ADAM LAMBERT: GAY MEN NOT SUPPORTIVE
In a new interview, Adam Lambert (30) has talked about his difficulty in building a gay male fan base because, he believes, gay men don’t celebrate their own.
The singer, one of the few openly gay male pop stars in the world, is about to launch his second album Trespassing in May. However, he does not believe he has the broad backing of gay men.
Speaking to Instinct magazine, the star said: “As a community, we’re a little bit resistant to a gay male pop star ourselves.”
It’s very easy for people to look at my origin, which is American Idol, and automatically assume that I’m a commercial sell-out or a puppet or a flash in the pan. I don’t think I’m any of those things.”
He added: “There’s something weird there. We’re very eager to celebrate a strong female. But to celebrate a fellow gay man—it gets catty sometimes.”
Lambert became an international star when he finished as the runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol in 2009.
He came out as gay soon after, released a successful debut album and was nominated for a 2010 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for the track Whataya Want from Me.
On Thursday, Lambert performed a number of tracks on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Watch him sing his new single Never Close Our Eyes below.
Don’t know what Adam is on about… We all loved n supported Robbie Williams for years inspite him still living n denial. Adam u r rite we gays have to do more n Celebrating our own. I personally think ur a frikn wierdo (I mean that in a good way) n ur not my type of wierdo. Ur image is also puts me off dude, that emo Ellen DeGeneres look doesn’t do it for me at all. Speaking Strictly on the Gay side, Ur target market seems to be for screaming drama queens n I am (along with millions of other guys)the total opposite of that. U simply don’t represent the type of gay I am U reek of the tired stereotype A lot of us have grown to hate. We’re not all flamboyuant dude n that’s ur problem there ur marketing isnt really inclusive of all of us. For once I would like a male gay vocal to be representative of the type of gay guy I am. Lets find a gay pop star as big n hot as Brock Lesner from WWE n we’ll see how supportive the gay community can be*wink* *smiley*
well i love adam and i support him all the way. there is a very fine line though between all the hate speech that the gay community has suffered over time, which in effect has filtered through to the gay community. because i myself feel i dont just want to be identified by my sexuality and that i am more than just being a gay cliche, but i also love all things gay, which people call stereotypical gay, but that is just another side to me. if people can just stop trying to put us in box and lable us as gay, then maybe we could also stop doing that to ourselves, because even the gay community puts labels on its own kind. and that is the human condition unfortunately. a prime example is the fact that gay men are seen only to be interested in having sex all the time, but i want a committed relationship with a man. just because im gay does not make me a whore that wants jump into bed the whole time, i also want to find someone i can build a life, that wont run out on me at the sight of the first hottie walking past him on the street. and wanting this also does not make me straight, because being gay does immediately make me a slut, i have the right to fall in love and to be loved. just saying…
Well said Leon. I agree 100 %
Totaly Agree with R I support who you are and your choise Adam,BUT your Stage immage is to flamboyuant for me
I disagree and think that Adam is not flamboyant enough. Clearly he is making you uncomfortable and causing the LGBT community (and I suspect more than a few straight haters on here) to discuss why we spend our time tearing each other down instead of being supportive and building each other up.
R makes an interesting point despite the attrocious spelling – but essentially, this “Straight acting” only plays into our own homophobic fears. Yes, gays are homophobic – through years of social conditioning and our own internalised fears. So what we say to ourselves is, “Let’s not draw attention. Let’s conform to social norms. Let’s keep our kinks private.”
On the other hand, perhaps Adam is more 80s. If it hadn’t been for the Out boys – Boy George, Holly Johnson, Andy Bell and the others – the many barriers of those days wouldn’t have been broken down. Stonewall was a watershed, but it was the music that crossed into the straight community and infiltrated that with some of our values.
The thing is, these days, the gay community is perhaps too shy and retiring. Of course, younger guys like R don’t remember the regular police raids, the arrests, the skulking around Zoo Lake, the gay bashings. Yet I think we should all still remember that our Constitutional liberties are very young; that we have a place in the world; that we still need to make our presence felt, perhaps by being a little more visible than other minority groups.
