Darren Hayes, the lead singer of that band Savage Garden whose popularity you could never understand around the turn of the millenium, has come out. On his fan website he just posted a statement about his recent civil partnership ceremony with his boyfriend in London:"On June 19th 2006 I married my boyfriend of two years, Richard, in a Civil Partnership ceremony in London. I can honestly say it was the happiest day of my life. I feel lucky to live in an era where my relationship can be considered legally legitimate and I commend the UK Government for embracing this very basic Civil Liberty. I'm proud of who I am, and after what felt like an eternity, I'm finally in a place where my heart is secure and content. And I can finally make sense of all of the searching. I still maintain the belief that families and relationships are not commodities to be sold off for public consumption. In this regard, I am and will continue to be a public person with a private life."
Even though we never really liked that song "Truly, Madly, Deeply," we have to hand it to Hayes. It's true that celebrities have a right not to talk about their private lives if they choose. But no straight celebrity could get married without their fans taking notice. And by participating in this tradition, just by writing a few paragraphs, he's provided young people in the US and the UK with yet another successful, well-respected role model. Hopefully this will be of some comfort to the struggling tweenage closet queens who sit around and listen to his albums surrounded by their "Take That" posters, worrying about how to be proud of who they are. It always seems like this is a group who needs to be catered to, rather than homophobes.
Darren, thanks for being brave. You've finally legitimized the fact that your music was always really, really fucking gay.
1 comment:
And yet none of my straight friends would ever believe me when I insisted that he HAD to be a fag.
Belated vindication is better than none. Beers are on me this evening.
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