Mika interviewed by JIM, July 31st 2012

Clip: STVOfficial

Lafayette - S5E8

Cameron reaffirms support for same-sex marriage

[Source]

UK – Cameron reaffirms support for same-sex marriage on eve of Romney meeting

Jul 26 2012

They may both be members of their country’s conservative parties, but a look at the schedule of 10 Downing Street gives at least one indication that British Prime Minister David Cameron and U.S. GOP candidate Mitt Romney aren’t aligned on every issue.

On Wednesday the prime minister hosted a reception for members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community at 10 Downing in which he renewed his commitment to legal same sex civil marriage.

“I think marriage is a great institution – I think it helps people to commit, it helps people to say that they’re going to care and love for another person,” Cameron said, according to text of his remarks on his official website. “It helps people to put aside their selfish interests and think of the union that they’re forming. It’s something I feel passionately about and I think if it’s good enough for straight people like me, it’s good enough for everybody and that’s why we should have gay marriage and we will legislate for it.”

Romney has consistently said he opposes same-sex marriage, and reiterated his view in interviews following President Barack Obama’s announcement in May that he supported marriage rights for gays and lesbians.

“My position is the same on gay marriage as it’s been well, from the beginning, and that is that marriage is a relation between a man and a woman,” Romney told KCNC in May. “That’s the posture that I had as governor and I have that today.”

British law currently does not allow members of the same sex to marry, though civil partnerships are permitted nationwide.

Romney and Cameron met Thursday morning, one of a series of meetings Romney held with British political leaders on the first day of his three-country foreign swing.

We believe that this is the right thing to do - Scotland's deputy first minister

[Source]

Government Announcement Moves Scotland Closer To Gay Marriage

After a lengthy public consultation, the government in Scotland announced it will bring forward a bill supporting marriage equality for gays and lesbians. “We are committed to a Scotland that is fair and equal and that is why we intend to proceed with plans to allow same-sex marriage and religious ceremonies for civil partnerships,” said Scotland’s deputy first minister, Nicola Sturgeon. “We believe that this is the right thing to do.”

The effort—which could see ceremonies starting in 2015—has had broad support among both the country’s various political parties and the public itself: Of the 77,508 responses to the consultation, 65% were in favor of marriage equality and 35% against.

Currently, same-sex couples can enter into civil partnerships, which offer the same access to inheritance, pensions, insurance and child custody but don’t have access to religious ceremonies. Sturgeon also made it clear that provisions exist to ensure clergy that did not want to conduct same-sex ceremonies wouldn’t have to.

Of course, religious conservatives are still coming up with excuses why marriage equality would be disastrous. Rev. Alan Hamilton, a legal scholar for the Church of Scotland, says he’s concerned the government isn’t doing enough to protect clergy and churches “whose beliefs prevent them from celebrating civil-partnerships or same-sex marriages.”

The laws are already in place. What more do you want, Reverend—a doctor’s note?

Unsurprisingly, a spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland said the government was “embarking on a dangerous social experiment on a massive scale.”

Back in England, David Cameron’s government is currently consulting on upgrading civil unions there to full marriages. Could there be a friendly competition in Great Britain to see who reaches the equality finish line first?

We’re totally jealous.

Photo: Gay Weddings in Scotland

By:           Dan Avery
On:           Jul 25, 201

Matthew Mitcham interview

Clip: SunriseOn7

Matthew Mitcham interview

[Source]

Let's stick it to the Poms: Mitcham

By Doug Conway, AAP Senior Correspondent | Australian Associated Pressnbsp;– Mon, Jul 23, 2012 7:47 PM AEST

Unconstrained by the diplomatic niceties expected of team bosses, diver Matthew Mitcham made a blunt assessment of Australia's Olympic rivalry with hosts Great Britain: "I think we always want to stick it to the Poms." Mitcham's characteristically forthright Aussie taunt adds spice to the Games-within-the-Games battle between the motherland and its former colonials which starts in earnest in London this weekend.

The Beijing 10m platform gold medallist has also talked up the hometown pressure being felt by his British rival Tom Daley.

Australian Olympic team boss Nick Green was more reserved when talking about the host nation, but also warmed to the theme of stress on British athletes.

Photos: Australian swimming team

"The expectations on the home athletes sometimes builds up a great deal of pressure," Green said on Monday.

"If they can handle the pressure of the locals and the expectations of performing in the host country, then they should do well.

"If they don't it might be a different story."

Australia makes no bones about its aim of reclaiming a top five spot on the medals table at Britain's expense after dropping to sixth in Beijing.

Britain finished fourth in 2008 with 19 gold medals to Australia's 14, although its overall tally of 47 medals was just one more than Australia's.

"Host countries always win more gold medals than the time before," said Green.

"In Beijing Great Britain had its best Games for a long long time.
Considering they won one gold medal in 1996, they have come a long way.

"Our rivalry is historic. It will continue at the Olympic Games and it will continue post Olympic Games."

Photos: The crazy faces divers make

Australia's team experienced a day of mixed fortunes in the lead-up to the London Games.

Men's hockey favourites the Kookaburras outclassed the rising young Belgians 3-0 but the men's basketballers endured their third straight loss, going down 87-71 to lesser-ranked Brazil.

Pole vaulter Steve Hooker and triathletes Erin Densham and Emma Moffat lifted team spirits with stirring performances but there was heartbreak for horseman Shane Rose and a sharp reality check for the Hockeyroos.

Hooker has experienced a nightmare build-up to the defence of his Olympic title but pulled off a morale-boosting leap of 5.72m to take third place at a meet in Poland.

It was well short of the height he cleared for victory in 2008 but would have been good enough for bronze in Beijing.

"Steve is a competitor and I think everyone will be inspired by the fact that he is starting to build his confidence."

