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.”
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Jamie
“Not well?” It could’ve been a lot worse, you know–especially in a born-again household. She didn’t disown him like my father initially did to me when I came out, she cried a bit.
Have some perspective, boys. Jesus.
tallskin
Never heard of the fucker.
but this “The born again Christian singer” says it all for me. Bloody Loon.
Why do gays choose to participate in ideologies that tell them they are worthless garbage?
I just don’t get it.
Alexa
What’s that sound? Is it the sound of silence from those psycho Claymates who can no longer barge in here and tell us we’re delusional for thinking Clay is gay? Or is the sound of them slinking away with their tails between their legs? Either way, Clay is well rid of them (and if they miraculously are still fans, I hope they have the decency to feel at least a little guilty for their actions).
kendra
Clay is not a born again Christian. Neither is his mother. They are both Southern Baptists.
Former Claymate
Well so much for not hating him. I now hate him and now the gay community can have him. Integrity and all.
Woof
I love the fact that his mother was “somewhat stunned.” LOL is she a blind and deaf Southern Baptist?
scott
How sad. The know it all poster bitching on the claymates (who had a passion for a singer – what’s wrong with that, Alexa) and the “former claymate” who doesn’t understand how hard it must have been for Clay. If you really believed in what Clay stood for, you would have more compassion. But I suppose you’re religion is standing in your way. Or maybe, you feel betrayed but things are not all black and white.
Voice of Reason
Dear Queerty (and all gay press for that matter),
Could you please explain why we’re spilling so much ink on such an enormous non-story?
So the hypocrisy of being a self-loathing gay finally got to Aiken? Fuck him.
It’s one thing to lie to yourself for whatever reasons you have, but this is different. He lied to the public and to the media, doing his part to vilify and alienate gays through his own denial.
And now we’re expected to welcome him into the fold? I say no.
Clay: You do not deserve and shall not receive the respect of the community just because you’ve decided to come out. Fuck off.
Queerty et al: The best thing you can do for the broader community is to ignore this self-promotional, self-loathing homo, who serves no purpose except to further confuse the ignorant about gays.
ajax
Voice of Reason, you’re absolutely awful. The coming out process is different for us all. Clay Aiken is clearly a young man who endured a damaging upbringing. So, he didn’t have the emotional strength to be out at sixteen. So he didn’t come out the way you wanted him to come out. WhoTF are you? What global impact have you had that’s more positive than Clay’s? Clay finally grew a pair. I personally don’t particularly like the man, but he wasn’t put on Earth to please me. Maybe, having grown a pair, he’ll make some valuable contribution to the world.
marco channing
Coming out, no matter what the circumstance, is always a good thing. The world can only know the true diversity of LGBTs if people are out. And yes, there are good and bad gay people just like there are good and bad heteros.
Aiken’s coming out was courageous, as is every one’s coming out. Remember–we still live in a country, in which, the Republican Presidential nominee supports a constitutional ban on gay marriage and Claymates will dump Aiken simply because of his orientation.
That said, Aiken should be viewed as the person he is as a whole, not only by his orientation. His coming out does not wipe clean his former ‘sins”.
RyanInSacto
Am I the only one here who didn’t realize he wasn’t out of the closet? I mean, um, people are surprised that he’s gay?
michael
surly it was contracts, & $ that kept him closeted he was thrown in spotlight very young . give him a break
Jai
“It could’ve been a lot worse, you know–especially in a born-again household. She didn’t disown him like my father initially did to me when I came out, she cried a bit.”
Yeah, but you’re not making a ton of money and working in show business. What if Clay was a regular guy working at a regular job?
vegetablesoup
Amen, Voice of Reason.
This is not good news. And I do NOT want him representing me as some poster child for what it means to be gay.
Yes, gay people can make excellent parents, but the MOST EXCELLENT parents we can make is when we adopt an unwanted child and raise her or him together in our loving home. When a narcissistic closeted freak decides he wants to splooge out a mini-me into a test tube and THEN (after years of LYING!) come out of the closet, it doesn’t do ANYBODY any good.
He hands ammunition to the angry right, he really DOES deprive a child of a two-parent home, he leaves potentially adoptable children in their current situation, and he’s still a loser and alone.
It’s a sad, pathetic situation, and not one we should celebrate.
Alexa
The thing is, Scott, that as a Clay fan myself, and a gay one as well, I probably loathe those Claymates who ran around all over the internet calling us all delusional and yelling at us that Clay was straight – often in the most homophobic manner possible – more than anyone else. Most Clay fans/Claymates are taking the news well and I have nothing but respect for them. But the ones who came here and elsewhere are nasty, obnoxious and vicious women, and I am glad we will never have to suffer through them again. And i’m glad they are done with Clay, he will be far happier without them. If that makes me a know it all, so be it.
Darth Paul
Former Claymate needs an enema.
MX3
Aiken did not have to come out, he could have milked the “mystery” of it all for several more years of his career and made a lot more money doing so. Whose place is it to judge his reasons either way? He lives his life, not any of us, and there is nothing right about telling anybody else what they “should” do with their life.
Len
I have no problem with Clay and his time table.
But equally, I have no problem with those who DO have take issue with Clay.
The problem is that when someone is obviously gay (go ahead if you wish to attack that statement, but we all know what I mean) doesn’t come out, it implies that there is something wrong with being gay, that it is a source of shame. So to those who are out, that’s a slap in the face.
But people do what they can do when they can do it, and I choose to applaud that accomplishment, however late in the game it comes.
However, I have a big ole problem with the straights who throw around sh!t like “Oh, you want everybody to be gay!” So to all the homophobic Claymates who deny their bigotry as vehemently as they denied Clay’s sexuality: Face up to your prejudices. You weren’t doing him a favor.
Alan down in Florida
Where were all the rabid Claymates when his latest CD tanked? Not lining up at Wal-Mart to buy it. Admittedly it was horrible and I blamed his closetedness as the reason. Not a single love song on the CD sounded like it was being sung by someone who had ever been truly in love.
I honor Clay’s coming out and decision to lead an authentic life to set a good example for his son. I also agree he has some fence mending with the GLBT community to do. Hopefully he will use his new openness in a positive manner and show the Claymates that there is nothing shameful or hateful in being openly gay. Let’s see how he carries himself forward from this day.
Leo
He couldn’t get a boyfriend before he blurts out a baby?
Smokey Martini
Baby is a tool.
AT LEAST he didn’t use the new baby to prove his straightness. Well, maybe he tried to. Initially. It’s a good thing reason and integrity finally got the best of him.
So Aiken decided to rebel a bit. Good for him.
SamK
Not a single love song on the CD sounded like it was being sung by someone who had ever been truly in love.
————————
You should listen again with new ears. He sings of loneliness, not fitting in, living a charade, guarding his heart and overcoming obstacles “On my Way Here”.
The songs “The Real Me” and “Lover All Alone” (which he wrote) are heartbreaking.
SLC
SamK, I think he was talking about the covers CD. The new one with the songs you mention is actually pretty good. And yes, in light of his coming out, there are some very heartwrenching tunes there.