Clay Aiken's coming out really doesn't come as much of a surprise. We've all known for many years that the crooner goes for the guys. Nor is Aiken's lavender revelation the most revolutionary. Scores of celebs have come out before him - Ellen DeGeneres, George Michael, Lance Bass and Martina Navratilova, a tennis player who came out far before it was fashionable - or advisable.

None of these outings were that surprising, but they have all slowly changed gay acceptance of Hollywood and, in fact, the world. Aiken's outing differs, however, in two notable, intrinsically entwined ways. And the aftershocks could help change the State of gay play.

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News of Clay Aiken's gay ways shot across the world last night. And, if you're anything like us, you were simply tossing and turning as you awaited new details about the American Idol star's sexuality. Well, wait no more, because, like a bit of voyeuristic foreplay, People has published excerpts from their interview with the newly gay Aiken.

Aiken, who for years denied his homosexuality, explains that he didn't mean to lie, but simply lacked the wherewithal to come clean. It wasn't until he had his own child, via in vitro fertilization, that Aiken says he realized he needed to tell the world: "It was the first decision I made as a father. I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things. I wasn't raised that way, and I'm not going to raise a child to do that."

The singer also reveals a bit about how his born again Christian mother took the news. Here's a hint: not well.

After dropping off his younger brother Brett, who was being deployed to Iraq, at Camp Lejeune, "I started crying in the car," Aiken remembers. "It was dark. I was sitting there, thinking to myself. I don't know why I started thinking about it … I just started bawling. She made me pull over the car and it just came out."

So what was his mom's reaction? "She started crying. She was obviously somewhat stunned. But she was very supportive and very comforting." Even now, Aiken admits, "She still struggles with things quite a bit, but she's come a long way."

Aiken realizes some of his fans will have trouble coping, but says he hopes they don't feel anger: "I've never intended to lie to anybody at all… If they leave, I don't want them to leave hating me."

After years and years of speculation and denials, Clay Aiken has finally come out of the closet. And, like Lance Bass before him, Aiken used the cover of People magazine to do it. That takes balls, boy, so a hearty congratulations. (Also, it's nice that you don't look as silly as Bass. Also, you got your own, exasperated copy!)

As for all your crazed Clay-mates who were offended by all the Aiken gay speak - We told you so…

[via Perez Hilton]

Tired of living quietly in a macho culture, members of Italy's various security forces are rallying and preparing to come out:

The Open Polis association will launch in the northern Italian city of Bologna on 26 September. Membership is open to gay men and women from the police, the paramilitary Carabinieri and tax police, as well as the army and the air force.

"For many of us in uniform, the worry is not violent physical attacks, but blatant discrimination, and daily 'macho' jokes and language," said Open Polis President Nicola Cicchitti, who serves with Italy's tax police, quoted by Italian daily, Corriere della Sera.

"The entry of women into the police and army has altered this macho culture somewhat, but hasn't been able to get rid of it," Cicchitti said.
…
A key goal of the association will be to change attitudes towards gay men and women in the security forces and set up groups to train colleagues in handling crimes against gays.

About 200 men and women have already signed up with Open Polis, which will soon become the planet's most attractive gay rights group, we're sure…

Rumor has it New Kid On The Block Jonathan Knight, brother of Jordan, will soon come out of the closet.

A source told gossip blogger Perez Hilton, "Jonathan has a [non-famous] boyfriend and they're very happy. They're not trying to hide it."

After doing a little digging, Hilton turned up even more information on Knight's alleged gay love life:

Say hello to Harley (below). He's Jonathan's bf and he also works as a trainer at Barry's Bootcamp in Los Angeles.

The pair have been VERY open recently, going to homo central The Abbey in West Hollywood and kissing publicly over dinner at the restaurant Beso

We've never been New Kid fans and have always preferred Jordan Knight, but something tells us that's about the change.

It's a proud day here at Queerty headquarters.

After months of toiling behind the scenes, our intern, young Raymond, finally spreads his wings and files his first interview.

And, appropriately, it's with a man who's no doubt helped shape the contemporary gay landscape, Peter Paige. While most of you may recognize Paige from his role as Emmett on the seminal Queer As Folk, this actor's far more than a character. Well, he is a character, but not in a one-dimensional, televisual way.

After the jump, see what Paige has to say about being out in Hollywood, why he's a bit sore with Barack Obama and how lesbian tennis players made him the man he is today.

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Neil Patrick Harris graces the latest cover of gay glossy Out. And, like the mensch we know he is, the dreamboat actor spread himself wide open - emotionally, that is - to reveal the quiet trials and tribulations of his otherwise well-documented life. A taste:

OUT: Did growing up in Hollywood make it easier or harder for you to come out?
NPH: I think it was harder. Actually, I think it was easier for me, because I was around a lot of people who were gay and I was around a lot of people who were very confident. I was surrounded by people I could talk to freely about anything, and they were very successful emotionally and otherwise.
OUT: And yet…
NPH: And yet, part of the coming-out process is figuring out who you like and what that means and how to act upon it. Being an actor reduced my level of anonymity. I couldn’t just go to some bar and walk in and ask someone out on a date, because there was too much awareness of me. So it made it more difficult in that sense. I couldn’t be, like, “Maybe I like this kind of guy” or “Maybe I’m into this” — I couldn’t really experiment. I sort of had to narrow my gaze from afar. If I had any regret, it would be that strange lack of anonymity that created panic within myself that I would be found out. But I think that’s everyone’s big fear.

Harris also points to Real World: New Orleans' gay Danny as an "empowering" example of someone who wore his sexuality "comfortably." And he was pretty cute, too.

Right wing journo Robert Knight sure knows how to misread!

Knight, a regular contributor to OneNewsNow, uses his most recent column to blast the Washington Post, which yesterday featured an article on the trials and tribulations of gay teenagers in America. All in all, it's a fairly straight forward look into how younger generations benefit from the gay rights movement and can come out at a younger age. Since school kids are notoriously nasty, these kids often face harassment and, as the piece points out, schools are often powerless to stop it. Or simply don't care. That was our reading, but we're sure Knight would disagree.

He seems to think the Washington Post's proselytizing for the proverbial gay agenda…

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Darren Manzella is one brave soldier!

The Iraqi veteran made waves when he came out on 60 Minutes last year, a big no no considering the military's ban on openly gay soldiers. Despite the hubbub, Manzella returned to active duty and, at the time, it seemed that the government had no plans of ousting him. Unfortunately that was not the case and Manzella received his walking papers last week.

While the military brass didn't approve of Manzella's man-loving, he says his peers didn't seem to mind. On the contrary - they were "proud!"

After my appearance on 60 Minutes I received a lot of support from most of my colleagues. Some were surprised that I made such a public statement but told me that they were proud of me for standing up for people who could not speak out. To them, I was still SERGEANT Manzella though. I really didn’t notice a change in how I was treated or viewed.

Many of my peers and co-workers voiced to me that they felt it was unfair that I was being discharged. They felt, as many people in our military and society feel, that an able and competent soldier should be retained especially in this time when we are fighting two wars and need every capable man and woman who is willing to put on a uniform and serve their country.

The Republicans, of course, fail to see Manzella's logic.