PrintJune 10, 2009
Left-Wing Media Bashes Adam Lambert
Gay is a movement, not an orientation. And the American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert, has found himself the target of it. In case you haven't heard of Adam, you will soon. He is a flamboyant, 27 year-old gay rocker, who came in second in a stunning upset during this season's finale. Previously, he worked touring groups of Broadway and avant garde glam rock shows to pay his rent, while struggling to make it in the record industry. Now, many in the music business agree that he is destined to become a pop-rock star. By contrast, the Idol winner was a sweet but bland 23 year-old boy-next-door type who is Christian, married and from Arkansas.
Perez Hilton and other gay activists speculated that Adam's loss was due partly to the likelihood that some religious Christians refused to vote for Adam based on his sexual orientation. Hilton claimed that the Christian right "robbed" his community of a gay Idol winner. Less talked about is the fact that as soon as the finale ended, from the moment Adam walked off stage, leftwing media outlets and liberal bloggers began chastising Adam for not "coming out" of the closet.
Adam's sexuality is only a mystery to liberals. Almost all of the articles and blogs that have criticized Adam for his "silence" regarding his orientation, also acknowledged having seen explicit photos of him floating around the internet. The photos show Adam making out with other men and also dressed in drag. But for liberals, it's all about words versus actions.
Apparently you're not gay unless you mouth the words "I'm gay". To date, Adam hasn't done this. Thus, the liberal media remain confused.
Apparently you're not gay unless you mouth the words "I'm gay". To date, Adam hasn't done this. Thus, the liberal media remain confused.
For example, Entertainment Weekly's Mark Harris dedicated a four-page article to criticizing Adam for not talking about his sexual orientation. Harris believes that this is a calculated strategy whereby Adam is "playing out the big issue -- the gay question -- with a complicated mixture of caution and shrewdness." Harris claimed that Adam's "non-answer" demonstrates that neither Idol nor society has progressed as far as they'd like to think. Ignoring the fact that nobody has actually asked Adam what his orientation is directly, Mr. Harris explained that real progress is when nobody asks this question. Ironically, he then concluded by stating that because Adam is the most exciting star that Idol has produced in years, he can't wait to hear Adam's answers regarding his orientation.
In a subsequent piece in Entertainment Weekly's Popwatch titled, "Adam Lambert, Role Model? Really?", Adam Markovitz accused Adam of "hiding" his orientation. Alternatively, he insisted that if Adam is straight, he has still insulted everyone by remaining "coy" on the issue. Adam has stated that he'd like to be a role model in order to convey to kids and young adults that it's cool to just be yourself. Taking issue with this, Markovitz has likened Adam's handling of his sexuality to the way politicians behave in crisis-management mode, rendering him ineligible to be a role model. According to Markovitz, in order to have the "right" to be considered a role model, Adam must expressly state his orientation one way or the other.
Even NBC.com seemed compelled to use a double entendre in its piece titled, "Adam Lambert is not a Queen Member." It stated that Adam "hasn't confirmed any Queen speculation, orientation or otherwise" (referring to rumors that the rock group "Queen" has asked Adam to replace their lead singer who recently quit). And, even after reporting that Adam has confirmed his identity in the internet photos, ABCnews.go.com denounced Adam for "ducking" questions about his orientation for the entire Idol season. Never mind that this was a singing contest and no such opportunity presented itself.
Others have also castigated Adam for failing to state the obvious. LA Times blogger Elizabeth Shead believes that if Adam really felt comfortable with who he is, he would vocalize the words, "I'm gay." And Kate Authur from the LA Times' BusinessMirror.online wrote a piece titled, "Adam Lambert's Dance Around His Sexuality Frustrates the Blogosphere." She complained that despite Adam's confession of his identity in the sexually explicit photos, "without any declaration from Lambert himself [regarding his orientation], the mainstream media found itself confusedly trying to describe his sexuality....The blogosphere wants answers," she demanded.
Perez Hilton has referred to Adam as "publicly closeted" and argues that "we need visibility, not ambiguity." He explains his logic: Adam hasn't discussed his sexuality and his silence makes the issue a big deal. It's the old "he's making it a big deal by not making a big deal about it" argument.
There are several problems with criticism of Adam for his alleged silence on the "gay issue." First, it's hardly legitimate to accuse someone of failing to answer a question that was never asked. Second, Adam has emphasized that his focus is on the singing, and that the competition should be about music and nothing else. When confronted about the photos in an interview by Access Hollywood, Adam explained "I have nothing to hide. I am who I am. This is about the singing.....nothing else." Third, to argue that Adam is "avoiding" the gay issue is to presume that he has an obligation to talk about it. In Rolling Stone Magazine as well as in an interview with Idolatry's Michael Slezak, Adam has acknowledged that he feels pressured by the political and social projections that some are placing on him. He explained that he really doesn't want to represent a cause or lead a movement, he just wants to sing. The internet photos of Adam show a guy who is about as "out" as one can get. Since Adam has confirmed that the internet photos are really him, he is obviously not hiding in the closet. Thus, the media criticism of Adam is a reflection on those making the criticisms, and not a reflection on Adam.
Those on the left who have criticized religious Christians for making Adam's sexuality an issue are guilty of the same. If Christian is deemed to be an American Idol voting block, then gay is a political movement rather than a sexual orientation. Showing the true colors of at least some in the liberal media, Joseph Penn, writing for the San Diego News Network explained that it's important for Adam to come out so that LGBT kids have a role model "so long as he doesn't come out as a gay Republican [emphasis added] ."
Adam, who just won the "Artist of the Year" Award at the Young Hollywood Awards ceremony, will also be appearing on the next cover of Rolling Stone Magazine (on the stands June 10, 2009). To clarify the big mystery regarding Adam's sexuality, rumor has it that he will make an announcement "officially" coming out. Whether or not it's true remains to be seen. Hopefully, Adam is cognizant of the broader forces that are trying to use him for their own political purposes. So far, Adam has unwittingly refused to become part of any political agenda. Instead, he has focused on his music and it shows.
