I was a huge fan of Adam Lambert the moment I saw him- and I also knew that he was absolutely gay.
What does it mean, though, that one of the American Idol finalists is most probably gay? Before I begin, it’s also very important for me to stress that I am no authority on homosexuality. Please do correct any generalizations and misinterpretations I might make.
First and foremost I actually believe that being a flamboyant homosexual can play quite a significant role in making someone a rock star. (Incidentally, did anybody else think of Freddie Mercury?)
To be a homosexual in this world means more than simply being attracted to other people of the same sex. Homosexuality, for the most part, is still not completely accepted by our society. To be a homosexual, effeminate or different in any way often means having to go face to face with a seemingly unexplainable and unreasonable social stigma. You will be made fun of, whispered about and stared at. Most of us don’t really know or can’t really imagine what it would be like to be discriminated against or treated differently 24/7 because of something we might not really have had a say in.
I would think that there are two predominant ways you can deal with being different- either you hide in your closet and hope nobody notices you, or you can develop the confidence and strength to embrace your differences and stand out from the crowd, loud and proud. This sort of confidence is also rather synonymous with a devil-may-care attitude towards public opinion- a out-and-proud homosexual is not going to care about what anybody thinks about his dressing, mannerisms or style. This is where we are entering rockstar territory.
I actually have a personal example that is quite relevant to this discussion. A good friend of mine, Levan Wee, is an albino who also happens to be a rock singer. For those of you who don’t know, albinos are simply normal people who are born without pigmentation, which is what gives us colour in our hair, eyes and skin. So as you can imagine, albinos typically have a very pale, white, ghostly appearance and in some cultures, there are terrible myths and superstitions about them that are completely untrue and unfounded. Imagine how it might be to grow up looking completely different from everybody else- it’s not something you can hide, simply something you have to get used to.
Levan fronts an awesome rock band called Astroninja (check them out at http://www.myspace.com/astroninary!) and I do believe that his attitude and approach to dealing with being different is what ultimately makes him, like Adam Lambert, Freddie Mercury and others, a true rock star.
Adam Lambert’s sexuality: How being different does wonders for marketability
I was a huge fan of Adam Lambert the moment I saw him- and I also knew that he was absolutely gay.
What does it mean, though, that one of the American Idol finalists is most probably gay? Before I begin, it’s also very important for me to stress that I am no authority on homosexuality. Please do correct any generalizations and misinterpretations I might make.
First and foremost I actually believe that being a flamboyant homosexual can play quite a significant role in making someone a rock star. (Incidentally, did anybody else think of Freddie Mercury?)
To be a homosexual in this world means more than simply being attracted to other people of the same sex. Homosexuality, for the most part, is still not completely accepted by our society. To be a homosexual, effeminate or different in any way often means having to go face to face with a seemingly unexplainable and unreasonable social stigma. You will be made fun of, whispered about and stared at. Most of us don’t really know or can’t really imagine what it would be like to be discriminated against or treated differently 24/7 because of something we might not really have had a say in.
I would think that there are two predominant ways you can deal with being different- either you hide in your closet and hope nobody notices you, or you can develop the confidence and strength to embrace your differences and stand out from the crowd, loud and proud. This sort of confidence is also rather synonymous with a devil-may-care attitude towards public opinion- a out-and-proud homosexual is not going to care about what anybody thinks about his dressing, mannerisms or style. This is where we are entering rockstar territory.
I actually have a personal example that is quite relevant to this discussion. A good friend of mine, Levan Wee, is an albino who also happens to be a rock singer. For those of you who don’t know, albinos are simply normal people who are born without pigmentation, which is what gives us colour in our hair, eyes and skin. So as you can imagine, albinos typically have a very pale, white, ghostly appearance and in some cultures, there are terrible myths and superstitions about them that are completely untrue and unfounded. Imagine how it might be to grow up looking completely different from everybody else- it’s not something you can hide, simply something you have to get used to.
Levan fronts an awesome rock band called Astroninja (check them out at http://www.myspace.com/astroninary!) and I do believe that his attitude and approach to dealing with being different is what ultimately makes him, like Adam Lambert, Freddie Mercury and others, a true rock star.