# And the Angels in Heaven Sang Who in the Hell Would Have Thought It? Clay Aiken's Gay **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 24, 2008, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946 "2008-09-24T05:36:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946/1 "2008-09-24T05:36:16Z")
Well, alright, a few people probably knew, like his manager and his confidantes and America and Europe, but it’s still shocking he made it official. With his tweener and church lady and middle-America base, it’ll be really interesting to see what effect this has on his album sales. If they plummet (even though it may have nothing to do with his sexuality) then it’ll probably be a long time before another very successful celeb comes out voluntarily. If his next CD is his biggest seller ever then it doesn’t then maybe Kevin Spacey and Anderson Cooper will finally break out the glow sticks in the “come on in, the water’s safe!” extravaganza. I’m really glad he did it. I’ve seen him on talk shows where it was obvious that he was just absolutely miserable and a total Nathan P. Thurn wreck over the issue; now it’s out and come what may he’s free. (And I’m sure there’s always a Best Western lounge in Raleigh that needs a Karaoke host if his career is destroyed.) > [@](#): > > [Clay is gay: Aiken comes out of the closet](http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h88VUqAk-dW1JWAbdV4iCWFsNDcQD93CP4G80) > > By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY – 4 hours ago > > NEW YORK (AP) — Clay Aiken is finally confirming what many people already knew: He’s gay. The cover of the latest People magazine shows Aiken holding his infant son, Parker Foster Aiken, with the headline: “Yes, I’m Gay.” The cover also has the quote: “I cannot raise a child to lie or hide things.” ---
**Author:** ![Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bites_when_provoked/32/18073_2.png) [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bites_When_Provoked)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946/2 "2008-09-24T09:46:38Z")
Hardly worth trying to hide, was it? 😕 I don’t think anyone - even the church ladies - is going to be surprised. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946/3 "2008-09-24T10:24:43Z")
In other news, Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946/4 "2008-09-24T11:01:09Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I’ve seen him on talk shows where it was obvious that he was just absolutely miserable and a total **Nathan P. Thurn** wreck over the issue; Clay’s gay? Yeah, we know. But Google & I are really in the dark about this Nathan fella. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946/5 "2008-09-24T11:36:38Z")
> [@singular1](#): > > Clay’s gay? Yeah, we know. > But Google & I are really in the dark about this Nathan fella. Nathan Thurm was a Martin Short character on SNL, a rather nervous lawyer. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946/6 "2008-09-24T12:14:01Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > Nathan Thurm was a Martin Short character on SNL, a rather nervous lawyer. Thank you! I just spent a delightful twenty minutes with Martin Short as a result of this answer!😉 ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946/7 "2008-09-24T12:19:11Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > Nathan Thurm was a Martin Short character on SNL, a rather nervous lawyer. The “60 Minutes” Skits? Mike Wallace: Have you read these documents? Nathan Thurm: OF COURSE, I’ve read these documents! What makes you think I haven’t read these documents? Have YOU read these documents? But I didn’t know the character’s name. The only thing that bugs me is his saying “I cannot raise a child to lie or hide things,” while his head is made-up or plastic-surgeried so as to look like a death-mask. Or does he have some sort of illness which is bloating up his face? Also, babies do what babies do, but couldn’t they get a picture where the baby doesn’t look really bothered? ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946/8 "2008-09-24T12:26:43Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > (And I’m sure there’s always a Best Western lounge in Raleigh that needs a Karaoke host if his career is destroyed.) There’s the Piano Bar on Morgan Street. I’m sure he could work evenings there. Seriously, I’m not sure how this would affect his record sales. I would imagine his fan base and Ellen DeGeneres’ have a significant overlap. But I guess it may be more “acceptable” to be a lesbian than to be a gay man. I hope not. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946/9 "2008-09-24T12:34:49Z")
And bears are Catholics and the Pope still shits in the woods. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946/10 "2008-09-24T13:22:17Z")
Why would it affect his sales? Nearly everyone has been saying he’s gay since American Idol first showed his face on TV. I think most of his female fans have been saying “So what if he’s gay? He’s so cute!!!” Just for the record…I’m not one of his fans. I just don’t think this will bother them in the least. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_Tightlips](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@Joey\_Tightlips](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_Tightlips)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946/11 "2008-09-24T13:32:17Z")
