By Denise Martin, Special to the Times, and Stephanie Lysaght, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
Clay Aiken is gay
Ever since Clay Aiken rose to prominence on "American Idol," his sexuality has been a topic of curiosity.
On Sept. 24, Aiken finally put the rumors to rest, trumpeting his coming out on the cover of
People magazine. "YES, I'M GAY," declared the headline, beside a photograph of Aiken holding his new son (via in vitro fertilization). "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 told People.
Upon hearing the news, our own celebrity columnist
Elizabeth Snead echoed the sentiments of many, writing, "Forgive us if we're not like, totally, shocked and stunned."