Clive Davis Comes Out as Bisexual in New Memoir

Acclaimed music producer/former Columbia Records president Clive Davis — a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer whose 60-odd years in the business helped to launch the careers of Janis Joplin, Pink Floyd, Billy Joel, and many others
— takes a more open-minded perspective in his newly published memoir,The Soundtrack of My Life. In the book, an 80-year-old Davis identifies himself as bisexual, calling the often slandered denomination "misunderstood."

The public's mindset on bisexuality is in need of a good deal of repair, but confident and earnest ownership like Davis' is exactly the sort of thing that will foster a healthier, more objective, and open outlook. "Publicly acceptable" scapegoats are often used to cushion the blow of change for those afraid of new ideas. Whereas many might feel comfortable taking swings at bisexuality, Davis' words need to be heard: many people are neither wholly straight nor gay. To deny these individuals the same reverence we would those identifying as one of the two ends of the same spectrum is simple intolerance, no matter how many people, movies, and TV shows are also joking about it.