Lance Bass Admits He's Gay

By Scott Ferguson

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

People magazine landed quite an exclusive this week with the cover story that Lance Bass, a former member of the boy band N'Sync has come out of the closet. The cover of the issue of People features a picture of Lance Bass with the quote "I'm Gay" right on the cover and the interview with Lance Bass comes on the heels of rumors circulating that Lance Bass has been dating Amazing Race contestant Reichen Lehmkuhl. Lance Bass told People, "I'm not ashamed. I'm more liberated and happy than I've been in my whole life."



Lance Bass continues in People to talk about why he kept his homosexuality a secret - he was concerned about his band, N'Sync, "I knew that I was in this popular band and I had four other guys' careers in my hand, and I knew that if I ever acted on it or even said [that I was gay], it would overpower everything. I didn't know: Could that be the end of 'N Sync? So I had that weight on me of like, 'Wow, if I ever let anyone know, it's bad.' So I just never did."



According to the People story, as reported by E Online, the first person that Lance Bass told about his sexual orientation was N'Sync partner, Joey Fatone. In fact, Lance Bass and Joey Fatone are working on a sitcom together based on The Odd Couple, in which Lance Bass' character would be openly gay. Joey Fatone backs up Lance Bass' decision to come out of the closet, telling People, "He took years to really think about how he was going to tell everyone. I back him up 100 percent."



The homosexuality rumors really started to swirl around Lance Bass this month when The New York Post reported that Lance Bass was spotted with Reichen Lehmkuhl at Atlantic House, a gay bar in Provincetown, MA. Lance Bass hasn't commented on if The New York Post was responsible for his coming out of the closet and ABC News tried to track him down for a comment but was told by Cindy Owen, Lance Bass' spokeswoman, that Lance Bass would not comment on the interview or The New York Post's involvement in the story and did not return calls to ABC News.



The Washington Blade. a gay and lesbian newspaper, is quoted by ABC News as reporting that Lance Bass had been living a barely concealed double life for a long time with the Blade's managing editor Kevin Naff, taking Lance Bass to task on the newspaper's web site earlier this month, claiming that Lance Bass with "openly closeted". Kevin Naff reported on Lance Bass making the gay club rounds over the Fourth of July weekend, saying that the music star had "tried lamely to disguise himself with a hat" but that "unfortunately for Bass, it wasn't big enough to fool the New York Post."



The New York Post and The Washington Blade weren't alone in reporting on Lance Bass's homosexuality with The New York Daily News reporting that Perez Hilton - not Paris Hilton, this one's an online gossip columnist - had proof that Lance Bass and Reichen Lehmkuhl, who won $1 million on The Amazing Race with his then-partner Chip Arndt, were sharing clothing. GLAAD - The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation - weren't too happy about the prying eyes looking into Lance Bass's sexuality or clothing choices with Damon Romine, GLAAD entertainment media director, saying in an interview before Lance Bass' People interview, "Coming out is a personal, private decision that needs to be made by the individual. Media speculation about people's sexual orientation is not something we support."



The issue of People with the Lance Bass interview will hit stands later this week.



[Additional Sources: People, E Online, ABC News, The Washington Blade, The New York Post, The New York Daily News]



- Scott Ferguson

wait...what? He was keeping it a secret? Well, I, for one, was completely fooled. I suppose next someone will be telling me that RuPaul is really a man! Why is someone expressing their sexual preferences in this day and age still considered news and headline worthy. Sheesh, people, there are homosexuals and heterosexuals and any manner of sexuals in between. When are we just going to get over it?

He's gay...big deal. I wonder how many RIAA people are in the closet.

Wait... who? Oh now that headline just cost me 3 seconds of my life. I want a refund!

this deserves a

one down, four to go i guess

Who woulda thunk it..

"....and I had four other guys' careers in my hand...".Joey Fat-one backs up Lance ... telling People,"I back him up 100 percent."
This gets real deeeep.

so another boyband douchebag not only sucks at music but also sucks cock. who but the delusional prepubescent girls who spent their parent's money on his shit gives a rats ass?

he still could have kept it a secret and i still would have believed he was gay, im suprised it took so long for him to state it was true...

one down, four to go