#41: Clay Aiken Makes His Triumphant Return!

[bottlecap]

Have I whined yet about not being able to post during the day anymore? I shouldn't even be reading the boards at work right now, but I had to sneak on and catch up. So, I'm sure I had some stunning insights that would have been relevant at the time - but sadly, all coherent thought has left my head.

I see, after much squinting at the scans, that Jamie did Clay's grooming for the People photo shoot. I'm anxious to get the magazine in my hot little hands so I can get a better look at the pictures.

As always, I find him totally lickable.

[Couch Tomato]

I've read a lot today...A LOT.. and I have to say I am overwhelmed. No, not everything is supportive but most of it was thoughtful. I was happy to see Clay's thanks to his fans and major outlets pick up the overwhelming support he is receiving. And I find it laughable to see the same angry or disappointed fans quoted over and over. Yet most pointed out that the fans were accepting Clay's decision. I saw a lot of WHY IS THIS NEWS..heee. Many of will have that sentiment. Lots of we'll D101. But really over all, I don't think much of it was nasty. Of course I didn't go all the way down to the underberlly cuz I don't give a shit what they say.

I thought this article was "thoughtful." Not saying I agree with it all but I like things that make me see something I hadn't really thought of. Like..Clay is quite radical hee.

http://www.queerty.com/aikens-coming-out-matters-20080924/

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 Clay Board 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 have 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.

[Gibby]

That's a very interesting read, my dear Couchie!! It raises a lot of fascinating questions. Thanks for posting it.

[ldyjocelyn]

This Clayboard thread has a download of ET for tonight. Good luck getting to it though...it took me a few tries....

There's also a pretty screen cap. Sigh.

[luckiest1]

If Clay felt the time was right, then yes, the time was right.

:F_05BL17blowkiss:

I listened to OMWH (the album) on the way to work today, and thought that some of the songs could perhaps be interpreted a bit differently now. Of course, OMWH and TRM are examples, but I also think Ashes and Falling have lyrics that have a different twist with this news. I'm still at work, but will post some of the lyrics tonight. Did anybody else have this experience when listening to OMWH today?

Absolutely. What's funny is that certain lines in certain songs have really resonated with me and my own situation, but I never thought that they resonated with Clay for the same reasons. Now, I wonder if maybe they do.

couchie, thanks for that article. The only line that really irks me is this one, which I've seen written probably about a thousand different ways today, in other articles, and on the message boards:

We've all known for many years that the crooner goes for the guys.

Argh. While you may have wondered or suspected that he was gay, you didn't know. No one knows but the person coming out (or any of their sexual partners). Sorry, just had to get that out of my system. *gets down off soap box*

[HeidiHo]

I thought this article was "thoughtful." Not saying I agree with it all but I like things that make me see something I hadn't really thought of. Like..Clay is quite radical hee.

http://www.queerty.com/aikens-coming-out-matters-20080924/

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 Clay Board 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 have 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.

Great article until the last two paragraphs where he makes one extremely huge set of generalizations/implication - that because Clay is Christian, he must be right of center. Because HE is right of center (which I believe was disproven some time ago) then of course his fans must all be right of center people who are Christian. This shit don't fly folks and it's rather condescending. MY read on it, from inside the fandom, is that Clay's fans come in all shapes, sizes, genders, orientations and religious and political affiliations. I don't think it can work the way he likes to imagine it may work - I KNOW for a fact that I am far from the only non-religious democrat in Clay's fanbase. Even if you eliminate his apparent assumption that Clay is right of center (and I'm not sure he means to imply it of Clay, only us - and playing by the republican handbook with that comment) he still assumes all of US are - because we're sheep, apparently.

If the average person can't listen to what Palin says and realize that she's a wack job who is only currently appealing to evangelical republicans then Clay being a gay christian man ain't going to help. They're too far gone - sorry for potentially hurting anyone who likes her, but that's my opinion and I ain't appologizing for it. When you say you can handle foreign affairs because you can "see Russia from Alaska"...well, nuff said.

[LAluvsClay]

The timing may not have been right, but I honestly cannot see him doing this while Jaymes was pregnant; obviously the baby was uppermost in his mind...not the fans or whether he should come out before or after OMWH.

Actually, I think this was the perfect time; I think having Parker safe and healthy with him while making this announcement; somewhat softened it and really put it all into context. I believe Clay thought this out very carefully.