Great points Kinky!
yes we do not support you because you represent a small part of the gay community, the flamboyant queen, and because you are such a public figure most people assume that is what a gay man is all about. Sorry, i am a strong, masculine gay MAN
yes we do not support you because you represent a small part of the gay community, the flamboyant queen, and because you are such a public figure most people assume that is what a gay man is all about. Sorry, i am a strong, masculine gay MAN
Again nonsense. Can you not hear how stupid you sound. I don’t like you because you are not exactly like me. Look around, nobody is like you. If you wait to support somebody because they are like you be prepared to die alone. If you support female singers and musicians do you then have breasts and a vagina?
I love you Adam. All of us gay men are not afraid to be supportive towards you and other openly gay stars. We are not all alike and I know for sure it is very difficult to be famous and out there and still be yourself. What macho (in appearance) gay men dont realise is that they are the real faint hearted loosers who is so afraid to get spotted if you know what i mean…………..
First of all Kinky Gerlinky Im not worried about grammer when Im half asleep @ midnight*smiley* Im not berating Adam for being flamboyant nor did I not say I didn’t support him, I do. I simply stated he’s not my type. When I see him I don’t feel represents ME as a gay man. The one thing I hate about fem guys is when us masc guys try n address this specific issue we get accused of being internalised homophobes. Is it so wrong to want a famous gay guy to represent the masculine gay man I am? As Kinky Gerlinky pointed out fem guys have had a ton or representation over the years why not us? N to gdv’s comment I seriously resent that. Have u forgotten what it was like being in the closet or were u too obvious to be in one to know that its not like breaking down a damn door? When I do come out the whole fuckin world is gonna know about it… It’ll be shouted in the streets and when its all said and done I am still going to be a masculine gay man!!! I know what Im about to type may offend somone but it has to be said… Being n the closet when ur a Fem vs. Being in the closet when ur a Masc guy r two totally diffrent dynamics but with the same crappy process. A fem guy’s closet is like a glass house… everyone can see through it and those who don’t like what they see will hurl stones @ it trying to break it. 2 things can happen, u either let people break ur glass house let it collapes on u, cutting u up n eventually let it be the death of you(suicde) or u break ur own glass house n be stronger for it (never n easy process). A masc guy’s closet is more internalised, like being stuck n a dark room or burying urself alive. After seeing how fem guys r treated We spend our first years learning how to run towards the dark. Some of us get so good at it we drown in it. From here every indivdual has thier own demons to face before they can come out. Fem guys will never know what it’s like on the otherside of the coin. Just the same I can never fully comprehend ur side of the coin. Im not going to say our road is harder than fem guys, like I said before same crappy process. We masc guys have a bigger war with ourselves n that can be worse than dealing with other people. Adam fails to remember that most LBGTI on this planet r in the closet so support won’t be so visible. Those who are out of the closet, instead of persecuting those who are still in the closet how about some support n encouragement
The fact that you think you are masculine to me suggests you have issues surrounding masculinity. Can we please evolve to a point where you don’t compare yourself to other men and aren’t worried about the manerisms of other men. Adam Lambert is an AMAZING singer. I love to hear him sing. I support him because he is an out and proud member of the LGBT community and all the rest is nonsense.
Adam Lambert is an AMAZING singer. You have to check him out live if you get the chance. I have been fortunate enought to hear him sing 3 times and LOVED every minute of it. I wish him all the best and I hope that he is super succesful and can avoid back biting that is demonstrated in the conversations below.
R get over yourself. You’ve got it all wrong. Adam Lambert is not here to represent you, but himself. If heterosexual people can accept him for who he is creatively, then wtf is wrong with you. He represents, a beautiful, artistic performer and should be celebrated for his talents. Get a life R, there’s more to life than trying to immitate a macho, monkey acting heterosexual. Find your own identity.
