Darren was interviewed by Greg - part 2

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Singer Darren Hayes: "Nobody outed me...
By Greg Hernandez on September 27, 2007 9:00 AM

This is the second and final part of an interview I had with singer Darren Hayes this month. In part one, we talked about his new album and a well-publicized restaurant altercation that he is now eager to put past him.
On the day that we spoke, Hayes had attended a civil partnership ceremony of two friends which he said was "beautiful" and he was also a guest at Elton John's wedding to David Furnish: "It was a big deal because Elton is such a famous perspon and it was an important moment. It was a very powerful statement to make, soemeone who had been knighted by the Queen and an official card carrying homo. I loved it!”
As far as the raging debate over same-sex marriage in the U.S., Hayes says: "Obviously it's a divided issue. There’s so many people in the country, so many opinions. The land mass is as big as Europe, I think it's a miracle that America manages to be so cohesive. England really surprised me, In terms of social reform, medical care and civil partnerships, it is quite forward thinking. I think Australia and America will catch up."
Hayes entered into a civil partnership with his boyfriend of three years, Richard Cullen, on June 19, 2006 in London and announced it on his official website the next month:
"What I'm most of proud of is I had nothing to promote and nobody outed me. I lived in America for seven years and I adore the country. But it can be quite aggressive the way people are outed, people like Lance Bass, who were dragged out of the closet. For me, it was a very conscious decision that I made in a very calm and sort of measured state of mind."
“I think we made a decision in our relationship to humanize it. We werern't going to be this hidden couple. I talk about Richard pretty openly. If I attend events, sometimes he's there. It's a fine line that we try to walk. Like any relationship, he is a part of me and a part of everything I do."

Still, there was concern over how being an out gay man would affect his music career.
"Even though I never lied about it, there was a concern that some of my female fans would feel that I fooled them or maybe they’d feel like they'd been lied to which wasn't the case., But as a gay man, there's always that disappointment a woman in your life feels when you come out, a woman who had a crush on you, I have such a strong connection to my audience, my female audience, I thought, 'This is going to be interesting.' I was overwhelmed by the positivity, I think that was due to the fact that I never lied.”
“I don't see myself as a gay artist at all. I see myself as a human being. On the surface, I don't think my marriage or being gay reeally colors my music. But being out and being in a beautful relationship has made me feel better about myself. What that has done is made me brave in every area of my life. From launching my own label, making a double album. It's made me really brave and i think that kind of shows in the music that I’'m making.”