Just me or does anyone else find it ironic that are board name is Finding Clay Aiken; something it seems Clay has been doing for a long time.

I truly love that man!

Kim

That's lovely! And now that you mention it it's blindingly obvious.

[ldyjocelyn]

I'm not managing to pull all the media articles on the subject (will probably catch up later tonight), because there is a plethora of them. (People alone has done 5, I believe). However, this one is interesting to me, especially the last line...

etonline.com

David Foster on Clay Aiken's Family Life

David Foster on Clay Aiken's Family Life

Clay Aiken revealed only this week that he is gay, and now his baby son's uncle, music producer David Foster, is revealing new details about family life at home.

David's sister Jaymes gave birth to Clay's son, Parker, in August. "They've found a way to make it work for the three of them," he tells ET Canada in a new interview. "It's the perfect, perfect situation -- they're going to co-parent and they're best friends."

David was there from the beginning of his nephew's life: "I was there for the birth," he tells ET Canada. "My sister just roared through the delivery, no [whining], like, boom, let's have this kid. And she did, and the baby is beautiful, and all is good."

Regarding talking to the press about his sister and her family, David said, "I talked to Jaymes and Clay this morning, and I said, 'What's the parameters?' and basically they just said, which I [know] is true, 'One sentence and then move on.'"

Posted September 24, 2008

[Lotus]

Thanks for posting that article couchie. It is an interesting and thoughtful article but the following quote sure pushes some of my buttons.

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.

I resent all the assumptions that are made about this fandom. The same kind of knee jerk reaction is displayed in this quote as is made about gay people. All his fans are middle-aged and elderly women therefore they are conservative. We are a mix of beliefs and opinions just as the majority of people in this continent are.

[Couch Tomato]

Well as a Survivor fan, this is interesting and I'm sorry I can't stop and just cut and paste at the moment... if someone wants to do that for me..great... This guy claims to be a chat buddy and will be on survivor starting Thursday.

http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid62271.asp

don't know how I feel about him speaking out but he doesn't claim any deep frienship or knowledge of Clay. I was more excited that his goal on survivor was to be the white, gay Cirie. lol.

ETA: Yep, it's definitely not the perfect article. Maybe a side benefit of all of this is that people will finally realize that Clay's fans are just like anybody else's fans - diverse. The part that interested me was not the fans part but the idea that dad Clay coming out was this sorta radical thing. Sometimes living in California you just forget certain things. Gay people living their lives like the rest of us is just sorta not a new thing.

[annabear]

couchie, thanks for that article. The only line that really irks me is this one, which I've seen written probably about a thousand different ways today, in other articles, and on the message boards:

We've all known for many years that the crooner goes for the guys.

Argh. While you may have wondered or suspected that he was gay, you didn't know. No one knows but the person coming out (or any of their sexual partners). Sorry, just had to get that out of my system. *gets down off soap box*

I have to agree with you. I am also irked by the know it all comments. Surprisingly, I only heard about this at work today from one person and he himself happens to be gay. He made a joke of the whole story and I told him I was already aware and point-blank asked him why it mattered so much. That caught him completely off guard. He stammered that it didn't. I asked him if calling everyone out on their lifestyle choices was the "in thing" to do, then why haven't I seen an article about his orientation on the company intranet in the employee news section. Heh.

[wandacleo]

Annabear

You are my kind of woman!!!

(Unless, of course, you're a man, but the same applies!)

[luckiest1]

Hee, I just watched the ET download. I can't believe they are dragging out the house tour clips like they're new or something. LMAO.

I haven't decided if I'm going to be sick or not tomorrow morning yet. Maybe I'll just have a bit of a family emergency until 9:30 or so.

[wandacleo]

ET is bascially parasitic--they take little smidgeons of information from somewhere and then put together clips--often completely unrelated--to try to make a story. House tour??? Not sure what that has to do with anything!! LOL It must be the best they could come up with on short notice.

[aikim]

I posted this at the OFC and thought I would share it here:

I think the timing of Clay's announcement was perfect...let me explain.

According to the People article he has known since he was 18 but told no one...he held on to that secret for 7 years until 2003 when he told Kim Locke and it took him another year to tell his mother.

Another year after that to tell Brett, that takes us to 2005.

He said his mother was still struggling...can you imagine what it must have been like for her? You found out your son is gay...you are adjusting to that news and your own feelings and before you even have a chance to let it all sink in and the ramifications it is in the tabloids...suddenly the most vile things are being said about your son; it becomes a running joke for the late night comedians, and dj's. How she must have hurt for him and he for her and Brett and the rest of his family.

