Not so much. It is helpful and I understand why it could be helpful. But I think the more fuss is made about it the less it normalizes it. The truth is that being gay is not news. it should be something that we strive to normalize. It’s nothing we need to broadcast. It’s a fine line. I do understand the benefit but I hope for the days when it is not news and not a headline.
—Clay Aiken, responding to a question about whether fans have written him to express how his coming out helped them (or not) [via, photo via]
Ellen
This is a misleading headline. The reason Clay’s coming out didn’t help his fans so much was because most of his fans weren’t gay themselves. His point was that being gay should be just another part of him and not headline news.
Being a fan of Clay’s since the beginning, I can say with confidence that his coming out was very important in opening minds to gay issues. It was as if someone in your own family had come out and suddenly you cared very much that he be treated with the same respect and equality as any other member of society.
I think you’d find his fans are some of the biggest supporters of gay rights and he’s a big reason for that.
bobito
@Ellen: If what you say is true, then his coming out DID help his fans, as you stated, by ‘opening minds to gay issues’, particularly his non-gay fans. As a fan of Mr. Aiken, you might be doing him a favor by pointing that out to him.
Kudos to you for responding to his coming-out the way you did, and thanks for sharing that on this site. I find that encouraging.
Megan
Why didn’t you include the question that Clay was asked?
He was asked in the Popeater article: Since you came out have you had fans write in and talk to you to let you know that your coming out of the closet has helped them?
So you turned the whole thing around to make your headline more interesting? Journalism at it’s worst!
togo
Why do you do this, queerty? Clay Aiken has been out for 2 years and you still have a grudge against him for not coming out on your terms. Why did you print such a silly misleading headline? What the hell good are you doing the GLTB community by trash talking one of our own who has become an activist?
nikko
I like Clay’s comment. Nothing wrong with that.
alan brickman
Queerty isn’t a big fan of Clay’s because he insinuated being gay was “shameful” by staying in the closet longer than he should…and when he “came out” he naturally used it to make money….a great role model indeed!!!!
Stiller
“and when he “came out” he naturally used it to make money”
I want to know how he used it to make money. He came out 2 years ago and this is his first commercial product since then. All he has been doing for 2 years is LGBT activism and his humanitarian projects on behalf of kids with disabilities.
He sure didn’t get rich off all those fundy fans who dumped him when he came out. He will not sell a lot of cds this time either because of all the lost fans after he came out?
So how exactly did he make money again?
dawna
I don’t think Clay ever insinuated Gay was shameful at all. He did insinuate that his sexuality was no ones business, and it isn’t.
togo
@alan brickman: “insinuated” being gay is shameful? Because he didn’t come out on demand? Because he believed no one had the right to demand that of anyone? ok, I’m sure that nonsense will make perfect sense to someone.
Judy
DAWNA…TRUE…Your answer is the CORRECT answer. It wasn’t that it was shameful at all…He just was not ready to come out….and it is no one’s business.
Good Lord…people know that you don’t come out, until you are absolutely ok with it. It changes your hold world…Unfortunately there are those that come out, and some family and friends turn their back on them….This is not an easy decision at all… To come out to family and friends is one thing…to have to come out to the world…I can only imagine the difficulty it has been. I am beyond proud of Clay. He’s a good and decent man… You should be totally proud of him.
Carole H
Clay came out when he felt ready and I don’t think anyone can blame him for that. Every GLBT person should have the right to come out IF and WHEN they want to do so. Really, it isn’t anyone’s business as we all want private lives and that is also our right. When and how is also one’s right.
Regular folks aren’t treated and scandalized the way Clay was and when he came out, I am sure he wanted it to be on his own terms and in his own words.
Since coming out, Clay has certainly used his celebrity status to work for GLBT rights and I think he deserves kudos for that from Queerty and the whole community.
Larkan
Clay made a difference all right. Look at the comments from the fans above. They are sane, polite and supportive of our cause.
SSCHIEFRSHA
“Clay Aiken’s Coming Out Didn’t Help Any Of His Fans”
Geez! Ya think? Same reason Manilow is closeted.
