Out singer Adam Lambert says he understands why the late Freddie Mercury kept silent about his sexuality.

The 32-year-old Lambert called touring the world with Queen the “summer gig of a lifetime.”

By varying accounts, Mercury, Queen's late frontman, was either gay or bisexual.

“From what I understand, it took Freddie a bit of time to come to terms with his sexuality, and once he did … he was living in a time when, as a celebrity or a rock star, it was something that was kind of off-limits,” Lambert told The Huffington Post.

“Maybe, for diehard fans of the band who loved Freddie, it's a mind-opener for them, and they can go, 'Oh yeah, now Adam is singing these songs and is open and out, and we think that's OK because we loved Freddie so much.' It gives them permission to be comfortable with it, I think,” the American Idol alum said.

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