Subscribe to Breaking NewsWithers: Sexuality does not make you a hero
Against the pleadings of my better angels, I’m ending the week on the war of words between Adam Lambert and Out editor Aaron Hicklin. The “American Idol” silver winner and Hicklin are having a minor public disagreement. For the moment I’ll leave alone how Lambert, in his brief career, is suffering from diva-itis or how for the editor manufactured outrage is a boon for sales. The whole thing leaves me tired because once again it shows how much we yearn for heroes when they are useless.
You all read the web and newspapers. You know the struggle for gay rights. From marriage to school safety, the times we live in are serious. Yet we all go ga-ga when someone on the fame machine comes out as a member of the tribe.
Suddenly the newly minted fame queen gets courage awards, gala dinners, magazine covers, requests to expound on the political struggle. [You know the names. Ellen DeGeneres, T.R. Knight. Rosie O'Donnell, Wanda Sykes, etc. etc]. She is asked to be a spokesperson for a diverse tribe, and we give [fame gay] the microphone and clap with tears streaming down our faces. Does she speak for us because she is an expert on the vagaries of political power? Knows how to form coalitions? A great fundraiser? No. Her only claim is talent, appearances on the big or small screens, and sexuality.
That’s not enough. More sizzle than substance. [But we do it anway, convinced this media light will lead us somewhere].
If Lambert wants to sing as if the only gays who exist are the ones he brings home to bed down, good for him. [That's his right and anyone who wants to take that away does not understand the meaning of "small d" democracy]. He’s not required to be a spokesperson and his opinion would not have protected the two youngsters we recently lost. What keeps them alive, and the 16 year old Houston boy from a vicious beat down, are the nameless ones. The folks who never grace Entertainment Weekly or get to share coffee chat with Regis and Kelly. The anonymous who make it known through action and word gay citizens have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
If Lambert wants to steer away from anything gay, it’s all good. He and the other fame queens out there are not going to save us or make us feel better about our lives. Those “austere and lonely offices” belong to us [and only us. To steal from a recent candidate for the White Hosue, we are the ones we've been waiting for].
UPDATE: After reading the comments, it’s obvious I wasn’t clear. I made some additons with the ever helpful [ ] . Sorry for the confusion.
@Withers. Yep, you should’ve listened to your angels on this one because you’re wrong for that. Now I’m going to alert the rest of the Glambert hive.
What do you want from Adam? It’s not his fault those awful things happened to those young guys. Adam does enough for your community just by simply existing.
Yep, I said it. Leave him alone. If you don’t want to leave him alone, support him. Don’t you see he’s having enough trouble as it is for being honest and coming out at the beginning of his career?
You and the other journalists in YOUR gay community are the ones who are messing everything up for yourselves by tearing down all the progress that Adam has ever made (or anyone for that matter). Adam has raised over a quarter of a million dollars for arts/music supplies for schools. Um, while not neccessarily so, which kids do you think gravitate towards the creative-type extracurricular stuff? So if you don’t know anything about Adam, maybe you’re not qualified to report about him, right?
Everyone has a different function in society, but obvious yours and Hicklin’s is to talk S***. As I pointed out in another blog, I think Hicklin, and now you, are just jealous that you’re not going to be considered the “gay messiah.” Get over yourselves.
Ok I am a Grandmother, Although I am not Gay I stand By Ya’lls side for equal rights.I have a few things to say here so please bare with Me. Adam is a one of a kind spirit in which the Gay community should be proud not bashing him for not ralling for the cause, a person does not need to do that.My parents always said “Actions ALWAYS speak for themselves” Are You going to set there and tell Me that the way Adam carries himself as a Man,not in the closet persay , Hes not showing the world Gays are just like everyone else? See as a non Gay myself I tend to notice the actions of a person not what they are…Now in saying this…Adam in his own way is the best representation of a Gay male there could possibly be by NOT being flamboyiant and just being himself…After all is that not what is wanted here is to just to be able to live in harmony with the world?
I ask out of respect for Adam let Him do His thing and I promise You his way of doing things will do so much more then making a issue of how to be and act Gay,
Thank You for alowing Me to talk in your forum
Jenn
I have to agree with Gram and Stacie…to an extent. Adam doesn’t want to be a spokes person for the Gay Rights Movement. Ok. But the boy does not need nor deserve to be chastized for doing so. They are his own convictions and who in the world cares if he’s not doing it in order to not jeopardize his new-found career.
James, when you were a wee tyke many moons ago, did you come out and advoctae for Gay Rights all the time at your job? Pretty sure you didn’t just because you could get fired for that back in the day. Why in the world would someone from OUT mag…who clearly should understand the trials and tribulations of coming out…be such a tool to the damn kid? Don’t the older employees remember what it was like to come out 20+ years ago? That fear of hate and rejection is still there peeps…so cool it.
