American idol gay contestants list
Randy Jackson Opens Up About Gay Contestant on 'American Idol'
Feb. 13, 2014 -- "American Idol" reached a milestone Wednesday night when the show welcomed its first officially openly gay contestant -- M.K. Nobilette -- to the Foremost 30. And Randy Jackson, who's now moved from organism a judge on the show to being its "in-house mentor," says he's happy about that, but is surprised that it's taken this long.
Certainly, "American Idol" has had gay contestants in the past -- Adam Lambert and Clay Aiken are the two who come to consciousness -- but both men only came out after the show; during their time on the program they never talked about their sexual orientation on camera. Meanwhile, as Entertainment Weekly points out, "The Voice" has featured any number of openly gay contestants since it debuted, so it's surprising that it's taken "Idol" until 2014 to do the same.
What's Next for Simon Cowell?
During a cell press conference on Thursday, Jackson told reporters that he's "really proud" and "really happy" for Nobilette, who on Wednesday night was chosen by the judges to combine the Top 1
American Idol Stars Who Have Been Open About Their Sexuality
While improve known for her stage entitle and for being a finalist on Season 6 of "RuPaul's Drag Race," Adore Delano was once a contestant on "American Idol" who presented as a man known as Danny Noriega. But before appearing on the show in 2008 at 18, she had come out to her family, first as pansexual at 12, then shortly after as gay, and, finally, as transgender in high school, she revealed in a July 2023 Instagram video.
However, when she appeared on the popular show, she went back into the closet to be able to challenge. "I threw it away, I burned it," she said. "I reinvented myself into something that was so uncomfortable. It was almost like a sacrifice in order to get what I wanted career-wise," she said. In the video, Delano also revealed she is transitioning, a process she described as life-changing. "I've found that it's been very enlightening and has made me probably the happiest I've ever been in my adult life," she said.
Before coming out as transgender, Delano had defined her gender identity in different terms. "I am non-binary & completely valid. You are important & alive. Always know that," she share
American Idol Season 7 runner-up David Archuleta has discussed the journey he went on with his sexuality in a recent social media post.
On Instagram in June (aka Movement Month), the singer and Mormon revealed that he discussed coming out as gay to his family in 2014, six years after being on Idol.
The post describes how Archuleta struggled to find a excel description of his sexuality than simply "gay." He wrote: "I've been unseal to myself and my close family for some years now that I am not sure about my possess sexuality. I came out in 2014 as gay to my family. But then I had similar feelings for both genders so maybe a spectrum of bisexual. Then I also contain learned I don't have too much sexual desires and urges as most people which works I guess because I have a commitment to keep myself until marriage."
Though many American Idol contestants have been members of the LGBTQIA+ community, most like Archuleta didn't come out until the end of the show – in fact, the show didn't own its first contestant who was out on the demonstrate until MK Nobilette in Season 13.
Here are the other LGBTQ+ alumni of the Fox-turned-ABC singing show.
American Idol contestants who came out after t First Openly Gay Contestant Makes Top 30 on 'American Idol'
Feb. 13, 2014 — -- For the first time an openly male lover "American Idol" contestant has made the cut for the final 30.
Other contestants like Clay Aiken and Adam Lambert later admitted to being gay, but M.K. Nobilette is the first to admit she's gay while competing for the top prize.
Nobilette, 20, impressed the judges on Wednesday night's show, even giving Jennifer Lopez goose bumps during her production of Ed Sheeran's "A Team."
After the judges brought up that she's not the typical "American Idol," she talked about her sexuality.
"I'm very obviously same-sex attracted and there are always going to be people in America and everywhere else, who will definitely hate me," she said. "But I think that in the last two years there have been a lot of things that have really changed that and have really made it a positive thing."
Lopez followed her comments up by saying she also believed "the earth is changing, I think."
She continued, "We think that you could be an 'American Idol' and we'd like you to be in our top 15 girls
First Openly Gay Contestant Makes Top 30 on 'American Idol'
Feb. 13, 2014 — -- For the first time an openly male lover "American Idol" contestant has made the cut for the final 30.
Other contestants like Clay Aiken and Adam Lambert later admitted to being gay, but M.K. Nobilette is the first to admit she's gay while competing for the top prize.
Nobilette, 20, impressed the judges on Wednesday night's show, even giving Jennifer Lopez goose bumps during her production of Ed Sheeran's "A Team."
After the judges brought up that she's not the typical "American Idol," she talked about her sexuality.
"I'm very obviously same-sex attracted and there are always going to be people in America and everywhere else, who will definitely hate me," she said. "But I think that in the last two years there have been a lot of things that have really changed that and have really made it a positive thing."
Lopez followed her comments up by saying she also believed "the earth is changing, I think."
She continued, "We think that you could be an 'American Idol' and we'd like you to be in our top 15 girls