Gay or Not? Clay Aiken Won't Say

In an interview with People magazine, Clay Aiken speaks out on a number of topics but dodges a direct question about his sexuality.

"What do you say [to that question]?" he tells the magazine. "It's like when I was 8. I remember something would get broken in the house, and Mom and Dad would call me in and say, 'Did you do this?' Well, it didn't matter what I said. The only thing they would believe was yes. ... People are going to believe what they want."

The speculations around Aiken's orientation heated up earlier this year when reports of a hotel liaison with ex-marine John Paulus hit the National Enquirer. The rumors resulted in some backlash against the Southern Baptist-raised singer, who was un-invited from a Christian concert event in Atlanta.

"We were so excited about Clay Aiken appearing as a young man who promotes Christianity in the music industry, and then we started to be inundated with e-mails referring to scandal,” said spokesperson Brenda Sharman. “We searched for his public response and couldn't find one, so at this time we will have to err on the side of caution until these matters are resolved."

Aiken also told People magazine that he is taking the antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication Paxil in order to deal with the panic attacks he suffers from. Clay said, "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."

Aiken described how he used to feel before taking Paxil. "I'd walk into a room and…my heart would start pumping, and I'd start sweating and looking around nervously and shaking. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack," he said.

Aiken, who shot to fame as a runner-up on American Idol, added he would love to become a father.

“I would love to adopt. There's an orphanage not too far from my house, and I've been up before with church,” he said. “I always thought, 'What happens to those kids who have the potential to go to college but just can't afford it?' I've been thinking a lot lately about finding a way to pay for one of those kids to go to college."

Aiken is currently promoting the release of his new CD, A Thousand Different Ways. His debut album Measure of a Man sold nearly 3 million copies.