Brice
@SSCHIEFRSHA:
I have no idea what you are trying to say……….
This site has once again slanted the headline into a lie. When you don’t even state the question, you can’t know what he said.
Why is it that most intelligent people understand how difficult it is to come out, yet, this site just has to make it a problem. Shame on you!
JOJO
I think many of his fans were ignorant to the the obstacles and the prejudices that the GLTB community are/were confronted with.
I am one of those people who would judge another person because of their sexual preferences, but “knowing” Clay Aiken by being his fan and knowing what a wonderful advocate he is on behalf of children of the world, it has opened my eyes and my heart…so yes there are some of his fans who were helped by his coming out to be a better human beings.
stargazer
As a fan, Clay’s coming out had no affect on me. It didn’t change who he is and it didn’t change his voice.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Good percentage of the “Claymates” are older women, who most likely gave up on the sexual urge a few decades ago. However for them to know he is Gay and still support him does help the Gays somewhat. Its not like there are lots of Gay teens with Akin tunes filling their Ipods where his coming out would could have a huge impact on their lives like say Joe Jonas (hint,hint) He is more like Maniblow or even Liberace who had similar appeal and would never even approach the closet door much less open it……………..
BradSA
Why do people write such drivel with such authority? Check out Clay Aiken on twitter, myspace and facebook and you’ll find that he has a lot of young fans from all over the world. If you aren’t a fan you don’t know the first thing about Clay or his fans. I suppose you think he hasn’t got any gay fans either.
Sandi
Every time Queerty writes an article about Clay I know when I read here I’ll find intolerance and abusive judgmental language towards him. You want the rest of the world to be supportive and tolerant but it sure isn’t practiced by some here. Some of what is written here feeds right into the hatred you all fight against.
BradSA is right. Some of you don’t have a clue.
Lying by omission and twisting Clay’s words to create a sensationalized heading is tabloid journalism at its best.
TIN
@alan brickman:
Alan, I understand what you are saying because Musto and others have been equally wary of Clay in the past. I have asked folks like Musto what Clay could do to gain more respect in the community and Musto basically said it would take time and he would have to pay his dues. I was a part of a small community of fans who also called for Clay to come out a lot sooner than he did and took issue with those who wanted to keep up the facade that he wasn’t gay because he would not say so himself.
Having said that, I know there are a number of women who would never be at the point they are at right not had it not been for their experience as fans of Clay Aiken. I think they now know to what extent fear of losing one’s livelyhood will drive someone like Clay into the closet and keep him there even as he was gradually trying, very badly, to wriggle his way out through the glass.
I have to fault the entertaiment industry, right up there along with Clay, if there is fault to be had, for his circumstance. If Clay created the appearance that he was ashamed to be gay – I think that was a fair impression among those in the community – it was because I think he was afraid of losing it all. But the real culprits are not the Clay Aikens, but others of those much higher up in the music industry with the kind of resources and influence to make it far easier for the Clays to stay in the closet rather than to come out.
BradSA
I see a direct correlation between Clay leaving his record label and being free to come out. He came out within weeks of his contract expiring. I don’t think it was that the executives made it easy to stay in the closet so much as they demanded it.
ginny
I understand what it must look like when someone doesn’t want to come out. I don’t understand why anyone who was previously in that very position, would try to expose someone who is obviously afraid and not ready. The disgusting treatment Clay received from the gay community is just disgraceful. Now that he is out and he is openly speaking out for the gay community, he still gets disrespect from the very same people.
Only his fans know what a strong, committed person he is and how very influential he is. He will do a lot for gay rights and in opening eyes and hearts. Kudos to Clay!!
Leigh
The way I see it, there’s coming out as a celebrity and then there is coming out as a Southern Baptist who wants to continue to live a full life in the deep south. Unless you’ve been raised down here, you just don’t understand. I’ve watched patrons leave a Starbuck’s to avoid being served by an openly gay employee. It’s a mindset that won’t be changing anytime soon. However long it took him, and whatever Aiken has been through to get where he is today, he won’t get any grief from me. The quote makes it sound like he doesn’t get much feedback about what he did helping his fans. His audience seems to be mostly female so that isn’t surprising. Don’t know why this is news.
emerson
As the mother of a homosexual child, I am literally appalled that you would use your public platform to deride a fellow homosexual. Whether your intentions were meant to be divisive or not, as journalists you had to know on some level, how your headline about Clay Aiken would be perceived by the majority of your readership. Perception is everything.
