Clay's Aiken's Overdue Honesty

Somehow got back to this article after a year & it occured to me that this vindictive, bitter author is the same clueless moron who pretended to be such an expert on Clay in that ridiculous E! TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORY a few months ago.... this explains a lot. FYI, Ramin, the Clay/Kelly Independent Tour was a HUGE success on all levels, selling out 10,000-15,000 seat arenas all over America. It's probably the most lucrative tour either of them has yet to produce. Where did you get your "facts", the National Enquirer yet again? Idiot. LOL!

Th ePeople magazine article detaled pretty fairly what Clay Aiken went through in disclosing his sexuality even to his family, whose religious background is not tolerant of homosexuality. In their culture, they perceive it as a choice - not something a person is born with. Who would choose to be an outsider, a target for abuse and mockery - someone who is innately "different" in a way not tolerated by the majority? Kudos to Clay for tryig to keep his private life private = an dfor having the courage to come forward at the risk of losing everything careerwise, including many fans who also think his sexuality is a choice. Why is it the media's business to invade the privacy of celebrities who are trying to do their jobs - to entertain? Why do the media make it their job to "out" somebody before that person is ready?

Who gives a damn flip getting so tired of all the homophillaaaaaa remarks. Live your own life and get over the drama, if there wasn't so much drama who would give a crap.

Is the writer of this article gay?

If not then please do not throw stones. As a teacher, if I tell the kids I am gay, all hell will break loose. parents will demand i resign, even if they cannot force me to, and my job security is threatened, especially if i coach the kids after school.

Clay Aiken may be gay, but he is not STUPID. He knew a long time ago that in the SOUTH, a gay man stands no chance of selling anything except his rear end.

So, by denying it, he forestalled the inevitable backlash and allowed himself to be marketable a lot longer, making his career last and his sales continue to soar, all the while knowing that both would suffer eventually when the truth came out.( see george micheal, boy george, michael jackson etc) In the US, gay is still a curse.

You, as a writer, know that. You are the one lying to yourself and the public. Aiken was just smarter than you.

I know I'm a bit late in reading this article but I have to say a thing or two. Ramin, this isn't the first scathing article you've written about Clay over the years. I find it quite sad that given your collegic journalistic achievements, you're turned into the Perez Hilton of Newsweek. What a waste of the talent you had.

For the "religious" folk, have you really examined what is going on in our society? Turn on the TV, go to the theater, study the statistics of the sexual habits of our youth. We of the straight persuasion are just as sin laden in our sexual habits as the rest of the orientations. And if you were a virgin on your wedding night, have never divorced or cheated on your partner, I take my hat off to you because you are a tiny percentage. And nobody wakes up one morning and makes a conscious choice as to what their orientation is; God makes no two of us quite the same.
Clay is the only person in the world who can choose what is appropriate for him and what the right time is. He's gone from being a geeky college student to superstardom overnight with a predominantly female audience. He doesn't owe the public a darn thing.

This is a personal issue. People's sexual preferences belong in private not shared with the media or anyone else. Our morbid curiosity to share such things fuels the fires of militant behaviour. This is not for media consumption, although the media sold it's soul and conscious a long time ago. It is personal but the media and other small militant groups have made it fodder for everyone. We can love one another but not condone certain behavior. That is not hateful to do so. We cannot legislate morality but trying to pass laws to allow behavior tries to do that. Ms toodle is making the same judgement lumping everyone who disagrees with another's point of view as ignorant or racist. That's offensive and inflammatory. Seems someone struck a nerve there eh? God will judge and a difference of opinion does not make you fearful of
of homosexual behavior just different. We cannot take away the rights of one to please the rights of others.
Please the constitution covers the marriage of a man and woman. You seek to change that but that is not
constitutional to do so. No guarantees to cover that sorry.

