If gay American Idol runner-up doesn’t want to ‘lead the fucking way for the civil rights movement,’ he should at least get out of it
Adam Lambert, left, kisses the keyboard player as he performs during the closing act of the 37th Annual American Music Awards on Sunday, Nov. 22, in Los Angeles. (Matt Sayles/Associated Press)
By Jennifer Vanasco (New York, New York) Nov 29 | Yes, Adam Lambert, you’re right: Hip-hop 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,
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, “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.
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, “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 that 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 us — by pretending otherwise.
Jennifer Vanasco is a freelance columnist who lives in New York. She can be reached at jennifer.vanasco@gmail.com.
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 us — by pretending otherwise.
Jennifer Vanasco is a freelance columnist who lives in New York. She can be reached at jennifer.vanasco@gmail.com.
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1 comments:
I come from a different culture. I come from England. You know, the land of the stiff upper lip, that land that has sex quietly, and in secret, the land that invented the missionary position.
I'm not criticising the author's stance in the USA. For the USA it may be corrett. I don't know, I'm not there, nor do I want to be. IT feels like a nation of so many small minded bigots, not the Land of the Free.
I'm just going to say that here, in England, whatever tabloid press might say afterwards, and they like any sensation, this would not be a big deal.
We have pretty much got to the point where it is Thursday here.
What do I mean?
I even forget where I saw it, but someone said "If a man walks a unicorn in the park today it's big news. If loads of people walk unicorns in the park people will say "Unicorn? Ah it must be Thursday'." I expect I've misquoted.
From my experience here, in England, the home of Boy George, Elton John, Benjamin Britten, Peter Pears, Alan Turing, George Michael, a whole slew of gay Members of Parliament, MIchael Barrymore (unpleasant scandal, but his homosexuality is irrelevant), Kenneth Williams, John Inman, Larry Grayson, Julian Clary and so many more celebrity and ordinary gay figures, we understand homosexuality far better than the alleged Land of the Free.
So he kissed a keyboard player. So what? Or is the idea to make a big fuss about it?
Heck, the USA was full of some Jackson woman's teat! It was only a teat! Or don't American woman have those things?
Why are people backing away from gays, Jennifer?
That gay marriage thing, for one. The campaign went badly wrong all by itself. LGBT folk tried to claim a hallowed word. Now the damage will take years to put right.
And way back, back in the beginning? Well, we were stupid over here, too. We had our gay movement shanghaied into adding the Paedophile Information Exchange into its number. You got NAMBLA. Folk don't forget that we and you appeared to promote having sex with kids. Heck even South Park pilloried NAMBLA.
So, from my admittedly ignorant perspective over here, I disagree roundly with the entire thrust of your article.
LGBT folk have extroverts in the same way that Good Ol' Boys have extroverts. I like extroverts, mostly. I'm sure I like some rednecks, too, and I dislike some LGBT people.
What I want it to be is Thursday.
And to make it Thursday? How do we make it Thursday?
We hope that more, many more Adam Lamberts will kiss many more keyboard players. We hope many more people will walk hand in hand with their same sex partner. We hope that more of your elected officials will come out as gay, gay, gay. We hope your captains of industry will come out as gay. If Kinsey was even close, 10% are anyway.
Flamboyant folk have helped hugely in the gay rights arena.They always have and they always will. Yes, even "I'm not queer and I'll sue anyone who says I am" Liberace.
It's silence that sets gay rights back, not flamboyant stage and TV appearances.
Ah, so I am criticising the author's stance, then. Obviously I got that wrong up there at the top.
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