And think of Clay when the gnats crap hit fan; he is trying to deal with his family accepting the news and now he has to deal with outraged fans...fans trying to understand and wondering if he will have a career at all...and still trying to accept it himself and what it meant for his life and career....The Weight of The World must have been on his shoulders indeed.

In 2006 we discover that he is on Paxil...he must have been struggling mightily and I am so happy that he has friends like Angie, Jerome and Quiana by his side and Jamie and Jesse. I don't think we will ever know how difficult the last 4 years have been for him.

But in all that we were his constant; we believed and loved him and he believed in us and he trusted us to have faith in him and his decisions even if we didn't understand them...how could he tell us when he was still trying to accept it himself.

And then there was Jaymes...someone who came into his life in 2005...who believed in his talent...who defended him during the first JNT...who was there for the battles with Clive over ATDW and stuck by him and helped him get that CD made when he probably wanted to chuck the whole thing. Go re-read the linear notes for ATDW and his thank you to her; that says so much.

So they decided to have a baby together, a baby they both wanted very badly even though they knew there would be snickers and gossip and more questions and concerns. But in the end, the chance at parenthood won out and in the midst of all this comes Spamalot.

Broadway... a very special place, with very special people who embraced Clay and showed him respect and love and I think he found a home there and realized that he could be his real self there...they saw The Real Me that is Clay Aiken and they accepted him...it was like everything was falling into place.

He had acceptance in the business and a role of a lifetime that he was born to play and now a son and the love for that son showed him that it was time allow the world to see his real self...did he lie and mislead...to an extent...but long before there were any fans involved...he was lying and misleading himself...have the fans suffered some embarrassment for defending him and believing him to be straight...sure they did...but compared to what that man has endured his whole life...a drop in the bucket.

It has taken him 30 years to find Clay Aiken and I love who he is.

Kim

[Couch Tomato]

That was beautiful Aikim

[muskifest]

Yeay! Akim wrote that timeline for me! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

I'm in my hotel room and online, of course (and my room service just got here!) Gibby, I was smashed in a middle seat on an airplane today and listened to the entire OMWH cd for just the reason you talked about. Although the men on either side of me must have seen my shoulders shaking and my hands wiping my face, they never said anything or let on that I was losing it over and over again with each song. My eyes are tearing up right now even thinking about it.

Now I'm going to take a look at the People article via the scans. It's not in any stores yet that I've been in, so I guess we'll have to wait until Friday?

[justclay12]

If Clay felt the time was right, then yes, the time was right.

:F_05BL17blowkiss:

I listened to OMWH (the album) on the way to work today, and thought that some of the songs could perhaps be interpreted a bit differently now. Of course, OMWH and TRM are examples, but I also think Ashes and Falling have lyrics that have a different twist with this news. I'm still at work, but will post some of the lyrics tonight. Did anybody else have this experience when listening to OMWH today?

Absolutely. What's funny is that certain lines in certain songs have really resonated with me and my own situation, but I never thought that they resonated with Clay for the same reasons. Now, I wonder if maybe they do.

couchie, thanks for that article. The only line that really irks me is this one, which I've seen written probably about a thousand different ways today, in other articles, and on the message boards:

We've all known for many years that the crooner goes for the guys.

Argh. While you may have wondered or suspected that he was gay, you didn't know. No one knows but the person coming out (or any of their sexual partners). Sorry, just had to get that out of my system. *gets down off soap box*

luckiest, I so agree with you about how people can say they know something when they don't know squat. Before he came out, I believed him to be straight, which is the consideration that I would show anyone who hasn't come out or who may not even be gay to come out. Some posters have been using the term self-identified and I like that because it really should be about the individual involved and how they define themselves. Anyway, back to my point, even when I believed him to be straight, I would always say that I thought he was straight because there was no possible way for me to know definitively. Even if I was sharing his bed (I wish), I still could not be 100% certain. So it also annoys me when someone says they knew or when I read articles, like the one today about the AI'ers chipping in, (and it's the same ones by the way who were quoted in the previous article about Parker's birth) and they have Vanessa chiming in about her gaydar. Can I say how much I hate that term, along with queer that was in that other article about how we are apparently a bunch of right wing fundamentalists.

