I guess this is sort of going directly against his statement in the following interview (UPDATE: had to find a new clip... for some reason the last one is no longer available on youtube. Relevant portion begins at about 4:30):Interestingly, Part II of this interview explains a LOT about Clay's identity confusion. Classic Daddy issues. Poor baby. It may explain a lot, but it doesn't excuse anything.
I heard about this last night, but couldn't believe it until People released the article officially this morning. This news is especially baffling considering his outright denial of homosexual tendencies in a 2003 Rolling Stone article, as well as a chastisement of Diane Sawyer for even asking him a couple years ago. I guess it wouldn't be so disheartening if he hadn't outrightly lied about it numerous times in the past already. The most troublesome thing is the dishonesty. I guess everyone lies now and then, but what is especially problematic to me is the fact that he lied specifically about this, and also that honesty is his reason quoted on the cover of the magazine for coming out at all. For those who don't know, the baby, Parker Foster Aiken, is the product of IVF with "friend" Jaymes Foster, a woman who is almost twice Clay's age (reportedly they are raising the child together). Stupid Clay even said something about the baby's future sexuality (saying, it's "already probably up inside the code there") and then goes on to state his own definition of family. Clay, is it really you??
I mean, I militantly defended this guy. Even as recently as one week ago! This was a man I thought would be in the spotlight and still be able to fight the stereotypes, like he said to Diane Sawyer. Looks like he caved like the most of them. I still think he's talented, but interestingly, my interest in his music was starting to fade anyway. Another example of why depending on famous people will often just leave you disappointed. Time to eat some words, I s'pose. Also, I guess he has a two-part interview scheduled, again, with Diane Sawyer for this week. Looks like he has some words to eat too.
The craziest part about this whole thing is that for years Clay has denied this, and practically nobody believed him. Then with one word he comes out and everyone believes it without batting an eye. So for years, everyone has considered him a liar regarding his sexuality, and then he says one thing (that conveniently goes along with the tabloids and society's rubbish rumors) and everyone believes it? Why should we? He's apparently always lied about it! What's different about this time? Oh yeah, because it's cool to be gay, and uncool to not.
Sorry, Clay, but for the last several years, you have lied and hid things, and this outing doesn't make you any more honest. Hopefully your disintegritous legacy won't follow you as you raise your boy.
Others who have recently jumped on the bandwagon, new to my knowledge: Neil Patrick Harris and Lindsay Lohan. Good heav.
IDIOT! I think the famousness ruined him. So sad for people.
ReplyDeleteum...I'm shocked.
ReplyDeletea REAL disappointment
ReplyDeleteDisgustingly disappointing.
ReplyDeleteThat poor poor child. And to think that Gay Aiken believes that the child's sexuality is already pre-programmed just goes to show that he is going to raise that boy as a homosexual. He has no chance to be raised in a heterosexual environment with heterosexual influences, but he's entirely at the mercy of Gay and how much he indoctrinates him from the get-go. Good grief. In my opinion, a living breathing epitome of what the Bible talks about in 2 Timothy 3:
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves...(here's the important part) without natural affection...led away with divers lusts."
Without natural affection is right. Born through science rather than love, to a man and a woman unmarried, to be raised to become a homosexual. Without natural affection.
I've been trying to think of a comment for a while now--something that hasn't already been said or seems obvious, I mean.
ReplyDeleteI still can't think of anything insightful. All I can think of is how weird Clay Aiken looks on that magazine cover.
And to think I as well defended him so... Sigh. Stupid, stupid world today. I bet if he hadn't been on AI he wouldn't have even questioned it. I blame us. I blame the media. I blame everyone.
ReplyDeleteYeah, in that picture he does look pretty...oh, what's the word...oh, right. He looks gay.
ReplyDeletebig surprise... like we didn't already know he was. And it's not DISGUSTINGLY DISAPPOINTING.... some people struggle with this and decide to live it out... and really... if you're not LDS why NOT live how you feel you are. It's that kind of intolerance that makes the gay/lesbian community hate our church... quit being intolerant.
