IMHO "20/20": Adam Lambert talks high school, coming out to his mom and kissing girls

So. First Adam Lambert gets me to move from only checking out American Idol occasionally (to keep up on the water cooler talk) to eagerly watching the show every week. And now Adam has challenged my aversion to John Stossel, as I tuned in to watch 20/20 for his first interview since officially coming out as gay to Rolling Stone.

I've been impressed so far with the way Adam has managed his public rollout to ensure we get to know him a little more with each appearance. Following up on the Rolling Stone article for this interview, Adam discussed growing up gay and brought his mother to the table with him.

Adam and ABC News' Christopher Connell

What stood out to me about this interview is how easily Adam articulated the experience of being gay in a mostly straight world. In discussing singing at his high school graduation he nicely summed up a feeling I suspect many gays can understand:

"When you are a young man or woman and you're in the closet, chances are you might not be experiencing other things that other kids in high school are experiencing. In high school, it's the first time you have your first date, your first love, your first kiss. I didn't have any of that."

Adam nicely framed being gay as simply a matter of wanting those experiences (your first love and first kiss) with someone of the same sex and, even better, those words were heard by an audience that probably hasn't given a lot of consideration to gay lives and experiences.

We also got to hear about how Adam's mom approached him about his homosexuality, asking him, "Do you have a girlfriend? ... Do you want one?" When he said no to both questions, she moved on to "Do you want to have a boyfriend?" Again, it's a moment that sees being gay not as a social issue but as simply a part of being human.

Adam's mom

Another interesting moment came at the end of the interview, when Adam said he wouldn't refer to himself as bisexual, but would accept a bi-curious label: "I've been known to make out with girls from time to time ... and who knows, maybe it'll go further some day, who knows?" Okay, so cheers to Adam for reminding people (basically) about the Kinsey scale. Still, I guess that means I'll have to put away my praise that Adam is undermining the stereotype that straight women won't find a gay man hot because he's unavailable to them, since that door is left ever-so-slightly ajar.

Adam's bi-curious comment has lit up the blogosphere but it's a comment from earlier in the interview that raised an eyebrow for me: When Adam explained his progression from being the "theatrical" American Idol contestant to Rolling Stone coverboy he noted, "I was always out, I just chose to avoid it. I wasn't ready to address everything I had ever done and reveal the most intimate details of my personality. I was just getting used to being a figure in the public eye."

Through the years, Adam's love of costumes

Seeing himself as "always out" but avoiding the topic is an interesting way to put it. I mean, if you look at that TMZ video, that's a fair way to describe it. On the other hand, I think of how Perez Hilton criticized him for not coming out quickly enough and calling him "Adam LAMEbert" and I can see that quote irritating some people.

Generally, I continue to be impressed with the way he has handled the issue. He dealt with the speculation he faced as an Idol contestant with flair and now that the desire to hear him talk about being gay has reached a peak, he's great at talking about what it means to be gay.

What did you think? If you missed the interview, it's available on the ABC site.