# What was so gay about Clay Aiken? Why did he ping gaydars? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 7, 2008, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-so-gay-about-clay-aiken-why-did-he-ping-gaydars/466812 "2008-10-07T05:24:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-so-gay-about-clay-aiken-why-did-he-ping-gaydars/466812/21 "2008-10-07T15:31:50Z")
An effeminate guy who likes to belt out showtunes. Gee, I’m having a hard time putting my finger on it. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-so-gay-about-clay-aiken-why-did-he-ping-gaydars/466812/22 "2008-10-07T15:38:09Z")
To me it’s mostly the voice (speaking, not singing- singing talent has nothing to do with gay v. straight). It’s not femme but it’s a very definite “southern gay” speech pattern. Then there’s the nervousness (“what’s he hiding?”), especially when he went into denial and then “I’m not gonna talk about it” mode. Mostly though it’s just a certain indescribable quality- a _Je-ne-sais-queer_ that’s a collection of things so subtle (the way a head is held in a particular instant or a certain quip that no straight guy would make) that it’s almost impossible to pinpoint them. I have to admit that as a resident/native of a Baptist stronghold I’m delighted Clay, a born again Christian, came out. He was DEEP in the closet, so far back there I wouldn’t be surprised if he had himself fooled when he was first on Idol. While I don’t approve of outing [other than of political and religious hypocrites], he’s the kind of “boy next door” “sweet young man” that NEEDS to be revealed as gay to show “Joe Six-Pack and Hockey Moms” that ‘gays are your sons and your nephews and the boy you went to church with who was truly devout’, and I’m glad he came out rather than being outed. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-so-gay-about-clay-aiken-why-did-he-ping-gaydars/466812/23 "2008-10-07T15:43:50Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > _Je-ne-sais-queer_ That is one beautiful turn of a phrase. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-so-gay-about-clay-aiken-why-did-he-ping-gaydars/466812/24 "2008-10-07T15:50:07Z")
> [@shy\_guy](#): > > [He looks gay](http://agentsmithfiles.wordpress.com/2008/05/29/for-those-of-you-who-care-6/) He doesn’t look gay in that picture. He looks like Alyson Hannigan in that picture. I hate you now, btw. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-so-gay-about-clay-aiken-why-did-he-ping-gaydars/466812/25 "2008-10-07T16:01:17Z")
Re Seacrest > [@shy\_guy](#): > > I’m honestly not sure if I’m being wooshed or not. Seacrest is groomed within an inch of his life, has a serious case of what Perez Hilton calls “gayface,” and rose to stardom exchanging homoerotic banter with Simon Cowell (and [Anderson Cooper](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTbijJT10XE)). He’s groomed because he’s a TV show host, I don’t know “gayface”, and then doesn’t that make Simon gay? No whoosh. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-so-gay-about-clay-aiken-why-did-he-ping-gaydars/466812/26 "2008-10-07T16:47:22Z")
Watching the ultra PC types squirm is hilarious. He’s among the most obvious gay people I’ve ever seen in my life. Gaydar is needed for people like Sir Ian McKellan. Gaydar was not necessary for Clay Aiken. Eyes and ears working together were not necessary - either would’ve done the job on their own. He’s SO SWISHY, and SO FABULOUS, and SO EFFEMINATE, but you can’t bring yourself to admit that 99.999999% of the time this = gay. It’s ok. You can sleep easy tonight. Nobody is going to think you’re a homophobe for admitting you knew Clay Aiken was gay the moment he floated onto your radar for the first time. ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-so-gay-about-clay-aiken-why-did-he-ping-gaydars/466812/27 "2008-10-07T17:11:19Z")