Taken out of context, your headline appears to misrepresent the very essence of what transpired amongst Clay’s fans when he “came out”. Personally, I witnessed the struggles of many of his fans during that time. Clay took a huge career risk and sadly wound up losing more fans than I ever imagined he would. Some fans were very religious and just couldn’t bring themselves to reconcile their enjoyment of Clay’s music with their strict biblical interpretation with regards to homosexuality. Some fans were angry because they felt he had lied to them. When Clay came out, he allowed members of his fan club to openly vent their feelings, and some of those feelings weren’t pretty. What went on at his fan club was a just microcosm of society-at-large, and of what families all around America deal with on a daily basis. Most of his fans were permanently changed for the better by what they went through when Clay came out. A significant number of his fans are from an older demographic. Some of his fans have strong religious convictions. Yet, they cared enough about him to reframe long-held beliefs and to move forward in a positive and loving direction. Their acceptance of Clay’s homosexuality was totally unconditional. Many of his fans have ultimately become strong advocates for gay rights. Their perceptions have been changed and they have changed the perceptions of others along the way. If that is not change, I don’t know what is.
As journalists, are you aware of Clay’s work with children who are severely disabled and who face a multitude of challenges on a daily basis? Do you realize that his entire philanthropic mission is about the inclusion of disabled children into programs that have historically been designed for children without disabilities (or what society might refer to as normal children)? His work with UNICEF furthers his belief in trying to bring a sense of normalcy into the daily lives of children whose very existence is far from normal. If you researched your subject matter, you would understand where Clay is coming from when he is saying that he looks forward to a day when being a homosexual is considered “normal” – when being a homosexual isn’t news any more. As the parent of a homosexual child, I look forward to the day when my child can freely live a life that every other heterosexual person takes for granted. Every human being on this planet just wants to be normal and to be accepted for who they are. Nothing more – nothing less.
Diane
He lost fans because he was a gigantic judgmental hypocrite. Then when he did come out, he and Baby Mama ridiculed his fans for being stupid enough to have believed him in the first place. Then he started lying by denying that he had repeatedly denied it. I guess he forgot about all of the “Clack” on YouTube – It makes it hard to rewrite history and get away with it. The rabid fans who are still drinking the Kool Aid would probably think it was adorable if he ran down his own grandmother.
Joey O'H
I don’t think Clay’s fans wanted to hear the fact he was coming out. And I think, even today, Aiken’s fans don’t want to hear about his love life and his personal life.
Claymates are still in denial of his homosexuality.
I knew watching him on American Idol he was queer. The gaydar meter was off the charts!!
But more fascinating is Clay’s comments of “being gay is not news.” He seems to have changed his tune since his People Magazine cover announcing his coming out. Isn’t about rebranding? So, I find it fascinating to hear Clay, make a comment like that, when he made the attept to capitalize on his coming out and baby news in attempts in kickstarting his career. Let’s face it, no one was buying his music except his diehard fans who were made up of unmarried middle aged women. The thing is, no one was shocked, with the exception of the Claymates.
I commend Clay for coming out, but honey, you came out for the publicity and you just got tired of lying to people, the press, your fans over and over again.
Joey O'H
@Diane:
Diane- It’s called Clay-Aid. I’m not sure of the flavor but I hear it smells like a men’s room.
Zack
Unless someone is voting against my civil right (aka closeted Republicans) or making anti-gay speeches, I couldn’t care less if they stay in the closet.
I got to choose when I came out; as long as a celebrity isn’t anti-gay, I say it’s not our business.
Joey O'H
@Zack:
I agree Zack.
