Yes, Adam Lambert. You’re right.
Hiphop artists and women get away with salacious performances all the time without an uproar. Of course, there was that famous Madonna-and-Britney kiss that caused a stir, but that was likely because the artists were – well, Madonna and Britney.
And yes, Adam Lambert, your performance on ABC’s American Music Awards this week was not really all that raunchy. A kiss is a kiss, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I could have done without you sticking a guy’s head in your crotch spontaneously, but it happened so quickly, and in the midst of so many other things, that if the dancer didn’t mind, I’m not sure “offensive” is what I’d call it.
What I’d call it, instead, is misguided.
Here’s my problem.
You told Out magazine that you didn’t make a big deal out of your sexual orientation during American Idol once pictures of you kissing a man had been exposed because:
“I don’t understand why it has to be about my sexuality. I’m just not going to talk about it one way or another. . . . And then when those pictures came out, I was like, you know what? I thought maybe I’ll just own it and say, ‘Yeah, I’m gay.’ But I didn’t want to label myself.”
That’s interesting, Adam Lambert. When you were worried about winning a contest, you didn’t want to openly attest to being gay. (And, in fact, your people were worried that you would seem “too gay” on Out’s cover.) BUT, when you wanted to make a splash in public, when you wanted to get noticed – suddenly you were all about gay sexuality.
And so my problem is with the timing.
You see, Adam Lambert, you may say that “I’m not trying to lead the fucking way for the civil rights movement that we’re in right now,” but the fact is that we ARE in a struggle for our civil rights and you are a pop culture figure (thanks in no small part to the support of gays and gay allies.)
We are in a dangerous moment. Our political allies are quickly backing away from us, thanks to losses on gay marriage in California and Maine and the Democratic loss of the governorship in New Jersey.
Whereas just over a year ago it seemed like gay marriage was an inevitable wave sweeping the country - and a tsunami in New England, New Jersey and New York – now it feels like the tide has turned. The hate crimes bill victory was followed by a vicious hate crime in Puerto Rico. We have hearings on ENDA, which could go either way. We have Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell hearings which are being put off until 2010. We have a President who isn’t sure he is our friend.
And what is the mainstream most worried about, Adam Lambert? Why are they afraid of our partnerships, our service to our country, our working lives, our families? They are worried because they think gay life is exactly what you portrayed on the American Music Awards: focused on the kind of sex that turns people into animals (almost literally, in this case, with crawling dancers leading you on leashes), geared toward enticing children (ABC is a network owned by Disney, for heaven’s sake), degrading, rapacious, empty.
This is why mainstream America votes against gays, Adam Lambert. Not because of people who have families and jobs and bills and weddings. Because of people like you, who use sexuality thoughtlessly in order to advance your own agenda, instead of thinking about the very real consequences your actions will have on others’ civil rights.
If you were a private citizen, this wouldn’t matter. But you are not. You are able to be openly gay thanks to people who did, in fact, make it their life’s work to “lead the fucking way for the civil rights movement.” You dishonor them – and you hurt all American gays and lesbians – by pretending otherwise.
Follow Jennifer Vanasco on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JenniferVanasco
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The problem that I have with your comments is that, as a transsexua
It's not that your argument is wrong. It's that it misses the point. Every act of visibility is *both* positive and negative at the same time. It's all in the eye of the beholder, and we have much less influence over their impression
One of these days I'd like to see the marriage equality movement use some of the positive ammunition transfolk have given them. We've had legal same-sex marriages in this country for *decades* due to one partner changing gender post-marri
Where is her commentary on what happened to Adam Lambert?
We're still waiting for her to ride up on a white horse and save the day...
Or perhaps she and her "litte monsters" only care about her album sales and HER performanc
I’m so sick of people thinking that sex, sexuality and anything that has to do with sex is a bad thing. IT’S NOT! Jeez, I’m disgusted that societies are more ok with violence than sex.
This may come as a surprise to some people, even in the gay community, but we’re are all individual
I’m glad pics of that performanc
Adam Lambert does more to the gay community just by being himself than people realize. I know, as I am a fan of his. Funny thing is that most of his fans are straight women. Yes, his voice is the most important thing to his fans, but his in-your-fa
Will Adam Lambert’s performanc
Also, Adam made a bad judgment call, I am sure he has more than paid for it a millionfol
He was out, proud, sexual, and more importantl
When I get the chance, I will be first at the polls casting my vote in support of equality. Why? Because for all his naivety and overt sexuality, he is a sweet, respective young man who is trying to do a job that he likes. I am more horrified by the blatant hate that has been directed his way. I have lost respect for many people during this debaucle, but Adam isn't one of them. Now I ask you to not be naive. The people spewing hatred were never going to vote for gay marriage, but I would guess there are many others who have been jolted into making a different decision.
Also offensive is your assumption that anyone who disagrees with Ms. Vanasco, or you, must be a shrill adolescent
Possibly the perceived lack of a worthy response has something to do with the fact that the comments here only allow for 250 words. It would take me far more than 250 words to express all the ways that Ms. Vanasco herself is horribly misguided and damaging..
But he's not Harvey Milk. He’s not even Wanda Sykes. Who knows how long he'll even be relevant in pop culture. But that's his place, pop culture, not civil rights. It's a choice that each person gay or straight makes to be an activist. He's not an activist. He's a megalomani
And it's a dangerous thought to say that every gay person in the public has some sort of responsibi
Let the leaders lead and let the singers sing!
Yep yep yep.
I think the problem isn't that he's tarnishing the image of what it means to be gay but the fact that people are still associatin
It's all in the eyes of the beholder. A bigot is only going to bolster their own mental defenses when watching this, but there's nothing to be done about it in this avenue; only personal experience can change hearts. Unless Adam is coming outright and saying that this is what it means to be gay, then there's nothing to be done about it. You can call it a trashy performanc
Go attack your real enemy who the community keeps pretending is "secretly in favor of gay marriage". I think you know who that is.