It’s more than Summer Love for Anderson Cooper! Spotted in June biking with NYC’s Eastern Bloc bar owner Benjamin Maisani, it appears the pair are still going strong. (Reader Rick says they began dating in December 2008.) Cooper, who once dated Real World‘s JD Ordonez, is spending part of the month in Jaipur, India, in a $3,200-a-night Rambagh Palace suite with Maisani. (Clearly, somebody there is leaking the info; Page Six reports, “Anderson’s room has a large round bathtub. On the first night it was filled with bubbles and sprinkled with red rose petals.”) All of this would actually be noteworth, were Cooper’s sexuality much of a secret.
It’s the embarrassingly obvious elephant in the room that’s become a bore. As Brian Moylan notes, Cooper just wants to be a newscaster — who navigates between reporting on gay rights and chimps — and not “the gay newscaster.” But by staying in the transparent closet, he continues making his sexuality a bigger issue than it has to be.
We’re not saying Cooper has to be an advocate for gay rights. But we like our newscasters up front and honest. Cute and sparkly eyes don’t hurt either. Cooper, meanwhile, has furnished a reputation of … let’s say, a fickle lover, flitting between romantic interests. But here he is, in a long-term relationship with a fellow attractive guy, and we want that shit PUT ON DISPLAY. Instead, we’ll get more gay-guy-straight-girl on-air flirting with Erica Hill.
(Photo: Pacific Coast News)
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scott ny'er
ok. i’ll admit. i’m jealous. of his $$$ and his hot boyfriend. LOL. Sheesh, a $3,200 per NIGHT room.
Fitz
If you aren’t part of the solution, you are part of the problem.
Cam
People who say it is nobody’s business forget that we are subjected to a daily dose of …….”Who is Britney Dating?” “Angelina and Jen, who will Brad Choose?” “Matt Damon, is he a good father to his wifes child by a previous marriage?” “Is Jessica Simpson hurting her boyfriends team’s chances this year?” “Did being associated with Maury Povitch Hurt connie Chung at CBS?”…….. So when the mags and papers stop printing the intimate details of every other celebs sex life on the front covers, then I will say that Anderson cooper should be left alone. Until then, why is he and other closet cases the only people that the papers leave alone?
myrios123
@ Fitz: I agree
Transracial
Although “outing” is oh-so ’80s, it goes without saying that Cooper’s continued closetedness is simply silly at least — if not downright cowardly and damaging.
Considering his status, looks and pedigree, Cooper could do much for the gay cause if he came out — especially if he managed the whole affair with the grace, class and style for which he is known.
What’s saddest, here, is that Cooper — much like Jodie Foster — is rich, white, powerful and fairly beloved. If even someone like this is so fearful he will compromise his status by declaring the obvious, what does that say for the rest of us.
I do feel Cooper has a moral obligation to live openly and honestly — albeit on his terms. And we all know he can afford to do so.
Finally, Queerty editors take note: You were fairly heavy-handed with Cooper-the-coward. And this is applaud-worthy. But remember, a closeted Cooper — at the end of the day — does far more damage to our cause via silence, impotence and inaction than your uber-target Pres. Obama.
By living in inauthenticity, Cooper affirms and confirms the shame, misery and self-loathing felt my so many less-fortunate or celebrated Gay folk.
This is the real enemy of our advancement — not the White House.
RJ
Do any of you ever stop and realize it’s his life and he can do with it as he pleases? And if that includes keeping quiet about his sexuality, that’s ok?
Anderson Cooper wants to present the news, not become part of it. Unlike his news counter-parts, who themselves love being news, Cooper always keeps the argument and his show fair and balanced. Unlike Rachel Maddows(she’s awesome btw), who is clearly a leftist and has a biased point of view, Cooper actually keeps his ideology in check. Ambiguous Fox News anchor Shepard Smith, also sticks to unbiased news reporting. She is a commentator, Smith and Cooper and News Anchors.
adam
But by staying in the transparent closet, he continues making his sexuality a bigger issue than it has to be.