But coming out in People Magazine (as did Aiken) is making it everyone’s business for the world to read their story PLUS getting paid for it. After working with celebs over the years, they have the sense of self importance. Some are sincere about telling their story (like Ricky Martin- he has nothing to promote)in the effort of helping someone else but many times it’s to self promote, reinvent and/or rebrand.
I don’t have time for celebrities who use their coming out story to sell a book, an album or a movie and promote themselves. I find it insulting to gay people everywhere. What these gay celebs CAN do is get out there and be a voice, walk among us and be part of the movement for Gay Civil Rights, instead of worrying how many records or theatre tickets they’re going to sell.
Aiken’s comments on “being gay is not news” are ridiculous especially when that is exactly what he did a few years back.
Samwise
I’ve never been a fan of his music, but I can completely understand why he’d want to stay in the closet – and why he’d stumble a little awkwardly out of it. We’ve all been there. It’s hard, and it’s confusing, and it’s scary. Being a pop star with the spotlight shining on you does not make it easier – if anything, it makes it harder. Do any of you remember when you came out? Do any of you remember how young Clay was when he debuted on American Idol? Can you honestly say you’d have handled it better at that age, under those circumstances?
It’s good to hear that his coming out changed minds. He’s doing a lot to help the LGBT community, and as Zack correctly pointed out, he has never been anti-gay. He’s okay in my book.
Joey O'H
@dawna:
He made it everyone’s business when he did the People Magazine cover. That opens up pros and cons regarding Clay Aiken.
Love him, hate him, like, dislike him. I don’t see Aiken as no champion for gay rights. Do I respect his coming out? Yes. Is he any different than anyone else? No. He just got paid for his story. Now there’s integrity for you.
What kills me is the thumbs down from people here on some posts when the truth is being spoken.
What’s funny is Aiken does not feel to broadcast it, but it was okay to do so years ago with People. Such hypocrites. And those who agree with that are just as hypocritical as he is. Get a grip people, really!
Forrest
Well, Clay we don’t yet live in a world where being gay is not a “big deal” or “ok”. Ever heard of Prop 8,DADT,ENDA,DOMA not to mention all issues pertaining to local municipalities. We are not equal and we need to be vocal about it. I am so sick of gay celebs who are insulated by their relative wealth moaning about how being gay does not matter. To them perhaps. The rest of us are fightng the battle against homophobia every day.
andy
@Diane: @Diane:
Wow, who’s the judgemental hypocrite? You oooze with hate, Lady. Your interpretation of what happened at his fan club is fiercely slanted toward the dark side. Say a prayer for your own black heart, why don’t ya?
andy
@Joey O’H:
Except that he didn’t get paid for it. People, he & his child’s mother said he absolutely didn’t & even the competing rag who planted the false story about payment admitted they lied. He lost a lot of fans which he knew would happen. It was never about money. The paparazzi had flown to North Carolina & were harrasing he & the child’s mother. The cover story was to give the public the first pictures of the baby (as many celebs do) & come out once & for all at the same time. I don’t blame him at all for doing it as he did. For the past 2 years he’s worked his ass off for the gay community & many still bash him. He’s damned for whatever he does or doesn’t do. I’m sure you weren’t born out of the closet & you’ve LIED to many over the years to get what you needed, hmmmmm????
Cinque
Well here’s one gay fan whom Clay’s coming out helped. A lot. We’re both from the south and from conservative, religious families and I also happen to be black, which makes it even worse. Straight black men are some of the worst bigots on the block and their Christian mothers are almost as bad. My mom loves Clay, has since he was on the Idol show, voted for him against the brother Ruben a thousand times. Believe it or not, it was a lot easier for her to accept me as I am after she saw what Clay went through. And what he went through was pretty damn bad, though none of you haters will admit it. It’s much easier to sit back and judge instead of trying to understand someone else’s trials. Clay’s didn’t make his sexuality news – the media and those of you who demanded his head on a platter for wanting to keep his personal life private did. Well, he answered and two years later, you’re still hatin’!
ossurworld
Big story here: Clay is tops.