R, your post suggests you have issues about being a gay man. Why should gay men try to or have to try to appear straight? How does that further any sort of cause?
While there are gay men with the attitude and mentality of R in this world, what chance do those of us who are proud have or what chance of closed-minded straight people thinking any differently to what they do? Any gay man who prefers to look straight to the outside world in their everyday life, shame on you.
We are made men! I act manly and normal as I feel that is ME! Not my problem society pushes you out because you’re flapping all over the place.
He is 100% correct of course.
Adam Lambert that is!
agree!
I must say there are a lot of statements here that reflect the diversity of the gay community. I do take offence at some of the comment like saying that macho gay guys are imitating straight guys. Why do assume gay guys cannot just be macho? I always say I am not straight acting but that straight guys act like me. I , however, tend to agree with R on one level. I dont ” get” an Adam Lambert type of guy. Why is he not skydinving, fishing , watching and playing rugby. That is what I like to do. I am not trying to copy any one but genuinely enjoy it. My husband, however, loves cooking, art, theatre etc. The point is that we are all different and it is time we repected those differences even if we dont get it. I dont “get” drag queens and fem guys BUT It is my responsibility to respect them. It is the drag queens who took on Stonewall and I respect them for being that brave. I am biot sure I would have been that brave. Bottome line is I think that to support an artist because he is gay is plain stupid. I support an artist if I enjoy his music- full stop. Why does Mr Lambert think that he deserves the gay communities support because he is gay. It is like the gay games – what a crock – if you cannot complete and beat straight guys on the sportsfield then you are just not good enough. I, personally would have been embarrassed if I had competed as a gay player – sport should never be based on sexuality but on talent
Wayne u nailed it. From What I gathered from the responses from my own comments a lot of u missed my point. We have a more diverse spectrum than straight people do n I simply felt Adam represents a part of that spectrum but not all of it. Does it not make sense to have more men and women of various spectrums of gay to be publicly present to help those millions of LGBTI still struggling with who they r? It has already started, look at ppl like Gareth Thomas, Adam himself, Scott Evans, Lady Gaga, George Micheals or Anderson Cooper (when he comes out lol). How fundementally diffrent r these people? The only commonalities they share r that they’re famous n they’re not straight. I didnt bring up these differences to pull us apart but to show how much we have evolved as a people.
Thanks R . I like nailing it ( with hubby only of course)
Adam is a talented person and made great success with his hit songs, but I personally not going to support someone just because he/she is gay. When I buy music its based on my taste and that persons talent. If I like something and it appeals to me then I buy it. The music business is quiet volatile, today you everyones hero and when the novelty wears off then its history.
7 Billion and counting people on earth and not one of them are the same. They might have the same tendencies but if you take it down to base level, every single person Gay, Straight, Lesbian, Transgender, Transvestite, White, Black, Hispanic whatever, has something about him/her that is different from every single other person, Gay, Straight, Lesbian, Transgender, Transvestite, White, Black, Hispanic whatever so why, why, why all the animosity towards each other as people if our differences are so intrinsic? Why not as a community realize we will never be the same and then actively celebrate that diversity and then maybe the majority of hating folk will start having the same celebratory feelings towards those who allow, because we lead by example of how the world should love us? As individuals who have a few things in common. As a community of people who are so different and diverse that we cannot be put in a box and labelled. How can we expect others to love us if we don’t even love every part of ourselves? As for Adam. I think he is cool – I’ll buy his music, because in my opinion he can belt it. Whether he wears eyeliner and spiky hair while he does it or performs in a pink tutu, it doesn’t really matter, because there is room for it all. You don’t have to like it and you don’t have to look at it, but respect it you must, seeing as he is a human being who deserves respect just like you deserve respect along with everybody else on the planet. Even the haters. You cannot expect respect from others if you don’t give it in the first place, so smile and the world will smile with you…. Peace
Well said!
Being gay has nothing to do with why I don’t support Lambert. I don’t support him because I don’t like his music, or his voice.