And while Hayes finally opens up, he never quite gives a “Yes, I’m gay” soundbite.

“I am who I am,” Hayes told the Advocate. “I was never in, as they say. Never.”

But offering a few choice words for the gay press, including The Advocate — which long criticized his silence — Hayes dismisses any notion that he should have come out sooner.

“Nobody owes anything to anybody,” he says. “You are your authentic self to whom and when you choose to be, and if you don’t know somebody, then why would you explain to them how you live your life?”

To this day, Hayes feels burned by a story that ran in the Advocate in anticipation of the series finale of Will & Grace.

Titled ‘Sean Hayes: The Interview He Never Gave,’ the one-page ‘Q&A’ was a clip job of quotes he’d given to other publications through the years that made him look rather silly for pretending no one knew he was gay.

And Hayes gets right to the point:

“I feel like I’ve contributed monumentally to the success of the gay movement in America, and if anyone wants to argue that, I’m open to it. You’re welcome, Advocate.”

That sarcasm and anger cover up years of genuinely hurt feelings.

“Why would you go down that path with somebody who’s done so much to contribute to the gay community?” he asks. “That was my beef about it. What more do you want me to do? Do you want me to stand on a float? And then what? It’s never enough.

In the interview, Hayes explains that he really believed that if he didn’t share his personal life, he wouldn’t be typecast. However, studio execs, he feels, couldn’t get past the “Jack” persona, despite the ambiguity of his personal life.

Read the full interview at Advocate.com.

Barr

In a post on her blog Thursday, outspoken comedian Roseanne Barr has pulled no punches in her comments on the recent suicide of Marie Osmond’s son, Michael Bryan (a.k.a. Blosil), saying it had nothing to do with depression, and everything to do with the Mormon church’s position on homosexuality.

Writes Barr:

Marie Osmond’s poor gay son killed himself … because he had been told how wrong and how sick he was every day of his life by his church and the people in it. Calling that “depression” is a lie!

Yet the Osmonds still talk lovingly about their church, saying nothing about its extremely anti-gay Crusade. Marie also has a gay daughter! Hey, I want her and all the gay kids in the world to know that they are just fine being gay and that they deserve love and respect instead of insults and rebuke! I have gay people in my family and my circle of friends and I am kicking bigot ass and taking names!

Barr adds that she knows so many Mormon kids who were gay and committed suicide, and that she “just cannot and will not stay quiet in order to not offend bigots anymore. It is all so terribly depressing.”

In a second post on Friday, Barr added:

Dear Michael,

if I had been your mom, I would have told you that some of the greatest and smartest and most artisitic people who ever lived were gay. I would have shielded you from bigots who tore at your soul, like the ones that unfortunately were closest to you.
to all the gay mormon children out there in the world, I will be your mom!
I love you!

Bryran (who legally changed his last name from Blosil to Bryan) jumped to his death from the eighth floor of his apartment building in Los Angeles on February 26.

While the Osmond family has not publically spoken of Bryan’s sexual orientation, it has been widely speculated that he was conflicted over his sexuality. At least one tabloid has quoted “family insiders” as saying Bryan didn’t believe he could ever come out as a gay man to his religious Mormon family.

Bryan, who was 18 at the time of his death, had entered rehab for substance abuse when he was 16 and had battled depression for much of his life.

Read the full blog entry here >

From MTV:

“If people want to say that, they can,” he said. “But I’m not. I’m straight.”

But he does get a bit of a kick out of reading about why other people think he’s not straight. “My favorite thing I saw was a guy on the Internet that said, ‘Of course he’s gay. He’s got a gay face,’ which I thought was kind of an odd thing to say anyway,” Radcliffe laughed.

“A ‘gay face’? That’s a very worrying thing, like they have sat at home and have got pictures of me next to other famous, gay [people] — Elton John, I don’t know — just comparing across the years. I’m not sure. It’s very, very odd.”

Watch a clip here:

Radcliffe

Daniel Radcliffe is hoping to stamp out homophobia by starring in a new campaign encouraging tolerance for all sexual orientations.

The Harry Potter star has filmed a public service announcement (PSA) on behalf of the Trevor Project, the leading organization focusing on suicide prevention efforts among gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered youth.