> [@](#): > > The cover of the latest People magazine shows Aiken holding his infant son, Parker Foster Aiken, with the headline: “Yes, I’m Gay.” The cover also has the quote: “I cannot raise a child to lie or hide things.” I’m not hip to the latest Idol gossip, am I the only one confused by this? Did he father the kid? Did he think he could _fool_ the public by having this baby? Or was it established earlier that the baby was adopted? ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946/12 "2008-09-24T13:54:54Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > The only thing that bugs me is his saying “I cannot raise a child to lie or hide things,” while his head is made-up or plastic-surgeried so as to look like a death-mask. Or does he have some sort of illness which is bloating up his face? I’m pretty sure that’s just how he looks. He’s [gained a ton of weight](http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4181498368/nm1341750) and made some really questionable syling choices since [his American Idol days](http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4289764096/nm1341750). Over the last five years he’s really let himself go. ---
**Author:** ![Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tequila_Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946/13 "2008-09-24T13:57:31Z")
Joey, IIRC, Aiken and the mother of the boy, Aiken’s producer, used artifical imsemination and made no big secret over it. As for the motivation for it, I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946/14 "2008-09-24T14:04:38Z")
[OT] Welcome back, **Tequila Mockingbird**! [/OT] It reminds me of Liberace – how on earth could the sexual preference of such a flamer not be obvious? And yet his fan base chose to ignore it. IOW – I don’t thinkg this is going to be a problem for Clay. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946/15 "2008-09-24T22:30:38Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > …then maybe Kevin Spacey and Anderson Cooper will finally break out the glow sticks in the “come on in, the water’s safe!” extravaganza… If only Kenny Chesney would stop the denial train. All would finally be right in the world! ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946/16 "2008-09-24T22:33:26Z")
> [@shy\_guy](#): > > I’m pretty sure that’s just how he looks. He’s [gained a ton of weight](http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4181498368/nm1341750) and made some really questionable syling choices since [his American Idol days](http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4289764096/nm1341750). Over the last five years he’s really let himself go. Yeah, but that doesn’t look like just “face-fat” to me. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946/17 "2008-09-25T00:17:49Z")
If you check out the message boards and blogs dedicated to him, you’ll see that a substantial number of his fans are horrified, disgusted, betrayed, saddened, “crying a river of tears,” and believe it’s possible there is an evil!Clay twin trying to destroy his life. They’re upset because they believed him to be a virgin, straight, Christian, and well…I’m sure you know the rest of this song and dance. I don’t know how it’ll impact his career in the long term–I don’t even know what his career consists of. I’ve only ever heard of that one creepy-as-fuck-song, but I do know that he’s going to lose a portion of his fanbase over this. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946/18 "2008-09-25T00:23:25Z")
Actually, if you look at his official fan club, there are over 2000 posts of support for him. The truth is that his last CD majorly tanked so it can’t hurt his career worse. There may be a few crazy overly-religious fans but the vast majority are just happy that he came out already. We’ve known that he’s gay for years, we were just waiting for him to confirm it. ---
**Author:** ![Charger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@Charger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charger)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946/19 "2008-09-25T01:48:04Z")
I rooted for him on American Idol (but never bothered to vote). I find him extremely likeable and genuine. But, I’m honestly a tiny bit disappointed with this news. Not that I mind or even care that he’s gay, I just wish that more celebrities would defy the stereotypes. I want to see some rugged, macho gay celebrities and some soft-spoken, gentle straight men (like me!). I have set off a few gaydar false-alarms and I would like to see the stereotype dry up rather than be reinforced. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946/20 "2008-09-25T01:54:46Z")
After seeing the People cover, I am wondering when he is going to come out that he is a woman. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-angels-in-heaven-sang-who-in-the-hell-would-have-thought-it-clay-aikens-gay/464946.md?page=2)