As a person who advocates for Gay rights to no end, I would love to see someone famous like Adam or Ellen or Wanda or Porsha (sp?) or maybe Rob Pattinson (
) go full on into Gay Rights Activism…but we can’t force that. Yes, the same things I fight for will someday come to benefit Adam…just as well with the same things he doesn’t advoctae for may someday come to haunt him. Whatever. His decision not to advocate for Gay Rights does not in any way shape or form make him less of an ally. It usually takes an extraordinary measure to flip that switch in a person. Unfortunately his pilot isn’t lit yet…but who is anyone but Adam to say that he’s useless for our community. The boy was JUST thrust into Stardom. Let him get his career off the ground and give time for the dust to settle. The boy will need a couple years to collect his thoughts. He is young. He may not know what is important to him yet. Instead of hounding Adam to be a better ally…why doesn’t the OUT person being a douce do something better? There’s ALWAYS something else that can be done for LGBT Rights. How bout he puts all this energy into HIV/AIDS activism. Switch it up a little…maybe change the tude!
Good God, James – you’ve really pissed on staciegirlie’s cornflakes, haven’t you?
James Withers as the gay messiah…now there’s a thought. I can see you now perched on your jewel-encrusted throne dressed in glorious pink spandex.
Anyway…
I do have to agree, in part, with the sentiments expressed by staciegirlie, and more coherently by Jenn (always great to hear the opinion of a grandmother, someone with some actual life experience). Just because a person is famous and happens to be gay, it is ridiculous to expect that person to become some sort of gay rights activist or spokesperson for the gay community.
Are all celebrities who happen to belong to minority groups automatically expected to become activists for those groups? Are they all expected to become representatives of those groups? Kind of unreasonable to expect either, isn’t it?
I am politically active because I choose to be. I stand up for gay rights because I believe in the cause, not just for myself but for others. It’s not the only cause I am involved in, however. I am involved in environmental and animal rights groups. I am involved in organizations dedicated to easing suffering abroad. I fight for numerous causes that have nothing to do with my sexuality, because my sexuality does not define who I am.
Adam Lambert, like many other gay celebrities, chooses not to be defined by his sexuality. He chooses to do what he loves and stay out of politics, just as many other people do. If anyone thinks he should do anything else just because he happens to be gay, they’re fools.
Yes, they’re his rights too, but each and every one of us has the right to choose whether or not to fight for our rights, and how we choose to fight for them.
Adam is just a leech. I can’t believe he gets a pass just because he’s an entertainer. If this was a preacher, he would be called on his hypocritical use of gay issues to advance his career.
This space would be much better used to review the efforts of actual out and proud gay artists, of which there are many. They sing better than Adam, certainly write better, and have much better skin. What they don’t have is a horde of confused middle-aged women to please, and millions of dollars of marketing from a TV reality show. That limits them in reach, but frees them in quality. They deserve to be heard.
As far as I’m concerned Lambert is right up there with Perez Hilton.
Scum bag media whore.
Lambert says he’s gay but still likes to “kiss girls once in a while”.
OH PUHLEEZEEE!!!
Anything to sell an extra couple of albums besides the ones his middle age, sparkle cow housewives will grab off the shelves.
He really is the ultimate poseur, his new album is a Britney Spears pop album not a rock album like he tried to con everyone into thinking he was when he was on Idol.
He’s a no talent hack just like Taylor Hicks, Fantasia (the declawed cat) Barino, and the rest of those so called Idols.
And like the other idols, Adam will sell a few copies and fade into obscurity where he belongs.
Like Perez, a total embarrassment
I often find myself disagreeing with Withers but on this….he’s spot on. Lambert used his sexuality as a tool to help him advance on AI. He didn’t win but it started his career and it was as much due to his “sexuality” as his “talent”.
As for those who claim he bears no obligation to represent the gay community I call BS. WE ALL REPRESENT THE GAY COMMUNITY. Lambert doesn’t get a pass because he doesn’t want to be a representative.
Finally, one can’t help but wonder how this supposedly “enlightened” soul is convincing himself that NOT standing up for his “gay” side is somehow standing up for his individuality. Being gay is alot more intrinsic to his individuality than his “expression of talent” …such as it is.
Lambert’s statement was fairly straight forward so i don’t really understand where this is coming from.
