AceShowbiz - Gay singer Adam Lambert is grateful to his parents for accepting his sexuality and supporting him throughout his younger years, insisting he is "fortunate" to have grown up in such a liberal household. The former "American Idol" contestant confirmed his sexuality to the public in a tell-all interview with Rolling Stone magazine in 2009, shortly after he finished second in the reality TV show competition.

Lambert went on to shock fans with a sexually charged performance at the American Music Awards in November 2009, in which he simulated a sex act with a male dancer, prompting more than 1,500 viewers to file complaints to broadcaster ABC. But despite the controversy, the gay star is proud that he is able to be himself - and has credited his parents with giving him the confidence to flaunt his sexuality.

He tells music channel Fuse, "My dad is a Deadhead (fan of rock band Grateful Dead), my mom's a Jewish-American princess from Jersey. They never got hung up on stuff like that, and I'm fortunate, because there's a lot of people who come from households where it's not OK."