Anderson Cooper Comes Out of the Closet: “The Fact Is, I’m Gay”

Anderson Cooper’s gayness has been an “open secret” for years, but the famed CNN anchor has officially gone on record as being out of the closet, which is still a great thing.

Anderson Cooper, for a very long time, was believed to have stayed closeted not because he was ashamed of his sexuality or afraid it would impact his image, but rather for concern that speculation on his personal life would distract from the “story,” the story being the news he preferred to report upon and not star in.

But Cooper was spotted around New York with the man thought to be his partner, Ben Maisani, and local rags like the New York Post and Gawker often insinuated quite heavily that the anchor and the bar owner were an item.

Still, Cooper didn’t rise to any of the bait, keeping much of his personal life under wraps — to the degree it was possible to when your mom is Gloria Vanderbilt. But pal and fellow media gay Andrew Sullivan was recently corresponding with Cooper about a story in Entertainment Weekly focusing on public figures being quietly gay, and Cooper finally says in plain English that yes, he is indeed a gay.

The email over at Andrew Sullivan’s site is long but worth reading, and in it, Cooper explains:

“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.”

The CNN host continues:

“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.”

Finally, Anderson Cooper comes out, saying simply:

“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.”

You can read Anderson Cooper’s full letter to Andrew Sullivan in the link to the left.