And the actor admits he was inspired to take a stand after coming across intolerant people for the first time as a teen, after growing up with several gay friends.

“I grew up knowing a lot of gay men, and it was never something that I even thought twice about – that some men were gay and some weren’t.

“And then I went to school and (for) the first time, I came across homophobia. I had never encountered it before. It shocked me,” Radcliffe said Friday.

“I have always hated anybody who is not tolerant of gay men or lesbians or bisexuals. Now I am in the very fortunate position where I can actually help or do something about it.”

And Radcliffe is hoping his star power will make people pay attention t o the PSA, due to air in the U.S. this spring.

He added, “I have described myself as being ‘gently eccentric’ and slightly different as a person just because I’ve had a very different set of influences growing up than anybody else in my peer group did.”

Last August, the Trevor Project announced that Radcliffe had made “a major donation” to the organization, and joined its Circle of Hope, a community of major donors which plays an essential role in providing the financial leadership that makes the organization’s lifesaving work possible.

Aiken

More than a year after disclosing he is gay, Clay Aiken is speaking before a gay-rights event in his hometown of Raleigh, NC, reports the Raleigh News & Observer.

This weekend, he will speak as part of the Human Rights Campaign Carolinas gala at the Raleigh Convention Center.

HRC provided a speechwriter to help Aiken, 31, with his remarks, but he decided to write his own. The original speech was too political, Aiken said, and included a slam aimed at George W. Bush.

“I don’t feel like this is the place to be horribly politically charged and bash people and talk about the wrongs that have been done,” he said. “My goal is to be hopeful, that it’s time for everyone to have equal rights.”

For Aiken, that means inheritance rights and hospital-visitation rights and all the other rights that heterosexual couples take for granted, including the right to be married.

Aiken made headlines in 2008 when he appeared on the cover of People magazine with the headline, “Yes, I’m gay.”

Meredith Baxter, the “Family Ties” actress who recently came out on the “Today” show, also will deliver a speech.

Elton John

On Christianity, John told Parade:

“I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems. On the cross, he forgave the people who crucified him. Jesus wanted us to be loving and forgiving. I don’t know what makes people so cruel. Try being a gay woman in the Middle East — you’re as good as dead.”

And, on keeping the love alive with his partner, David Furnish:

“Every Saturday for 16 years, we’ve sent each other a card, no matter where we are in the world, to say how much we love each other.”

The full interview with John will appear on Parade.com on Friday, Feb. 19. There’s also an interesting slide show of the “Most Outrageous Elton John Photos.”

Hathaway, with Jake Gyllenhaal in a scene from Brokeback Mountain

The Devil Wears Prada star grew up as a Catholic in New Jersey but when Hathaway’s brother Michael told the family he was gay, they decided to leave their faith.

Hathaway told GQ magazine: “The whole family converted to Episcopalianism after my elder brother came out. Why should I support an organization that has a limited view of my beloved brother?”

Hathaway, who also co-starred in Brokeback Mountain as Jack Twist’s wife, said that the Episcopal church isn’t perfect for her either.

“So I’m… nothing (no denomination),” she said, “Fuck it, I’m forming. I’m a work in progress.”

Hathaway’s interview appears in the March print issue of the British edition of GQ.

From the Guardian interview:

We speak again on the phone and I ask him what he’d do if one of his girls came out as a lesbian and the other became a stripper.

“Jesus or no Jesus, if my kid started working in a strip club, I’d beat her ass,” he hoots. “Now, the other question is interesting and culturally relevant. I have two or three very dear friends who are homosexual and they know I’m born again and we have an understanding that we’re just not going there…”

I’m not surprised. For the next 20 minutes, we have an intense discussion – argument, really – during which Stephen reveals that he’s all for gay men who, through their faith, reject their homosexuality and get married: “To turn away from that lifestyle is astonishing.” Yes, Stephen, it is. And he’s definitely not for gay marriage.

What about civil partnerships, I ask wearily.

“I believe that the family unit has fundamentally been the most positive thing for society and I don’t believe that any minority has the right to create changes that impact on the majority. That’s really the only issue for me.”

