Clay Aiken Comes Out

It’s been rumored for years, but finally American Idol 2 alum Clay Aiken has come out and admitted he is indeed gay. For all but his most ardent fans, this is probably not a big surprise. What is a surprise, however, is the very public way that Clay has chosen to reveal his very private life – on the cover of People magazine.

This week’s People features a photo of Clay and his 8-week-old son, Parker Foster, with the tag, “Yes, I’m Gay.” A sub-heading teases: “I cannot raise a child to lie or hide things.” People’s accompanying online article reveals his motivation to take such a step. “It was the first decision I made as a father,” Clay says in the article. “I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things. I wasn't raised that way, and I'm not going to raise a child to do that.”

And, while acknowledging that some of his fans may be overwhelmed by this news, he hopes that if they leave the fold, they don’t leave hating him.

Clay also talks about how he told his mother, Faye Parker, four years ago. They had just dropped off his younger brother at Camp Lejeune and Clay says he began crying in the car. His mother insisted he pull over and asked what was wrong. That was when he told her. Initially, she was stunned, but Clay says she was supportive. “She still struggles with things quite a bit, but she's come a long way,” he reveals.

Clay has never either confirmed or denied rumors about his sexuality. Two years ago, he told the AP, “I don't really feel like I have anybody to answer to but myself and God and the people I love.”

In 2006, he bristled when asked about his sexuality in an interview with Diane Sawyer. He called her rude for asking and said, “I don’t understand why it’s any of your business.” After the Sawyer interview, he talked to MTV News and told them he believes this kind of information is not important. “For me, part of the reason that I have anxiety is the fact that I feel like people are always staring at me,” he said in the interview. “So it's important for me to make sure that I have my friends and vacation, and what I do at home with my family and that type of thing (stays private).”

So how will the Claymates react to this news? While many remained either in denial or continued to steadfastly defend talk that Clay is gay, others began to see this as a distinct possibility when Clay announced the impending birth of his son via in vitro fertilization with his “best friend,” 50-year-old record producer Jaymes Foster. Sure, there are straight men who choose to go this route to have a baby, but it certainly didn’t jive with some of the fans’ expectations that Clay would meet a nice girl, get married, and have babies. Still, there were some who either couldn’t or wouldn’t see this for what it appeared to be and fabricated fairy tales about he and Jaymes being deeply in love and having a child together.

The People cover should put an end to that!

The Clay community appears to be more supportive of his announcement than not. Certainly, there will be some fallout – especially from those who for religious reasons will not accept homosexuality. But a quick scan of the message boards Tuesday night revealed that a lot of the fans who populate these boards were not all that surprised and offered their support for his decision. The biggest controversy seems to be not that he came out, but the way he did it. And yes, while a cover story with the first photo of his baby might have been a bit much, it certainly was effective in getting his message across.

And what is that message? Clay Aiken is still the same guy, with the same voice, and he can finally relax. He no longer has to worry about how the fans will react, if indeed he even cares, and can raise his son, continue his career, and be himself. It’s interesting that in the cover photo, he’s returned to the choppy, auburn hairstyle he sported early on. He looks like Clay again! Strange as it may seem, he may even gain new fans – who knows!

I have always respected Clay Aiken for the way he’s used his celebrity for the greater good. I haven’t always been wowed by his selection of music, but have enjoyed seeing him in concert. I really like his last album, On My Way Here, and see it as a kind of a preface to this announcement. There are some very revealing lyrics in several of those songs – “Lover All Alone” for one – that’s for sure.

I’ve never really given much thought to Clay Aiken’s sexual orientation. If pressed, I would say I thought he was gay, but that it really wasn’t any of my business. I don’t really care! But when I saw the stories online Tuesday night, I was really happy for him. I know the burden of carrying secrets and recognize how liberating this has to be for Clay. In the end, we all have to be true to ourselves, and in coming out publically, Clay has done that for himself, his son, and even his fans. And you know what, there’s nothing wrong with that!

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out these other recent articles on Foxes On Idol:

Donna Reynolds is a freelance writer based in Syracuse, New York. While entertainment sustains her emotionally, she earns her daily bread by writing and editing web copy. Check out her new website at www.idolthoughts.net. Donna loves mail, so shoot her an email at foxydonna@earthlink.net.

David Bloomberg is the Editor of Foxes On Idol, and can be reached at RNO@pobox.com.

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