Thank you
Your article contrasting the stories of Matthew and Adam legit made me tear up. Adam’s road hasn’t been all sunshine and puppies, but the amount of joy involved in it makes me wish like hell that this kind of world had been possible for Matthew and his Mom. But it’s because of hers and others crusades over the last several years that it’s even possible. I hope she knows the good she’s done! Change is happening. My friends and I have an entirely different view of sexuality and gender roles than my parents. And my liberal parents aren’t all that bad, although I can’t help but cringe when they say so earnestly that they are “tolerant of everyone.” What is there to be “tolerant” about? My friends and I reject that, people are people and differences are embraced not just “tolerated.” I can only speak for me and all my friends in my dorm, but damn we all love Adam. I mean, seriously adore him in all glory, whether he’s glammed up pretty and wailing onstage with that unfreakingbelievable voice, along with inventive pelvic choreography that makes us yell our heads off for more, or dressed down with a scrubbed face and a cozy sweater making goofy faces while answering questions for over an hour during an online chat with his fans. And we absolutely love his gay LOL! We love matching him up with various imaginary cute celebrity boyfriends, and are crossing our fingers for a future moment as hott as his onstage smooch with his bandmate and crotch shenanigans with his dancers. I know the road ahead for Adam will include some challenges that your typical artist may not face. But you can be damn sure that whatever crazy awesome thing he decides to do next, his fans in my generation will be cheering him on. *brb cranking Adam’s Master Plan anthem to 11 and stomping around my room singin!* “We are the face of the new generation We are the ones who have no reservations Don’t give a damn ’bout your cold calculations welcome to the masterpla
Melly, Santa Clara, CA USA
02/25/10 5:04 AM EST

Adam Lambert
You made a good point in your article. Adam is very, very out there. I am 19 years old and love that guy. I see him take so much heat in the press though with everyone so wanting to label him and call him a diva. He is so far from a diva. When I get married and have children I will teach my children love. I will admit I never thought of these things before Adam. I never really gave much thought to any of these issues. He makes me think
Deanna, Boston MA
02/25/10 6:53 AM EST

Thank You
This article, juxtaposing these two men, combined with the time between, made me cry. Some of it was sadness, because of the life that hatred ended; some was hope because, yes, Adam can and IS changing things just by being who he is. And some is frustration because ten years is a long time, and it’s not changing fast enough, which is why someone with Adam’s talent and character still has to fight to get his music out there.’ Thank you for writing this.
Debra, Brooklyn New York
02/25/10 8:49 AM EST

Thinking person’s writer
I really enjoyed your coverage of Adam’s trip to Canada, and now you present us with this thoughtful article. It must have been a relief and a joy for Adam to talk to you: finally someone exercising their brain cells and willing to discuss issues of substance! This juxtaposition of Adam and Judy Shepard is inspired and thought-provoking. I hope Ms. Shepard does realize how much good she is doing. I’m 55, raised my kids to be accepting of all, and they will do the same, but Judy’s the one who is visible and can do so much good. And, yes, I’m an Adam Lambert devotee. He truly has brought music back to my life again, and given me a chance to be a fangurl again, which is saying something at this stage of my life. And just like the commenter above, I love his gay. It’s what makes him who he is.
Jenna, Garland Texas
02/25/10 8:56 AM EST

All Generations
Adams fans include ages 2to 80. I’m considered a couger and proud to support Adam. Adams soul shines through in interviews, his talent, is far and beyond, He is honest, humble, and speaks without filters. He reminds us he is human, he is the boy next door that has been labeled by hurtful comments about his life style especially by the gay community. I can’t quite understand the hate, that some gays spew at Adam. He is a perfect rep for gays but they have in turn rejected him, in so many ways tried to destroy his career and detour his fans to no avail. No amount of hate can overcome the love and admiration, we have for Adam the person, we will always be here supporting the torch that Adam proudly ignited and carries for the world to enjoy. My heart goes out to Mrs Shepard,tragic to lose her son, America has a long way to go. Adam has made great strides in the right direction of acceptance, we love him.
Dawm, Columbia SC USA
02/25/10 9:14 AM EST