I always thought Clay Aiken looked like a lesbian myself. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-so-gay-about-clay-aiken-why-did-he-ping-gaydars/466812/28 "2008-10-07T17:22:33Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Watching the ultra PC types squirm is hilarious. He’s among the most obvious gay people I’ve ever seen in my life. Gaydar is needed for people like Sir Ian McKellan. Gaydar was not necessary for Clay Aiken. Eyes and ears working together were not necessary - either would’ve done the job on their own. He’s SO SWISHY, and SO FABULOUS, and SO EFFEMINATE, but you can’t bring yourself to admit that 99.999999% of the time this = gay. It’s ok. You can sleep easy tonight. Nobody is going to think you’re a homophobe for admitting you knew Clay Aiken was gay the moment he floated onto your radar for the first time. THANK YOU. Just last week I walked, alone, through a very hip little antique town that attracts a number of gay people. Great town. I am a flaming heterosexual, and when I met my female friend, I told her I must have passed for gay to a few people as I strolled through town. I was dressed Ryan Seacrestish, too. She almost choked and died. “What if someone gay was sitting next to us. Shhhh!” And I said, “I would ask them if there was chance I would pass for gay.” But then we got into a whole circular discussion of how I would know if the people next to us were gay and by this time she was about to choke, faint, or die outright. ---
**Author:** ![CaerieD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@CaerieD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaerieD)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-so-gay-about-clay-aiken-why-did-he-ping-gaydars/466812/29 "2008-10-07T17:25:50Z")
> [@Strainger](#): > > I always thought Clay Aiken looked like a lesbian myself. Others [agree](http://menwholooklikeoldlesbians.blogspot.com/search?q=clay+aiken). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-so-gay-about-clay-aiken-why-did-he-ping-gaydars/466812/30 "2008-10-07T17:43:09Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > … and I’m glad he came out rather than being outed. Perez Hilton ran a web cam video of Aiken a while back with Aiken at home in front of a web cam trying to meet a guy on the internet. If that wasn’t an outing, I don’t know what is. Yes, I regularly look at Perez. No, I’m not gay. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-so-gay-about-clay-aiken-why-did-he-ping-gaydars/466812/31 "2008-10-07T17:52:30Z")
Most gay men just lack a certain essential masculinity that straight men have. My husband is sweet and soft-spoken, but nobody would think he was gay. Now, the question becomes what is that essential masculinity. Damned if I know. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-so-gay-about-clay-aiken-why-did-he-ping-gaydars/466812/32 "2008-10-07T18:52:44Z")
**Brynda** , I think it might be the whole “I love pussy” bit that’s lacking. Call me crazy… ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-so-gay-about-clay-aiken-why-did-he-ping-gaydars/466812/33 "2008-10-07T19:35:34Z")
Yes, he is one I always assumed was gay. There is just something in his mannerism. There are others, such as Ryan Seacrest, that I put farther along the scale. He is not one I would just assume is gay, but neither would I be shocked to find out that he was. I categorize these types as ‘ambiguous.’ Could go either way 🙂 On the other end of the scale are say, Brad Pitt or Bruce Willis types, where I would be going “woah!” if they ever came out. So on my scale of “how surprised would I be to find out this person is gay,” for Clay, the answer is “not at all, in fact I would be more surprised if he was straight.” Ryan Seacrest=not surprised Bruce Willis=very surprised ---
**Author:** ![Merhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Merhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merhouse)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-so-gay-about-clay-aiken-why-did-he-ping-gaydars/466812/34 "2008-10-07T19:44:48Z")
> [@phil417](#): > > With all due respect, my husband is soft-mannered, and neat. I’ve heard him sing..quite well, actually. He’s not gay. Try again. > > Love, Phil But in fairness, he’s married to “Phil” 😃 ::ducking:: ETA: Sorry, **Clurican** , I promise, I did \*\*NOT \*\*copy from your paper! ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-so-gay-about-clay-aiken-why-did-he-ping-gaydars/466812/35 "2008-10-07T19:58:15Z")
> [@shy\_guy](#): > > I’m honestly not sure if I’m being wooshed or not. Seacrest is groomed within an inch of his life, has a serious case of what Perez Hilton calls “gayface,” and rose to stardom exchanging homoerotic banter with Simon Cowell (and [Anderson Cooper](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTbijJT10XE)). The grooming thing is a big tipoff for me. That Clay Aiken People cover picture cracked me up, with the obvious makeup and the hair…they could have run it without the “I’m Gay” headline, and I think folks still could have figured it out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-so-gay-about-clay-aiken-why-did-he-ping-gaydars/466812.md?page=1)