Clay Aiken is Gay

[Graeme]

He should be celebrated, not shunned, and there are several in this topic who should be ashamed.

I wouldn't go that far. Nothing said has, in my opinion, been malicious. Realistically, Clay is unlikely to read this thread, so the comments are unlikely to be taken personally. Most of the comments have been on the side of humour -- they found the situation that Clay was in to be amusing, and an example of what they wouldn't want to do.

 

It's one of the problems with humour -- it almost always involves poking fun at someone. I'm not a politically correct person and I don't mind a little fun at someone else's expense (or even my own), but it has to be within reason. After a certain point, a joke isn't funny any more. Clay appears to have had problems acknowledging his sexuality -- it's amusing for a short period of time, and then it becomes sad. It was like the video I saw of Oscar Figueroa during the Beijing Olympics of the weightlifter that tried numerous times to lift a weight, but his right hand kept slipping off the bar. It was amusing the first few times, and then it wasn't any more. You had to feel for the guy.

[Pai-kun]

Eh... so the guy wasn't comfortable with making his sexuality a nation-wide issue. How many of you would feel entirely comfortable going before literally millions of people at all much less with the expectation that you're going to have your talent on display and hope you don't screw it up and then on top of that there's all these rumors about you that you know are true but have nothing to do with your talent...

 

I have never watched an episode of American Idol. I have no attatchment to this guy one way or the other. I have done public speaking in the form of debates watched by around 20 members of my team, 20 members of my opponents' team, and a judge whose job is to judge me and of course parents watching to see how I'll do.... I was nervous enough as it was the last thing i needed was to be wondering if the judge was judging me thinking ".... gay." or if all the audience members were watching me thinking "man this guy is so gay" ... especially considering I wasn't out even to myself at the time. If after the debate some local reporter or whatever had come up to me and wanted a quick interview and suddenly instead of asking me about the issue turned around and asked me if I wanted to sex me up a guy... first I would blush so hard you'd think my face was on fire and then I'd run/stumble out of the room and probably not stop until i collapsed in some corner to hide in.

 

Let the guy have some slack. He's got a world of new responsibilities now with his son and among the things he's taken on is to be open and honest about his sexuality - likely in the hopes that with his status as a public figure, by being open about it he'll be helping to create a more tolerant and accepting world for his son. Is it a shock that he's gay? No. Was it probably a bit painful to those of us who are out to watch our 'american idol' deny who he was? Well it must have been for some of you with the way you're reacting, but set that aside and try to remember what its like in the closet when its just your family and maybe your school to worry about knowing, then multiply that number of people concerned with your sexuality by millions.

 

Clay shouldn't be considered tarnishing to our image. He's just a guy. A gay guy, with a lot of talent, who was under far more pressure than most of us could even conceive, and he's doing the best he knows how as he moves along through life. He should be celebrated, not shunned, and there are several in this topic who should be ashamed.

LOL! Clay Aiken wishes millions of people cared. No. As I posted before, it's fine that he didn't wanna come out. That's his choice and I respect that. But why should he be celebrated? He acted as if he was being accused of something horrible(at least that's how I felt it. Maybe he's just misunderstood, but I doubt that very much). At least for me, it's not even about him not wanting to come out of the closet or that he kept denying being gay until now. It's the way he kept denying it as if there was something wrong with it. The whole "No, I'm not one of those. I'm a good Christian." IMO he's just a coward, finally stating the obvious because he have no career left losing. But yeah, that's my point of view. And no, I won't feel ashamed because of that. Maybe it's not politically correct, but it's how I feel, and several others with me. ^^

 

But I do agree that he's not "tarnishing our image" seeing as homosexuality is a sexual orientation and not a lifestyle or people. It's like when some gay guys say that feminine guys are setting gay people back. It's just annoying and gives others an opening to think so too(like when girls call other girls sluts and whores, etc). So I agree with you on that point.

[Sarah]

"Mika he's sooo gay! Wait he's british so he's Camp lol. "

 

 

 

 

Mika lives in Britain now but was born in Lebanon.

