Queen of Pop?

In the wake of Michael Jackson’s death there’s been an abundance of specials, marathons, and shows devoted to his musical career. In watching these it is clear that though his immense talent is undeniable it is absurd that anyone ever believed he was straight. With a voice that rivals Minnie Mouse and dance moves more astonishingly fluid than a Cirque de Soleil performance on acid, how he ever elicited hordes, nay entire populations, of screaming female fans seems almost unfathomable. Riddled with accusations of child molestation, absurd marriages to rock n’ roll royalty, and surrogate children of suspicious background, his personal life made little case for heterosexuality. But yet to the bitter end the King of Pop never came out as a queen.

It’s not uncommon for popular musicians and actors of dubious sexuality to be adored by female fans. Of just the ones to be confirmed you need to only look at Clay Aiken, Lance Bass, Ricky Martin (well soon to be confirmed), Jordan Knight, Rock Hudson, and Neal Patrick Harris, just to name a few. Though they range from the ridiculously obvious to the bit more surprising, they all at least at one time had a legion of followers that would vehemently defend their sexuality. As I once argued with my best friend during a heated debate over Anderson Cooper, does this insistence that they are straight reinforce homophobia and the heteronormative assumptions it fosters, or are we merely reluctant to label someone’s private preference?

As gay men we get a lot of flack for telling our straight (girl)friends that certain celebrities are gay. They assume we want all of the hot guys to be on our team, leaving them with the chubby sidekicks. Though I find this reaction to be understandable, I think it plays perfectly into the homophobia perpetuated by the mainstream media. Though it kills me to say it, if blogs like Perez Hilton or Gawker hadn’t come along, the media would still be so frightened by litigation they would continue to avoid raising the question of someone’s sexuality, a task that had only been left to the disreputable tabloids.

Many will argue that stars are entitled to their privacy and should not be coerced to come out, and I agree. But I also think that their silence only serves to hold us back, rather than move us forward. Online we can speculate about stars, anonymous commenters indiscreetly share their stories, and as a community we at least confirm amongst ourselves whom is one of us. The power of the Internet to answer these questions is largely responsible for the strides we have made in the last decade.

So do we give certain stars an out for coming out? Is the level of their talent and celebrity inversely related to our desire for them to acknowledge their homosexuality? I grew up in Catholic school thinking there was no way that certain fathers of my friends were straight. My friend recently started work for a faith based company and was sure one of her coworkers was a friend of Dorothy before she discovered he was married and quite devout. These are the generations who grew up maybe recognizing themselves in their favorite stars on TV, only to see them auspiciously paired in magazines with their most recent leading lady. A professor of mine was married with children until Billy Crystal’s portrayal on Soap opened his eyes to his true self, and he subsequently came out.

The celebrity culture of silence about sexuality continues to be detrimental to those they should seek to inspire. As generations only now begin to realize the enormous strides our previous brethren have made, it is imperative we provide them with contemporary role models that are both successful and popular so they understand that they are capable of inhabiting any part of society, not only the alternative. Jackson’s talent and contributions to the recording industry will never be diminished, but his personal legacy can only be tarnished by his inability to ever truly express his identity. It may be too late for him, but not for countless others who may need to confront the ‘man in the mirror.’

Appeared originally at http://www.homo-neurotic.com/2009/07/02/the-queen-of-pop/#more-9164 on 5/2/09