John Mayer isn’t thrilled about the fact that, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, his BFF Andy Cohen was asked about their relationship in a way that made it sound as though straight and gay men can’t have close friendships. In fact, he was so annoyed, he wrote a letter to the interviewer to complain.
John’s letter, published in The Hollywood Reporter, says that he was “intrigued” by the fact that the interviewer told Cohen, “Your friendship with Mayer has been a subject of intense speculation. People seem dubious that a straight rock star can have a close platonic relationship with a gay TV personality.”
“I think this is somewhat of a specious premise,” John writes. “First, there is a long and storied history of ‘rock stars’ (not mocking, just won’t refer to myself as one) befriending gay icons and artists. Second, I think that to suggest that people are dubious of a friendship like mine and Andy’s is to undermine the public’s ability to accept and understand diversity in all facets of culture, be it in art or in real life.”
“I’d like to think they’re sophisticated enough to see a relationship like ours without assuming it must include a sexual component,” he continues.
Then, he gets angry: “I bristle at your selectively flimsy logic meant to coax an answer, when the premise itself is so deeply flawed, and quite possibly not even quantitatively true,” he writes. “Quite simply, if someone is dubious of a platonic relationship between a straight man and a gay man, I don’t think that shallow a view deserves clarification by anyone with self respect.”
He concludes by saying, “Reinforcing the idea that any gay/straight relationship needs qualification that it’s not sexual devoids everyone involved of their dignity.”
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