# Don't Ask Don't Sing: Gay Clay and the Green Beret **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 28, 2006, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-sing-gay-clay-and-the-green-beret/341941 "2006-01-28T02:05:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-sing-gay-clay-and-the-green-beret/341941/41 "2006-01-29T03:58:40Z")
I love Kathy Griffin’s riffs on him. HYlarryus. She refers to him as Clay Gayken. She makes me pee my pants. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-sing-gay-clay-and-the-green-beret/341941/42 "2006-01-29T04:33:02Z")
I hope Clay won’t decide to come out just because of this. If he is gay I want him to be able to live his life the way he wants and come out when it suits his needs. If that time just happens to be at a convenient time to publicize the next album, so much the better. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-sing-gay-clay-and-the-green-beret/341941/43 "2006-01-29T05:23:29Z")
> [@EJsGirl](#): > > People usually only take notice when a public figure swears up down and sideways that they aren’t gay, no way, Jose. Then, oh looky! Gay Clay! > > If they weren’t so vocal in their denials, no one would care. Kid brought it on himself. Clay hasn’t been that vocal in his denials and I really don’t think anyone should care whatever his sexual orientation may be, it doesn’t change his talent one bit. Heck, most everyone assumes he’s gay and it hasn’t hurt his career any. It’s not like he’s been trying to cover by running around threatening to sue anyone who alleges he’s gay, or keeping cartoons that say he’s closeted off the air or jumping on talk show couches screaming about his heterosexual lover. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-sing-gay-clay-and-the-green-beret/341941/44 "2006-01-29T05:56:41Z")
> [@Wile E](#): > > Clay hasn’t been that vocal in his denials and I really don’t think anyone should care whatever his sexual orientation may be, it doesn’t change his talent one bit. > > Heck, most everyone assumes he’s gay and it hasn’t hurt his career any. It’s not like he’s been trying to cover by running around threatening to sue anyone who alleges he’s gay, or keeping cartoons that say he’s closeted off the air or jumping on talk show couches screaming about his heterosexual lover. Agreed. It’s not like anyone thinks he isn’t gay but his fanatical 13-year-old following who collectively hope he’ll marry them. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-sing-gay-clay-and-the-green-beret/341941/45 "2006-01-29T06:36:32Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Agreed. It’s not like anyone thinks he isn’t gay but his fanatical 13-year-old following who collectively hope he’ll marry them. It’s not just 13 year olds, my ex-supervisor, Pete Puma, was a big Aiken fan, and he doesn’t believe Clay’s gay. :wally ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-sing-gay-clay-and-the-green-beret/341941/46 "2006-01-29T07:07:26Z")
OK, I don’t believe Ennis, oops, I mean Clay has ever really denied he is Gay, I think he has cleverly dodged the question whenever it has been brought up (correct me if I am wrong, which I am sure someone will do). As a Gay man, I actually understand. 1. He is in the entertainment _business_, and if he feels losing his core of teeniebopper girls who swoon, well, it is probably a smart decision. Let them fantasize about marrying him and keep buying his music. To do otherwise would be stupid at this point in his very short career. 2. He might be going through his own coming out and not totally at peace with the realization. If he is not ready, no one should force him…remember, he wasn’t exactly raised in San Francisco and even moved away from LA as it was too much for him to handle. If he is not out to his family and friends, it is probably not time for him to come out to the general public. 3. He is not jumping on sofas and screaming he is in love with K.D. Lang…or whoever. At least so far he hasn’t been obnoxiously screaming “I am hetero” like some celebrities have been doing. Is Ennis Gay? Who knows…but cut the guy some slack. He has been a “star” for all of five minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-sing-gay-clay-and-the-green-beret/341941/47 "2006-01-29T07:56:13Z")
From the 7-10-2003 issue of _Rolling Stone_: > [@](#): > > CA: One thing I’ve found of people in the public eye," Aiken says, "either you’re a womanizer or you’ve got to be gay. Since I’m neither one of those, people are completely concerned about me. They’re like, What are you, then?’ I’m sure it has to do with being raised by women. I wouldn’t want somebody gawking at my mom and grabbing her butt and catcalling at her, trying to hook up with her at a bar. I’m not saying I’m not going to look. Hello! But you know what I mean? > > RS: “So, what’s your position on premarital sex?” > > CA: My own personal position is that it’s much more special to wait for the person who you’re married to. > > RS: Are you a virgin? > > CA: Well, this morning, while getting my manicure and pedicure, I watched a biography of Britney Spears on TV In it, she said that she regrets ever saying anything about it. So, I hate to repeat myself, but: I think it’s much more special to wait for the person who you’re married to." ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-sing-gay-clay-and-the-green-beret/341941/48 "2006-01-29T08:07:43Z")
> [@Clay Aiken](#): > > …Hello!..Well, this morning, while getting my manicure and pedicure, I watched a biography of Britney Spears on TV… Is this supposed to be tongue-in-cheek? Does he realize how gay that sounds? If he doesn’t want people to think he’s gay, that kind of comment doesn’t help. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-sing-gay-clay-and-the-green-beret/341941/49 "2006-01-29T08:22:42Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > It’s not just 13 year olds, my ex-supervisor, Pete Puma, was a big Aiken fan, and he doesn’t believe Clay’s gay. :wally “Pete Puma”? Now THAT’S gay. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-sing-gay-clay-and-the-green-beret/341941/50 "2006-01-29T08:33:03Z")
**Sampiro** , from your Clay quote, "…either you’re a womanizer or you’ve got to be gay. Since I’m neither one of those, people are completely concerned about me. They’re like, What are you, then…? Doesn’t this sound like a boy who hasn’t quite figured it out for himself? I was there ages ago…and my guess is, so were you. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-sing-gay-clay-and-the-green-beret/341941/51 "2006-01-29T08:36:34Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > “Pete Puma”? Now THAT’S gay. [Meet My Supervisor: Pete Puma.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=280593) (BTW, I have to wonder if ol’ Pete’s a closet case. He liked “touching” males a little too much, if you know what I mean.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ask-dont-sing-gay-clay-and-the-green-beret/341941.md?page=2)