Singer Darren Hayes: "Nobody outed me..."
This is the second and final part of an interview I had with singer Darren Hayes this month. In part one, we talked about his new album and a well-publicized restaurant altercation that he is now eager to put past him.
On the day that we spoke, Hayes had attended a civil partnership ceremony of two friends which he said was "beautiful" and he was also a guest at Elton John's wedding to David Furnish: "It was a big deal because Elton is such a famous perspon and it was an important moment. It was a very powerful statement to make, soemeone who had been knighted by the Queen and an official card carrying homo. I loved it!”
As far as the raging debate over same-sex marriage in the U.S., Hayes says: "Obviously it's a divided issue. There’s so many people in the country, so many opinions. The land mass is as big as Europe, I think it's a miracle that America manages to be so cohesive. England really surprised me, In terms of social reform, medical care and civil partnerships, it is quite forward thinking. I think Australia and America will catch up."
Hayes entered into a civil partnership with his boyfriend of three years, Richard Cullen, on June 19, 2006 in London and announced it on his official website the next month:
"What I'm most of proud of is I had nothing to promote and nobody outed me. I lived in America for seven years and I adore the country. But it can be quite aggressive the way people are outed, people like Lance Bass, who were dragged out of the closet. For me, it was a very conscious decision that I made in a very calm and sort of measured state of mind."
“I think we made a decision in our relationship to humanize it. We werern't going to be this hidden couple. I talk about Richard pretty openly. If I attend events, sometimes he's there. It's a fine line that we try to walk. Like any relationship, he is a part of me and a part of everything I do."
Still, there was concern over how being an out gay man would affect his music career.
"Even though I never lied about it, there was a concern that some of my female fans would feel that I fooled them or maybe they’d feel like they'd been lied to which wasn't the case., But as a gay man, there's always that disappointment a woman in your life feels when you come out, a woman who had a crush on you, I have such a strong connection to my audience, my female audience, I thought, 'This is going to be interesting.' I was overwhelmed by the positivity, I think that was due to the fact that I never lied.”
“I don't see myself as a gay artist at all. I see myself as a human being. On the surface, I don't think my marriage or being gay reeally colors my music. But being out and being in a beautful relationship has made me feel better about myself. What that has done is made me brave in every area of my life. From launching my own label, making a double album. It's made me really brave and i think that kind of shows in the music that I’'m making.”
1 Comments
Leave a comment
About Out
in Hollywood
Greg Hernandez has covered the entertainment industry for the Daily News since 2001. He's considered a bit odd by some for his obsession with box office numbers, has been known to camp out near the kitchen at premieres for first crack at the hors d'oeurves, and Greg's never seen a red carpet he didn't want to stroll down.
E-mail Greg
Thanks for the interview! ^_^ Pssst btw there are a few typos in this article you might wanna iron out :)