Subscribe to Breaking NewsRuby-Sachs: Adam Lambert is Gay…. For Real This Time
We all knew Adam Lambert was gay. I’m a lesbian and even I could tell. Photos surfaced months ago of Adam lip locked with girls, boys, boys dressed as girls and a few where I couldn’t tell the sex of the other party in the photo.
But I can’t help but be disappointed that Adam chose not to (or was not permitted to) disclose his sexuality while Idol was still in progress.
The fact that previous Idol contestants have come out of the closet has been important and contributed to the overall visibilityof the gay community on mainstream television. Can’t argue with that.
But having an Idol contestant come out during the show would be an excellent litmus test for the tolerance of the American public. If Lambert’s votes had stayed strong, it would have been a success. If Lambert’s votes had dropped, the dip could have been used to bolster tolerance campaigns and anti-homophobia initiatives, especially amongst the teen population.
You see, it was a win-win for the gay community to have Lambert proclaim his sexuality while his fate was still uncertain. Instead, Adam will be on the cover of Rolling Stone in an Ellen-esque gay pronouncement.
And so, the “most glamorous idol ever” (according to Regis) is only gay when we all know he won’t be the Idol afterall. It is still a huge success for the visibility campaign. But, it’s not quite the gay triumph it could have been.
Adam’s always been open about who he is. He openly discusses his colourful life, his friends, makeup, drag queens, the internet pictures, the meaning “A Change is Gonna Come” had for him personally. His reaction to the Bill O’Reilly “embarrassing pictures” segment in his EW Idolatry interview was, “Embarassing for whom? They censored the pictures! They censored it LOL. Was that indecent?? I wasn’t embarrassed, I guess he was. Bill was embarrassed.”
It’s just…wow, y’know? Why are gay men expected to ‘come out’. Why do people need a printed bulletin? Why the creepy obsession? Should I release a press announcement revealing to the world I’m a straight female intro straight males?
AS LONG AS A GAY PERSON HAS TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THEY ARE GAY, THERE WILL NEVER BE EQUALITY.
To L.R. That just sounds so ridiculous!
Before you discount what L.R. says – you may want to stop and think – she’s right, in a strange way.
We seem to believe that everyone is so interested in our sexuality, it ceased being a sensational announcement some years ago. That work was done – Rosie O’donnel, Ellen, Elton, etc.
The day when we are ignored and people shrug and roll their eyes is much better than rabid zealots incensed at the idea we exist, openly.
I look forward to the day it isn’t required, or felt to be important, we can just go on and live our lives like everyone else.
That is his personal life… What with it… If he wanted to come out before or after, that’s a personal decision… We love him for his talent… and that is what we should be focusing on!
if his sexuality is ‘no big deal’ then why has he been so coy until the ’shocking’ rolling stone announcement ?
the fact is that he lost BIG, partly because of people who refused to vote for an obviously gay guy, but mostly because he’s kinda creepy and his screechy broadway-style ‘rock’ songs grew irritatingly tiresome… oh and because kris is HELLA cute !!
any one ever think that this wasn’t about us, but about his percieved chances of winning. if you want to make politic of this, let it be about how the fear of persecution forces us to lie about ourselves.
As my mother said when I came out at 12, “It’s one thing to think you know and another to know you know.” I agree with Paul. To me it may be politics but to those contestants…?? He’s out now and that’s enough for me.
While I agree it would have been great for Lambert to come out while he was still in the contest, I don’t know if I would be eager to throw him under the career bus just to be a “litmus test”, as Sachs puts it. If he’s coming out in the next issue of Rolling Stone anyway….how soon do you need it? He’s not waiting five years, or even five months, for that matter. The sad truth is he probably has more power and control by waiting till after the contest was over, and he had already established a level of fame. The people I take issue with are the ones who never come out, wait until their careers are over, or wait till they are forced out so they can blame someone else for their problems. Lambert has done none of this. Rock on with your big voice, girl!
I need to add to my previous post: Has anyone mentioned that he is coming out BEFORE he has even released his first album? Compare that to the hot mess George Michaels has become, spending more time in the bushes than the recording studio, I think we have a “winner”, no matter what the voters on “Idol” say! Give him a break, people. The man hasn’t even laid down the first track to his first album, and he’s already going to make the big “announcement”. Premature ejaculate much?
if everyone is so sure he is gay, there is no point in him actually saying “I am gay”
you all know he’s gay. he knows that you all know.
it doesn’t matter. we all want to be seen as ‘normal’ right? well constantly proclaming our sexuality on magazines covers is not ‘normal’ to me. maybe back in 1997 it was, but it’s 2009.
we have more important things to worry about than whether someone is going to come out from a dumb music show.
I knew Adam was gay from the beginning. I’m gay so I guess that’s how I knew. Not all can tell. After all not all are gay, or not all have gaydar. Whatever you call it.
But Idol is not about your sexuality, it’s about being liked, being voted, and winning. That includes getting a career.
I’m glad Adam admits he is gay. However, it doesn’t mean gay people like me like him.
I prefer Kris. He’s hot, cute and has a sexy voice. Adam is freaky and sounds like my mother. hahahaha..joke.
Good luck to Adam.
Adam made clear that he wanted Idol to be about his singing and nothing else. I think people should have respected that. I second what LR said about equality. Why is it that if a straight person goes on a talent show it’s about their singing, but if a gay person attempts to do the same thing it becomes a referendum on their sexuality. I can’t imagine anybody wants to have their sexuality dragged into everything they do. IF he wants to speak about it it should be on HIS terms, and on HIS time, and we should all respect that. Last I looked, he still had freedom of speech.
While it would have been great for Adam to disclose his sexual orientation (assuming he is in fact gay), I do not believe it is the responsibility of Adam to be out during a show just to test tolerance. It is not fair to expect that of anyone. It would seem more beneficial to gays for him to come out after a win. I am just happy that Adam allowed himself to be viewed as different… not fitting into a box. And I also applaud the judges for subtly encouraging him. All in all, asking Adam to be out during the show could be in effect asking him to willingly lose for a gay cause… this fight he did not sign up for.
Oh don’t be silly. You’re never honest about anything anymore unless you get paid to do it on the cover of a magazine or in multi-book deal.
Speaking of which… did Mary Cheney’s second book come out yet?