Being in the glass closet works great for loads of people in news. Anderson is the only one everyone has been obsessed with outing and pressuring for years. You could say in some sense it even works out better for him probably because while the big issue is his sexuality there is less emphasis on the details of his personal life and the mainstream media might talk about gay rumors sometimes but they won’t pry further than that.
Cooper, meanwhile, has furnished a reputation of … let’s say, a fickle lover, flitting between romantic interests.
Isn’t it a big mystery why he might be concerned about doing something like formally coming out that might cause more media attention and coverage on comings and goings from his bed?
I’d like to see him come out, but I’m not going to pretend like a gay in a very conservative public profession like news anchoring who has dated around a lot for years and gained a fickle reputation does not have a legitimate professional motivation for thinking it’s best to just publicly avoid the entire area.
When in comes to glass closet gays on the national stage of the news business it would make more sense for someone like Sam Champion to come out before Anderson. There’s a lot less interest in Sam’s sex life and it sounds like he may have a steady partner. GMA doesn’t rest on Sam’s shoulders and preserving an upstanding image is less vital for a weatherman than a news anchor, so if the MSM picks up some lurid, negative gay stereotype supporting story published in a gay blog like the Thomas Roberts Manhunt pics or the Dustin Lance Black barebacking pics it will be damaging but less disasterous.
Rick
Anderson’s relationship with Ben has actually been going on a lot longer than June, more like December but very few people knew about it. It’s really long past time for him to come out, seems to me it would make his life a lot easier than it is now.
El Brucio
I think people who are out in the media should be celebrated. But I don’t think those who are in the closet should be denigrated unless they’re going out of their way to attack gay rights.
More often than not, when a celebrity comes out of the closet, their career is ruined. Ellen and Rosie O’Donnell are the magical lesbian exceptions to this.
It would be nice if at some point he plans an early possible retirement and makes the announcement – but other than that, I don’t think it’s fair to ask that he sacrifice his career.
dontblamemeivotedforhillary
Why are the boyfriends always hotter?
Scott
It’s his life, he can do whatever he wants. It is not Societies place to demand how he lives his life. If he were a politician maybe the expectation of honest living is fitting, however he is a talking head on television, if you don’t like the way he lives his life, don’t watch. Live your life, not someone elses.
YellowRanger
The only people who demand that celebrities come out of the closet are tragically insecure little queens, who require people more famous than them come out in order to reaffirm their own sexuality.
adam
Ellen and Rosie O’Donnell are the magical lesbian exceptions to this.
Actually Ellen’s career seemed permanently dead in the water for years and Rosie’s career has never recovered.
Rachel Maddow’s career has been fine but she’s a leftist commentator and she’s in a very long term monogamous relationship. Lesbian celebrities in general have an advantage when in comes to exposing their personal life, I think. They are far more likely to have the kind of personal lives the public approves of and judges kindly. Statistically they have longer and more stable relationships than both straights and gay men. They are less likely than gays to have open relationships too. I would also say celebrity lesbians don’t have all the problems with exs embarrassing them and causing drama like the Charles Perez situation. Even lesbians who were dumped on their asses by cheating partners like Cydney by Jodie Foster and Alexandra by Ellen take it very quietly and discreetly without trying to inflict PR damage on their ex. I haven’t seen many lesbian exs selling photos like the DLB pics either.
BJ
AC is not exactly secretive about his orientation — discreet at times, but hardly secretive. Many of us have seen him “out” in Chelsea, the West Village, and at notoriously gay establishments including the gayest of all, Bergdorf’s. He uses discretion in the workplace. Actually, not there, either. Everyone at CNN knows.
And, don’t you think most of his viewers know? Come on…
This is not Fox News where the audience has a collective IQ of 50.
Just what is it you want him to do? He certainly doesn’t tell people he’s straight. It seems to me that that is pretty open and honest. I just don’t understand some gays’ obsession with why he doesn’t open the broadcast with Good evening from New York. I’m Anderson Cooper and I’m gay. It’s important that you all know this personal fact about me so that you can understand the current events that I’m reporting to you.
