Is there anyone at all on Fluther, or on the face of the planet for that matter who was surprised that Clay Aiken came out?

Anyone….anyone at all? Is there a reason this is news? And perhaps someone can explain this to me…why do celebs stay in the closet when they’re not really typecast in such a way that it would really harm their careers to come out, especially when it’s patently obvious to everyone on the face of the planet anyway? I mean, I get that coming out is a very personal decision, but I would say that in the image conscious world of pop-stardom (unlike say being an auto mechanic in Jersey), it’s probably a plus to let your freak flag fly. The glamorous world of pop is custom tailored for individualtiy, and being open about one’s homosexuality doesn’t seem to have any real minuses there.

Maybe there were family issues…maybe he wasn’t concerned with what the public thought, but with what someone close to him thought…that’s all I can figure. It just seems like if everyone already knows, and you’re going to come out some day anyway, and you’re not afraid the Scientolgists are going to kick you out of their club (I’m talking to you Tom Cruise), why wait until people have been making gay jokes about you for a decade and THEN make a big announcement to the world? In fact, when I first say the story it wasn’t even “Clay Aiken comes out,” it was “Clay Aiken to come out.” It was as if he’d announced that he was ABOUT to announce he was gay. WTF? Hell, I remember Conan O’Brien making a joke shortly after Clay put out his first album…how many years ago was that…that he was working on his follow up “Aiken for Man”.

And hey, if you really were that adverse to people knowing…you’ve gotten away with it for years anyway, why even bother announcing it…just let people continue to assume that’s the case but don’t address it, what’s the problem?

I guess there’s one thing though that’s always bothered me about celebrities who don’t come out, I know it’s their choice and all, but let’s say I was gay. And let’s say I became famous. My thought would be that as difficult as it might be, what about the gay kid who idolizes me but who thinks there’s something wrong with him, and that being gay is bad? By coming out, I could be an inspiration to people like this, to show them that there’s nothing wrong with them, that it’s OK to be yourself. But if that same kid knows I’m gay, but I won’t cop to it, that’s going to reinforce the message to him that there’s something wrong with being gay, if there weren’t, I’d come out, right? I mean, here I am in a career where arguably it could HELP my career if I came out, and even I won’t admit I’m gay…what message does that send. I’d feel I was doing a disservice to a kindred spirit.

I know this issue is complex and all, but I just plain don’t get what’s up with this announcement. If it weren’t for that last aspect, I wouldn’t even care, it’s just that I feel like he’s a perfect example of what I see as a great self-serving hypocrisy. What do all of you think?