This is not Baldwin’s first time speaking out against homosexuality, who in his 2006 autobiography, details highlights from his personal life, including his days of drug abuse and ultimately becoming a born-again Christian following the 9/11 attacks.

In January 2008, Baldwin called in to the Howard Stern Show to express support for then GOP Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, commenting:

“I don’t believe that gay marriage is in line with God’s Word, which is found in the Bible. So, what I think doesn’t matter; what I believe is what’s in the Bible and the Bible says that gay marriage is not acceptable.”

Later that year, in an interview with the TodayShow.com on MSNBC, Baldwin said:

“I don’t think it’s right that in 10 or 15 years, potentially, my son goes to a public school and reads a book about the normality of homosexuality. I don’t think that [belongs] in the public education system. In a political sense, I don’t agree with that. It doesn’t mean that I think personally that making that lifestyle choice is wrong. The Bible says it’s wrong and I believe in the Bible and I stand for that.”

Baldwin’s interview with the Guardian comes just days after being kicked-out of the Celebrity Big Brother house; he was the fourth house guest to be evicted.

During his stay in the house, Baldwin reportedly read passages from the Bible to his fellow housemates.

Last night we posted (via Facebook) the skit during the opening monologue, when Letterman announced Simpson’s historic appointment and revealed that she is transgender, displaying a photograph of her.

The show’s announcer, Alan Kalter, then feigned “trans panic,” implying he had some prior relationship with Simpson but was not aware of her gender history, and ran yelling from the stage.

In a letter to CBS and Letterman, the HRC writes:

You may not be aware that the punch line in your skit has been used as a defense in nearly every hate crime perpetrated against transgender people that has come to trial. For example, the “trans panic” defense was infamously used by Allen Ray Andrade, who was convicted in 2009 of beating 19-year-old Angie Zapata to death with a fire extinguisher after learning of her gender history.

According to media reports, it has also been the main defense employed by Juan A. Martinez for the killing of Jorge Steven López Mercado, 19, in Puerto Rico last November.

Your skit affirmed and encouraged a prejudice against transgender Americans that keeps many from finding jobs, housing, and enjoying freedoms you and your writers take for granted every day. We ask that you apologize publicly to Ms. Simpson and the transgender community for this unfortunate episode.

Said GLAAD in its statement:

Depicting people reacting in horror to transgender individuals is a dangerous stereotype for popular media to perpetuate because it contributes to the societal conception of transgender people as abnormal and deceptive, which all-too-often results in anti-transgender violence and/or discrimination when played out in reality.

The sketch, in case you missed it:

“I’ve long believed in and have always spoken out for the rights of same-sex couples,” Springsteen wrote on his website.

“Like many of you who live in New Jersey, I’ve been following the progress of the marriage-equality legislation currently being considered in Trenton.

“I’ve long believed in and have always spoken out for the rights of same sex couples and fully agree with Governor Corzine when he writes that, ‘The marriage-equality issue should be recognized for what it truly is — a civil rights issue that must be approved to assure that every citizen is treated equally under the law.’

“I couldn’t agree more with that statement and urge those who support equal treatment for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters to let their voices be heard now.”

A state Senate committee approved the bill by one vote on Monday, although Democratic supporters concede it may fall short of the 21 votes needed to pass in the full senate, delaying the vote until the measure can be debated in the Assembly.

Ron Livingston

Livingston, who earlier this year married actress Rosemarie DeWitt, claims a mystery internet bandit has been relentlessly changing his Wiki page to say he’s in a relationship with a man named Lee Dennison, a claim he says is false and “malicious.”

According to the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the hacking began in May, and every time the false information is removed, the hacker “changes them back almost immediately.”

The 42-year-old actor also claims the hacker has also created phony Facebook profiles for himself and Dennison with both pages saying the two men are in a relationship together.

Livingston is suing for libel, invasion of privacy and for using his name and likeness without his permission. Damages haven’t been specified.

Livingston also appeared in Sex and the City as a writer who had a short relationship with the lead character Carrie Bradshaw, and in the miniseries Band of Brothers.

Behar asked Johnston how it feels to be a gay icon from a “conservative background,” and observed that he seems “to be very comfortable being a gay icon.”

