#41: Clay Aiken Makes His Triumphant Return!

[annabear]

I'll be off-base with you, bottle. I'm certain there were monetary offers bandied about. Doesn't mean Clay had any intention of entertaining said offers just because they were out there, as Jaymes made crystal clear.

And, luckiest, in case you didn't see it in the speeding train that was the OFC thread the other day -

[merryclay]

Heidi---No blame for the evil handlers. Image is their job. It's just part of show business. I only mentioned it as an added pressure for Clay. Of course, that's just my opinion. I have a hard time picturing them saying, sure, Clay come out, during any album cycle.

[aikim]

Quote from Paul Newman:

"I'm a supporter of gay rights. And not a closet supporter either. From the time I was a kid, I have never been able to understand attacks upon the gay community. There are so many qualities that make up a human being... by the time I get through with all the things that I really admire about people, what they do with their private parts is probably so low on the list that it is irrelevant." - Paul Newman

[Couch Tomato]

I admit I am one who processed the news in about three minutes. I admire Clay, I love to hear and watch and read about him - but I don't have anything emotionally or intellectually invested in him. Hell, he may decide to quit show business tomorrow, I might decide to take up another hobby or go into some small crafts business that leaves me no time for this stuff. We don't have a contract. He knows that every single one of his fans could just decide to be an intense fan of someone else tomorrow - fans do that anyway. So I am just happy that he is happy, and I don't consider that anything he does or did affects me personally.

Everyone is different. I do have a deep emotional attachment to Clay and this fandom. That's obvious as I have probably spent more time, money, and thought on this "hobby" than any other hobby in the history of hobbies. And if he decided to quit show business tomorrow - it would hit me like a ton of bricks and it would take me a bunch of time to get over it and figure out how to spend my time - maybe I'd finally have that time to exercise. LOL. So thanks for this example cuz it helps me understand a bit more. I know over time I'd get over it if he qui the business but I'm sure I'd have to catalog and watch all the clack first. heh.

So I hope people who are having problems don't just disappear. I know it's tough but I was talking to JennaZ this morning and it hit me that there are a few of US that I haven't seen since this story broke. And I miss them. And I wonder where they are and whether or not they are somewhere feeling like they can not speak here and say they are lost or upset or devastated. I think hearing points of view from people who are accepting, who have gone through this themselves, who have run the gamut of emotions and moved from over here to over there can only help.

OMG JMH so happy to hear from you. You are the person I was just worried about. I thought you were crawled up somewhere crying your eyes out. heee. I should have known better. Slaps my own self upside the head. Just seeing your name make my heart explode heee.

Now, off to babysit/puppysit for an hour. Hope I an wrestle the computer away from the kids..but I doubt it.

[Scarlett]

Hey, this has to be a quickie. Right now my friend is napping, so I'm stealing a few moments online. I was offline from Monday through last evening, and then I was only on an hour or so, and I'm still not caught up. Just wanted to say this is the board to catch up at, and that I was so glad to be in NYC at this time. Lilyshine and I got the news when we spotted the People Magazine on a newstand Wednesday late afternoon. Missed a lot of the unpleasantness that way. Given that I'm right now visiting with my BFF whose been out most of his life, but isn't "out" out at the moment for some complicated reasons, someone I witnessed be rejected for a job twenty years ago because of his orientation, I really understand the intricacies and complexities of sexual identity, and trying to conduct that on a national platform--good grief, that's hard. I love you all--this is a fabulous board. :F_05BL17blowkiss: I'm just going to download a bunch more pages, log off, and keep reading. I'll be back at home Tuesday, then leaving for a few days in Denver, but hope to post before then.

Safe travels, jmh! Come back soon. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[jmh123]

OMG JMH so happy to hear from you. You are the person I was just worried about. I thought you were crawled up somewhere crying your eyes out. heee. I should have known better. Slaps my own self upside the head. Just seeing your name make my heart explode heee.

Hee! I'm glad I came back. Hey, couchie. Hey Scarlett. Hey everybody. Yeah, it's a good thing I checked in, if you were worried, and if you were, couchie, others probably were too. It's a really weird time to be totally unable to participate in the boards, and away from e-mail and home too, I'll tell you. There's some good and some bad to being off the boards right now, as you can imagine. I'm just glad he's happy. And I got to see him. Sigh.

And,

:013085001176249046:

[ldyjocelyn]

:F_05BL17blowkiss: jmh! I was hoping someone had your cell phone number to call you....guess not. But in a way, I'm sure it had to be interesting to learn the news via seeing the People magazine cover first. I'm guessing you've not seen the two GMA clips yet. You're in for a treat, IMO.

[djs111]

Heeee...Couchie - now that I think about it, I'm still here after all these years, clicking on Clay!

-No blame for the evil handlers. Image is their job. It's just part of show business. I only mentioned it as an added pressure for Clay. Of course, that's just my opinion. I have a hard time picturing them saying, sure, Clay come out, during any album cycle.

I just do not believe for one minute that Clay told any handlers before he told his mom and Brett and the rest of his family.