ReplyDeletebut honestly... who the hell is he knocking up? messed up.
ReplyDeleteWhoa Lindsay... Hold up with the automatic labels. (If I hear the word 'intolerant' one more time...)
ReplyDeleteIt IS disappointing, for many reasons. Mostly because Clay has always affirmed that he is not gay, and as such has always stood as an example for guys who aren't overtly macho and traditionally masculine, but fight the stereotype and are still straight. Just because he was effeminate in some ways doesn't mean he was gay. Now he says it was always a lie. For all we know, he's lying NOW. And unfortunately, by saying "like we didn't already know he was", you are giving into and fueling the stereotype even further. Watch the interview posted. You'll see what I mean. And besides, the GLBT would hate our Church regardless, due, among other things, to the Proclamation on the Family, and if they hate us for standing for truth and righteousness, so be it!
And he's not knocking up anyone, the baby was conceived via in vitro fertilization with a 50-year-old friend of his. The method of in vitro CAN be an act of love, but when it's done just because two physically healthy parties want to have a baby without having to do the deed, it's as Chiv Keeb said, born out of science, not love.
It is not intolerant to hold standards against wrong behavior, or to speak out against it. It IS intolerant to disallow someone else to do so.
Lame. I don't even want to talk about it.
ReplyDeleteI know I'm way late in commenting here (thought I had you on my reader but apparently I didn't).
ReplyDeleteI believe him. There is no reason in the world TO believe him (I agree with you there), but I still believe him, and it's NOT because he's effeminate, not because of a stereotype. I, too, have defended him for a long time. But deep down I always wondered. It was just something else about him. Maybe the daddy issues you speak of are just confusing me. Anyway, I don't want to over-analyze things, but I guess to me it makes sense that if he were gay this entire time, that he would try to hide it, especially if he didn't believe it was okay to be gay. Especially if he felt he could change himself.
I know someone who is gay who grew up in a mormon household and his entire life he said he was not gay. He went on a mission. He got married in the temple. He never acted on his gayness, he just kept fighting on it because he knew in his heart it was wrong. He kept praying to be "cured" of his horrible feelings. A lot of time passed, he was never cured and now he is married to a man and has (clearly) left the church to "be who he's supposed to be".
So, if Clay is really gay now, I don't consider his years of covering it up lying.
I don't generally swear. But today I said "hell" because this jerk cut me off in traffic. If someone were to ask me yesterday if I use bad language, I would have said NO. Lie?
You bring up some good points, Kenna. Here are some thoughts in response.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, why would he try to hide it, in this day and age when "coming out" is celebrated and glamorized? I mean, he made the cover of People and is being lauded and praised ad infinitum! It doesn't make sense that he was "embarrassed" to come out all this time, except maybe for the sake of his mom or something.
It sounds to me that your friend was going about overcoming homosexuality the wrong way. You can't just pray that you'll be "cured", it takes a lot more than that. Like anything, it requires effort. God doesn't just want us to pray about something, he wants us to act about it too, and that's when the real change comes. Of course, maybe there's a lot more to the story that I don't know.
Clay stated outrightly and uncategorically that he was NOT gay. At the same time, he was coming out to family and close friends. That is called a lie. If he said nothing, it would be different, but he blatantly said the opposite of what he believed to interviewers, and thereby the general public. Saying you don't generally swear and then letting one slip out of frustration is entirely different from lying about your entire worldview and identity.
Good comments everyone! I still feel like the world is off-kilter.
Isn't it strange how an effeminate man can repeat over and over again for years that he's straight and the public simply refuses to believe him?
ReplyDeleteBut let some formerly ultra-butch guy hold a press conference and tell the world he's gay, and nobody even thinks to doubt him or call him on it.
We live in a weird world.
Okay, Drew, makes sense. I didn't realize at the SAME time he was lying to the world he was coming out to his family.
ReplyDelete