We were really excited and proud to hear that Adam Lambert was included in this year’s “Out 100” list in Out Magazine. We thought it was a well-deserved honor to cap off his incredible year.
That is until we got our hands on the editor’s note from the issue. Imagine our shock to learn that Adam’s management and record label insisted on de-gaying Lambert…..AT A GAY MAGAZINE!
Insanity!
Our sources tell us that while Adam was being interviewed, his record reps insisted on limiting his questions as to not make him seem “too gay” or “gay-gay.” His interviewer was told NOT to ask him about the march on Washington or anything in that vein.
This sparked some understandable fury with Editor-In-Chief Aaron Hicklin, so he wrote the following open letter to Glambert explaining his position:
Dear Adam,
I like you, I really do. Although I’d never watched American Idol, I became a fan this year thanks to your unapologetic flamboyance and sexual swagger. It was refreshing to see someone playing by his own rules among so many cookie-cutters. And although you narrowly lost to Kris Allen, you were the real winner for those of us who saw your success as a test of America’s growing tolerance. That’s why we’re proud to have you in this year’s Out 100, along with all the other men and women who don’t believe their sexuality should be a barrier to success. It’s unfortunate, therefore, that your record label and management don’t share the same view.
We├óΓé¼Γäóre curious whether you know that we made cover offers for you before American Idol was even halfway through its run. Apparently, Out was too gay, even for you. There was the issue of what it would do to your record sales, we were told. Imagine! A gay musician on the cover of a gay magazine. What might the parents think! It├óΓé¼Γäós only because this cover is a group shot that includes a straight woman that your team would allow you to be photographed at all — albeit with the caveat that we must avoid making you look ├óΓé¼┼ôtoo gay.├óΓé¼┬¥ (Is that a medical term? Just curious). Luckily, you seemed unaware that a similar caution was issued to our interviewer.
Perhaps we should have had you and Cyndi in a tongue lock. That would be radical. It├óΓé¼Γäós odd, because this magazine has done covers with Pete Wentz and Lady Gaga — getting straight men and women to do Out is easy these days. It gives them cred. Getting gay stars like yourself is another matter. Much easier to stick you in Details, where your homosexuality can be neutralized by having you awkwardly grabbing a woman├óΓé¼Γäós breast and saying, ├óΓé¼┼ôWomen are pretty.├óΓé¼┬¥ So are kittens, Adam, but it doesn├óΓé¼Γäót mean you have to make out with them. Imagine how much more radical it would have been to go down on a guy instead of that six-foot Barbie. We don├óΓé¼Γäót think you would have a problem with that — why should you? — but your record label would, and letting them dictate the terms is the very opposite of rock ├óΓé¼Γäón├óΓé¼Γäó roll. And did you read the article? You would think your entire fan base was made up of women and heterosexual men, or ├óΓé¼┼ôstraight dudes├óΓé¼┬¥ as the writer describes them, just so we can all be clear. No mention of your gay fans, which is kind of disappointing, don├óΓé¼Γäót you think, given what your success represents?
We don├óΓé¼Γäót want to sound ungrateful — you agreed to do our cover, and your interview is gracious and frank — but if the Out 100 has a purpose it├óΓé¼Γäós to challenge the kind of apartheid that lays down one rule for gay mags and one for all others. We think you probably feel the same way — you even say as much — so we don├óΓé¼Γäót mean to diminish your achievements this year. That├óΓé¼Γäós why you├óΓé¼Γäóre in this issue. You├óΓé¼Γäóre a pioneer, an out gay pop idol at the start of his career. Someone has to be first, and we├óΓé¼Γäóre all counting on you not to mess this up. You have to find your own path and then others can follow. We just hope it├óΓé¼Γäós a path that├óΓé¼Γäós honest and true and that you choose to surround yourself with people who celebrate your individuality. The irony is that right now it would be easier to get Kris Allen to do a solo cover shoot for us. But only because he├óΓé¼Γäós straight.
Aaron Hicklin, Editor in Chief
Wow.
We can’t wait to find out how Adam plans on handling this situation!
What do U guys think?