It's just a silly singing contest, but . . .

Well, looks like Kris Allen took American Idol. That’s nice. He seems like a nice kid, with a lot of talent. I know there was a lot of chatter about Adam Lambert as the first GAY AMERICAN IDOL. Which would have been nice too.

Based strictly on talent, I think there was a lot of parity there. I’ve heard them both. Adam could be the second coming of Freddie Mercury. And from me, that’s a huge compliment. He’s got rock and roll instincts and an artists approach to music. And while Kris may be less showy, he has an ability to convey a sense of intimacy even in a large venue and draws an audience in close. There’s room in my iPod for both of these guys.

But even though Adam could have been in a position to be a great role model as the winner (and truly, I think he'll do just fine on his own), and I’m all about that, if I was an Idol voting kind of person, I’d have laid my text down for Kris. The whole nail polish thing? Got me right here. Because, in a situation where he had an opportunity to use divisiveness and prejudice to his advantage, he chose friendship and good sportsmanship. He’s a tolerant, conservative, Christian evangelical. That’s like voting for a unicorn. If they ever existed, I was pretty sure they were now extinct. If the Christian community is right that the media neglects their perspective, this is the truly side that doesn’t get shown. A side that is, if not liberal, then at least tolerant of the views and choices of others.

Some kids are going to be gay. And some are going to be Christian. And that’s a community of young people who may be in even bigger need of a positive role model than gay teens.