Confirming a rumor that had been circulating about him for years, reporter/talk-show host Anderson Cooper has officially come out, courtesy of an email openly gay journalist Andrew Sullivan unveiled on his blog on The Daily Beast.
Sullivan started the July 2 posting by discussing a recent story in the publication Entertainment Weekly about gay celebrities coming out more matter-of-factly than in the past. However, he adds, "So these 'non-events' are still also events of a kind; and they matter" because of issues such as bullying and suicides, among others.
Sullivan then segues to Cooper, calling him "a friend for more than two decades." Asking him for his response on the issue of coming out, Cooper responds (in an email printed with Cooper's permission), "Andrew, as you know, the issue you raise is one that I've thought about for years. Even though my job puts me in the public eye, I have tried to maintain some level of privacy in my life. Part of that has been for purely personal reasons. I think most people want some privacy for themselves and the people they are close to.
"But I've also wanted to retain some privacy for professional reasons. Since I started as a reporter in war zones 20 years ago, I've often found myself in some very dangerous places. For my safety and the safety of those I work with, I try to blend in as much as possible...
"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.
"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."
To read the entire email, visit andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/07/anderson-cooper-the-fact-is-im-gay.html .
Related commentary at "Anderson Cooper and Journalism 101: The Myth of Objectivity" by Tracy Baim at the link: www.huffingtonpost.com/tracy-baim/anderson-cooper-and-journ_b_1646126.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices
