Rocker Adam Lambert says his mother
practically did cartwheels when he came out gay.
Adam and his mother Leila Lambert were
honored by Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
on Sunday at the group's The LA Event in Beverly Hills,
California.
Leila told the crowd that she suspected
Adam might be gay at 17 and sought support from the group.
“A couple of years went by and sure
enough we ended up having our big discussion and it was the most
wonderful evening. We laughed, we cried, we had a great time. And
it was not really a major moment. It just was easy. It just was who
he was. And I never looked at it as a transition or anything,”
Leila said.
“My experience is, I grew up in a
very liberal household. My mom practically did cartwheels when I
came out. She's like, 'Come out!'” Adam said.
“I had a very fortunate experience.
So, there are times when I forget that not everybody has that same
experience. Not everybody has it so easy.”
But “even though I was living in
Southern California with liberal parents, I was horrified [by the
thought of coming out],” he later added. “I was so scared. I've
really taken a lot of time to try to put myself in these kids' shoes.
And that's why I've become more and more involved in the last couple
of years.” (The video is embedded in the right panel of this
page.)
(Related: As
Sauli Koskinen looks on, Adam Lambert sings duet with Kathy Griffin.)