when gay celebrities attack, tonight at 11!

[rm]

So Lindsay Lohan is dating a woman and Clay Aiken acknowledges he's gay and most people just seem to be making snarky comments about how obvious all that was before the announcements. And how boring.

And I wish I could agree. Because while neither are celebrities I care about and both pieces of news are things I find unremarkable, it matters tremendously that in the face of long-term and very loud speculation (especially in Aiken's case) the people involved felt they couldn't or shouldn't say anything.

That sucks. It sucks whether it's self-hatred or career preservation, advice from friends or concern over issues of family. And so while no one is surprised that Aiken's gay, it does matter a lot that he's come out. Just as it matters a lot that Lohan has acknowledged her relationship.

Because these are desperately normal celebrities that desperately normal people, who might be the sorts of people who believe they don't even know any gay people, adore. And I don't care who you are or how much the world's been talking about it -- coming out is always scary, especially if you have to do it in People or on CNN.

So dial down the snark a bit, folks. You may not like their creative work or think much of their public personas, but they're doing the work of living life under circumstances more fucked up than any of us can imagine. I was older than both of them when I came out to my parents. So aside from being richer and thinner, today I've got to acknowledge, obvious or no, a couple of celebs being just a bit braver than me too.

Give the kids a break for a day. They deserve it.

Comments

[tommx.livejournal.com]

Actually, I'm hoping that Lindsey being out will mean that she'll be less self destructive in the future and go back to doing some quality work. I think she's very talented, and that has been overshadowed by a lot of her personal issues.

And good for both of them really.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Agreed.

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

There's an interview with Lohan in this month's Marie Claire where the interviewer concludes with that exact opinion. But, in reading the interview, you get the feeling that although the gf has been a boon to Lohan, Lohan still has a lot of personal issues to overcome before she can be the actor she was meant to be.

[tommx.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you're right. Hopefully she is in a place of dealing with them rather than hiding from them in drugs and alcohol.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

I'm still unclear as to exactly who Lindsey Lohan is, which may be part of the point, I think.

[darthhellokitty.livejournal.com]

She started out as a young-teen actress in Disney films, had some highly publicized problems as she grew up, and went to rehab. She now seems to be doing OK, which I'm sure having a supportive GF has been a big help with.

She probably has an equivalent in Canada!

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

No, celebrities in Canada have to wear name tags.

[virginia-fell.livejournal.com]

There was tabloid speculation about Lohan a while ago (someone brings these horrible magazines to work and I read them when I have nothing else), and all I could think is, "I hope she found someone nice. She seems like she needs it."

Seems like she has, and that's always good. Lohan isn't doing the same kind of wacky self-destructive craziness I used to hear about, so whatever genitalia everybody's got in this relationship, it seems to be pretty cool.