I bought my first Rufus Wainwright CD because he was gay. It had nothing to do with the engaging melodies or addictive lyrics. It had nothing to do with his legendary parents. None of that. It was one of those annoying e-mails forwarded by a friend who has a tendency to send numerous annoying e-mails, instructing me to show my gay pride and log on to the MTV website to vote for the new Rufus video. I complied of course, without having even seen the video. Guilt-ridden for misleading my beloved music television with a secret gay agenda, I woke up early the next morning to go purchase the CD and convince myself it deserved my vote.

I was expecting a male version of Madonna. After all, a gay teen idol? Riki Martin, George Michael, and Stephen Gately come to mind. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the Anti-Madonna that Rufus really is. Living, breathing tempos, that come from someone's soul rather than a drum machine. Long, winding songs, more loyal to an emotion than a three minute radio format. Lyrics that lodge themselves in your mind and make you think. This is not the stuff of weekend circuit parties. This is the music of cofee shops, late night conversations, cheap red wine, and, as the first track of his new album suggests `Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk'.

There is not a single gay anthem on this new CD. Nothing you would expect to hear at the next Circuit Party or on a Pride Compilation CD. There are no bold statements on same sex love. Rather, his sexuality is woven into the CD as just one of the many parts of his story. And every bit of his story is as interesting, if not more so, than his sexuality. He is one of the first of a new generation of LGBT artists beginning their careers openly, with no need for bold declarations. There will be no tabloid stories; no `People Magazine' coming-out confessions. No closets, period. I kind of like it that way.

In Rufus I find a young gay hero. Not because his music is suited to gay guys, or for that matter the radio-minded music industry. Quite the opposite, He is a hero because he has found the strength to buck all that and be true to himself and his artistic vision. The courage to be yourself, despite anyone's expectations, is perhaps one of the greatest lessons we can share with LGBT youth. And nobody is living this lesson more so than Rufus.

Buy this CD. And for godsakes, listen to it more than once. It get's better each time. No, you will not be able to dance to it. But you will still want to listen. That is the point.