So many Queerty readers act like he owes it to them. See, Anderson is a fag, just like me. So, there!
My God! Isnt’ every human being entitled to handle their personal sexuality in their own way?
Leave the guy alone.
hephaestion
Anderson’s career is safe and secure. Nothing would change for him if he just casually mentioned his boyfriend one day while on air. He doesn’t have to “come out,” he just needs to quit hiding the facts of his life.
If Anderson Cooper can’t be out, no one can. He has ZERO excuse for fearing the consequences. Many people risk losing their families and income. Cooper risks nothing by being out.
Observer
Sadly I remember Rosie O’Donnel more for making rants on social issues than her acting or interviewing skills. I was really surprised her show lasted as long as it did because she always looked angry and frustrated regardless of the topic.
As for AC I am on his side when it comes to keeping his mouth shut. He is well aware only a fool has not put two and two together by now. The day he comes out will be the day his career is over. Simply put, coming out is not in his favor, wealth be damned. He knows the type of world we live in and so do many of you.
Daniel
Anderson makes a great role model… for spoiled cowards.
ken
Uh, gee, what a coincidence Ben was just ending a relationship with his prior boyfriend before he started seeing Anderson.
His old boyfriend wouldn’t have stood a chance against Anderson. Would would? $$$$$
Bob
@Observer: It’s not like everyone doesn’t know by now he is gay, so it really doesn’t matter, actually it is rather a joke and remaining closeted may actually be hurting him.
robert in nyc
Hmm, who’s the bottom?
romeo
@#14 BJ: LMAO “the gayest of all, Bergdorf’s.” Man, that’s the truth.
Lady Ga-Gasp
I think it is so wrong to *out* a department store — just because you think it’s taste level could only be appreciated by sophisticated, moneyed gay men in Manhattan.
By that cruelest of all measures, what then, pray tell, is Jeffrey? A meat packing district tranny hooker?
You heard it hear 1st Anderson, feel free to ‘use the news’ in a late night bon mot.
dontblamemeivotedforhillary
I had the worst sex with the Guy in the Children’s Department (not in the store, in a bed, you filthy bastards!)
Just Maddonna-died-in-a-plane-crash
GeoffM
100% agree with #2 Fitz: If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.
Joey
He doesn’t have to “come out,” he just needs to quit hiding the facts of his life.
What the hell do the “facts of his life” have to do with reporting the news? NOTHING!!
rrr
Nothing would change for him if he just casually mentioned his boyfriend one day while on air.
Of course it would change. If he talks about the boyfriend on air he will be inviting the public into the relationship, and they and the media will follow it up or down and feel they have a right to the details of any dirt. As Queerty pointed out, his love life has been busy and varied and he has a rep for being fickle. That could be a big problem if the public has a front row seat. Anchors need their audiences to think of them as trustworthy and stable. Straight news anchors normally talk about spouses and kids on air but not people they are only dating.
He’d be a lot smarter just giving a message to the press saying ‘I’m gay’ and then doing like Luke Macfarlane and saying he won’t discuss his dating life.
Mike
Wait. I thought Anderson was a rice queen…or only into men of color. I just don’t know who to believe. DAMN YOU INTERNET! DAMN YOU!
rudy
Cooper is not a movie star.
If he and the hunk get married, maybe it’s his viewers’ business, but I certainly can’t recall ANY news anchor revealing who he’s dating or if he’s having an affair.
And what could be more ridiculous than being criticized for living in a “glass closet” by an ANONYMOUS blogger?
Jake the libertarian
All of this complaining about Anderson Cooper not coming out publicly is ridiculous. He is a free man and has the right to live his life however he wishes. You don’t pay that man’s salary and you don’t even know him. To demand that he make some big public statement about something that he feels can hurt his career and pigeon hole him into an area he does not want to be in is selfish.
Frankly the vast majority of the people out there demanding that he publicly confirm his sexual orientation are nothing but fickle, self centered, self-aggrandizing, queens… who are all too pissed off that they can get in on the D-R-A-M-A.
