This week there were lead stories on major news Internet sites declaring that both Lindsay Lohan and Clay Aiken admitted (in one way or another) that they are gay.
My wife and I had a discussion last night about whether or not celebrities admitting their sexual orientations (when it is anything other than heterosexuality) is a good or bad thing in the context of social outcomes. Does Clay Aiken admitting his homosexuality encourage other people to embrace their own non-traditional sexual orientations when they might not otherwise have the courage to do so? Does hearing Lindsay Lohan talk about her relationship with Samantha Ronson make it more socially acceptable for other lesbians to come out of the closet?
I don't know the answers to these questions, but it's fascinating to me that large media outlets find coming out of the closet a front page story. I know that society at large has a hand in promoting celebrity stories to the top of the news feed, but it doesn't seem like something so personal should constitute national news. I'm don't have a full grasp on the infinite significance of media + sexuality + social implications, but it all seems really weird to me. I'm glad that we live in an age where it is becoming increasingly acceptable for people to express themselves the way they want to in respect to their sexuality, but putting a spotlight on it seems to separate it further than it needs to be. And really, did anybody think that Clay Aiken wasn't gay?
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