Adam Lambert recently opened up about facing homophobic comments after being outed during his ‘American Idol’ days.
Prior to auditioning for the singing competition in 2008, the now 41-year-old singer-songwriter had already been out as a gay man to his friends and family for eight years. He grew up in San Diego with “very cool parents,” and he has always felt free to be his true self.
“I was very comfortable and secure with who I was,” Lambert recalled in an interview with People.
He also explained that he wasn’t hiding his sexuality during the competition, sharing:
“It was never a secret. During the live broadcast, there was no one asking me what my sexual preference was, and we weren’t allowed to do interviews during the show back then because they wanted to keep everyone on a level playing field.”
However, two months before the show’s May finale, photos of the current Queen lead vocalist kissing a man leaked online, which resulted to him facing homophobic comments. Despite the negativity that he has gone through though, he expressed:
“It made me stronger and informed the kind of art that I wanted to make.”
And after years of struggling with his mental health and self-image, the “Whataya Want from Me” singer now loves and appreciates himself more.
“Self-love is an ever-evolving journey. But I feel more sure of myself than I’ve ever been,” Lambert noted.
Source: people.com (other LGBTQ Magazines call their interviews with Lambert “Exclusives” but he’s been making the rounds everywhere. Thanks People for being an ally through and through)
It’s so frustrating after all the progress the gay community made that there’s so much more to do.