Pre-American Idol, Adam Lambert worked steadily in the clubs and stages of Hollywood and recalled this week ‘the joy of first feeling like I had found “my kind of people.”‘
‘I was finally bonding with like-minded aliens that dared to live outside the lines, and on their own terms. We celebrated each other,’ he writes in an Billboard.com essay celebrating LGBT Pride Month.
Then came American Idol in 2009 and a runner-up famous that made him as famous as anyone who actually won the show.
‘Suddenly, the ramifications of being a queer celebrity became overwhelming,’ Lambert admits.
‘I felt a responsibility to do the LGBTQ community proud and reflect our experience as honestly and openly as I could. However, in 2009, we were nowhere near how mainstream we are now. For some fans, I was their first time identifying with anyone queer. No pressure!
‘There were challenges, double standards and prejudices to deal with. There were moments when I thought I may have bitten off more than I could chew. You know how I kept pushing forward? Besides being stubborn as hell? It was all the crazy dreamers I have known over the years.
‘Y’all are my true inspiration. You’re life lines that have kept me grounded and thankful.
All the LGBTQ musicians, dancers, drag queens, bar stars, club kids, DJ’s, designers, actors, stylists, glam squads….. YOU are my circus family.
‘It is because of all those years traipsing round our nocturnal playgrounds that I had any sense of how and why I wanted to stay the course; to rep for my queer family!’
