Coming Out (Subtly)

On Monday in an e-mail exchange with David Sullivan (a columnist for The Daily Beast) Anderson Cooper "came out" when he said, "The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn't be anymore happy, comfortable with myself and proud." People have been speculating about Anderson's sexuality for a long time, and his statement puts an end to all the questioning.

I have to say that I've always respected Anderson for keeping his private life private, and I think other politicians, celebrities and well-known people would be wise to take a page out of Anderson's book and be a little more private. That being said, if Anderson were going to come out, then he did it just the way I knew he would; matter-of-factly and subtly. He just stated the facts, plain and simple and didn't make a big deal about it. I like that.

I've actually known that Anderson was most likely gay for a few years from things I read online (although I wasn't positive since the information was second hand and not from Anderson himself) but the information seemed accurate, and I guess it was. I remember being somewhat surprised when I found out this out since Anderson doesn't really come across as "gay" (if you know what I mean). Right or wrong, I guess I just usually assume that people are heterosexual. (I think this stems from the fact that I don't personally know many homosexual people.) Although, the older I get and as more homosexual people are coming out, I'm learning that you can never assume when it comes to a person's sexuality.

If people are gay, I'm glad that we're living in a society where they feel (more) comfortable having people know who they really are. At least, I can't imagine knowing I was a certain way, but feeling like I had to keep it hidden from others. I hate hearing stories of young kids who take their own lives because they feel that's a better option than having people know they're homosexual. I just wish people would be able to accept others the way they are, even if they don't agree.

Several people have asked me what I think of Anderson's news since they know how much of an Anderson Cooper fan I am. I honestly don't care that he's gay, and it's not like my opinion of him changed when I found out. However, I will say that I've always wondered what Anderson would be like as a husband and father, so I wish he had a family of his own so that I could see what he'd be like as a family man.

Other than that, I'm still AC's number one fan. Always have been, always will be.  :)