Most of my readers know that I do not use this blog as a pulpit, except to trumpet my own successes. However, today I have been inspired by the recent Adam Lambert fiasco to say something on the topic.
When I came out as a proud gay man, I did so after much introspection and self-discovery. I thought about what my sexuality meant to me and what it meant to the people that I care about. I also thought about what my sexuality meant to my faith. I am still devoutly Catholic and my biggest hurdle to my current life was reconciling those two ideas. It was through much prayer that I realized God doesn't make mistakes and I am not called to the single life. More or less, I had to take an "agree to disagree" stance with my faith, which was very hard. VERY hard.
What has proven to be much easier is my ability to exist in the world as a gay man. I am blessed to have lived my life free of people who hate me for who or what I am. Even my ex-girlfriends have been understanding of the subterfuge that I used with them. All-in-all it has been a charmed life for me as a gay man. Until Adam Lambert.
If you haven't seen his performance on the American Music Awards from this past weekend, I suggest you Google search the video, as they keep getting put up and taken down at the blink of an eye. Here's some highlights: man-on-man tongue locking, simulated oral sex, and Adam Lambert's middle finger displayed to prime time television. The issue? His subsequent performance of Good Morning America has been canceled by ABC.
Adam Lambert, along with numerous outspoken (and public) homosexuals, is screaming "HOMOPHOBIA" like it's going out of style. Homophobia is Matthew Shepard getting hung on a fence to die, just because he was gay. Homophobia is being burned alive because you are gay. Homophobia is not a canceled performance due to poor choices.
Homosexuality is not a choice. I do not choose to be gay, instead, I know that I am gay. Part of being gay is taking the responsibility of not being another 'homo who cries "hate"'. I am disgusted, as a gay man, and as an American, that ANYONE who have the audacity to say Adam Lambert's only fault, for which he is being punished, is his status as a gay man. Furthermore, I reject the argument that a woman in the same position would be allowed to perform on Good Morning America.
If Christina Aguilera were to lay on her back and cram a male (or female) dancers face into her crotch, she would also have a serious PR problem. On top of that, imagine if Britney Spears, without warning to the network, decided to give the camera the middle finger during prime time on a Sunday. I don't think anybody should think she would go without punishment. I do not (and cannot) deny that people hate Adam Lambert because he is homosexual. That is something he will deal with his entire life, and so will I. Hell, we still can't get married in most of the United States. That could be classified as anti-gay. I shudder to think that outspoken (and oft-heard) gay men and women (I'm looking at you Perez Hilton. Shut up, already) are rallying behind a performer and raising him as a gay activist, when it is his vulgarity that is being punished. Vulgarity and homosexuality should not be the same concept and to classify Adam Lambert's canceled performance as anti-gay or homophobic is to equate these mutually exclusive ideas. I'm gay, I'm vulgar, but dammit, I am not one because of the other.
I challenge Adam Lambert to make the remainder of his performances focus on the music (which was SORELY lacking in his performance on Sunday) for which he rose to stardom. I'm pretty sure that this would be more "For [My] Entertainment" than offensive bullshit and wielding his status as 'gay' as a shield against punishment for actions. Don't be another 'mo who cries "HATE!" anytime something doesn't go your way, Adam Lambert. Be a man, albeit a gay one, who stands for something and is able and willing to be a good example to the world, not another self-serving queen who abuses gay rights in lieu of fighting for them.
Shame on you.