Brice
@Forrest:
Again, spouting off on something you don’t know about. I guess you never read the article Clay wrote about Prop8. It really surprised many people and lots of websites were happy to read what Clay said. Even the “hated” Perez Hilton said something nice about Clay (probably the first time).
I don’t care if you like or dislike Clay. I just think it is a crappy that you insist that you know him when you obviously don’t.
There is no doubt in my mind that RCA had a lot to do with Clay not coming out earlier.. The co-incidence of coming out and dropping his label with days is pretty telling.
Did you read that when Clay took the stage at Spamalot the first time after coming out, he thought he would hear boos.
Its hard enough to come out……its even harder to come out in front of the whole world.
Ricky
@Joey O’H: correction, Joey… Ricky Martin does have something to promote: His memoirs which should be hitting bookstore shelves soon.
emerson
@Joey O’H:
You seem to have an agenda to lambaste Clay Aiken without even knowing what you are talking about. Your assertions that Clay’s fan base is made up almost entirely of unmarried, middle-aged women are incorrect. I would say (and I speak from knowing the demographics a bit better than you do) that the majority of Clay’s fans are either married or younger than 35 (and some of his younger fans have not married yet). Yes, as part of Clay’s older demographic, there are some widows who are fans. They had long, happy marriages and have children and grandchildren whose lives will undoubtedly be enriched by their mother’s/grandmother’s acceptance of homosexuality and the rights of all GLBT human beings. Also, while some fans were shocked when Clay came out, I know of many who were not. His fans are definitely not in denial about his homosexuality. All of your claims are totally unfounded and they are based merely on your own speculation- not on an accurate assessment of his current fan base.
While most of us don’t know what Clay meant by a few sentences extrapolated from an interview and most likely taken out of context, Clay has been extremely involved and vocal about gay rights since he came out. He has been involved with GLAD and other organizations to promote the rights of all homosexual citizens. He has spoken openly for gay right’s at Human Rights Campaign. At that time, he spoke about why it took him so long to come out and he said that “the power of truth and living honestly is very liberating”. His very public speech about human rights and about the rights of all GLBT human beings was very enlightening and showed his passion for openly fighting for the rights of his fellow homosexuals. Clay may want to see the day when homosexuality is seen as a normal expression of love for another human being, but, he has been anything but silent on the issue. The video can be seen at: http://www.rickey.org/?p=33951 I highly recommend viewing this video to gain a more accurate assessment of where Clay Aiken stands on gay rights. Clay’s fan site lists several organizations that he is involved with, along with information about them, and one of them is an organization called GLSEN. GLSEN focuses more specifically on the rights of school-aged children. Clay has become involved with the Give A Damn Campaign, started by Cindy Lauper, which furthers the GLSEN agenda to make schools safer for all children. He is in several “We Give A Damn” videos, along with celebrities such as Elton John, Cindy Lauper, Jason Mraz, Judith Light, Sharon Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne, Wanda Sykes to generate and promote awareness on the struggles and blatant discrimination GLBT youth face in schools on a daily. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6dc9Ppxso8&NR=1
If you take the time to view the above videos, you will gain a much better perspective on how Clay Aiken specifically view the rights of all GLBT human beings. Your perspective will be gained from the concrete actions taken by Clay and not from extrapolated and twisted comments made by biased journalists with an agenda. You will see that while he strives for a society where being gay is considered normal and is no longer consider news anymore, he is anything but silent on the promotion of gay rights.
Henry
Why is anyone still discussing this has-been?
And why are all his fag-hags here defending him and spouting off like they are some experts on homosexuality now that this loser came out of the closet?
Liz
Clay had thousands of fans…. the Clay he had presented himself to be. He was this sweet innocent southern Christian guy…at least he did all he could to present himself that way. He wasn’t that way…he finally decided to be TRUTHFUL and kicked his fans in the teeth. Acted as if they were the stupidest people for believing his original persona. If he had been honest…or just not act like such a goody person…it would have been fine. He is ugly to his fans and lies. That is why some don’t like him anymore…not because he is gay.
Brice
Liz………I really feel sorry for you. You say bitter, hateful things to see if you can get a rise out of people. What a sad way to live.
YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!!
However, if you feel better now, I guess its OK.
No one and I mean no one believes the stuff that you wrote!!
Clay HAS 1000’s of fans. His new Official Fan Club board opened on Friday and within hours there were thousands of members. AND, he still is a sweet southern Christian guy. Too bad, you don’t have Christian qualities!
Joey O'H
@andy:
Aiken most certainley got paid for the People Magazine cover. That was part of the motivation. Yes, he wanted to announce he’s a gay dad and finally address the gay rumors that he had been lying about and following him around for a long time.
But fact is he got paid a half a million dollars for his story.
Do you think the first baby pictures came without a price? No way. They never do.
However, his comments that “being gay is not news” is very hypocritical of Aiken considering he did the same thing two years back. It was news for him (and planned out that way) when he decided to do the People Magazine cover. It was okay then when he was telling his story, so why should Aiken get negative on those who do. I know he didn’t say that, but let’s read between the lines here.
So, why is coming out in public different for him than it is from anyone else? The answer is that it’s not. It’s no different for him than any other person who chooses to come out in a public forum.
And to answere your question: I wasn’t born out of the closet and had to lie just as I’m sure you did as well. I’m just not a hypocrite.
Joey O'H
@Liz:
Liz, How did Aiken kick his fans in the teeth? For not being the person they wanted him to be? For (finally) being truthful about himself?
And why can’t Aiken be a good Christian man and gay? He isn’t the sweet man you thought he was? Get a grip Liz.
You must understand that closeted gay people worry everyday about their jobs and the fear of losing their bread and butter if they are found out.
In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have to worry about that, but we do.
I may not agree with Aiken’s remarks about “being gay is not news” but I will defend him on your senseless, hate-like remarks.
Aiken’s coming out wasn’t about his fans, it was about himself.
Cam
I agree and dissagree with his comment above. I think it will be great when there is a time when being gay isn’t news. however, that time will only come about if more people DO come out in a way that lets others know.
As for Clay Aiken helping his fans, since I believe most of his fans seemed to be hetrosexual women, I’m not sure how much it helped them, but I bet that it probably helped if they had gay children, releatives, a co-worker for them to know that somebody they were a fan of is also gay.
BradSA
Isn’t that the whole point of a celebrity coming out? A person who is not accepting of LGBT persons finds out that someone they like and admire is gay. They have to make a choice at that point. Either reject that person or evolve your point of view about LGBT persons.
He accomplished that on a grand scale. He lost a lot of fans but he also educated a lot of them to realize that gay persons are people who they can continue to admire, and it opens their hearts to gay persons in their families and in their communities.
yokiespecial
@Liz: Liz, we have to be in his situation to appreciate him. He did not choose to be a gay. He had to first understand himself, accept himself, come to terms with it and most importantly love himself for what he is before he could open up to make people love him for what he is. Sexuality is a very personal and private issue and it is non of our business and he has the right to choose to tell or not and when to come out and not be told to come out as we wanted him and at the time we demanded it. This is his rights. I love Clay as a person not his sexuality. Be fair.
Wisdom
@alan brickman: And how did he use it to make money? He was at the start of his second run of Spamalot. He expected to be booed when taking his bow. He always said God loves gays. He was still in the closet to family. How can you say he was in the closet for so long, he came out at 29, had been in the public eye only 5 years at that point. That’s sooner than Ellen, DHP, NPH, MB, RM and a large number of others, many still in the closet.
Wisdom
@Diane: Could you say how he was a hypocrite? He supported gay rights from the start of his career, working with Broadway Cares, hiring four openly gay men to preform with him. Stating his God loves gays. His PR guy from his former record company told The Advocate he wouldn’t do an interview, same PR guy for AL who told the a gay mag not to make AL too gay. He’s a hypocrite because he was in the closet at the time?!!! Clay never said anything against the gay community ever!
Wisdom
@Liz: Lia here’s a clue for you. You are one who wanted an innocent Southern Baptist boy, you and many others like you. I and many others did not. We wanted the Clay we have now.