Why Clay Aiken's Coming Out Matters

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.

First, as a Southern Baptist, Aiken's long been a friend of the Jesus lovers. The singer even performed a few Christian tracks while on tour, and recorded a Christmas album. He wasn't proselytizing, but his right-of-center background helped build Aiken's fan base in middle America. In 2004 and 2005, at the height of his post-American Idol fame, Christian Music Planet ran two stories on Aiken. As for Aiken's own public beliefs, just consider the opening flap of his inspirational memoir, Learning To Sing, which reads:

My mother prophesied years ago that my voice would take me places. She was certain there was a reason I was able to sing. I am still discovering what that reason is, what it is that God wants to have happen.

Though he may have lost some hardcore Christians following gay sex allegations in 2006, Aiken still found fans throughout the nation's heartland. How else does one account for the millions of naive "Claymates" who voraciously defended charges of Gayken?

Yes, some of those Claymates still refuse to believe Aiken's words -- one even decried it a "conspiracy," whatever that means -- a quick look at fan site ClayBoard shows that the majority of Aiken's fans support their leader. One follower writes, "I'm really proud of him for having the courage to do this. It can't have been an easy decision." Another offers this God-loving good will: "May God always be with you and may you forever and always feel the never-ending love of your fans and their unending prayers and support for you, Jaymes & Parker!" Parker, of course, is Aiken's new son, whom he had with the aforementioned Jaymes, his platonic lady friend. And it's that son who makes Aiken's outing even more groundbreaking.

It's not unusual for gay celebrities to have children - Melissa Etheridge had a very public pregnancy, a tabloid bonanza fueled in part by the fact that a. she's a lesbian and b. the singer refused to name the child's father. [It would later be revealed that the legendary David Crosby donated his seed.] Another public lesbian, Rosie O'Donnell, makes no secret of her domestic ways - she and wife Kelli Carpenter have four children. They also appear regularly on the entertainer's eponymous family cruises. B.D. Wong, a gay actor, also has children, although he's not nearly as well known. Regardless, same-sex partners having children has become old hat in media land - and, we hope, among the general population.

Aiken's story adds a new angle to the discussion because his outing is intrinsically tied to his son's birth. Little Parker's even featured on the People cover, on which Aiken declares: "I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things." The implication, then, is that Aiken had the baby because he wanted it. He is, like millions of others, a man looking to raise a child. And now he's a gay man looking to raise a child - a relatively radical concept for many Americans.

The reproductive context in which Aiken has come out will no doubt resonate with those Americans still hesitant to embrace the homos, the people who fight for "family rights." Aiken's a talented - yes, he's talented - young gay man who has declared his equality, however rhetorically. This Christian gay father's coming out may change the way people look at queer celebrities - and, in fact, their fellow Americans.

When John McCain invited Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to join his ticket this year, the Republican presidential candidate successfully reignited the culture wars. Palin's family life and fundamentalist Christianity turned the election on its head and brought the conservative masses back into the spotlight. Those masses, we imagine, are the same people in Clay Aiken's fan base.

If the people end up accepting his gay ways - and his queer family - Aiken could in some small way counter Palin and her peers' efforts to exploit gay fears. Now, he probably won't decide the election, but Aiken's a well-known with common familial goals - and seeing oneself in the "other" can be quite persuasive. And a little persuasion goes a long way.

Comments

[gagnier01]

Thank you for a well-written article.

[Opsimath44]

If you are really a conservative, then you believe that we need more marriages, not fewer.

If you are really a conservative, then you believe that individual choices matter more than big government intrusion.

If you are really a conservative, then you believe that individual freedom is more important than one-size-fits-all rules.

In other words, "social conservative" is an oxymoron. You can't tell someone else how to live and be a conservative.

[jalowe1957]

So Clay Aiken came out of the closet. Big deal!

[staceyb32]

There is bit of an error in this article. Clay is not raising the child with a same sex partner. He'll be living in NC with the mother of the child, Jaymes Foster who has been his best friend and companion for the last few years - so there will be a mommy and a daddy. Also heard from some who know the Aiken family that Clay and Foster may have another child together fairly soon.

[MissingAmerica]

This is a truly nice young man with scads of talent. He does a great deal of good for so many. He deserves all good things life has to offer, and this goes to show that he is a remarkable father. Who cares about his sexuality? What matters is he is an enormous talent and a fantastic human being.

