The face of a bully

Yesterday a lot of people, including myself, had a really eye opening experience.  It's really sad enough that mankind has wasted so much time, energy and money drawing lines, building walls, creating labels, rules, etc. to try to control who and how we love but to learn that oppressed groups have cannibals in their midst.  These powerful pariah who apparently forgot where they came from will chew up and spit out their own young to look more impressive?  Hey!  Where I come from we call that bullying and there's enough problems with that already today.

Aaron Hicklin, editor in chief of Out magazine decided that Adam Lambert would be his sacrificial lamb in his personal vendetta against the entertainment industry.  Now if Adam had been around the school yard for a while, earned some cred, made the honor roll or the varsity team he would be a fair advisary.  But see, for as fierce an alien as Lambert comes off?  Inside he's still kinda scared.  He's fortunate because the theater has taught him well how to play roles.  Also he's lived in a ocean of piranha for the past decade...Lost Angeles.  But for someone like me who really looks at those eyes when cameras and microphones are pointed at him?  He's still in shock that he's actually a viable performance commodity.  That's not to say he's set down roots yet so for Hicklin to come along and beat him down for not being the Messiah already?  So not fair.

Mr. Mogul showed his hand when he said that he was not happy with Adam's management controlling subjects that could be broached in Out's interview with him.  Also there were supposedly guidelines regarding the cover shoot.  Come on Aaron.  First get real.  You were not going to put Adam solo on the cover of your Top 100 issue.  The entire gay community would have been all over your ass for that shit.  They still see Adam as the puppy, the WeHo scene kid.  When other people on the list included heavy hitters like Lt. Dan Choi, NPH and Cyndi Lauper?  There would have been outrage.  And NO!  NONE of the Idols would have been allowed to grace the cover during the competition.  Them's been the rules for a long time.  And of course 19 was not going to give the coming out party to OUT as they had a demographic to deal with that was going to handle it better coming from a mainstream, straight rock & roll mag icon. By the time tour was over middle-America was a bit more comfortable with going to the bookstore and buying a copy of OUT. Right after the show ended? Not so much. Sour grapes Aaron? Sure tastes like it to me.

Hicklin, you are a corporate big-wig.  You know the drill.  It's the same with "The Simons".  They're in this game to make money and for the first time really they have the chance to make a star. They're going to protect their investment. Plus everyone is playing this all by ear. This season of AI was like none other before it on so many levels. So they're going to be cautious. You need to understand that. Or maybe you do and have an agenda.

 I'm just gonna copy and paste the stuff I posted last night about the other entitled Kindergartners in the gay play-group.:

And as for all the queer-nation on the message boards I've been reading...SHAME ON EVERYONE OF YOU THAT I READ BITCHING TODAY!! What the fuck do you want from Adam? Some of you came right out and said you were suddenly shocked that he meant it when he said he's not going to be a civil rights poster-child. Huh? First...yes, Adam is Jewish but he's not the Messiah. He's not gonna go in there and lay down the dream he worked so hard for to save the LGBT community from itself. Also J.C. said "Sinners heal yourselves". Adam's paying his dues. He's been fighting his own personal battle along with fighting side by side with his friends for the past 10 years. Where were you? Why should he put himself hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt to 19/SMG/RCA for you? Have you done something to deserve that? Because if he commits to being your champion, then he's going to end up focusing more on fighting the lions in arena than actually making records and touring so he can generate income to pay the label and management back.

Oh I'm sorry, you don't understand a record or management contracts? Here's the thing. When you read in the entertainment rags that so-and-so got a half-million dollar contract? The label and/or management group did not just GIVE that money to the artist and say have a ball? No, that's a loan. The artist must then rely on their own strengths along with those of their A&R person to start with and then with producers, engineers, musicians, lyricists, etc. etc. to make the right choices to produce an album that people will buy. If enough albums are sold then the record company looks at investing a few more ducats to tour it. Still a loan folks. Are you catching my drift? Do you see why Adam needs to concentrate on making a lot of people feel happy, sexy, dancey, romantic enough to buy his stuff so that he can pay back the loan? If he's marching on governments, manning the phonebanks at GLAAD, stuffing envelopes for PFLAG and going on motivational speaking junkets the label drops him. Sony Music Group sues his ass and now we have broke, homeless, sad-panda Adam whose still out there championing for you. Are you going to pick up his tab with SMG/19?  Yeah, that's what I thought.  Are you happy now?  He sure as hell won't be.

As for Adam?   He does the gay community so much more good right now concentrating on his career. In touring this past summer he had the chance to connect with America. To at least a few people who didn't feel that way before about him, he made them more comfortable, less fearful. It was ok to like the gay guy. As for his proponents? They now felt safe to come out to public venues and show loud&proud their advocacy of the LGBT community. They found they had mass and could stand up in silent protest to the WBC. And if he's allowed to break down the barriers with more of the straight community just by being Adam and making music that makes us feel good then he is accomplishing a good thing. Once he's established himself he can become a bit more politically active.

Me? I've learned a hard lesson over the past couple of years.  People are always willing to accept free help but they don't always believe they need to be part of the process.  I've dumped more than a few bands who let me do a lot of stuff for them but then couldn't seem to find the time to respond to an email or a text message when I needed something from them to continue my work.   I am a PFLAG'er, a loud & proud hag and one of the most dedicated advocates for the LGBT community but people, I'm not going to do all the dirty work for you and neither is Adam Lambert.

Obviously I'm still in a lot of pain today.  You know.  If Adam turns his back on the LGBT's outside of his friends, I wouldn't blame him.  Right now he's actually getting treated better and expectations are more reasonable from the straights.  I hope the rainbow nation gets its shit together and sees that things like this are what make their cause all the harder.  How can you trust your adocates or any straight for that matter if you don't even trust each other?  How are people going to be willing to come to your aid if all they see is you throwing each other under the bus?  Please explain in the comments so that I can understand.