Lucia

de Vernai

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June 10, 2009

Adam Lambert’s Gay, But It Doesn’t Matter, Except That It Does (Huh?)

You can’t judge a man by his eyeliner, but it turns out that yes, American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert is gay. During the taping of the show, Lambert let the speculations fly, finding it amusing. If you’re from a generation where a man wearing makeup leaves little about which to speculate, let me point out that another kohl-rimmed, hair-product-loving singer got one of the Simpson sisters pregnant. The less attractive one, but still.

So technically, you never know. This may be good news for some of you dads watching your teenage sons walk out the door in nail polish and glitter. God forbid you judged – young people don’t spend hours in front of the mirror with a straightening iron to be judged by their appearance, you know? Well, you wouldn’t know it judging by how Lambert played into worn-out stereotypes and used his sexuality to get some cheap attention.

If Lambert were a straight man taking the androgynous rock-star look to the masses, that would be bold, provocative and yes, hot. It’s his predictability that keeps the “is-he-or-isn’t-he” glimmer of hope lit, but far from (pardon the pun) flaming.

What we really want from American Idol, Season 79 is less of the same. The same we see on VH1, the same we see in nightclubs. If you’re trying to desperately use shock value to up your ratings or sales, please be original. The gay rights movement has fought hard to have homosexuality accepted as the normal aspect of personal life it is. Just as America is getting a hold on that, don’t ruin it by making a spectacle of something that is natural, and of if I dare say so, none of your merit.

“I'm proud of my sexuality," Lambert told Rolling Stone magazine. "I embrace it. It's just another part of me." That sounds healthy, but somehow difficult to believe when you single it out for show like a product. Give us something to talk about that – are you ready for this? – defines you as a musician, an entertainer, a performer. No one should ever be persecuted for their sexual orientation. But please don’t expect me to pet you on the head and praise you for liking boys. And not just because I feel threatened.

Lambert has said that “who I am and what I do in my personal life is a separate thing. It shouldn't matter. Except it does." You’re not helping by talking to anyone who will listen about it. Lambert also insists on wanting to be an entertainer, not a poster child for the gay rights movement, stating that he wants to be “a singer, not a civil-rights leader.”

Phew, at least he sees the distinction. The publicity games of sexuality do a lot more harm to gays in our country than good by magnifying very specific aspects of very specific lifestyles. In the Rolling Stone interview, Lambert complains about the release of pictures of him getting hot and heavy with an ex-boyfriend at a club. If he wants sympathy, I suggest he turn to Paris Hilton.

The rest of us need to remember that gays in America are still waiting for equal civil rights. Flaky mascara will have to wait.

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