Clay Aiken isn't the only Idol constantly forced to deal with the gay question. Australian Idol Guy Sebastian, a heterosexual Christian virgin, says the gay rumors have been relentless and have inspired enough vandalism and abuse to make him want to quit singing:
“Someone spray-painted the word ‘faggot' on my car. I grew up playing footy, I worked as a forklift driver at a warehouse in Adelaide. I move to Sydney and became a singer and suddenly I was a pansy and getting people calling me ‘faggot'.' There's always that five per cent of people who are destructive and want to rip you down. They just have to say bad stuff to you like ‘You're a has-been' and ‘You're a faggot' … really rude stuff. My house was getting egged, I was getting abused in the street. I was thinking about just being a producer behind the scenes, running a studio, and not having to go on TV or deal with the public. I was in a bad state for a while, I didn't want to see anyone. Any time my music career would come up I would get emotional and stressed.”
Perhaps Sebastian should take some advice from Aiken, who told People that he's on the prescription anti-depressant Paxil:
“I said (to my doctor), ‘Listen, I don't want to go to a therapist. I have nothing against therapists. I want to think I can do this on my own.' And she recommended that I try a medication. … Now I can sit here; I can go into a store; I can handle a photo shoot. I'm able to get rid of all that stuff in the periphery. It makes everything easier.”
