Lambert’s Label: Don’t Be Too Gay
The gay-friendly publication Out magazine nominated their top 100 people of the year. Topping that list was American Idol runner up Adam Lambert, who appeared on the cover along with comedian Wanda Sykes, musician Cyndi Lauper, director/choreographer Rob Marshall and West Point alum and Anti-Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Crusader Lt. Dan Choi.
That Lambert is gay is hardly a surprise to anyone. He wears make up and nail polish, is photographed making out with guys, and he came out in Rolling Stone for good measure.
Yet it appears that his record label would like to keep his sexual orientation on the low-low, at least according to Out‘s Editor-in-Chief, Aaron Hiklin. In Hiklin’s editor’s letter, he points out an interesting dichotomy: The American public’s tolerance of gays and lesbians has grown such that Lambert made it to second place in this very enormous, very national, very mainstream competition. And yet, his label has repeatedly refused to allow Lambert onto the cover of Out, only allowing it this time because it was a group shot, which also included a straight woman (Lauper). And, this is the best part, they insisted Out not make him look ‘too gay.’
I understand the label’s concerns. Whatever their own personal politics (which I don’t know), Lambert is their holy cash cow. They don’t want anything to impact the money he is putting in their pockets, and considering that signing him was a business decision, you can’t exactly blame them. Business is business.
But still: the cat isn’t exactly in the bag, guys. It’s out. It has told everyone who is listening it’s out. It’s wearing a big rainbow flag. It has done everything short of release a sex tape of it with Levi Johnston while wearing drag.
And maybe, just maybe, it’s okay.