I'm sick and tired about hearing about people's sexual preferences, it belongs private between two people not hung out for all the world to discuss

How hard up for news are you to feature an article over two months old. This is stale news and just an excuse to fire up a bunch of radicals. Who a person sleeps with is a personal matter and one has to wonder if you would have the audacity to ask a presumed heterosexual such a question in the same circumstances. Just feeding the fires of prejudice, homophobia and sexism.
To the idiots who choose to make this a political thing, if being a Democrat makes us "gay" then being a republican makes you a racist, sexist ignorant fool who is out to destroy anyone not like yourself. You call yourselves Christians, yet you disobey God's commandments to love they neighbor as thyself. We are all God's children and we are "One Nation, Under God." Human rights are inalianable. You don't get to decide and if you believe you do, you will eventually be put in your place by the truly righteous. So, for now, why not go back to your cave and crawl under a rock.,

Seriously, who cares? Just about everyone in the world already knew he was gay. Besides, his 15 minutes are just about up.

As a gay woman who had a very difficult time coming out in a very public Christian career, I relate a lot to this young man. I, too, was very worried about the hurt others might cause to my mother, grandmother, aunts, etc. in our very conservative world. Your seeming entitlement to know anything about another person's sex life or your assumed right to determine when he should reveal to the world the most intimate details of his existence is simply deplorable. Who are you sleeping with, anyway? I'm sure if you walked in his shoes you would feel quite differently. It's so easy to judge, demand & point fingers. Not so easy to a gay person from a conservative religious background in the USA in 2008. Did you know that Mr. Aiken is getting death threats because of this? It's the self-righteous like you who keep many in the closet still.

The announcement that Clay is gay is overdue? Overdue for whom? Clay came out when it was right for him to come out. Why is his sexual orientation everyone else's business anyway? Why do you care? How does it affect your life? God bless you, Clay~ and God bless little Parker. The new CD is fabulous!

This is just sick. It's depraved sexual behavior and it's promotion by the Democrat party and the press is deplorable.

VOTING FOR A DEMOCRAT IS GAY

DON'T BE GAY.

But if you do vote for a Democrat expect more of this depravity.

do not think for one moment that the public has a right to know his sexuality, or that he should have been forced to answer these questions. I do, however, think that a celebrity seemingly so concerned with using his fame responsibly (he has used it to support many causes as well as to found his own foundation) would have - gay or straight - responded with a bit more dignity and made it clear that it should no longer be seen as shameful to be a homosexual. Many Claymates are angry not because he is gay, but because they trusted this young man implicitly, and therefore defended him for years against these attacks, even though he himself barely handled them with any grace.

What, are you saying that they defended Clay against something shameful? Reread your words, fool, who are you to judge?

Clay is a good man, always was, always will be.

I had a torrid background and he forgave me.
Life is still not the easiest, however He is walking with me in it and brings me joy and peace.
I want to make an announcement: I am Heterosexual and have been forgiven of my many sins.
_____

Wow, I think you my be kind of sick. I love God, but not bible thumpers, people who judge and condemn people because they seem to think their views of religion is so superior.

Comment: Clay is an embarassment to Country music and American men everywhere. He is now a joke just like Rock Hudson.

And yoy are a joke to humanitiy. Do you have a brain?

Too Little too late for what? You are an idiot. Talk about unprofessional. Did you get your little feeling hurt? Why don't you try asking relevant questions? You call yourself a journalist?

Kudos to you for calling him out for what he really is, a liar! You were put through the coals by overzealous pit pulls and bullying OTT fans, and I'm glad that you wrote this piece to call him on his lies. His left over fans are needy, lonesome and with serious issues. They will not question his integrity and honesty or stop being fans(even though in the past they have spoken against homosexuals and blamed a supposedly "gay mafia"of trying to make him gay or purposely outing him), because their world will crumble if they did so. They would no longer have their fantasy world which, they could not be able to survive without. Thanks for an absolutely fair article.

Great article-Aiken did stand to be hurt by his admission, because he deliberately built a fanbase of middle-class, mostly older, and by there own admission, lonely woman, who bought his story from the very beginning that he was just a straight kid from NC. That was the image they believed in and they fought hard to protect it, despite all of the evidence to the contrary!