“It was my desire to stay away from talking about certain political and civil rights issues because I’m not a politician. I’m an entertainer. That is not my area of expertise. I can talk about relationships and personal experiences because as an artist those things involve writing lyrics and that part of my process. But I didn’t feel comfortable talking about the March on Washington. I didn’t feel comfortable, so I asked my publicist to ask the interviewer to stay away from the political questions. I take full responsibility for that. I think that the editor has his agenda and has his opinions, which I respect, but they’re not necessarily my opinions. And I wish there was a little respect for that. Not every gay man is the same gay man….in order for us to progress, we need to stop segregating ourselves. And a letter like that, that viewpoint — the letter that Aaron wrote is holding us back. Because it’s recognizing the big difference as opposed to letting us all ignore preference and just be people.”
how does one jump from that to “hero”?
“…but each and every one of us has the right to choose whether or not to fight for our rights, and how we choose to fight for them.”
Yes – just as WE have the right to judge said actions (and individuals who follow them) on our own terms – and just as harshly as we like.
Lambert is a split-second fame queen with little if anything to offer of any value to any adult of a lasting nature.
A day in the life of a courageous rights-defender and advocate is worth years in the life of this good-for-little drama queen with little or nothing to offer.
Peter Formaini said:
“A day in the life of a courageous rights-defender and advocate is worth years in the life of this good-for-little drama queen with little or nothing to offer.”
Thanks for saying so much in so few words.
Peter Formaini:A+ Adam Lambert:C-(I’m feeling generous)
I disagree with most of your article which resonates with the echoes of bitterness. Yes, the famous “A-lister stars” may not be actual heroes of political prowess, but their presence in the media is a powerful tool nonetheless. Their voices and repetitive media attention command the world to take a look again at gay people. Gay people are doctors, lawyers, teachers, actors, musicians and so on and so on. How many gays have been forced and compelled to remain in the shadows? Stay in the dark corners of society and hold your tongue in silence and watch and the majority rule? I disagree completely. The more voices that come forward that can inspire and motivate the masses of straight and gay alike; the more likely a door will open in the minds of straights that gays are here and here to stay. We will rise up with one voice so that there can truly be “one nation with liberty and justice for all”. The voices of Adam Lambert and Ellen Degeneres, plant seeds of hope that will grow and encourage others. They are Heroes. Don’t be so jaded.
Man, every day I come to this site and see somebody (usually the same somebody) blasting James for his opinions, but this time I felt the need to write a supportive response because these comments are ridiculous. Some of you people really need to actually read the damn column before you get in a huff. He wasn’t lambasting Lambert, he was just saying that to expect greatness from him is to be naive (which I think is what some of you were ALSO saying). Gay people everywhere are just people. Anderson Cooper is another good example. These people who choose to live their lives without being out are just fine and dandy. I personally look down upon them because they could be doing so much more (I’d have loved having a masculine gay role-model growing up, but no, I had Elton Johns and Ru Pauls, who while fabulous, are nothing like me), but they’re just not strong enough to meet my expectations, and they shouldn’t have to be, because who the hell am I to expect it?
I did’nt read all the other comments because most of the ones I read struck me as being ill thought out. Obviously they failed to read all of Withers article,or ignored the meaning within. As I read it Withers asked for us to recognise that faces on television only excite the converted and do nothing to sway the minds of those we count as enemies. The real heros of out times are those who go quietly through life altering attitudes in small ways so as to gain a greater result in the overall. By this means and by showing out heterosexual bretheren that we do no harm and in fact contribute in a far greater way to the well being of our overburdened planet we will spoil their attempts to paint us a undesirables. Our heros should be those who fight tirelessly on our behalf for our rights to simply exist and to go about out lives freely able to follow our dreams, By the way many of those hero’s are not gay just good friends. Rob
I agree with those who say Mr. Lambert is a media whore. No I don’t expect every famous gay person to be an activist, but the stuff about being kind of interested in girls? Sorry he sold his gay soul to the almighty dollar, which makes him a big fat whore in my book.
@Issac: No he pissed in my frosted flakes, but anyway, thanks for semi-agreeing with me. You too Joey.
@Randy: I’m not confused, not a sparkle cow, or whatever. One of the things I like about gay men is that they’re gentlemen. At least, used to be. You’re not one. BTW, Adam is not a leech. He is a bright and shiny icon who’s gaining acceptance. Geez, I actually overheard a straight guy (other than Kris Allen) saying that he’d be glad to marry Adam Lambert. He may have been joking, but how many straight guys would have been caught dead saying that before Adam came along? I’ll say it again. Adam is creating positive change just by simply existing. Too bad it isn’t you, right? That’s why you’re so jealous.
P.S. You should know better than anyone, that some gay guys (maybe they’re bi)fool around with women every once in a while. How do I know. I’m pleading the fifth.