Adam Lambert is hitting back at Out Magazine editor Aaron Hicklin, who wrote a very critical open letter to Adam in the same issue where he put him on the cover. Hicklin had criticized Lambert’s management team for not wanting him to seem “gay gay” or emphasize his gayness. Which is confusing since Lambert’s never made any attempt to hide his gayness.

American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert has been in the news this week for more than just the upcoming release of his debut album, For Your Entertainment: After putting Lambert on the cover of OUT magazine, Aaron Hicklin, OUT’s editor, wrote the singer an open letter, complaining about certain stipulations placed on the interview and cover shoot by Lambert’s management team — allegations to which Lambert fired back via Twitter.

We caught up with Lambert at rehearsals for the American Music Awards in downtown Los Angeles today, and got his unvarnished take on the dispute. We also chatted about the new album and his AMA performance, and will bring you those answers tomorrow as part of our ongoing coverage of Sunday’s awards show. The first part of our frank and open Q&A begins after the jump.

Entertainment Weekly: Let’s talk about the OUT magazine kerfuffle.
Adam Lambert: Isn’t that fun? [laughs]

We now know the behind-the-scenes dialogue between the magazine and your management team. The thing I’m curious about is, from your perspective, how does it feel to have your image managed by someone other than you?
What people don’t realize is, I am managing my image, more than maybe the editor of OUT magazine likes to give anybody credit for. My team is a team. And I really feel fortunate that 19 Management and Simon Fuller said to me, from the get-go, “We want to do what you want to do. You need to tell us how you want to do things, what interests you have,” and they’ve been incredibly supportive of me. I really mean it. I’m not being puppeted around. I didn’t want to jump onto a gay magazine as my first thing, because I feel like that’s putting myself in a box and limiting myself. It was my desire to stay away from talking about certain political and civil rights issues because I’m not a politician. I’m an entertainer. That is not my area of expertise. I can talk about relationships and personal experiences because as an artist those things involve writing lyrics and that part of my process. But I didn’t feel comfortable talking about the March on Washington. I didn’t feel comfortable, so I asked my publicist to ask the interviewer to stay away from the political questions. I take full responsibility for that. I think that the editor has his agenda and has his opinions, which I respect, but they’re not necessarily my opinions. And I wish there was a little respect for that. Not every gay man is the same gay man.

They’re gonna take away your laminated membership card.
Apparently. It’s just sexuality. We’re all very very different, just like all straight people are different.

Who told you that?
You know? That’s the thing. But the funny thing is, in order for us to progress, we need to stop segregating ourselves. And a letter like that, that viewpoint — the letter that Aaron wrote is holding us back. Because it’s recognizing the big difference as opposed to letting us all ignore preference and just be people. So I think in attempt to champion a cause he’s actually taking a big step backwards.

With things like the phrase “gay-gay”?
That was taken out of context. It was all taken out of context. And also, the other thing that I feel about it? If there are things going on behind the scenes with my management, it has nothing to do with my interview with them. He really crossed a line.

[From Entertainment Weekly]

It seems clear Adam doesn’t want to intentionally emphasize his gayness all that much either. He just wants to be Adam Lambert, not Adam Lambert The Homosexual. Obviously being gay is a big part of his identity, but it makes sense that he doesn’t want it to be the primary thing. I get it. I don’t want people to think of me as JayBird The Straight Girl. I want to be me, and all of the things that that naturally entails. But it seems like Adam probably feels that when you start making a big deal out of someone’s orientation, that’s all people think about. He’s not trying to deny his homosexuality or keep it under wraps; he’s just trying to be more than one thing.

All that said, what his management said during the interview – taken out of context or not – presents quite the mixed message. And if things are going on behind the scenes with his management regarding his interview (which was the case – it’s what the controversy is about) it does indeed have a great deal to do with his interview with them. However that doesn’t mean Out’s editor handled it properly or professionally. Mixed messages on all sides.

Adam with Kris Allen and his wife Katy O’Connell at US Weekly’s Hot Hollywood 2009 Party on November 18th. Images thanks to WENN.com .