[Sarah]

Now something really shocking would be the revelation that Simon Cowell is gay, haha!

 

LOL!!

[glomph]

You mean he's not?

[D and B]

Just for the record, though I'm not particularly a Clay Aiken fan, I do have some background to offer. We are friend with a family who are neighbors and fairly good friends of the Aiken family. They described them as moderately conservative and strong churchgoers. I suspect strongly that serious concerns about family entered into Clay's timing on coming out -- along, of course, with establishing his career (see comments on being out vis-a-vis a music career in "Let the Music Play"). I am glad his mother is standing by him.

[Sarah]

You mean he's not?

 

Who? Simon Cowell?

[Sarah]

I don't really know anything about Clay Aiken, but after reading the link to the story, it would seem he was once a contestant on Pop Idol? The reason I ask is because a few years ago, on the English Pop Idol, Will Young won it. There was speculation about whether he was gay or not while he was taking part in the show. Will 'came out' to the press after he won, although I believe he was 'out' to family and friends way before then. There were several headlines about him being gay etc. I really don't know what all the fuss is about. Does whether an artist is gay or straight affect their singing? (I'm not being serious btw!)

[Daisy]

I don't really know anything about Clay Aiken, but after reading the link to the story, it would seem he was once a contestant on Pop Idol? The reason I ask is because a few years ago, on the English Pop Idol, Will Young won it. There was speculation about whether he was gay or not while he was taking part in the show. Will 'came out' to the press after he won, although I believe he was 'out' to family and friends way before then. There were several headlines about him being gay etc. I really don't know what all the fuss is about. Does whether an artist is gay or straight affect their singing? (I'm not being serious btw!)

 

the fuss was that the tabloids were going to run a big headline on it the day after he won. he decided to pre-empt them. I think that everyone who worked with him on the show had known as well.

[JamesSavik]

Some people should stay in the closet.

 

Like Boy George herion addict and overall douche-bag.

 

I don't care if/when/why or how you come out- if you do, please make an effort NOT to be a douche-bag.

[Benji]

Some people should stay in the closet.

 

Like Boy George herion addict and overall douche-bag.

 

I don't care if/when/why or how you come out- if you do, please make an effort NOT to be a douche-bag.

 

.........Personally if Clay wanted to come out on his own doing fine, tabloids can go to hell.

[Sarah]

Some people should stay in the closet.

 

Like Boy George herion addict and overall douche-bag.

 

I don't care if/when/why or how you come out- if you do, please make an effort NOT to be a douche-bag.

 

Well yes he's made some big mistakes,and paid for them too, but I'm a fan of Boy George's. IMO he's very talented.I'm going to see him in concert on Saturday.

Edited October 6, 2008 by Bagpussarah

[AFriendlyFace]

Now, James Blunt, I'll give that out for a Jury. I have a feeling he experimented at least with guys, but Gay is what you are, not just the sex. Mika is 100% Gay, but closet for cultural reasons.

Yes, I agree that Mika is almost certainly gay. But he's cool with it, spreads acceptance, and manages to be subversive, in a positive way, without being out. So I'm cool with his closetedness.

 

Ummm...I have no idea who this Clay Aiken bloke is... but why the hostility? I could understand it if he was always saying that gay people should be killed or whatever but...from what I can gather he's just some famous bloke who's come out.

 

I have to say that I'm a little shocked and slightly saddened by some of the posts above.

 

I thought it was the number one principle that it should always be an individual's choice as to when, where and how they come out. Just because everyone 'knew' it already, that doesn't mean he should be lambasted for finally coming out.

 

Yes, James, before you comment, I know that not everyone gets that choice. Some people are thrown out, rather than coming out , but, in principle, a person should be allowed to determine their own sexuality in their own time, and be allowed to inform the world (or any subset of it) the way they want to and when they want to.

 

Clay clearly didn't want to discuss it previously. That may have been for purely pragmatic/cynical reasons (he may have perceived that coming out would hurt his career -- and that is sad enough by itself without making it to a negative for Clay), or it could be that he's been struggling to accept that he's gay. What's been going on in his private life that could have stopped him from wanting to admit to himself he's gay? We don't really know....

