“American Idol” veteran and former North Carolina Democratic House candidate Clay Aiken joked that he’s become the “universal punchline for everything gay” in an interview with HuffPost Live this week.

Pointing to the number of tongue-in-cheek jokes that “Family Guy” and friend Kathy Griffin have had at his expense, Aiken said he let most of the humor roll off his back. Nonetheless, he said he was concerned about its impact on young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) adults who are coming to terms with their sexuality.

“It doesn’t hurt me, it’s not me that is affected by it,” Aiken, 36, said. “I don’t worry about the person who just got picked on, I worry about [LGBT] kids.”

He went on to note, “What does that make that 15-year-old in Indiana feel like?”

Aiken is currently promoting “The Runner-Up,” a four-part documentary series about his congressional campaign, which airs on The Esquire Network.

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