Thank you so much
My heart is happy right now. I have no gay children, no close gay relatives (that I know of), no gay people close to me in my life right now, BUT I AM A HUMAN BEING ON THIS PLANET, and that is reason enough to promote accepting and kind (and “normal”), or at least respectful and tolerant, treatment of our global community’s gay members. I for one am making a concerted effort to teach my tween children that gay and lesbian members of our society are as normal and typical as needing to breathe air… I always approached rearing my children this way, but Lambert’s current presence in the music scene has reinvigorated my vigilance in this regard. He does not have to take it upon himself to be a poster child – I would not want that for him as it’s not something he particularly want for himself, and THAT IS OKAY… his merely living his life the way he is sets a good example… and it sure helps that he is consistantly intelligent, considerate, informed, respectful and decent…I feel badly for those who live only in this “sound-bite” society and don’t allow themselves the opportunity to learn better what a lovely guy Lambert seems to be.
Mel, Boston Massachusetts USA
02/25/10 9:46 AM EST

beacon of hope
i didn’t expect to cry from reading this article, but when i got to the end, i realized my household is one of the beacons of hope you were referring to. my children were raised knowing being gay was just a different way of being. they have positive gay role-models in their life, and once they were old enough to understand, we have always discussed the disparity of treatment in our society. my being a big adam lambert fan has only brought the discussion to the fore more frequently, in light of the double standards he’s faced. until their uncles can be married in new york, i am sure the conversation will remain on the table. if you go to adam lambert’s fansite, you’ll find many fans who have very homophobic relatives, so their fandom will inevitably change how they teach their children. adam is changing people’s lives every day.
adamdevotee, new york new york
02/25/10 10:05 AM ES

Thank you.
You made me cry. I really hope times are changing.
Laura Halinen, Kouvola Kymenlaakso
02/25/10 10:45 AM EST

Lessons of Love
Don’t forget this generation of teens and young adults came from parents who taught the lessons of love and acceptance. The change started happening before this generation and surely will continue as they have families of their own. I am a parent who was horrified by Matthew’s story, regardless I would have taught my children to love not hate. Being fans of Adam is something my teen and I share together and it is a wonderful thing!
Cathy F, Orlando FL
02/25/10 11:17 AM EST

Beautiful article.
Adam Lambert gives me hope too. I love his music and that he is proud of who he is. Count me as one more mother who is doing the best she can to keep her children free of hate.
Lynne, Los Angeles USA
02/25/10 11:20 AM EST

Really?
Your article is sweet, hopeful and extremely idealistic/romantic. I’d argue that Lambert with his post-gay rhetoric is, in the end, doing little for the cause. How is he any different from the glam rockers of the 70s and their “bisexuality”? Lambert is a tiresome, two-bit reality show star who is milking his 15 minutes without taking on the tough issues.
Matthew Pavelich, Toronto Ontario
02/25/10 12:35 PM EST

Heartwarming article
Iam a huge Adam Lambert fan. I know that it was not his intention to become a poster child for gay rights. But in his refusal to be anything but 100% authentic he has become just that. I believe that his courage to be himself, and to be unapologetic about who he is he has become a trailblazer. Hopefully his existence in the public eye will make it easier for all gays to live life being true to themselves. The story of Mathew Shepard breaks my heart. This should never happen. It is up to us to speak out against discrimination and to push for gay rights. In my house my kids are taught that being gay is no more wrong than having a different color of eyes. I would only hope that more children will be taught this as time goes on. We still have a long way to go in this country.
Vera, Portland Oregon
02/25/10 12:36 PM EST

Thank you for your thoughtful article
Thank you, Shaun. Both your interview w/ Adam, which was so thoughtful, and this article show how much Adam can bring to the gay and straight communities, with his commitment to music and to openness w/ who he is. Hopefully, society is more open to embracing someone like Adam (and his wonderful mom and dad) so that nothing that happened to Matthew will ever happen again. Thanks again.
Sue, Boston, MA USA
02/25/10 12:41 PM EST

thank you shaun
that was beautiful. made me cry over my morning coffee. thank you shaun!
fiona, west coast california
02/25/10 12:47 PM EST

Thank you Shaun, Judy & Adam
Thank you, Shaun for your beautiful and thought provoking piece. THIS needs to said more often. Thank you, Judy, for sharing your immense pain to help facilitate the change that NEEDS to occur. Thank you, Adam, for having the courage to live your life openly, for being true to yourself, for your refreshing charm, intelligence & honesty. It is such a breath of fresh air in a public figure. AND, thank you for sharing your extraordinary vocal and performance gift with the rest of the world!
Linda Ladden, Waterbury CT USA
02/25/10 3:00 PM EST

Thank you so very much
Just wanted to say that I was moved so much by this article. As a 57 year old straight woman (with 2 VERY open-minded straight adult daughters) I am so glad to see that perhaps we ARE moving to that place where sexual orientation is NOT the main characteristic defining someone. And, if a beautiful, talented, sexy, intelligent, articulate (I could go on for days and often DO) rock star is one of the harbingers of change – so much the better! BRING THAT CHANGE ON! Just sad to be living in a state that has the reputation for being “liberal” but passed the first law to TAKE AWAY CIVIL RIGHTS! NOH8 now, or in the future… Love what you said, and how you said it, Shaun! <3 E
Eowyn Rohan, Sunnyvale CA USA
02/25/10 4:10 PM EST