HeidiHo, love your take on Palin. Feel the same way. People like her scare the crap out of me and if, heaven forbid, the Republicans steal another election, I'm joining you guys in Canada, although I like it warm so may have to head to you guys in Australia.

And I know I should be doing homework and dye my hair, which has about 2 inches of gray roots coming out, but how am I supposed to drag myself away from the boards. And I have to say how proud I am of Clay and for the majority of the Clay Nation for being supportive of such and amazing man.

[merryclay]

New AP article--they've been on the OFC and even said what it costs to join.

Clay is gay: Aiken comes out of the closet

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h88VUqA...FsNDcQD93DD0500

[wandacleo]

New AP article--they've been on the OFC and even said what it costs to join.

Clay is gay: Aiken comes out of the closet

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h88VUqA...FsNDcQD93DD0500

Thank God they used a good picture.

[Jaycee]

But I am glad to read so many of those struggling saying they are still his fan. Change is hard and this is a change - even if it is something you suspected all along.

I hope everyone gives those fans the time they need without condemnation of their struggle. They just need to find their way and that may be easier with a little support.

Thank you for this. As apparently the only one here who is struggling with this news, even though it has been in the back of my mind for at least the last couple of years, it is still a painful realization that the things I believed in were not true. I'm glad so many are showing their love and support. I wish I were there, but I'm not yet. I'm sorry, Clay.

laljeterfan You aren't the only one that is struggling. I am guessing that most of the fans that are having trouble with this, just haven't posted. I was so upset last night that I was sure anything I said would come out wrong so I said nothing. It is hard, when you see someone in a certain way, to find out that isn't who he is. It takes time. You hang in there and so will I.

[merrieeee]

I just read that Clay probably got a measly $500,000 for the interview. Times are tough in the magazine biz. I guess Parker's college fund is secure.

[laljeterfan]

But I am glad to read so many of those struggling saying they are still his fan. Change is hard and this is a change - even if it is something you suspected all along.

I hope everyone gives those fans the time they need without condemnation of their struggle. They just need to find their way and that may be easier with a little support.

Thank you for this. As apparently the only one here who is struggling with this news, even though it has been in the back of my mind for at least the last couple of years, it is still a painful realization that the things I believed in were not true. I'm glad so many are showing their love and support. I wish I were there, but I'm not yet. I'm sorry, Clay.

laljeterfan You aren't the only one that is struggling. I am guessing that most of the fans that are having trouble with this, just haven't posted. I was so upset last night that I was sure anything I said would come out wrong so I said nothing. It is hard, when you see someone in a certain way, to find out that isn't who he is. It takes time. You hang in there and so will I.

It has been tough. But after about 2 hours of sleep, and breaking into spontaneous tears about 1/2 dozen times at work today, I'm doing better. Hope you will be too. And if you need to vent privately, feel free to pm me!

[Gibby]

I'm in my hotel room and online, of course (and my room service just got here!) Gibby, I was smashed in a middle seat on an airplane today and listened to the entire OMWH cd for just the reason you talked about. Although the men on either side of me must have seen my shoulders shaking and my hands wiping my face, they never said anything or let on that I was losing it over and over again with each song. My eyes are tearing up right now even thinking about it.

Aw, Muski, I wish we'd been on the airplane together, listening to and talking about all of the lyrics and how we hear them differently now!

But I am glad to read so many of those struggling saying they are still his fan. Change is hard and this is a change - even if it is something you suspected all along.

I hope everyone gives those fans the time they need without condemnation of their struggle. They just need to find their way and that may be easier with a little support.

Thank you for this. As apparently the only one here who is struggling with this news, even though it has been in the back of my mind for at least the last couple of years, it is still a painful realization that the things I believed in were not true. I'm glad so many are showing their love and support. I wish I were there, but I'm not yet. I'm sorry, Clay.

laljeterfan You aren't the only one that is struggling. I am guessing that most of the fans that are having trouble with this, just haven't posted. I was so upset last night that I was sure anything I said would come out wrong so I said nothing. It is hard, when you see someone in a certain way, to find out that isn't who he is. It takes time. You hang in there and so will I.

*HUGS* to those who are struggling. It must be hard to admit to struggling when so many others seem to be breezing through this. My fervent hope is that all of the boards will show all members patience and compassion in dealing with this. I think we will be dealing with the repercussions for some time.

[annabear]

Lovely post, Kim.

Annabear

You are my kind of woman!!!

(Unless, of course, you're a man, but the same applies!)