 

Eh... so the guy wasn't comfortable with making his sexuality a nation-wide issue. How many of you would feel entirely comfortable going before literally millions of people at all much less with the expectation that you're going to have your talent on display and hope you don't screw it up and then on top of that there's all these rumors about you that you know are true but have nothing to do with your talent...

 

I have never watched an episode of American Idol. I have no attatchment to this guy one way or the other. I have done public speaking in the form of debates watched by around 20 members of my team, 20 members of my opponents' team, and a judge whose job is to judge me and of course parents watching to see how I'll do.... I was nervous enough as it was the last thing i needed was to be wondering if the judge was judging me thinking ".... gay." or if all the audience members were watching me thinking "man this guy is so gay" ... especially considering I wasn't out even to myself at the time. If after the debate some local reporter or whatever had come up to me and wanted a quick interview and suddenly instead of asking me about the issue turned around and asked me if I wanted to sex me up a guy... first I would blush so hard you'd think my face was on fire and then I'd run/stumble out of the room and probably not stop until i collapsed in some corner to hide in.

 

Let the guy have some slack. He's got a world of new responsibilities now with his son and among the things he's taken on is to be open and honest about his sexuality - likely in the hopes that with his status as a public figure, by being open about it he'll be helping to create a more tolerant and accepting world for his son. Is it a shock that he's gay? No. Was it probably a bit painful to those of us who are out to watch our 'american idol' deny who he was? Well it must have been for some of you with the way you're reacting, but set that aside and try to remember what its like in the closet when its just your family and maybe your school to worry about knowing, then multiply that number of people concerned with your sexuality by millions.

 

Clay shouldn't be considered tarnishing to our image. He's just a guy. A gay guy, with a lot of talent, who was under far more pressure than most of us could even conceive, and he's doing the best he knows how as he moves along through life. He should be celebrated, not shunned, and there are several in this topic who should be ashamed.

 

IMO, he's been a big douchbag about it for several years. Anytime anyone asked him about he'd be very rude and/or just leave. It's fine that he didn't wanna talk about it, but he could've handled it with ease instead of acting as if someone accused him of being a serial killer. And his psychotic fans were all "CLAY ISN'T GAY!!! WE'LL KILL YOU!" about it, and this is kinda hilarious because of that. Everyone knew he was gay(it's so obvious, sorry but it is) except for the Claymates(what they call themselves, lol), that refused to admit it. So him admitting it is hilarious because of it being obvious as well as him making every Claymate WRONG! I dunno, at least I find that funny.

 

LOL! Clay Aiken wishes millions of people cared. No. As I posted before, it's fine that he didn't wanna come out. That's his choice and I respect that. But why should he be celebrated? He acted as if he was being accused of something horrible(at least that's how I felt it. Maybe he's just misunderstood, but I doubt that very much). At least for me, it's not even about him not wanting to come out of the closet or that he kept denying being gay until now. It's the way he kept denying it as if there was something wrong with it. The whole "No, I'm not one of those. I'm a good Christian." IMO he's just a coward, finally stating the obvious because he have no career left losing. But yeah, that's my point of view. And no, I won't feel ashamed because of that. Maybe it's not politically correct, but it's how I feel, and several others with me. ^^

 

But I do agree that he's not "tarnishing our image" seeing as homosexuality is a sexual orientation and not a lifestyle or people. It's like when some gay guys say that feminine guys are setting gay people back. It's just annoying and gives others an opening to think so too(like when girls call other girls sluts and whores, etc). So I agree with you on that point.

 

I'm sorry but I'm going to have to completely disagree with Ash, Graeme, and Martin on this one and reiterate what Pai-Chan said. I'm sure the defense he is receiving is motivated by good intentions, but the truth remains that not only did he straight up lie but he did indeed insult his own kind in the worst possible way. He also insulted the intelligence of everyone with at least a reasonable modicum of intelligence.

 

At this point coming out can't help but to seem like a pathetic attempt to re-energize a tired, failed career. He already looks and acts like a worn out old queen, so it's about time he finally wore the hat.