[cindilu2]

OMG JMH so happy to hear from you. You are the person I was just worried about. I thought you were crawled up somewhere crying your eyes out. heee. I should have known better. Slaps my own self upside the head. Just seeing your name make my heart explode heee.

Hee! I'm glad I came back. Hey, couchie. Hey Scarlett. Hey everybody. Yeah, it's a good thing I checked in, if you were worried, and if you were, couchie, others probably were too. It's a really weird time to be totally unable to participate in the boards, and away from e-mail and home too, I'll tell you. There's some good and some bad to being off the boards right now, as you can imagine. I'm just glad he's happy. And I got to see him. Sigh.

And,

:013085001176249046:

jmh - I'm pretty sure I was standing across the barriers from you on Wednesday evening? Dang - I thought it was you, but I had no idea you were in NYC so figured it was a lookalike, lol. Sorry we didn't get to say HI. It really was quite surreal to be 'there' for this. I so wish we could've seen Clay 'in person' just to say WE LOVE YOU!

Honestly? The only thing I fear in this fandom - and I think I have since the very first time I figured out how to use 'search' on the internet in a desperate need to know he wasn't lost to me (that would be May 22, 2003) is that he would stop performing. I personally would be heart broken. Whether it's right or wrong or 'weird', he (and my fandom) has become a part of my life - a much treasured part. I would mourn him (and it) terribly.

[merryclay]

Heeee...Couchie - now that I think about it, I'm still here after all these years, clicking on Clay!

-No blame for the evil handlers. Image is their job. It's just part of show business. I only mentioned it as an added pressure for Clay. Of course, that's just my opinion. I have a hard time picturing them saying, sure, Clay come out, during any album cycle.

I just do not believe for one minute that Clay told any handlers before he told his mom and Brett and the rest of his family.

I don't think it was about telling. I think people that worked with him closely all the time probably knew it. JMHO. I'm not trying to say that's etched in stone. My comment is just that, my comment. LOL!!!

[merryclay]

cindilu said and I quote

--Honestly? The only thing I fear in this fandom - and I think I have since the very first time I figured out how to use 'search' on the internet in a desperate need to know he wasn't lost to me (that would be May 22, 2003) is that he would stop performing. I personally would be heart broken. Whether it's right or wrong or 'weird', he (and my fandom) has become a part of my life - a much treasured part. I would mourn him (and it) terribly.

-----------------------------yeah that!!!

[luckiest1]

A lot of people "knew" I was straight too. Just sayin'.

[merrieeee]

A lot of people "knew" I was straight too. Just sayin'.

You mean your not? I'm shocked I tell you shocked.

Love you :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[lilyshine]

I'm very guilty of not having checked in earlier, but by the time I got back from NYC, having dropped jmh off at her "boyfriends", so much shit was flying around that I had no idea where to chime in.

To set the record straight, "WE" did not see the People on the newsstand jmh did. She was standing there, pointing, going 'gah,gah, umh!" and - clueless as ever - I'm looking at the bottled water and the soft drinks which we had been searching for all day! This was just before 5pm on Wed. and yes we both bought copies and devoured them along with our dinner!

We hadn't really been caught too much off guard by the cover as I had overheard the TMZ paparazzi talking about people and covers the night before. The content was a bit of a surprise.

That night I had my copy of People under the Playbill, in case Clay came out (stage door!) as you all know, he didn't. However, David Hibbard did and after signing my Playbill, practically pulled it out of my hands so he could read it saying something along the lines "So, it's out already." He seemed quite excited about it and it was obvious he knew it was coming.

Cindilu, jmh thought it was you, but wasn't quite sure enough to go up and say Hello. I'm sorry we didn't do it anyway. I think if things hadn't been so emotionally charged that night, we would have.

ETA jmh and I had a very interesting drive home. We both have Real Life gay BFFs, but they have very, very different backgrounds and differing gay lifestyles. We each tend to see Clay as having a similar path to our own BFF!!! and they don't match at all. Just goes to show that people are individuals no matter their orientation. Not all gays live, come out or react the same.

About the Tyra kiss, yes I kiss my BFF. and I'd do him in a second if he were at all interested. When I was 50, he was 30 and I have often wondered over the past months if I would have asked him to donate if I had really, really wanted a child.

[Gibby]

While I agree wholeheartedly with cindilu, I see there is a line forming for marriage. Therefore, I've decided to marry Gibby for this:

So, I'm giving him grace about the lying thing. It's understandable, it's not a deal breaker for me, and I still love him inordinately. And my hope is that fans who are upset about the lie will eventually come to the place where they can give him grace and forgiveness for the lie. My opinion is that we all mess up in life in some way or another, and need grace and forgiveness. I'm very grateful that people have forgiven me when I've messed up, and it would be hypocritical of my not to extend grace to Clay in this circumstance.

So much freakin' word. I can easily forgive him for this, because so many have forgiven me! I also think that I do forgive him because I don't believe I've thrown 5 years away at all -- he was still wildly entertaining to me at all those shows I attended, during the TV appearances, during Spamalot. He's given my life a rich new component, one of entertainment and joy. He's also given me the ability to learn so much about this world through him, the people around him, and the fans on message boards. Yes, that learning involves some ugly as well as good, but it's all learning.

