Clay Aiken Reflects on Coming Out and Society’s Progress Since 2008

Clay Aiken who is the former American Idol star has recently shared his experience of coming out as gay in 2008 and how things have changed in society since then.

In 2008, Aiken shared his truth on the cover of People Magazine after welcoming his son, Parker. “It was the first decision I made as a father,” Aiken said. “I couldn’t raise a child to lie or hide who they are. That’s not how I was raised, and I wasn’t going to raise my son that way either.”

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Challenges After Coming Out
Aiken revealed that while coming out brought clarity to his life it came with challenges. At the time, he was performing in the Broadway show Spamalot. He noticed a significant drop in ticket sales after his People magazine cover was published.

“The first months I was in the show, it was selling out,” Aiken recalled. “But the week after the cover came out, ticket sales dropped, and Spamalot closed a few months later. I lost about 50% of my fan base.”

Progress Over the Years
Despite the difficulties Aiken says he has no regrets. He feels grateful that things are different now. “Today, people who come out often see their popularity grow,” he said. “It’s amazing to see how much progress has been made. It shows we’re moving in the right direction as a society.”

A Career of Firsts
Since finishing as the runner-up on American Idol, Aiken has had a successful career. He toured the U.S., starred on Broadway, and became the first American Idol alum to debut a single at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Aiken is back with a holiday album called Christmas Bells Are Ringing . This return is after 10 years on the screen. He says he’s proud of his progress and hopeful for a better future. “We’ve come a long way,” he said. “That’s worth celebrating.”