In Germany, Australia's top two women triathletes made it a green and gold quinella in their last hit-out before the Games.

Erin Densham chased down her teammate Moffat over the last five kilometres to win by 12 seconds, lifting hopes that the Aussies will secure a second consecutive Olympic gold in London following Emma Snowsill's triumph in Beijing.

The news was nothing but bleak, however, for eventing competitor Shane Rose, who lost his spot in the Australian team after his horse Taurus showed signs of a shoulder injury.

A devastated Rose, part of the silver-medal-winning eventing team in Beijing, was close to tears as he decided to head home to Sydney before the Games even begin.

He will be replaced by reserve rider Megan Jones, also a 2008 silver medallist.
The Hockeyroos, in the second of three Games warm-up matches, were handed a 4-0 drubbing by the top-ranked Netherlands.

Basketball's Opals, chasing a gold medal in London after three consecutive silvers, had their perfect run to the Olympics spoiled by a 64-58 loss to France in their final warm-up match.

Lafayette - S5E7

It Gets Better - 'The Normal Heart' cast at Arena Stage, Washington DC

George Michael on BBS Radio 2 Chris Evans

White Light - George Michael

Clip:georgemichaelVEVO

The new single from George Michael "White Light" is available for Pre-order now: https://bit.ly/GMWhiteLight

Find George on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/georgemichael and Twitter: https://twitter.com/#/georgemichael

http://www.GeorgeMichael.com

Music video by George Michael performing White Light. 2012 G.K. Panayiotou, under exclusive licence to Universal Island Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Ltd

Lafayett - S5E6

Mail Online says...

[Source]

Anderson Cooper 'planning to marry long-term live-in boyfriend... and it could be as soon as Labor Day'

By Lydia Warren
PUBLISHED: 15:35 GMT, 11 July 2012 | UPDATED: 15:51 GMT, 11 July 2012

Anderson Cooper is reportedly preparing to marry his long-term boyfriend - and the nuptials could take place as soon as Labor Day.

It comes just weeks after the CNN news anchor spoke publicly about his sexuality for the first time, saying: 'The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn't be more happy.'

Cooper, 45, is now planning to marry his boyfriend Ben Maisani, whom he has been dating since at least 2009, in New York City later this year, the National Enquirer reported.

'He'd been considering breaking the news [about being gay] since same-sex marriage became legal in the state of New York last summer,' a source told the Enquirer.

Wedding bells: CNN anchor Anderson Cooper is reportedly planning to marry his long-term boyfriend, gay club owner Ben Maisani. Here they are pictured leaving David Barton Gym in 2010

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'It's been about a year now and he wants to get married to Ben. They're totally committed to one another.'

French-born Maisani, 39, lives with Cooper in his converted fire station townhouse and together they enjoy a low-key lifestyle - workouts at Chelsea's David Barton Gym and dinners with friends, including Kelly Ripa, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick.

They showed off their affection for each other while dining in Morandi in New York's West Village on Sunday. They enjoyed dinner with Bravo host Andy Cohen, who is also openly gay.

'They're a very low-key couple who sticks to their routine,' a source told In Touch magazine.

They were encouraged to marry last year by Anderson's mother, designer Gloria Vanderbilt. She reportedly helped the pair patch up their relationship after they struggled with conflicting work schedules.

Cooper agreed to cut back on trips abroad, while Maisani, who owns gay bar Eastern Bloc in Manhattan's East Village, conceded that he would do fewer night shifts.

Low profile: Cooper, pictured with Maisani in 2010, only publicly revealed his sexuality this month

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Love nest: Maisani lives with Cooper at his converted fire station townhouse, right, in New York City

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Vanderbilt, 88, was also encouraging the men to adopt a child, with sources telling the Enquirer that the grandmother-of-three was desperate to see her son settled down.

Although Cooper did not publicly announce his sexuality until a few weeks ago, his relationship with Maisani was known, and they had been pictured together. After coming out through in an interview on the Daily Beast, Cooper thanked his fans for their support. Cooper wrote on Twitter: 'I appreciate all the nice tweets. I am in Botswana working but want to wish everyone a great 4th of July!' In the interview, he said that he did not want people to think he is 'trying to hide something' and that he is 'proud' of who he is. In candid comments he said that he was taking a stand because 'the tide of history only advances when people make themselves fully visible'. '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,' he continued. 'I'm not an activist, but I am a human being and I don't give that up by being a journalist.' He added he was moved by recent events such as Barack Obama's endorsement of gay marriage - and hopes his example will put an end to bullying. Cooper's sexuality has long been an open secret in TV circles, but for him to state it publicly is a brave and bold move. He is also one of the most high profile people to come out in recent years, given that he hosts CNN's 'Anderson Cooper 360' and his own daytime TV talk show. He said he had decided to come out because he did not want to give the impression he was ashamed of his sexuality, and feared he might be setting a bad example.

'I LOVE AND I AM LOVED':  ANDERSON COOPER COMES OUT AS GAY

Earlier this month: Anderson Cooper publicly announced his sexuality in an exchange with the Daily Beast, excerpted below: 'Even though my job puts me in the public eye, I have tried to maintain some level of privacy. 'I've also wanted to retain some privacy for professional reasons. For my safety and the safety of those I work with, I try to blend in as much as possible, and prefer to stick to my job of telling other people’s stories, and not my own. 'I did not address my sexual orientation in the memoir I wrote several years ago because it was a book focused on war, disasters, loss and survival. I didn't set out to write about other aspects of my life. 'Recently, however ... 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. '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. 'I love, and I am loved. 'I still consider myself a reserved person and I hope this doesn’t mean an end to a small amount of personal space. But I do think visibility is important, more important than preserving my reporter’s shield of privacy.'

