And God Created Adam

Yep. he's gay. American Idol runner-up (and real champion, for many) Adam Lambert did the "official" coming out, not in The Advocate, but in Rolling Stone.

Here's a Yahoo Music News article:

"I don't think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear that I'm gay," Adam correctly states, adding: "I'm proud of my sexuality. I embrace it." (As if there was ever ANYTHING about Adam Lambert's public persona that seemed shy or self-effacing!)

Yeah, yeah, I know--not so shocking. Not nearly as shocking as Lambert losing on Idol, really. It's not like Adam ever even slightly denied that he is homosexual. This is a guy who, on the most exciting Idol finale ever, not only performed in drag-queen-supplied Bob Mackie angel wings and platform Kiss boots from his "private collection," but also took on the Freddie Mercury role for the gay-rights Queen anthem "We Are The Champions," after all.

But Adam's sexuality was likely something he wasn't allowed to officially discuss before now (past gay Idol contestants like R.J. Helton, Jim Verrarros, and Danny Noriega have all publicly claimed that the show ordered them to keep mum regarding their sexual orientation--how very "don't ask, don't tell," huh?). Or frankly, his sexuality just wasn't something he felt was necessary to discuss within the context of the Idol competition.

As Adam says in his RS interview: "I was worried that [coming out] would be so sensationalized that it would overshadow what I was there to do, which was sing. I'm an entertainer, and who I am and what I do in my personal life is a separate thing."

Still, his doing so, and doing it in a classy gradual way, may do more for the visibility of LGBT Americans than a lot of gay activism. It's acknowledged, understood, and we can move on to the gossip columns following him in the same way they would any other instant celebrity, hopefully.

I'm still hoping Adam and Queen come to a deal where he can perform with them. Although no one can top Freddy Mercury (so to speak), and their recent replacement singer has left the band, and Lambert has his own record deal, still, he's one of few singers who can approach Mercury in vocal range and sheer fabulousness.