Given the momentousness of yesterday’s news, we’ve been parsing every word of President Obama’s statement on marriage equality. One thing that didn’t come to mind right away, though, was looking at who he was talking to: Good Morning America host Robin Roberts.
Why Roberts, who’s not usually the go-to girl for heavy-duty political issues? Why not Diane Sawyer, Brian Williams or (snicker) Anderson Cooper?
Did Obama think his message would be better received by a friendly morning-show personality? If so, why not chat with George Stephanopoulos? At least he has the gravitas (or had, anyway).
The L.A. Times suggests it’s because Roberts is a familiar face for the Obamas:
How about we take this to the next level?
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Roberts has had a series of exclusives with Obama and his wife, First Lady Michelle Obama, that began on the night of his inauguration. With the occasional intrusion of policy matters, most of the interviews have been light and nonconfrontational.
But could it also be because she’s basically out as a lesbian among friends and colleagues? There’s an entire thread on AfterEllen.com dedicated to it. One commenter writes:
I have been watching Robin for years, just love that woman! She is too fabulous….she’s my kind of butch girl, beautiful, strong and all woman.
I have seen traces of her personal life, here and there. One time when they were showing each anchors dressing space, I saw an 8×10 pic on Robin’s desk of a beautiful white woman, obviously her partner.
Another time, when they showed her receiving chemo and her girl was there with her, I am sure it was the same girl. On that show, Diane Sawyer was visiting Robin to let her know that she loved and supported her; it was so obvious that Diane knows and loves her friend Robin and her partner.
Another time, Robin was at dinner with a bunch of her friends and they were so obviously all lesbians- we know what we look like when all we join our friends out for dinner….a table full of beautiful women, not a male in sight!
Regardless of her orientation, nabbing that interview was a major coup for the accomplished broadcaster. Hopefully some of President Obama’s frankness will rub off on her.
Delius
Of course this ex female basket ball sports announcer won’t admit she is a lesbian.
Total shame that some 50 year old multimillionaire won’t come out..but, these 16 year old kids who are out are braver than she is.
Pathetic!
adam
race, gender, and sexuality all conspired here to make roberts the right person for obama to “come out” to on his support for gay marriage. but, one wonders how much control the white house actually has over which reporters the network sends over to do such interviews; the overly emotive dianne sawyer could have come calling, too.
reporter/anchor robin roberts and goofball/weatherman sam champion make approximately half of the regular crew of good morning america gay–a fact that, if widely known, would have much of the country choking on their cornflakes.
KV
@Delius: Let’s keep in mind she’s not out, so we don’t know that she’s automatically gay. Let’s also keep in mind that society has changed a lot since Robin Roberts was 16. A 16 yr old today has the option to be out-and-proud; that wasn’t the case for people who are in their 50’s now. You as a gay person judging another person’s personal decisions is what’s actually pathetic!
Mark
“but, one wonders how much control the white house actually has over which reporters the network sends over to do such interviews”
Oh. HAHAHAHA. I thought at first you were being serious. She was summoned by name.
ScaryRussianHeather
I thought of that right away. But also because she seems like a non-threatening not over the top interviewer – not famous for being political like all the rest of the media now. So her “mainstream” persona is more likable for apolitical or right leaning viewers.
IF she’s a lesbian, then…Unfortunately, Ms. Roberts is just another disingenuous public figure who doesn’t have the courage of coming out in PUBLIC but is so quick to jump on the bandwagon expecting CHILDREN to out themselves and fight the battle alone without ADULTS being willing to risk their careers, family support and sometimes lives. SHAMEFUL of all these closet adults. I’ve been saying this for some time now and @ No. 1 · Delius is the first other poster I’ve read make the same complaint. Then OTOH, we have Gaga with her bi-fake outing being glorified. What’s going on? eyeroll.
ScaryRussianHeather
@KV: “@Delius: Let’s keep in mind she’s not out, so we don’t know that she’s automatically gay. Let’s also keep in mind that society has changed a lot since Robin Roberts was 16. A 16 yr old today has the option to be out-and-proud; that wasn’t the case for people who are in their 50?s now. You as a gay person judging another person’s personal decisions is what’s actually pathetic!”
Nobody is condemning the 16 year old Robin Roberts for not coming out. Or even the 30 year old Robin Roberts. She’s 51 now. Ya think it’s time, YET?
And no, 16 year olds who chose to come out aren’t the issue. Adults who remain in the closet are the issue. While jumping on the current trends. Gaga is bi, stop bullying, trans children, etc.
Children from 4 years old trans or gay are being OUTED by their own parents on freaking uTube and as we all hear “BULLIED” just for having the “wrong” gender traits. And all the grown ups are making “It Gets Better” videos or in people like Robert’s case, presenting “stories” on tv about it. PATHETIC.
Or do we believe that the entertainment and media industry just doesn’t really have that many LGBT members? Even Jonathon Capehart, MSNBC’s currently token gay, never came out on TV in hundreds of appearances when discussing LGBT equality until about last year!
Yes, finally some people ARE coming out, like new politicians running for office but they are few and far between. We won’t even discuss normal everyday people not on TV who are still living in the closet who aren’t willing to risk their jobs etec.