He said: 'Recently I've begun to consider whether the unintended outcomes of maintaining my privacy outweigh personal and professional principle.

Support: Cooper's mother, fashion designer Gloria Vanderbilt, reportedly helped the men patch up their relationship when they struggled with conflicting work schedules

---

At work: Cooper, pictured with actress Julianne Moore on his self-titled show, said he wanted to come out as gay because he did not want to appear as if he was ashamed of his sexuality

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'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.

'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.

'There continue to be far too many incidences of bullying of young people, as well as discrimination and violence against people of all ages, based on their sexual orientation, and I believe there is value in making clear where I stand.'

Celebrities including Ellen DeGeneres, Don Lemon, Kelly Ripa and Joan Rivers took to Twitter to show their support for Cooper.

White Collar - Matt Bomer

Lafayette - S5E5

What do you think?

[Source]

Op-Ed Contributor
A Closet by Another Name

By DANIEL MENDELSOHN

Published: July 3, 2012

APPARENTLY the big news following Anderson Cooper’s public acknowledgment that he is gay is that it’s not news at all. “And the TV nation seemed to shrug,” in the words of one report on the oncontroversy.

Room for Debate Do Gay Celebrities Have an Obligation to Come Out? Boldface names like Anderson Cooper often argue that their romantic lives should be private. But does the need for gay role models outweigh that? Connect With Us on Twitter For Op-Ed, follow @nytopinion and to hear from the editorial page editor, Andrew Rosenthal, follow @andyrNYT.

In part, this is because being gay is less controversial today than at any other time in American history, even for celebrities: a recent cover story in Entertainment Weekly described “the new art of coming out” among stars on both coasts, made possible by a “defiantly mellow vibe” around sexuality. And yet for many gay people, particularly gay youth, and especially gay youth of color, the acknowledgment that you’re gay is still a process fraught with anxiety, if not terror and often violence. The irony is that they are victims of enduring prejudices that persist, in part, because gay celebrities enjoy the protection of a cozy omertà among the social and media circles like the one that shielded Mr. Cooper — whose homosexuality was an open secret for years in New York — until his welcome revelation, which took the form of an e-mail sent to the gay journalist Andrew Sullivan on Monday.

Mr. Cooper’s gesture was a righteous and worthy one, and there’s little doubt that it will make this already hugely popular figure someone who “will inspire countless others,” as Herndon Graddick, the president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, put it. But what may be even more revealing about his e-mail was its tormented rhetoric — the justifications and evasions that inadvertently expose the ways in which even the most privileged and enlightened gay people are still constrained by, and often internalize, the prejudices that oppress them.

The secrecy of many closeted celebrities stems from a fear that revealing their homosexuality will destroy the public personae on which their lucrative and influential careers are based. This anxiety is particularly notable in the case of Hollywood stars and professional athletes, whose audiences, still prey to clichés about masculinity, can’t countenance gay heroes. But Mr. Cooper insisted that his concern was privacy. “As long as a journalist shows fairness and honesty in his or her work, their private life shouldn’t matter,” he wrote to Mr. Sullivan. “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 do not desire to promote any cause other than the truth.”

What’s interesting is the assumption that simply being known to be gay could be considered pushing “an agenda”: by whom? Nobody thinks that straight journalists are pushing a straight agenda. The mere use of the word “agenda” smacks, unfortunately, of the substanceless rhetoric of the cultural right, with its paranoid fantasies that gay teachers are trying to convert straight children to homosexuality (as if such a thing were possible) as part of a gay agenda.

The privacy concern crops up again when Mr. Cooper defends his decision not to write about his sexuality in his 2006 memoir “Dispatches From the Edge” on the grounds that “it was a book focused on war, disasters, loss and survival.” But in fact a main theme of the book was that the pain that Mr. Cooper had known in his personal life — the loss of his father at age 10, the dreadful suicide, when he was 21, of his older brother — had given him insight into the pain caused by the horrors he witnessed as a CNN correspondent. To some, the omission of any reference to his sexuality in that book — surely an opportunity to reflect on sadness — seemed to betray concerns that were not strictly literary.

Like many other celebrities who have long hidden their homosexuality from the larger public while never denying it among the elites to which they belong — Susan Sontag was another — Mr. Cooper denied, in effect, being closeted. “I have always been very open and honest about this part of my life with my friends, my family, and my colleagues,” he wrote to Mr. Sullivan. “In a perfect world, I don’t think it’s anyone else’s business.” The high-minded appeal to privacy is, indeed, now a trope in the coming-out process of public figures and celebrities; Jim Parsons, the star of “The Big Bang Theory,” recently came out in an interview to a New York Times reporter who summarized the conversation thus: “he made clear that he never considered himself in the closet, per se, but was simply a private person.”

But all this talk about privacy reveals deep and troubling assumptions. Mr. Cooper compared disclosure of one’s homosexuality to revealing “who a reporter votes for” or “what religion they are,” but in a post-Freudian age in which sexuality is seen as a core aspect of identity, this comes across as disingenuous. If you’re really “happy, comfortable ... and proud” to be gay, as Mr. Cooper says he is, the simple fact of being gay should be no more a “privacy” issue than being straight is for straight people. It’s just who you are. (“Privacy,” on the other hand, would cover, say, whom you’re dating or hooking up with — nobody else’s business.) You can’t claim to be comfortable with being gay while trying to keep it a secret: When you conceal your sexuality, you’re buying, however unconsciously or reluctantly, into the notion that there is, at some level, something wrong with it.

