CLAY AIKEN : I'M A GAY DAD

taken from people.com:

Clay Aiken: I'm a Gay Dad

By David Caplan

Originally posted Wednesday September 24, 2008 07:00 AM EDT

Photo by: Michael Lavine

Following the Aug. 8 birth of his son Parker, singer Clay Aiken is following through on a promise he made to himself as a new dad: to publicly acknowledge that he's gay. 

"It was the first decision I made as a father," Aiken, 29, tells the upcoming issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday. "I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things. I wasn't raised that way, and I'm not going to raise a child to do that." 

Aiken says he expects the news may overwhelm some of his fans. "Whether it be having a child out of wedlock, or whether it be simply being a homosexual, it's going to be a lot," said Aiken, who returned to Broadway last week as Sir Robin inMonty Python's Spamalot. 

He adds that he hopes his fans "know that I've never intended to lie to anybody at all. ... But if they leave, I don't want them to leave hating me." 

How He Came Out to His Family

The born-again Christian singer also reveals how he told his mother Faye he's gay four years ago. After dropping off his younger brother Brett, who was being deployed to Iraq, at Camp Lejeune, "I started crying in the car," Aiken remembers. "It was dark. I was sitting there, thinking to myself. I don't know why I started thinking about it ... I just started bawling. She made me pull over the car and it just came out." 

So what was his mom's reaction? "She started crying. She was obviously somewhat stunned. But she was very supportive and very comforting." Even now, Aiken admits, "She still struggles with things quite a bit, but she's come a long way." 

As for his own child, Aiken tells PEOPLE that Parker – who was conceived via in vitro fertilization with his best friend, music producer Jaymes Foster – will be raised in an environment that is "accepting and allowing him to be happy." 

Says Aiken: "I have no idea if he'll be gay or straight. It's not something I'll have anything to do with, or that he'll have anything to do with. It's already probably up inside the code there ... No matter what the situation you're in, if you're raised in a loving environment, that's the most important thing."

i dont know this is shockin news or not..shocking bcoz he finally told to the world he's gay but not really shocking bcoz seems like i knew it since he's on idol, but it just guessing..it become another shocking when its true..

i just respect him for what the truth he tell to the world because he knew that it will bring so much consequences in his career and life..many claymates said in the forum that they will not support him anymore and refuse to continue to be his fans because he's gay...I REALLY DONT HAVE ANY IDEA WHY THEY DID THAT..in my opinion trully fans wont do that..its like you finally know your friend was gay(that what i felt recently when my really really close friend told me that he was gay)..i dont know what i felt in that moment but one thing for sure i WON'T leave him,or dont want to be his friend anymore..and even i want to be more close with him to support him and maybe give him some advice to return him to his path..

EVEN if someday ARCHIE said the same thing like what clay said(BUT I HOPE NOT)..I'LL KEEP SUPPORT HIM NO MATTER WHAT..i dont have any business with that..that's his business with GOD..all i want to know is his art,song,music etc...thats what i feel r8now..

and what about you claymates?????if u'r claymates, i really want to know your feeling bout that..please..thank you very much..