Adam Lambert is a great singer and performer. He also happens to be gay. The media keeps referring to Adam as, openly gay singer, Adam Lambert. I can almost see him cringe when it's mentioned again and again, and I'm not sure I've ever seen an interview where his sexuality wasn't mentioned. Interesting how other celebrities aren't described by their sexuality first and what they do second.
Actually, the odds are stacked against his success because he is gay and I suspect that had a little bit to do with the fact that Adam was not a recording artist before he appeared on Idol. He had what it takes, truly great talent and amazing presence and charisma along with being drop-dead gorgeous. The fact is, gay men do not receive the same opportunities as straight men in U.S. society, and Hollywood especially seems to encourage the closet. There are a lot of hypocrites in Hollywood if you consider how many men who happen to be gay run things.
Change is in the air though and Adam's a big part of it whether he wants to be or not. He keeps stating that he isn't political and that he's a singer not an activist. I believe him but the thing is, he's changing things just by being himself and it's a joy to behold. Adam's the poster boy for all things gay, for admitting to and being proud of his feminine and masculine sides. We all have them but most people don't want to think about it, particularly straight men.
The AMA mess was, I'm afraid, something necessary to go through. I never dreamed that the simple idea of a man kissing another man would be so, well, shocking to so many people. It's as if nothing had changed in the last fifty years, as if a gay man was the devil himself. And think of the children. Funny, I think the children are a lot better than most so-called adults at figuring out what's important. I think there's way more parents screwing up their children than Adam Lambert ever could. Too many parents are either too tired or aren't around enough to have a clue what their children are thinking or are exposed to.
I loved Adam even more for being unapologetic for his performance, for being a proud man who did nothing wrong. The double standard is glaring and ridiculous, and, well, I guess people really need to get used to seeing more of men interacting together and I don't mean playing football. It's about time. I also love Tommy for having no problem going along with it and for being unashamed. It shows that a few straight men get it.
There's a lot more involved in this issue but the point for this essay is that Adam has already changed the way many people look at and think of gay men. I'm talking about people who simply have never known anyone gay and who've never ever thought about the subject of gay civil rights. Hearts and minds are not won easily but Adam's already changed a lot of minds. He's shaken people up, awakened people, showed them that it doesn't matter what your sexual orientation is. All that matters is if you're talented. It's even better with Adam, because he's truly nice too.
I'll be accused of being insane, whatever, but I don't care, because I think that Adam is a very old soul, more enlightened than most people. He's been evolving for a long time and this time around he's the guy that can actually change the world. Adam knows what's important and that could be a lesson to all of us. Peace, love, harmony, acceptance irregardless of one's status, station in life, talents, gender, age, or orientation is what matters as is treating other people well. Adam gets it and from what I can see he's enjoying his journey immensely and that makes me happy.