The point here is not to chastise Mr. Cooper for not having come out earlier, or differently. But it’s unfortunate that even today gay figures as serious, intelligent, well-intentioned and progressive as Mr. Cooper seems to be can still be so conflicted. How great for Mr. Cooper that he will celebrate Independence Day liberated, finally, from the preposterous burden of having to pretend to be something he’s not. Whatever they tell themselves, public figures who haven’t followed his lead are still prisoners. The closet is still a closet, even if it’s a duplex on Fifth Avenue or a mansion in Beverly Hills.

Daniel Mendelsohn, a writer and critic, is the author of the forthcoming collection “Waiting for the Barbarians: Essays from the Classics to Pop Culture.” He teaches humanities at Bard College.

A version of this op-ed appeared in print on July 4, 2012, on page A23 of the New York edition with the headline: A Closet by Another Name.

Star Jones says Anderson Cooper came out to help his ratings

[Source]

Star Jones says Anderson Cooper came out to help his ratings just like Oprah Winfrey did when she said she smoked crack
By Christine Show
PUBLISHED:01:35 GMT, 4 July 2012 | UPDATED:09:30 GMT, 4 July 2012

Star Jones said on national television this morning that she believes Anderson Cooper announced he was gay to help improve ratings for his daytime talk show.

Jones made the remarks as part of a panel on the Today show after Cooper revealed his sexual orientation this week.

Jones said Cooper broke the news that he was gay in the same manner Oprah Winfrey did when she said she smoked crack because their shows need a bump in ratings.

'Lots of things': Star Jones said on the Today show that she thinks Anderson Cooper announced he was gay to help with a 'ratings slip' on his daytime television program

'Another reason?: Jones (center left) said Cooper was motivated to reveal his sexual preference to create attention to his talk show as she spoke with Natalie Morales (left), Donny Deutsch and Nancy Snyderman

On the show, Today's Natalie Morales asked Jones, along with Donny Deutsch and Nancy Snyderman, about the newsmaker as part of a regular segment called 'Today's Professionals.'

Morales asked the panel whether it was necessary for people in the spotlight to inform the public about their sexual preferences.

Jones spoke up first and said: 'I'm a little bit of a cynic.'

Morales questioned Jones about her thoughts behind Cooper's decision to reveal he is gay.

Morales said to Jones: 'Do you think he came out for another reason?'

Jones replied that she believes Cooper's daytime show called Anderson needed a boost in viewers.

'Generate information for ratings': Jones said Cooper was trying to boost ratings like Oprah Winfrey when she announced on her daytime show that she smoked crack, was pregnant at 14 and considered suicide

'He's a daytime talk show host and when the rating slip in daytime, the hosts tend to tell you lots of things about them.'

She went on to say that Oprah Winfrey had made announcements about her past in what Jones called a similar effort to attract viewers.

'I remember Oprah said she smoked crack, Oprah said she was pregnant at 14 and considered suicide,' Jones said. 'There [are] times when you generate information for ratings.'

In the 1990s, Oprah admitted on her hugely successful daytime show that she had smoked crack cocaine in her 20s while interviewing recovering addicts of the drug.

'Whoa': Jones (left) sarcastically gasped and said 'I'm sorry that I said that' after she compared Cooper to Winfrey, who Jones said made personal revelations to attract viewers

Jones then noted that her comments might be considered unsuitable.

She sarcastically gasped before saying, 'Whoa, I'm sorry that I said that.'

Jones, however, did compliment Cooper on his efforts if his motive was to drive ratings.
'I say, bravo, bravo,' she said.

Cooper came out by giving permission for friend Andrew Sullivan, who is openly gay, to print an email exchange between them on the Daily Beast.

In it he said: '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.

'Bravo, bravo': Although Jones was critical of Cooper's reasoning behind coming out, she did compliment him on his decision to make such a personal announcement

'I have always been very open and honest about this part of my life with my friends, my family, and my colleagues.

He said that he did not want people to think he is 'trying to hide something' and that he is 'proud' of who he is.

In candid comments he said that he was taking a stand because 'the tide of history only advances when people make themselves fully visible'.

The 45-year-old added he was moved by recent events such as Barack Obama's endorsement of gay marriage - and hopes his example will put an end to bullying.

Cooper's sexuality has long been an open secret in TV circles, but for him to state it publicly is a brave and bold move.

He is also one of the most high profile people to come out in recent years, given that he hosts CNN's 'Anderson Cooper 360' along with his talk show.

breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Anderson Cooper: When Out Is Easier Than In

[Source]

7/2/12 at 6:21 PM

Anderson Cooper: When Out Is Easier Than In

By Carl Swanson

Anderson Cooper’s subdued coming out is an achievement in the long march toward it just "not mattering," because it emphasized just how torturous it was that he hadn’t. A public figure must now perform more contortions to stay jammed in the closet than come out of it. Cooper’s statement - e-mailed to his friend Andrew Sullivan, who made a name for himself in part for being out back in the nineties as the young editor of the New Republic (itself a seedbed of a certain semi-well-known historical closet-iness, now owned by a young, openly gay man) - certainly makes one realize just how banal the “why I stayed quiet for so long” moment has become. The baroqueness of his self-justifications serve only to heighten that banality. Maybe that’s the real progress here.

For those who live in New York, or the web-based gossip version of this chattering city that can now be accessed worldwide, Cooper’s sexuality was hardly news (although I recognize it might have been for others). He’s a well-known aspirational figure for most of the gay men I know, TV-famous without playing gay for the camera (as does, say, Andy Cohen), pedigreed, emotionally expressive, and, of course, often sighted at the gym, working out. He’s a respectably silver-haired, grown-up gay man who lives in a pleasingly borderline-kinky refurbished firehouse. He can both giggle too much and also cover wars.

Cooper is, in short, what many gay men want to be. Probably his allure was also heightened, or given a hint of frisson, by the semi-secret around him, the fact that we knew this thing which he didn’t exactly acknowledge publicly, even if it was hard to miss if you ever interacted with him privately.

