Andrew Belonsky: Why Clay Aiken's Coming Out Matters

Clay Aiken 's coming out really doesn't come as much of a surprise. We've all known for many years that the crooner goes for the guys. Nor is Aiken's lavender revelation the most revolutionary. Scores of celebs have come out before him - Ellen DeGeneres, George Michael, Lance Bass and Martina Navratilova, a tennis player who came out far before it was fashionable - or advisable. None of these outings were that surprising, but they have all slowly changed gay acceptance of Hollywood and, in fact, the world. Aiken's outing differs, however, in two notable, intrinsically entwined ways. And the aftershocks could help change the state of gay play. First, as a Southern Baptist, Aiken's long been a friend of the Jesus lovers. The singer even performed a few Christian tracks while on tour, and recorded a Christmas album. He wasn't proselytizing, but his right-of-center background helped build Aiken's fan base in middle America. In 2004 and 2005, at the height of his post- American Idol fame,  ... (link)