In an email to The Daily Beast's Andrew Sullivan, CNN's own Anderson Cooper has come out of the closet and admitted that he is gay. The email came as a response to a recent Entertainment Weekly article detailing how these types of celebrity announcements are much more matter-of-fact than ever before.
"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," Cooper said in the email. "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. I’m not an activist, but I am a human being and I don't give that up by being a journalist."
Cooper and Sullivan have been friends for decades, and Cooper gave him direct permission to post this on the site. He has been dogged by rumors about his sexual orientation for years, and instead of having it leak out in the press by some anonymous source, he decided to take it upon himself to reveal it to the world.
Later in the email, Cooper vows that he never let his orientation cloud his judgment of the news. "Since my early days as a reporter, I have worked hard to accurately and fairly portray gay and lesbian people in the media - and to fairly and accurately portray those who for whatever reason disapprove of them." He continued, "It is not part of my job to push an agenda, but rather to be relentlessly honest in everything I see, say and do. I’ve never wanted to be any kind of reporter other than a good one, and I do not desire to promote any cause other than the truth."
Cooper's announcement comes just a few weeks after The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons quietly revealed his homosexuality to the world with very little fanfare. It looks like we have finally evolved to the point where these types of stories don't have to become sensational scandals anymore.
[via The Daily Beast]