Still, when Cooper writes to Sullivan, “I try to blend in as much as possible” as part of his professional responsibilities as a journalist, it’s hard to be sympathetic; that is more or less the textbook definition of being in the closet. I find him more convincing when he says that he would “prefer to stick to my job of telling other people’s stories, and not my own.” Coming from a religious, conservative, military family in the south, that’s part of why I chose to be a journalist, too. There’s an attractive depersonalization to reporting which in some ways fits nicely with closetedness. But then again, I’m in no danger of being as famous or accomplished as Cooper, so its perhaps a silly comparison to make. I thought I wanted to stay neutral, but I suspect that I just didn’t want to get too involved, personally, and called it a desire to avoid labels.”

Cooper writes: “I've always believed that who a reporter votes for, what religion they are, who they love, should not be something they have to discuss publicly.” But surely he must know that people watch him in part for his reactions as a gay man. Thanks to his chosen scrim of not acknowledging what “everybody” knew anyway, that’s been part of the context, both for those who liked him and disliked him, as when he stonily grilled the woman from an anti-gay North Carolina church that wants to put homosexuals behind electric fences or speaks out against the bullying of gay teenagers.

His perspective on those stories obviously comes from somewhere. He writes, “I’m not an activist, but I am a human being and I don't give that up by being a journalist.” But we know this. We’ve always known that this is where you’re coming from. You might not be an activist, at least in the pedantic sense of the word, but you react visibly and those reactions are not difficult to read.

The bigger question is whether or not it matters to the rest of the country that the biggest star on CNN - a network struggling with its neutral identity - is gay. Many people have been calling for CNN to become more like MSNBC, to come out as liberal and play a more amusing and ratings-friendly part in the current game of thrones. I don’t know if this decision has anything to do with that. Does CNN need its own declared Rachel Maddow? Maybe so, at least in the partisan entertainer sense. But does anybody even think about Rachel Maddow’s sexuality any more? I suspect not that much. As it will be with Cooper, it’s just part of the background, less noticeable and less notable for its not being hidden any longer.

Earlier
Breaking: Anderson Cooper Is Gay

Anderson Cooper comes out

[Source]

Anderson Cooper comes out: Kathy Griffin says she's 'immensely proud' of her good friend but warns he should 'be careful'

The comedienne wrote a piece for the Daily Beast expressing her happiness for her friend's announcement

By Joyce Chen / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Tuesday, July 3, 2012, 11:39 AM

@kathygriffin via instagram

Kathy Griffin tweeted a photo of herself with Anderson Cooper on Monady.

Anderson Cooper's response to the outpour of support and congratulations following his announcement Monday was almost as understated as his coming out.

But not, by any means, any less heartfelt.

"I appreciate all the nice tweets," he wrote on his Twitter account Tuesday. "I am in Botswana working but want to wish everyone a great 4th of July!"

In an email exchange with The Daily Beast columnist Andrew Sullivan published Monday, the 45-year-old journalist finally indicated that he is, indeed, a gay man.

"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," the CNN anchor wrote.

A flurry of messages lit up Twitter almost immediately afterward.

PHOTOS: CELEBRITIES WHO'VE COME OUT

"I'm proud of you Anderson Cooper," comedian Ellen DeGeneres tweeted.

"So proud of you Anderson Cooper. Always have been, always will be," TV host Kelly Ripa added.

Close pal Kathy Griffin tweeted a photo of herself holding hands with Cooper while sunbathing with the caption: "Here I am with my friend who I'm so proud of."

But while the foul-mouthed comedienne is "immensely proud" of Cooper's announcement, she also notes that she's concerned for his safety now that he's out to the public.

Griffin and Cooper during their New Years Eve show in 2009. (EDWARD M. PIO RODA/CNN)

In a piece published on The Daily Beast late Monday night, Griffin admits that she thinks the CNN anchor may face discrimination in other countries that are not so accepting of gay individuals.

"The reality is that despite the very real, the very necessary, and the very life-changing process we have made in this country in treating people across the sexual orientation spectrum with dignity and respect, America - the world - is not fully represented by Chelsea in New York City," she wrote.

"What many young people do know is what they read in short bursts on celebrity Twitter posts or on TMZ. And what they read and see is how freeing being honest can be," she continued. "What they don’t see is that it remains, in many places, very dangerous to do just that. And that dichotomy is deeply troubling to me."

PHOTOS: SAME SEX STAR COUPLES

For those reasons, then, Griffin explains that she's never outed Cooper, always talking around questions about his sexuality.

"Believe it or not, I don't 'out' people," she wrote. "It is neither my business nor my desire. Remember, folks, I am a comedian, not a journalist."

"Anderson is someone who has led a very specific kind of professional life, who never talked and simultaneously exhibited social contradictions," she added. "And quite frankly, he never gave me permission to speak about something that represented the one part of his life he was not comfortable having confirmed in the media. ... But I do know that I don't want my friend to face that part of the world, where he might die a very different kind of death than someone who isn't quite so honest.

"Here’s the thing: I love my friend Anderson and remain immensely proud of him. And I’m honored, truly, that he considers me a friend. But I just want him to be careful. Of course he wouldn’t be doing his job if he really were being careful. And he wouldn’t be who he is."

==========================================================================

[Source]

Kathy Griffin: I Would Never Have Dreamed of Outing Anderson Cooper

Jul 2, 2012 10:12 PM EDT

Over the years, as the media fixated on Anderson Cooper’s sexuality, Kathy Griffin talked around the questions. Now that he’s come out, she explains why she thinks her friend needs to be careful.

My friend Anderson Cooper is the scion of one of America’s great shipping and railroad families, the Vanderbilts. He’s covered the military coup and eventual unseating of the democratically elected (albeit bat-shit crazy) Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. He’s covered the small wars in Africa that use children as slave soldiers. He knows more about the women of The Real Housewives than perhaps even I do. He’s covered the seemingly endless large wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And by “covered,” I mean he’s really gone and covered them—with a security detail and without; embedded with troops and unilaterally—not from the relative safety of the Green Zone in Baghdad or the international zone in Kabul. He’s sat down with despots in countries like Somalia, covered the atrocities in the Balkans and Burma. And he also happens to be gay.


Funny thing, that …

Kicking around for as many years as I have, I’ve done countless interviews pushing Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, stand-up comedy specials, live comedy dates, the Kathy show, and everything in between. I’ve talked to everyone from a local gay blogger to Time magazine. I’m not really sure at what point it changed, but the press—or at least the press who covered my little carnival—became fixated on Anderson’s orientation. And for years, I talked around it.

Believe it or not, I don’t “out” people. It is neither my business nor my desire. Remember, folks, I am a comedian, not a journalist. These weren’t questions where I could make a joke about Ryan Seacrest getting a mani/pedi. This isn’t a joke I make about whether Oprah and Gayle are gay lovers. I have no idea if Oprah and Gayle are gay lovers. I doubt they are, but as a comedian, I find some comedy in picturing those two girls running the world as a power couple. Anderson is someone who has led a very specific kind of professional life, who never talked and simultaneously exhibited social contradictions. And quite frankly, he never gave me permission to speak about something that represented the one part of his life he was not comfortable having confirmed in the media. But in my dealings with a certain sector of the press, that simply was never good enough.

So while I’ve tried to protect my friend and represent him the way he would most prefer, I was never exactly clear on just how to do it, how to say it. One year, while in the middle of doing several interviews to promote New Year’s Eve Live on CNN, I had a discussion with Anderson about it. “For Christ’s sake, Anderson, I’ve been getting asked as much about your sexuality as I have about my own show!” I said.

He said: “Kathy, I don’t get asked as much about my sexuality as you get asked about my sexuality. But here’s my standard party line: ‘I want to report the news. I don’t want to be the news.’”

Getty Images (2)

I recently read an article that quoted a gay Army officer friend of mine saying how freeing on so many levels the repeal of the "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy has been, that he and his now legally married husband might someday finally adopt and begin a family. The “ethical nonstarter” of having to teach a child to lie so that she might protect her fathers was no longer even a glancing consideration. Well, there is an unspoken kind of DADT among the press, and Anderson’s party line only revealed part of it.

The reality is that despite the very real, the very necessary, and the very life-changing progress we have made in this country in treating people across the sexual orientation spectrum with dignity and respect, America—the world—is not fully represented by Chelsea in New York City. It’s not fully represented by DuPont Circle in Washington, D.C.; the Castro; or West Hollywood. Hell, it’s not even Ft. Lauderdale and its Wilton Manors or Denver’s Capital Hill neighborhood. America is, in large part, small towns like Oxnard, Calif. It’s Sevierville, Tenn. It’s Laramie, Wyo. And it’s Wichita, Kan., where I was eating recently at a local diner and a patron asked me, “Kathy, how do you deal with so many goddamned fags?”


Many of my young gays don’t know about Uganda’s “Kill the Gays” initiative, which was developed with the help of some extremist American evangelicals. Many don’t know about Stonewall or, more recently, the importance of Lawrence v. Texas. They don’t know about Cuba’s jailing of HIV patients or even that Iran has sentenced gay teenagers to death by hanging. They don’t know that in large portions of Baghdad, honest LGBT folks are hunted and summarily executed by roving bands of so-called morality police, who kill with impunity both the “out” and those simply perceived to be gay. What many young people do know is what they read in short bursts on celebrity Twitter posts or on TMZ. And what they read and see is how freeing being honest can be. What they don’t see is that it remains, in many places, very dangerous to do just that. And that dichotomy is deeply troubling to me.

--------------------------------

I don’t want my friend to face
that part of the world, where he
might die a very different kind of
death than someone who isn’t
quite so honest.

--------------------------------

Look, I’m a comedian. Anderson reports on the world’s toughest stories. He speaks truth to power. I, on the other hand, make fun of the spectacularly silly world of reality television and Hollywood’s fame whores (and those who love them). I don’t pretend to understand the complexities of the worlds Anderson moves in. But I do know that I don’t want my friend to face that part of the world, where he might die a very different kind of death than someone who isn’t quite so honest.

Anderson writes: “I’ve begun to consider whether the unintended outcomes of maintaining my privacy outweigh personal and professional principle. 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.”

Here’s the thing: I love my friend Anderson and remain immensely proud of him. And I’m honored, truly, that he considers me a friend. But I just want him to be careful. Of course he wouldn’t be doing his job if he really were being careful. And he wouldn’t be who he is.

Like The Daily Beast on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for updates all day long. A Chicago native, Kathy Griffin was a student and later a teacher at the Los Angeles Groundlings Theatre. She built up her resume with guest spots on ER, The X-Files, and Seinfeld, and co-starred on Suddenly Susan. In 2005, she entered the world of reality TV with her double Emmy-winning show, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List for Bravo. Her stand-up specials Kathy Griffin: Straight to Hell (2008) and Kathy Griffin: She’ll Cut a Bitch (2009) were both nominated for an Emmy. Griffin has been nominated four years in a row by the Grammys for Best Comedy Album, and her memoir Official Book Club was No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list. She received rave reviews on Broadway for her one-woman show Kathy Griffin Wants a Tony, and she is a recipient of the GLAAD Vanguard Award, the Trevor Project’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Human Rights Campaign's Ally for Equality Award. Griffin currently has a talk show on Bravo called Kathy. For inquiries, please contact The Daily Beast at editorial@thedailybeast.com.

