Or claim that he has invented an alter ego. An Austrian singer does just that. He's a homosexual, very talented guy and also stands by that. However, he has an alter ego that wears long-haired wigs, female clothes (they look tailored to fit him, though) and tons of make-up. And a beard. It's basically his stage persona, he even won the European Song Contest a couple of years ago - and rightly so, too, the song still gives me goosebumps.

However, in his private life and when not on a stage or involved in any kind of show, he's just a regular guy who happens to be homosexual. He never pretended otherwise.

All he’s gotta do is declare “eccentric artist” and everyone would clap

As artistic (or pretentious) blokes have been doing for many decades.

Sometimes people clapped, sometimes we went "what a wally". Yes, do it in the wrong small town and you might get some agro, but about the same as wearing the wrong football scarf.