More than a year after disclosing he is gay, Clay Aiken is speaking before a gay-rights event in his North Carolina hometown.
The News & Observer of Raleigh reported Wednesday that Aiken will deliver a speech about gay rights this weekend at the Human Rights Campaign Carolinas gala in Raleigh.
The 31-year-old Raleigh native, pop singer and 2003 “American Idol” runner-up says he wrote his own speech after remarks provided for him proved too political, including a slam aimed at former President George W. Bush.
Aiken says his goal is to urge Americans to support equal rights for all. He says that means allowing homosexuals to marry and enjoy rights that heterosexual couples take for granted like inheritance and hospital visitation.
