There wasn't any real doubt for most people that he was gay, of course. I've been hoping he'd be the first American Idol contestant to be out while on the show (and hopefully the first openly gay winner!) and I'd say that these pictures have taken a step in that direction. Some of the comments I've read are speculating the the pictures will turn people against him and he'll be voted out early. I think that even before the pictures came up, people had to strongly suspect he was gay and he still made it in to the top 12.
Besides, you can't be a fan of Luke & Noah on As the World Turns without realizing just how many women and teenage girls love the idea of gay men! I think the only people who'd be alienated by this would be those of the religious right, and they weren't likely to vote for him anyway.
I'm not foolish enough to think that this show is actually all about talent, but I think it does play a large part and Adam certainly has plenty of it. I'll be voting for him and I'm sure many both in and out of the gay community will, too.
I debated posting the pictures or not, but in the end I decided that Adam is clearly out and proud in his life outside of Idol and I honestly don't think he's going to trying and pretend to be straight while on the show, so why not?
Vote Adam! Vote Often!
Towleroad has an exclusive conversation between Kevin Sessums (whose memoir, Mississippi Sissy, I read last month and really enjoyed), the incomparable Jane Fonda, and playwright/director Moises Kaufman. Fonda will be starring in Kaufman's new Broadway play, 33 Variations, which opens on March 9th. The whole conversation is excellent, covering both the play and a variety of other topics, including Harvey Milk, Prop 8, and Fonda's lack of status as a gay Icon:
KS: And yet, Jane, you never in your amazing career ever became a gay icon like many actresses.
JF: No. I didn’t. I haven’t. And I know why. It’s because I have never been conscious of my presence. All the gay icons have very, very strong physical and emotional presences. Katharine Hepburn didn’t like this about me. When we were filming On Golden Pond she used to take my cheek in her hand and say, “This is your box. What do you want to say with it?” I never really gave a fuzzy rat’s ass about that aspect of it all. I never had that kind of persona. I was never confident enough. I just didn’t look the right way.
KS: But you always came off — in all your evolved selves — as a confident person. Many gay icons have a heightened vulnerability about them. You’ve never seemed vulnerable as part of your public persona. Well, maybe you had a Klute-like vulnerability to you at times.
JF: (laughs) I know what you’re saying. But it’s just not my style to be a gay icon. I wish it were. I think it would be a hoot because most of my friends are gay.
I've always loved Jane Fonda, ever since I adored the movie 9 to 5 as a kid, even though most of the issues it was highlighting went way over my head. To me it was just a fun movie with all sorts of crazy action sequences and even a bit of animation! Watching it as an adult, I appreciate it even more.
I really wish I could see her on stage! From reading this conversation, 33 Variations sounds like a fascinating play.
Finally, I forgot to mention yesterday that Van Hansis has been pre-nominated for a Daytime Emmy for his portrayal of Luke on As the World Turns. Each show's cast and crew vote amongst themselves to put forward two actors or actresses in each category for pre-noms and then the actual Emmy Nominees are selected from among those people.
If you'll recall, Van has been nominated for a Daytime Emmy the last two years in a row, each time in the Outstanding Younger Actor category for those under the age of 25. This year, Van is no longer eligible for that award but the cast & crew have put him forward in the Best Supporting Actor category, which is an even bigger honor, especially coming from the people he works with.
It remains to be seen, of course, if he'll receive an actual nomination, but I think that they'd be foolish not to recognize his work. As bad as the writing usually is, Van manages to spin gold from it all the time.
Congratulations, Van! I hope the third time proves to be the charm.
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