Johnston mentions that “growing up in Wasilla… I’ve never seen a gay guy in Wasilla,” but added “you know, they’re people too. It doesn’t matter to me, more fans, it’s great.”

What are your thoughts, is Johnston really a “gay icon?” (Comments welcome!)

Watch the clip:

GLAAD’s previous two statements regarding ABC’s cancellations of Lambert’s performances on the network after his sexually charged American Music Awards appearance have drawn criticism and caused confusion.

In the first statement, GLAAD seemed to give ABC a free pass: “It would appear that the kiss between Adam Lambert and his keyboardist did not factor into ABC’s decision.”

In the second statement, GLADD said “ABC confirmed this is not about a same-sex kiss or his sexual orientation but about being ‘caught off guard.’ GLAAD asked ABC and calls on them for clarification on ‘caught off guard’ so that the community knows why Lambert is being denied the opportunity to perform on the network.”

On Friday afternoon, GLAAD issued its strongest statement yet, saying that the organization does, in fact, believe that ABC canceled Lambert’s appearances on “Good Morning America” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and stopped considering him for “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” because he is an “openly gay performer.”

Now Baxter, who played the devoted hippie mom constantly butting heads with her conservative kids on “Family Ties,” is making a public admission.

“I am a lesbian and it was a later-in-life recognition,” she told Matt Lauer on the TODAY show.

“Some people would say, well, you’re living a lie and, you know, the truth is — not at all. This has only been for the past seven years.”

Baxter, 62, though anxious, decided to come out on national television after her sexuality became tabloid fodder.

“I’ve always lived a very private life,” said the actress, who’s never even had a publicist. “To come out and disclose stuff is very antithetical to who I am.”

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Baxter says that her relationship with men was complicated, and it took her decades to understand why.

She says she has been with her current girlfriend, Nancy Locke, a contractor she met through mutual friends, for the past four years. Because Locke is openly lesbian, their relationship has not been kept a closely guarded secret.

Now that she is coming out, she also sees herself as an advocate for gay rights.

“This is a political act, even though that’s not what it feels like to me,” she said. “If anyone knows someone who’s gay or lesbian … they’re less likely to vote against them to take away their rights. I can be that lesbian you know now …”

Appearing on CBS’ “Early Show” Wednesday morning to discuss his controversial performance at Sunday’s American Music Awards, where he kissed a man and simulated oral sex, Lambert said that he thinks the controversy shows a double standard and that it wouldn’t be a story if he wasn’t a gay male.

Lending credibility to Lambert’s statement, CBS itself blurred footage of Lambert’s male-on-male kiss in the segment narrating the controversy, but seconds later did not blur the footage of Madonna kissing Britney Spears at the MTV Video Music Awards, a move many are seeing as hypocritical.

See for yourself… the “blurred” footage of Lambert appears 1:02 minutes into the clip; the un-blurred kiss between Madonna and Spears follows 18 seconds later.

CBS defended its decision, releasing the following statement:

“We gave this some real thought. The Madonna image is very familiar and has appeared countless times including many times on morning television. The Adam Lambert image is a subject of great current controversy, has not been nearly as widely disseminated, and for all we know, may still lead to legal consequences.”

Double standard? Share your comments below, or on our Facebook page.
Catch our earlier story with Lambert’s interview and performances on Wednesday’s “Early Show.”

Lambert said he understands why some people were offended by his sexually charged performance, but he offered no apology.

The “American Idol” runner-up, who kissed a male keyboard player and had a dancer simulate oral sex on him while performing at the awards ceremony Sunday night, called the controversy a double standard, and said his performance would not have caused as much controversy if he weren’t openly gay.

Lambert said there was lot of “very adult” content on the AMAs that night, and that stars like Eminem and Janet Jackson also performed material that could have been viewed by some as inappropriate for younger viewers, adding that the broadcast came at nearly 11 p.m. when children should be in bed.

When asked if he should apologize, Lambert responded: “I’m not a babysitter, I’m a performer.”

Catch the full CBS interview and clips from today’s performances here:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

In the next clip, Lambert performs What Do You Want From Me, a single on his debut album For Your Entertainment, live on The Early Show.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Continuing his appearance on CBS, Lambert performs Music Again from his debut album.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Our thanks to CBS’ Early Show for the clips.