Glambert
Thankyou so much for this beautiful article. You are an amazing writer and thankyou so much for writing the truth and your integrity. This made me cry.
Kit, Glambertville Glambert
02/25/10 5:05 PM EST

Great Article!
Here I am getting all teary eyed – I loved your article. I am 28 with an 8 year old son and even though I have never been homophobic or anything like that – Adam has made me so much more aware of it – and that it is happening – I had never really thought about it before..now I do..and I speak up more and I will make sure my son is raised to know that our sexuality is just a part of who we are and what we are born with..and who knows…maybe he is gay – and if he is then that is just another facet that makes him ..him
Angela, Minneapolis Minnesota
02/25/10 6:22 PM EST

Adam has helped change perceptions
I am a huge fan of Adam Lambert’s(one of his older fans)and I have seen him to be refreshingly honest and unafraid to show who he is and encouraging kids who are deemed “different” to be unafraid to be so. That being said there is a lot more to be done to pave the way for tolerance to homosexuality in parts Canada but more so in some parts of the United States even today. Those lessons are learned at home. My own parents always taught us to be kind to anyone no matter what thier sexual preference,race or religion, disability etc.As a Mom of an autistic child he will always know that he is no different than anyone else and that he doesn’t need to be afraid to be exactly who he is just as I show him that there is no place for hatred of people just because of thier sexual preference,race religion.I know that Adam has influenced others by his example to be unafraid to be exactly who they are. He is a lovely talented artist who is going to be a worldwide star.
Pam, Ottawa ON
02/25/10 7:18 PM EST

Adam is helping
This was a very well written article. Quite sad but so true. Hopefully this younger generation will break free from the stereotypes their parents taught them. It appears more females than males are open minded in the US. Hope this changes also. Adam is helping people think about things they haven’t before or changing their opinions. It is hard to hate an entire “group” of people when you know one that you love. This also worked with the race issue. I hope in my lifetime people can be seen as just people no matter what their race, religion, or sexual orientation.
Anita, Jacksonville FL
02/26/10 1:15 AM EST

Broken the Gay “Glass Ceiling”
Matthew from Toronto said: “I’d argue that Lambert with his post-gay rhetoric is, in the end, doing little for the cause.” What he’s doing for the cause is being visible and visibility leads to acceptance. Name another mainstream, male, North American, pop star who was out at the BEGINNING of his career. The closest is Rufus Wainwright and as much as I adore him, I’d argue that he’s only got a toe dipped in the mainstream. Clay Aiken was forced out, Lance Bass waited till he had millions in the bank. Jake Shears, Sam Sparro – not mainstream, Will Young is not well known outside of the UK so not really mainstream. George Michael, Elton John, Rob Halford and those 70s glam rockers, come from a time where you could hint at bi or homosexuality (Bowie being the exception), but you couldn’t come right out and say it – so they had to wait until the times were better. Even Freddie wasn’t really out in the 70s. Lambert has put a serious crack in the gay “glass ceiling”. The next young, gay, up and coming popstar, who gets told by a record company that he won’t get the essential screaming girl demographic because he’s gay, has only to cite Adam Lambert a contrary example.
Kevin, Toronto ON
02/26/10 2:44 AM EST

Wow, just wow………….
Your article brought tears to my eyes. As a mother, I cannot fathom losing one of my children; let a lone to lose a child because of hate. In my household, there is no hate; it is unacceptable. That is how I grew up and that is how my children will grow up. I want to thank you for taking me out of my little utopia and reminding me that as a society we are moving forward, but still have a ways to go when it comes to accepting gay men and women. I hope Judy Shepard will find peace and love as she crusades in her son’s name. I had not read the comments before I stared my own comment. I see I am not the only one who was brought to tears by the article. To the author: you have a wonderful gift. I had not planned to comment specifically on Adam Lambert, however, I think that by Adam doing his thing and being who he is will help some people realize that being gay is nothing to be afraid of. We all love the same, hurt the same…. we are all just human beings.
Cathy, Houston, TX US
02/26/10 7:27 AM EST

1:13pm
Great article,so tragic to lose a child, especially through hate,such a brave woman, his death will not be in vain. I’m a huge Adam fan, the most part I love about him is being himself, it takes such courage as it hasn’t been a picnic for him. Lets hope there is a change coming, it’s long overdue. I applaud you for not dwelling on the AMA’s it’s time it was put to rest, there are more important and disasterous things in life right now instead of worrying about guys kissing guys and girls kissing girls.
Janet, leith ontario
02/26/10 1:23 PM EST