Anderson Cooper confirms he’s gay
It’ll come as a shock to very few, but there’s finally been clarification from popular US news anchor Anderson Cooper that he’s gay.
Cooper made the announcement in an email to fellow journalist Andrew Sullivan, a columnist for website The Daily Beast.
“The fact is, I’m gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud,” he wrote.
There had been plenty of speculation about Cooper’s sexuality since his rise to prominence at US cable network CNN.
“I just don’t talk about my personal life,” he told New York magazine in 2005.
“The whole thing about being a reporter is that you’re supposed to be an observer and to be able to adapt with any group you’re in, and I don’t want to do anything that threatens that.”
The refusal to confirm or deny the rumours lead to his inclusion in the so-called celebrity “glass closet” – referring to members of the gay community who didn’t so much as hide their sexuality but refused to talk publicly about it (see: Jodie Foster).
“I have always been very open and honest about this part of my life with my friends, my family, and my colleagues. In a perfect world, I don’t think it’s anyone else’s business, but I do think there is value in standing up and being counted,” Cooper continued in his email to Sullivan
“I’m not an activist, but I am a human being and I don’t give that up by being a journalist.”
Cooper said he decided that he was doing more harm than good by not speaking up.
“It’s become clear to me that by remaining silent on certain aspects of my personal life for so long, I have given some the mistaken impression that I am trying to hide something – something that makes me uncomfortable, ashamed or even afraid. This is distressing because it is simply not true,” he wrote.
“I’ve also been reminded recently that while as a society we are moving toward greater inclusion and equality for all people, the tide of history only advances when people make themselves fully visible.”
Read the full exchange here.
Some of our favourite Anderson Cooper moments below:
I feel sorry for Anderson Cooper, the reason he gave for not
confirming his sexuality made sense and now the media (including SSO) are reporting on it and it’s being posted on FB by gay friends. Don’t you realise if we keep making a big deal out of someone coming out (especially someone Anderson’s age!) then being gay isn’t going to stop being seen as an oddity or outside of the norm?
SSO saying: “it’ll come as a shock to very few” in the headline is very annoying. If it’s a general known thing (and let’s face it most of us have known for at least a few years) then there’s no need to make a big deal out of it.
I realise because it’s so rare that celebrities are coming out that people get excited when one does but I hate how saying “Yes I am” suddenly creates a big stir.
Look at Adam Lambert. Photos of him pashing a guy were freely available on the net yet it wasn’t till he finally said “”I don’t think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear I’m gay” after his series of Idol wrapped that the media went nuts.
We’ll never be seen as ‘normal’ if we continue to make such a stir about celebrities coming out, ESPECIALLY ones that most people already knew were gay way before they said the words “I’m gay”. Stupido!
He is such a hot looking man. Who wouldn’t want to be with him.
Good on him for standing up for himself and his career.