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[Source]

Anderson Cooper Comes Out: 'The Fact Is, I'm Gay'

The Huffington Post | By Jack Mirkinson
Posted: 07/02/2012 11:08 am Updated: 07/02/2012 11:42 pm

Anderson Cooper has, at long last, publicly said he is gay.

Cooper made the announcement in an email to writer Andrew Sullivan.

"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.

Cooper's sexuality has long been the subject of ample media speculation, but he has never publicly confirmed it.

“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.”

On Monday, though, Cooper reversed course:

"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 also said that he ultimately 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. 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 hemselves fully visible."

You can read the full email here.

Previously, the 45-year-old CNN anchor and daytime talk show host has been romantically linked to Benjamin Maisani, the co-owner of New York City gay bars Eastern Bloc and Bedlam.

View a photograph of Cooper and Maisani below, then scroll down to keep reading:

Cooper becomes at least the sixth, though by far the most high-profile, openly gay anchor in the cable news business. He joins CNN colleagues Don Lemon and Jane Velez-Mitchell, as well as MSNBC's Thomas Roberts, Rachel Maddow and Steve Kornacki.

As Sullivan himself said in his post, Cooper is just the latest celebrity to come out in a relatively understated way. Just fifteen years ago, Ellen DeGeneres revealed she was gay in a storm of magazine covers and publicity. Now, though, stars are just as likely to quietly disclose their sexuality.

The statement prompted a flood of congratulations. Roberts, Lemon and DeGeneres all tweeted their well-wishes. So did Cooper's close friend Kelly Ripa. Gay rights group GLAAD also issued a statement.

"Even prior to coming out publically, Anderson's terrific work has raised awareness of inequalities facing LGBT people," GLAAD President Herndon Graddick said. "I'm proud to call him my friend. He's a role model to millions and now will inspire countless others."

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[Source]

Talk show host Anderson Cooper: "I'm gay"

Published July 02, 2012
Associated Press

Anderson Cooper revealed on Monday that he is gay, ending years of reluctance to talk about his personal life in public.

The CNN journalist wrote in an online letter that he had kept his sexual orientation private for personal and professional reasons, but came to think that remaining silent had given some people a mistaken impression that he was ashamed.

"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 in the letter, published by Andrew Sullivan of the Daily Beast.

Cooper, the son of Gloria Vanderbilt, had long been the subject of rumors about his sexual orientation. He said that in a perfect world, it wouldn't be anyone's business, but that there is value in "standing up and being counted."

"I still consider myself a reserved person and I hope this doesn't mean an end to a small amount of personal space," he wrote. "But I do think visibility is important, more important than preserving my reporter's shield of privacy."

CNN said it would not comment, and that Cooper was on assignment and there were no plans for Cooper to discuss it on the air.

Few national television news reporters have publicly acknowledged being gay, with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow and CNN's Don Lemon perhaps the best known.

Cooper's show, "Anderson Cooper 360," received an award this year from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

"Even prior to coming out publicly, Anderson's terrific work has raised awareness of inequalities facing LGBT people, said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. "He's a role model to millions and now will inspire countless others."

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[Source]

Anderson Cooper: ‘The fact is, I’m gay’


By Dylan Stableford, Yahoo! News | The Lookout – Mon, Jul 2, 2012

Cooper (AP)

Anderson Cooper has confirmed what most people in the media world and New York already knew: He is gay.

"The fact is, I'm gay," Cooper wrote in an email to Daily Beast blogger Andrew Sullivan. "Always have been, always will be, and I couldn't be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud."

Sullivan, who is gay and is a longtime friend of Cooper's, had asked the CNN anchor for his reaction to a recent Entertainment Weekly story - "The New Art of Coming Out" - which was, in part, about the importance of gay celebrities coming out of the closet to combat America's bullying epidemic.

"Andrew, as you know, the issue you raise is one that I've thought about for years," Cooper responded. "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."

[Related: Is there a right way to come out?]

"But I've also wanted to retain some privacy for professional reasons," Cooper continued. "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, and prefer to stick to my job of telling other people's stories, and not my own. I have found that sometimes the less an interview subject knows about me, the better I can safely and effectively do my job as a journalist. I've always believed that who a reporter votes for, what religion they are, who they love, should not be something they have to discuss publicly."

Cooper said he did not come out in his 2006 memoir, "Dispatches from the Edge," because the book was meant to be about war and not about his personal life. But his thinking has since changed:

Recently, however, I've begun to consider whether the unintended outcomes of maintaining my privacy outweigh personal and professional principle. 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.

While it's the first time Cooper has been on the record about his sexuality, it's been an open secret in the media and gay communities for years. In 2007, for example, Out magazine put Cooper on its list of the 50 most powerful gays. In 2011, Cooper gave a winking nod to his homosexuality during a panel discussion with writers from The Onion.

And last month, Cooper was among the celebrities featured in a New York Observer cover story on "the glass closet."

"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 - who says he's always been open with family and friends - added in his email. "Visibility is important, more important than preserving my reporter's shield of privacy."

Gay groups quickly applauded Cooper's courage.

"Our members share his sentiment that as journalists, not activists, we have a significant role to play as advocates for fair and accurate coverage of the LGBT community in the mainstream media," David Steinberg, president of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, said in a statement to Yahoo News. "We have worked hard to ensure that all journalists are comfortable being out in the newsroom and having it not be perceived as detrimental to their ability to do their job."

[Related: Facebook adds same-sex icons for couples]

Cooper's announcement "helps us move 'what shouldn't matter' closer to 'what doesn't matter,'" actor Michael McKean tweeted.

