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rmSo 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.
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.
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no subject
Date: 2008-09-24 03:45 pm (UTC)One of my friends put it best.....When a girl meets someone for the first time and is straight it's not like she walks up and says HI I like to sleep with MEN! So why on earth would it be natural for me to walk up and announce my sexual orientation?
But I live with my girlfriend, we kiss and hold hands in front of our friends, if they get it, great, if not? Dude, I'm just really...umm...friendly with her. *grin*
I'll admit, I back ended around my mother....gave her the tour of my house, she asked which room I slept in, I said we could talk about that later (I didn't have a CLUE how she'd cope being quite the back waters redneck), a week later she called and said "So, that thing you said we'd talk about later...." I flubbered a lot and she said "You are sleeping with L, SO??? Was there anything Important you needed me to know?" I was quite floored and we've been a merry family ever since.
I'm glad to know I come from good people even if I didn't trust her at first to be.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-24 06:01 pm (UTC)