Ah, ldyj, marriage sounds great! I love your answers to Scarlett's questions!

I'll have to tell my hubby and my girlfriend Couchie to make a little more room in the bed. Heeeeee! Oh, yeah, we need to think about your hubby, too . . . I guess it's going to be an orgy!!!

Hey, jmh! When are you going to be in Denver? PM me if you want to try to get together for coffee and some Clay talk!!

[annabear]

Taking a 15 minute work break & found Jaymes posted again at the OFC. I'm still in agreement with her. Link to post: # 7697

Now back to work... :clay:

[wandacleo]

Luckiest

Stay away from OFC--unless you plan to turn away from your "sinful" ways and remain abstinent for life, bare you soul, maybe wear a hair shirt or brand yourself across the forehead with an appropriate target.

OMG, the one really good thing about all of this is the hope that some of these people will LEAVE the OFC.

[cindilu2]

OMG, the one really good thing about all of this is the hope that some of these people will LEAVE the OFC.

What're you smokin', and can you please share it with me? These people will never go away. They really seem to enjoy persecuting him now, especially when they can do it with his permission. They are just winding up if you ask me.

[merrieeee]

There is one person over there who happens to be from Houston and I have met her. She is really on the way far end of the spectrum. She thinks Clay should remain celibate because it's ok to be gay but not to act on it. But then she goes on to say she loves everyone!!!!

I have a feeling she really might just leave.

[cindilu2]

I don't mean to be callous - but I'm really wondering this. Why is 'trust' such an issue? I keep seeing that bandied around over there. 'I still 'love' him, I just don't 'trust' him.' He's not our son or our lover - he's a singer and an entertainer and humantarian. Honestly, it's sounding more and more like a bunch of jilted lovers than fans of a singer.

[Claymatron]

Just read Jaymes' comment. YOU GO, GIRL!!! I just love that woman!

[Gibby]

I don't mean to be callous - but I'm really wondering this. Why is 'trust' such an issue? I keep seeing that bandied around over there. 'I still 'love' him, I just don't 'trust' him.' He's not our son or our lover - he's a singer and an entertainer and humantarian. Honestly, it's sounding more and more like a bunch of jilted lovers than fans of a singer.

I think you hit the nail on the head for some of them!

[wandacleo]

I don't mean to be callous - but I'm really wondering this. Why is 'trust' such an issue? I keep seeing that bandied around over there. 'I still 'love' him, I just don't 'trust' him.' He's not our son or our lover - he's a singer and an entertainer and humantarian. Honestly, it's sounding more and more like a bunch of jilted lovers than fans of a singer.

I think you hit the nail on the head for some of them!

Overinvested. Overentitled lunatics.

I'm sorry--I just cannot be nice about any of this anymore (NOT that I was ever very nice--ok, ok). Some of the crap about the "lies" and "trust" and "sin" are just revolting. How many times do people have to go over this? It's been days! Clay is STILL going to be gay tomorrow and the next day and next week. Either peope can understand that in order to stay in the closet, one has to lie, or people can never get past the "LIE."

I feel so sorry for people at the OFC who are gay or have gay family members or friends. They are being TRASHED and told how sinful they are and that they need to be abstinent. It's disgraceful--a hell of a lot worse than anything Clay ever did to anyone.

Oh, wait, he never actually DID anything but live his life in privacy.

[Couch Tomato]

What are you doing here..you're just an employee? LOL. Somebody needs a checkup and their temperature taken. I'm so glad Clay has her. I admire Clay greatly for his patience and his understanding and his willingness to be shit upon (and I'm not saying everyone who has issues is doing that but clearly some of those people are nuts - sorry Scarlett I'm trying). I don't know ANYONE like him in my life..NO ONE. So he seems somehow special. But you know I also admire people like Jaymes who is intelligent, witty, sarcastic and tries to reason but then also has a take no shit and take no prisoners type of attitude. I don't want to stereotype black women so I'll just say every single aunt in my family, on both sides, is like this so I also admire this greatly. These kinds of women were my role model and Jaymes is reminding me of them. Of course she's only 4 years older than me so it won't be any sort of scandal when we marry. hee.

So it's been a good day and a bad day. I put on my IT green tshirt - which I can still fit (that's good) and tooled all over town. It felt different somehow so puffed out my sizeable chest (and other parts) and walked taller and prouder too. Yes I AM a Clay Aiken fan!

Then I came home and somebody was straddling the line in my parking spot washing his car and I tried not to hit his mercedes and ended up fricking up my right view mirror. Crap. How much does one of those cost!

[cindilu2]

Totally on board with you wanda. And they are extrapolating his one 'lie' - the one he told for self-preservation - until somehow everything else he's done is questioned. HE DOES NOT DESERVE THAT. He's proven himself over and over and over again. If I read 'oh but if he lied about this...' one more time, I may hurt somebody.