Two days after Adam Lambert’s hip thrusting, man-on-man make-out, show-closing performance on the “American Music Awards,” people are still talking.

More than 1,500 complaints were leveled at ABC, according to The Associated Press. ABC officials deemed that a “moderate” response when compared to other events that have prompted viewer complaints.

Though it’s doubtful that anyone at the network thought the controversy would go on this long, Lambert’s show-stopping number is still fodder for morning TV debates over the artistic merits of what happened during Sunday night’s performance.

Chatting up the performance on The View, Elisabeth Hasselbeck siad, “Does anyone remember what he sounded like? Because, let me tell you this. This is the mistake Adam Lambert will make time and time again. We will not remember him as a performer or someone with a voice if he continues to do things like this. So smarten up, and sing.”

The broadcast was “nothing short of tasteless and vulgar” and ABC buried their heads in the sand when Lambert promised to put on a “sexy” show, said Tim Winter of the Parents Television Council.

Meanwhile, ABC announced that Good Morning America has canceled a scheduled concert by Lambert, citing his “controversial” behavior at the award show.

A spokesperson for ABC said, “Given his controversial American Music Awards performance, we were concerned about airing a similar concert so early in the morning.”

Update: On Tuesday afternoon, hours after ABC’s said that it canceled Lambert’s appearance on GMA, comes an announcement from CBS that Lambert would appear on its “Early Show.” In a statement, CBS said that Lambert will appear live on “The Early Show” on Wednesday and discuss his recent performance on the American Music Awards.

Lambert is also scheduled to perform Wednesday on “Late Show With David Letterman,” also on CBS.

In an exclusive interview, Entertainment Weekly caught up with Lambert at rehearsals for the American Music Awards in downtown Los Angeles Thursday for his take on the dispute.

Says Lambert: “I am managing my image…

I’m not being puppeted around. I didn’t want to jump onto a gay magazine as my first thing, because I feel like that’s putting myself in a box and limiting myself. It was my desire to stay away from talking about certain political and civil rights issues because I’m not a politician. I’m an entertainer.”

Regarding Hicklin, Lambert said. “He really crossed a line.”

Read the full Q&A at Entertainment Weekly.

Eariler posts:
‘Out’ editor publically criticizes Lambert, handlers
Lambert to ‘Out’ editor via Twitter: Chill!

Lambert took to his Twitter account on Tuesday to respond to Aaron Hicklin’s tirade, reports MTV.

“Dear Aaron, it’s def not that deep. Chill! Guess ya gotta get attention for the magazine,” Lambert wrote. “U too are at the mercy of the marketing machine.”

“Until we have a meaningful conversation, perhaps you should refrain from projecting your publication’s agenda onto my career.”

The above tweetst came after Hicklin published a letter in which he said he was proud to have the singer in the Out 100 list of influential gay and lesbian icons but upset that Lambert’s label and management appear to be trying to tone down talk of his homosexuality.

“You’re a pioneer, an out gay pop idol at the start of his career,” Hicklin wrote.

“Someone has to be first, and we’re all counting on you not to mess this up. You have to find your own path and then others can follow. We just hope it’s a path that’s honest and true and that you choose to surround yourself with people who celebrate your individuality.”

Lambert, the 27-year-old American Idol runner-up alum was named the Breakout Star, Sykes earned Entertainer of the Year, and Lauper, Ally of the Year.

Highlights from this year’s annual Out 100 edition:

Lambert on his sexulaity: “To some people, me being sexual is really offensive because I’m gay. They’re like, ‘He’s being really gay.’ And I’m like, actually, ‘No, I’m just being sexual.’ Male sexuality is frightening to America [but] female sexuality is all over the place.”

Sykes on coming out: After years of whispers and speculation, she felt she had no choice but to come out after California passed Proposition 8 in November. “It’s great being out. Everything is out on the table and I am what I am.”

Lauper on supporting the gay community: “We had the civil rights movement in the ’60s, women had to fight in the ’70s, and it’s just insane to think in 2009 there’s still a group of Americans recognized as ‘less than’ the rest of us.”

The Out 100 issue hits newsstands Tuesday, November 24. For the complete list of the 100 people recognized, visit Out.com.