Benjam Brten: The Love and Death of a Gay Geni | HuffPost Voic

Contents:

• 'THE VOICE' HAS OPENLY GAY SGERS: WHERE ARE THEY ON 'AMERIN IDOL'?
•  THE VOICE SEASON 21 BLD DNS ROUND THREE BUBBA GAY SGER ARIANA GRA JOHN LEGEND TEAM BLAKE
• BENJAM BRTEN: THE LOVE AND DEATH OF A GAY GENI
•  WHO RYLEIGH MODIG THE VOICE KELLY IM GAY FAN REACTNS TEAM CLARSON
• BRIDGERTON'S JONATHAN BAILEY TALKS BEG AN OPENLY GAY ACTOR WORKG TODAY

'THE VOICE' HAS OPENLY GAY SGERS: WHERE ARE THEY ON 'AMERIN IDOL'?

THE VOICE -- "Bld Audns" Episo 2303 -- Pictured: (l-r) Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, Chance The Rapper, Niall Horan -- (Photo by: Evans Vtal Ward/NBC) NBC’s The Voice has only aired two episos, but already viewers have heard somethg that viewers have probably never heard on Fox’s Amerin Idol: “I’m gay.

 THE VOICE SEASON 21 BLD DNS ROUND THREE BUBBA GAY SGER ARIANA GRA JOHN LEGEND TEAM BLAKE

” The Voice featured two openly lbian nttants durg s premiere, then two openly gay men durg s send episo. While there have been gay Idol nttants, most famoly Adam Lambert and Clay Aiken, they’ve eher publicly acknowledged their sexual orientatn after their rpective seasons nclud, or that aspect of their inty was ignored on the show self.

In fact, out of hundreds of nttants that have appeared on TV’s biggt seri over 10 years, openly gay portrayals are eher nonexistent (nobody ntacted for this story uld remember one), or at bt, extremely rare, let alone numbers like The Voice has picted s first two weeks.

This isn’t to suggt Idol and/or Fox is secretly enforcg a closeted agenda — producers hired the openly gay Ellen DeGener as a judge and Fox airs Glee, perhaps the most gay-iendly drama on broadst. When craftg The Voice, executive producer Mark Burt said the choice to prent sgers’ sexual orientatn was discsed, and said he was surprised havg openly gay sgers wasn’t already faiar terrory on Idol. “It didn’t cross my md to do anythg but be thentic, ” said Burt, whose first season of CBS’ Survivor was not only groundbreakg realy TV, but also featured an openly gay nttant, Richard Hatch, who won the petn.

BENJAM BRTEN: THE LOVE AND DEATH OF A GAY GENI

And sce there have been many gay sgers on the show, there’s clearly a choice beg ma at some pot the Idol procs by somebody to not clu that rmatn.

” It uld simply be a difference of productn style: That producers on Idol, as Fox’s statement suggts, don’t thk sexual orientatn is relevant to a sgg petn and so they don’t really see a reason to go there wh nttants (“I don’t re if a sger is gay!

 WHO RYLEIGH MODIG THE VOICE KELLY IM GAY FAN REACTNS TEAM CLARSON

(Lambert, who like several Idol nttants was wily prumed gay durg the ntt, said after he me out, “I wanted the foc to be on my abily as a sger and as an entertaer — not on my private life.

Ironilly, after prentg four openly gay nttants across two episos, the Gay and Lbian Alliance Agast Defamatn nounced The Voice bee ach Blake Shelton tweeted what some terpreted as a homophobic song lyric.

BRIDGERTON'S JONATHAN BAILEY TALKS BEG AN OPENLY GAY ACTOR WORKG TODAY

) Asked about this matter, GLAAD Print Jarrett Barrs told EW: “Wh more and more Amerins embracg openly gay sgers like Adam Lambert, Idol voters would clearly support a talented openly gay nttant if given the chance today. If Amerin Idol expects to ntue leadg the ratgs, Idol producers should regnize that posive gay cln on televisn not only fosters acceptance but, as evinced by the populary of shows like The Voice and Glee, is a smart programmg move.