NYCGuy85
Give it a fucking rest. Why does anyone have to come out publicly anymore?! They are out in their own lives and all that matters. It’s great to have great gay role models, but not everyone wants to be a role model nor should be. And Frankly Str8 support of gay people matters just as much as publicly coming out of the closet.
Chadboy
Robin is a lesbian. I see her every summer in the Pines on Fire Island with her partner. The woman is an attractive, 45+ year old white woman with blonde hair. What I find fascinating about Roberts is that she was so open about her battle with breast cancer and drew a lot of support and funding to battling breast cancer, yet she does not live her lesbian life openly. By coming out she would be a positive role model for other LGBT people. Great that she supports the breast cancer cause, but why not support the LGBT community which she has been a member for many more years than the cancer community?
Oh, ok
@Delius: Get a life, the only pathetic one is you. Read the nonsense you wrote anonymously over someone else’s life. Are you really that mad about it?
Same to anyone else who wrote anything remotely similar. How stupid.
DouggSeven
Outting someone is never cool and it’s tabloid. For shame, Queerty. I was unaware perezhilton was writing articles for you now.
mk
She’s part of the LGBT community. Unlike Maddow she’s non-partisan and on a soft news show. In total opposite to Anderson Cooper, who is non-partisan and has a daytime talk show as well as the evening news show, Robin is almost never outed and her sexuality goes almost entirely undiscussed even when she does pieces or interviews concerning gays and gay issues. If Obama did the interview with Cooper it would just become yet another occasion to obsess about Cooper’s sexuality and sex life in the media and forums, and Obama and his message would have been side lined.
KV
@ScaryRussianHeather: The only thing that’s SHAMEFUL is people obsessing over the private lives of others. No one has an obligation to proclaim their sexuality to the world. Even if this woman is gay, she doesn’t owe anyone anything.
Kim
@KV:ITA I’m sure Robin’s loved ones (family and friends) know her sexual orientation. Why should she tell everyone?@Chadboy Does everyone in your life know you are Gay. Did you tell your plumber, the cable guy, the delivery person.? Have you told the store clerk, the valet, the guy who washes your car…. Do you introduce yourself as Hi I’m Gay Chadboy? GMAB
Chadboy
@Kim:
Yes, I’m out to everyone…friends, family, co-workers, etc.
I wasn’t saying that Roberts had to tell her mailman or a grocery store clerk, but for someone who is so visible to the public that she shares her personal story of breast cancer, highlights her mother and father, speaks of her love for her hometown after Hurricane Katrina it is just bizarre that she doesn’t acknowledge her relationship with her partner. She should be proud of it. George Stephanopolous taks about his wife, Allie and his 2 daughters, Lara Spencer talks about her husband and kids, Josh talks about his daughter and has been open about being divorced, Charlie Gibson always talked about his wife Arlene, Diane Sawyer talked about Mike Nichols. It’s weird that Robin who has been on GMA for 10 years and Sam Champion who is also closeted never reference tehir partners.
kevin
I swear the comments on this site are are so incredibly shortsighted and frankly, stupid.
And QUEERTY, you’re hypothetical question of whether the WH asked Ms. Roberts to conduct the interview because she’s gay is even more stupid. Do you have to speak to the lowest common denominator?
Keep it QUEERTY. You’re sounding more and more like the useless, low-brow piece of shit Advocate everyday. Try and find relevance – not stupid headlines.
Jeez.
jason
Women and transgenders will be the downfall of the gay community.
Delius
@jason: Amen to the lesbian part…not to the transgender part. Its so much easier for women to come out…much harder for the rest of us. So, to see a fabulously wealthy 50 year old with this charade is vomit inducing..its almost as bad as nasty Rosie O and her “crush” on Tommie Cruise.
Kyle412
@Chadboy:
Chad, I agree with you. I always thought it was quite brave of Robin to confront and fight her breast cancer head on. She gave a face to an awful disease. Having seen her for years out and about with her gf I wondered why she never did more for the GLBT community since she certainly has the money and connections to do so. It amazes me that young people are coming out and braving the world but Robin still hides. It sends a really bad message abotu shame. It makes me sad to hear on GMA stories about bullying and suicide and Robin and Sam sit there as if they can’t relate. They are contributing to the problem. Even Josh has gone public about having a father who was gay and died when he was a teen. He seems more of a gay advocate than the people who are actually gay.
Dave
Robin is closeted, however she’s a much better talking head than Rachel Maddow.
I agree with Jason.
J Stratford
She doesn’t have to come out.
She is helping the LGBT enough, even in the closet. Arguably, she can do more. But I cant criticize her because she has done more good than bad and more good than I have done.
Besides, if we start ragging on our straight allies, forcing them to come out or making innuendoes that all straight supporters are secretly gay, what straight person would want to join us? No one! And we’d be back in the 19th century…
Ronn
As long as Robin and/or any other public figure does not publicly make demeaning comments about the GLBT communnity when they are in fact GLB or T themselves, then i say it is her private life and has the absolute right to keep it PRIVATE!!!
helen glover
do she go out whith a white woman