"Anderson Cooper wasn't in the closet," Tina Dupuy wrote on Twitter. "He was in the none-of-your-business."

Not everyone, though, celebrated the manner of Cooper's announcement. Gawker Media chief Nick Denton, who is openly gay, tweeted: "Anderson Cooper: you seek 'visibility' and [yet] bury your coming-out announcement."

"Anderson Cooper would have come out of the closet sooner but being on CNN prevented him from accurately breaking a news story," joked Comedy Central's Indecision Twitter feed.

While Cooper is certainly the most prominent news personality to announce he's gay, he isn't the first - even at CNN. Last year, weekend and daytime anchor Don Lemon came out of the closet in a memoir titled "Transparent."

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[Source]

Anderson Cooper comes out: 'The fact is, I'm gay'

Jul 2 2012 11:42 AM ET
by James Hibberd

CNN anchor and daytime talk show host Anderson Cooper has publicly declared he’s gay.

In discussing last week’s Entertainment Weekly cover story on the emerging trend of celebrities nonchalantly coming out of the closet, Cooper revealed his sexuality to Daily Beast blogger Andrew Sullivan. Sullivan emailed Cooper about the story, noting that public figures revealing their sexuality still matters, even if many are no longer startled by the news. The 45-year-old newsman has always been private about his personal life and has long been rumored to be gay.

“We still have pastors calling for the death of gay people, bullying incidents and suicides among gay kids, and one major political party dedicated to ending the basic civil right to marry the person you love,” Sullivan wrote. “So these ‘non-events’ are still also events of a kind; and they matter. The visibility of gay people is one of the core means for our equality.”

To which Cooper responded:

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, and prefer to stick to my job of telling other people’s stories, and not my own. I have found that sometimes the less an interview subject knows about me, the better I can safely and effectively do my job as a journalist. …

Recently, however, I’ve begun to consider whether the unintended outcomes of maintaining my privacy outweigh personal and professional principle. 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.

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. There continue to be far too many incidences of bullying of young people, as well as discrimination and violence against people of all ages, based on their sexual orientation, and I believe there is value in making clear where I stand.

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.

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’s full statement to Sullivan is here.

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[Source]

Anderson Cooper: "The Fact Is, I'm Gay, Always Have Been, Always Will Be"

Posted by snicks on July 2, 2012

After years of what we'll call "speculation," Anderson Cooper has joined the list of celebrities using the low-key approach to coming out.

Anderson sent an e-mail to longtime friend and The Daily Beast columnist Andrew Sullivan, in which he explains why he's always been hesitant to discuss his sexuality, and why he chose now to take that step.

Recently, however, I’ve begun to consider whether the unintended outcomes of maintaining my privacy outweigh personal and professional principle. 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.

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. There continue to be far too many incidences of bullying of young people, as well as discrimination and violence against people of all ages, based on their sexual orientation, and I believe there is value in making clear where I stand.

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.

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.

Of course, this doesn't come as a shock, but as Andrew points out, "The visibility of gay people is one of the core means for our equality." So kudos, Anderson!

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[Source]

2 Jul 2012 07:45 PM

Anderson Cooper: "The Fact Is, I'm Gay."

[Re-posted from earlier today.]

Last week, Entertainment Weekly ran a story on an emerging trend: gay people in public life who come out in a much more restrained and matter-of-fact way than in the past. In many ways, it's a great development: we're evolved enough not to be gob-smacked when we find out someone's gay. But it does matter nonetheless, it seems to me, that this is on the record. We still have pastors calling for the death of gay people, bullying incidents and suicides among gay kids, and one major political party dedicated to ending the basic civil right to marry the person you love. So these "non-events" are still also events of a kind; and they matter. The visibility of gay people is one of the core means for our equality.

All of which is a prelude to my saying that I've known Anderson Cooper as a friend for more than two decades. I asked him for his feedback on this subject, for reasons that are probably obvious to most. Here's his email in response which he has given me permission to post here:

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, and prefer to stick to my job of telling other people’s stories, and not my own. I have found that sometimes the less an interview subject knows about me, the better I can safely and effectively do my job as a journalist.

I've always believed that who a reporter votes for, what religion they are, who they love, should not be something they have to discuss publicly. As long as a journalist shows fairness and honesty in his or her work, their private life shouldn't matter. I’ve stuck to those principles for my entire professional career, even when I’ve been directly asked “the gay question,” which happens occasionally. I did not address my sexual orientation in the memoir I wrote several years ago because it was a book focused on war, disasters, loss and survival. I didn't set out to write about other aspects of my life.

Recently, however, I’ve begun to consider whether the unintended outcomes of maintaining my privacy outweigh personal and professional principle. 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.

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. There continue to be far too many incidences of bullying of young people, as well as discrimination and violence against people of all ages, based on their sexual orientation, and I believe there is value in making clear where I stand.

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.

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.

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. 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.

Being a journalist, traveling to remote places, trying to understand people from all walks of life, telling their stories, has been the greatest joy of my professional career, and I hope to continue doing it for a long time to come. But while I feel very blessed to have had so many opportunities as a journalist, I am also blessed far beyond having a great career.

I love, and I am loved.

In my opinion, the ability to love another person is one of God’s greatest gifts, and I thank God every day for enabling me to give and share love with the people in my life. I appreciate your asking me to weigh in on this, and I would be happy for you to share my thoughts with your readers. I still consider myself a reserved person and I hope this doesn’t mean an end to a small amount of personal space. But I do think visibility is important, more important than preserving my reporter’s shield of privacy.

Me too.
Update: The Beast created a video tribute to Anderson's work - watch it here.
(Photos courtesy of Anderson Cooper and CNN)                                      ￬￬￬