000 offer. “He would not let it go for anything less than a million,” Streisand told THR.

In 2012, an email written by Kramer to Streisand that was leaked to the press, lays bare the variety of problems they faced through the years, including Streisand’s apparent inability to raise the funds required to make the film. In the email, Kramer wrote, “it seems you do not have quite the same burning passion to make the film as you always claim”.

Now, as Glee-creator Ryan Murphy gears up for the release of his version of the movie, which he snagged the rights to in 2011, Kramer is going after Streisand again, making comments that could certainly hurt the size of the Guilty singer’s fan base if they turned out to be true.

The iconic playwright told The New York Times, “The problem with her was she didn’t know what she wanted to do with it, and she was really uncomfortable with the subject of gay sex. I bought Barbra a book of very beautiful art of two men making love and she said she found it very distasteful. I said I really think it’s important that after eons of watching men and women make love in the movies, it’s time to see two men do so”.

Streisand responded to the comments, stating: “I aim to promote the idea of everyone’s right to love, gay or straight,” adding, “Larry was at the forefront of this battle and God love him, he’s still fighting, but there’s no need to fight me by misrepresenting my feelings”.

‘The Normal Heart’, which chronicles Kramer’s activist efforts during the HIV/AIDS crisis, and stars Julia Roberts, Mark Ruffalo and Matt Bomer, airs on Sunday June 1 on Sky Atlantic.