Is America Ready For a Gay 'Idol'?

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Is America Ready For a Gay 'Idol'?

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(April 13) - Though 'American Idol' hasn't commented either way, photos of a man who uncannily resembles contestant Adam Lambert kissing other men have made their way around the Internet, painting a suggestive picture of Lambert's sexuality. Is America ready to crown a most-likely-gay 'Idol?' Looks like it.

The New York Times wonders if even asking the question of whether a gay man can win a contest judged by American citizens is outdated in the current political climate. With recent decisions in Iowa and Vermont to legalize gay marriage - along with the Clay Aiken's anti-climactic move out of the closet after 6 years of speculation - is Adam Lambert's sexuality an issue at all?

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Adam Lambert Snapshots

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 10: ***EXCLUSIVE ACCESS*** Contestant Adam Lambert performs live at American Idol March 10, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The top 13 perform in front of the American Idol judges on Fox. (Photo by M Becker/American Idol 2009/Getty Images for Fox) *** Local Caption *** Adam Lambert

Getty Images

Adam Lambert attends the American Idol Top 12 Party at AREA on March 5, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. American Idol Top 12 Party AREA Los Angeles, CA United States March 5, 2009 Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage.com To license this image (16588624), contact WireImage.com

Steve Granitz/WireImage.com

Performers (L-R) Kris Allen, Jasmine Murray, Matt Giraud, Adam Lambert, Lil Rounds, Scott MacIntyre, Jorge Nunez, Alexis Grace, Anoop Desai, Allison Iraheta, Michael Sarver, Danny Gokey and Megan Corkrey pose at the party for the 12 finalists of the television show "American Idol" in Los Angeles March 5, 2009. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Performers Megan Corkrey (L) and Adam Lambert pose at the party for the 12 finalists of the television show "American Idol" in Los Angeles March 5, 2009. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Performer Adam Lambert poses at the party for the 12 finalists of the television show "American Idol" in Los Angeles March 5, 2009. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

"American Idol" finalist Adam Lambert arrives at the American Idol Top 13 Party in Los Angeles, Thursday, March 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

The 13 finalists of "American Idol" pose together at the American Idol Top 13 Party in Los Angeles, Thursday, March 5, 2009. Kneeling from left to right are Matt Giraud, Jorge Nunez and Michael Sarver. Standing from left to right are Kris Allen, Jasmine Murray, Adam Lambert, Lil Rounds, Alexis Grace, Anoop Desai, Allison Iraheta, Danny Gokey and Megan Corkrey. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

"American Idol" finalists, Danny Gokey, right, Megan Corkrey, bottom center, Allison Iraheta, bottom right, Adam Lambert, top left, and Scott MacIntyre pose together at the American Idol Top 13 Party in Los Angeles, Thursday, March 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Adam Lambert of Los Angeles, a finalist on "American Idol," arrives at the American Idol Top 13 Party in Los Angeles, Thursday, March 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Bill O'Reilly asked his Fox News show audience, "These pictures that hint that he is gay, will they have an effect on this program, which is a cultural phenomenon in America?"

David Ehrenstein, the writer of Fablog, says no. The NY Times quotes Ehrenstein, a Los Angeles film critic, who says,"The entire system is changing so rapidly it is not to be believed... I see us as living in the post-Neil Patrick Harris era." Ehrenstein recalls the actor's People magazine interview exposing his own homosexuality. "He crossed the Rubicon. He did the 'sudden death' play. Supposedly you come out and your career is over. He came out and his career is in better shape than it ever was."

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That's not to say that Lambert's sexuality is uninteresting to viewers. Joe Jervis, a gay activist blogger who runs the site Joe My God, recently recorded 50,000 hits from people searching the term "Is Adam Lambert Gay?"

Aaron Hicklin, the editor of Out magazine, points out that gender-ambiguous stars are nothing new, giving Prince, David Bowie and even Pete Wentz as examples. "The difference now is that previously the conversation about sexuality has not been as public. When Liberace was around, there was no real way to talk about this stuff," he says, referrring to the flamboyant pianist who repeatedly denied being gay, though by modern standards, his homosexuality would have seemed crystal clear.

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"The gay thing got derailed by the way many straight guys started playing with image," Hicklin adds. "Pete Wentz wears makeup and clearly is confident enough not to be threatened by any assumptions his fans or nonfans might come to."

The question of Lambert's sexuality may cause a spike in traffic for sites like Joe My God, but the answer might not have an effect on his success. Lambert is widely considered a sure bet for the top two in the competition - and, in fact, has never made it into 'American Idol's' dreaded bottom three. Suggestive photos or not, America is voting for Adam Lambert.

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