Why is there a srcy of openly gay sgers on Idol? Here’s a clip of Tyler Robson, one of the openly gay The Voice nttants om last week: Episo Reps THE VOICE -- "Bld Audns" Episo 2303 -- Pictured: Niall Horan -- (Photo by: Evans Vtal Ward/NBC) S23 E3 Rep The Voice nttant lands on Niall Horan's team thanks to a Harry Styl song By Maggie Fremont The Voice -- “Live Fale, Part 2” Episo 2220B -- Pictured: (l-r) John Legend, Gwen Stefani, Caa Cabello, Blake Shelton -- (Photo by: Nile Wegart/NBC) S22 E25 Rep The Voice fale rep: A new wner is crowned By Maggie Fremont The Voice -- Live Fale, Part 1 Episo 2220A -- Pictured: Omar Jose Cardona -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC) S22 E24 Rep The Voice rep: The top five sg for the w By Maggie Fremont The Voice -- Live Semi-Fal Top 8 Elimatns Episo 2219B -- Pictured: John Legend -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC) S22 E23 Rep The Voice rep: Meet your season 22 falists By Maggie Fremont Blake Shelton, John Legend, Gwen Stefani, and Caa Cabello on 'The Voice' S22 E22 Rep The Voice rep: The Top 8 pair up for Whney Hoton duets the semifals By Maggie Fremont The Voice -- “Live Top 10 Elimatns” Episo 2218AB -- Pictured: (l-r) Omar Jose Cardona, Kim Cise, John Legend, Parija Bastola -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC) S22 E21 Rep The Voice rep: A Team Legend sger ws the Instant Save Round to make the Top 8 By Maggie Fremont The Voice -- “Live Top 10 Performanc” Episo 2218A -- Pictured: (l-r) John Legend, Gwen Stefani -- (Photo by: Casey Durk/NBC) S22 E20 Rep The Voice rep: Live top 10 performanc By Maggie Fremont The Voice -- “Live Top 13 Elimatns” Episo 2217B -- Pictured: (l-r) Bodie, Bryce Leatherwood, Rowan Grace, Brayn Lapen, Man Myl, Devix, Eric Who, Alyssa Wrado, Jt Aaron, Kique, Kim Cse, Omar Jose Cardona, Parija Bastola -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC) S22 E19 Rep The Voice rep: Live Top 13 elimatns By Maggie Fremont The Voice S22 E18 Rep The Voice rep: Watch the top 13 perform songs that 'changed their liv' By Maggie Fremont The Voice -- “Live Top 16 Performanc” Episo 2216B -- Pictured: (l-r) John Legend, Gwen Stefani -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC) S22 E17 Rep The Voice rep: The ach face a tough cisn to reach the top 13 By Maggie Fremont The Voice -- “Live Top 16 Performanc” Episo 2216A -- Pictured: Katie Kalvach -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC) S22 E16 Rep The Voice rep: The top 16 go live for the first time By Maggie Fremont THE VOICE -- "Knockout Rounds" Episo 2214 -- Pictured: John Legend -- (Photo by: Tyler Goln/NBC) S22 E14 Rep The Voice rep: John Legend and Caa Cabello battle for a top Team Blake artist By Maggie Fremont THE VOICE -- "The Knockouts Premiere" Episo 2213 -- Pictured: (l-r) Gwen Stefani, Caa Cabello, John Legend, Blake Shelton -- (Photo by: Tyler Goln/NBC) S22 E13 Rep The Voice rep: Wele to the season of 3-way knockouts By Maggie Fremont THE VOICE S22 E12 Rep The Voice rep: The Battl e to a close By Maggie Fremont THE VOICE -- "The Battl Part 2" Episo 2209 -- Pictured: John Legend -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC) S22 E10 Rep The Voice rep: John Legend has to e his 'save' tonight's battle By Maggie Fremont THE VOICE -- "Battle Rounds" Episo 2208 -- Pictured: (l-r) Caa Cabello, Blake Shelton -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC) S22 E9 Rep The Voice rep: Blake Shelton steals one of Gwen Stefani's would-be sav By Maggie Fremont THE VOICE -- "The Bld Audns, Part 7" Episo 2207 -- Pictured: Steven McMorran -- (Photo by: Ta Thorpe/NBC)THE VOICE -- "Bld Audns" Episo TBD -- Pictured: Man Myl -- (Photo by: Ta Thorpe/NBC) S22 E8 Rep The Voice rep: The Battl are on — and one ach don't hate to e their 'save' By Maggie Fremont Gwen Stefani, Caa Cabello, and Blake Shelton on 'The Voice' S22 E6 Rep The Voice rep: The ach get picky as the Blds beg to wd down By Maggie Fremont THE VOICE -- “The Bld Audns Season Premiere” Episo 2201 -- Pictured: Gwen Stefani -- (Photo by: Tyler Goln/NBC) S22 E5 Rep The Voice rep: Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani put their marriage to the tt as bld dns ntue By Maggie Fremont THE VOICE -- “The Bld Audns, Part 3” Episo 2203 -- Pictured: John Legend -- (Photo by: Tyler Goln/NBC) S22 E4 Rep The Voice rep: Did John Legend jt pick up a rger for the fals? In his montage shown on the realy show, he revealed that he was gay which he was not aware for a long time until he fally addrsed his feelgs.