[RoseMerry]

"lavender revelation"??? That would be Melissa Etheridge, et al. Clay's is a pink revelation, I do believe. At least in Austin.

The best part of this is seeing who is surprised. Identifies the truly clueless.

[blueroses70]

Bless Clay Aiken's brave little Southern Baptist daddy heart. I think this is a GREAT thing for him to do at exactly the right time. I think the statement about not raising children to lie or hide things is VERY important. He chose his time to go public and he chose well. Let's hope this means something to some folks who haven't been touched by these issues personally yet and let's hope it makes a difference.

[JBS]

I don't know WHY this is news.

Aiken was outed 5 years ago. It didn't matter then, it doesn't matter now.

[ClaudiaJean]

Because he didn't come out.
He was OUTED, which is something done TO him, not BY him, regardless.

I have zero tolerance for militants who insist upon 'outing' homosexuals and defaming and insulting them online and in print for their personal decision NOT to share their sexual identity with the public.
It's harassment. It's disrespectful. It's rude.
It's the vile behavior flaunted by Perez Hilton and Harvey Levin and Michael Musto.

It's his life, his identity, his relationships, his career... he is NOT anyone else's agenda or poster-boy or receptable for insults and harassment.
And this goes for anyone in the public eye...

He came out publically when he was ready - and how, when & where he chose.
He owes nothing to anyone except himself and his family.

[freddie]

Watch it, Claudia Jean. Being gay isn't defamatory or an "insult."

[cruiser]

Clay is a very unique individual. He is a religious man, a member of the Baptist church. He is also a registered Democrat, and voted via absentee ballot when he was competing on Idol. He is very intelligent and holds a degree in special education. He is a humanitarian, an education ambassador for UNICEF. He is a successful entertainer. He acts (re Spamalot, on Broadway now) and has a wicked sense of humor. He has also acted on Scrubs, Ed, and some daytime soap opera. He produced his own Christmas special on TV. He ice skates, snow skis and loves roller coasters. He loves his mother, his brother and his family is very important to him.

Oh, and he sings pretty good too.

And yes, he is gay. It's just a part of who he is. He is a diverse human being, and deserves to be known for more than just his sexuality.

Just like all of us.

[mbaty]

It's also important because everyone's gaydar was going off the charts whenever Gayken was seen or heard, and people don't respect someone who cannot be honest about something so obvious--and let's face it, some gays simply cannot hide it, their flame glows too brightly. I, for one, respect him a lot more now. I can even forgive him for that creepy song about him being invisible in my room.

[homefair]

Which he didn't write & which Clive Davis pretty much made him record.

[homefair]

I meant to add a smiley there.... You made me laugh.

[homefair]

LOL! We can blame Clive Davis for that, but we can't forgive him.

[RobinSeattle]

"First, as a Southern Baptist, Aiken's long been a friend of the Jesus lovers. "

That matters not.

The Southern Baptists, being the mean spirited bunch they are, are quick to turn on each other if someone gets out of line.

Case in point is, and I am not kidding, Pat Boone's swing album of heavy metal songs.

When that album came out, Paul Crouch, the head guy at the Trinity Broadcasting Network and a southern Baptist, made Boone, who was a regular on Crouch's near billion dollar racket, persona non grata. That is even though the album was done more tongue in cheek than being a serious reflection of sympathy with the metal community. But Crouch didn't want even the merest hint of "satanic music" staining TBN.

So Aiken's coming out will be condemned by the sect he was patronizing as a betrayal, not an awakening to the humanity of gay people.

Sorry to break the news to you.

[homefair]

Sorry to break the news to you, oh omnipotent one, but if you're talking about his fans, they are 98% behind him. Sure, a few are having trouble reconciling it with their beliefs, but they are still on his fansites, mulling it over with their friends, slowly opening their minds.... & you know why? Because they have seen the good-hearted man he is for the last 5 years & they genuinely love him. And that is the whole point. This is someone they care about. They want to understand it, because they don't want to lose him. This may sound corny or overdramatic to you, but you can't deny people's feelings. I do believe that most of them will come around. And that will impact their families & friends. There is a trickle-down effect to these sorts of things. Think of the quote from Clay's book in the article. "I'm still discovering what that reason is" (for his vocal gift) "what God wants to have happen." Maybe this is it.

[wdw101]

however, not one dollar is going his way from my kids now........they are not allowed to listen to this boy's music