Anderson Cooper is exactly what I like in a homo. He is above having to explain himself to pissed off queens. He has never been anti-gay in his reporting and seems to be a well adjusted and happy person. Fuck you if you don’t like it.
Rowen
Mike, if it helps you at all, I once meet a guy who said he meet Anderson Cooper at . . . Posh, I think, and got the impression he was a big old coke head who only wanted twinks.
I’m confused as well.
Cam
No. 6 · RJ said…
Anderson Cooper wants to present the news, not become part of it. Unlike his news counter-parts, who themselves love being news, Cooper always keeps the argument and his show fair and balanced.
_______________________________-
What a lie! So he writes a book discussiong growing up, his fathers death, his brothers suicide and being the child of Gloria Vanderbuilt, and yet somehow you are claiming he doesn’t want to be “Part of the Story”. Give me a break.
Charles Merrill
He is a serious reporter giving the news about war. To blurt out “I’m gay” covering bombing in Islamic countries wouldn’t be appropriate. Stand up comic lesbians come out and people laugh like it’s a joke. Ellen, Wanda, Liza Lapanelli, and Rosie have done more harm to the seriousness and pain of coming out than good. It’s no joke.
Cam
No. 13 · adam said…
Actually Ellen’s career seemed permanently dead in the water for years and Rosie’s career has never recovered.
_____________________________________
Rosie had problems after not because she came out, but because she had for years posed as the “Queen of Nice”, then when she came out she became a nasty bitchy angry person who was nothing like the false personality she had portrayed for years. Basically she just told her entire audience, thanks for watching, you’ve been punked.
As for Ellen, her show was losing ratings, she came out, the shows ratings went up, then the next season it wasn’t as funny, the ratings dropped, she was cancelled, she went through some personal problems, but had some high profile gigs (Finding Nemo) etc… and now has a hugely popular show. She hasn’t been discreet, she talked with George Bush’s wife and daughter and she and Portia getting married on their ranch on air, and argued with Senator McCain about gay marriage as she showed pictures of hers and Portia’s wedding.
brian
11 months is a LTR?
Mike
Charles, you silly, silly queen. Oh, the drama. “To blurt out “I’m gay” covering bombing in Islamic countries wouldn’t be appropriate.”
LOL!
Who the fuck is asking him to come out then? Who? LOL. Your scenario was the poorest defense of Coop’s closet so far.
Ms. Anderson is a coward and he’s saying to the world that it’s okay for him, a gay man, to face down dictators and ask them tough questions, stand shoulder to shoulder with soldiers during a war as he covers their story and the bullets fly, take on political figures, but it’s not okay for the world to know he’s a homosexual. It’s not okay to be gay.
GeoffM
@ Mike: AMEN! Don’t you get the feeling all the commenters who are so vehement about outing/comingout/being out are themselves …NOT out? I too get sick of all their BS. Plenty of soap box grandstanding on glbt rights, but ‘ooooohhhhh don’t pressure people to be out’ Get real.
Charles Merrill
Mike, Rachel Maddow has never come out as lesbian on her MSNBC show. She was interviewed by Mike Signorile on Sirius and made some good points. The point I was making is that bringing the news is a venue detached from the messenger. Comedy isn’t.
Sam
@Dontblamemeivotedforhilary:
Why are the boyfriends always hotter?
I know! And they don’t even have to be that famous. I’m always confused as to why a “Lance Bass” level of fame gets hot boyfriends.
me
Let’s not fool ourselves. Anderson + Out = Dead Career.
Marcus
Do you really think his career would be over for stating the very obvious fact that he’s gay?
I don’t. I think it would be a story for a bit–and it would go away, as it did with Neil, T.R. And the same thing will happen to Matt Bomer as well.
Kian
He doesn’t need to come out on air… that would be ridiculous. But if he was asked whether he was gay while he wasn’t working and still didn’t confirm or deny, then he is a hypocrite.
John (still that one from England)
@ Brian
Lol!
11 months IS an LTR!!
Cinci Chris
Everyone seems to equate coming out with some necessary on air announcement. I think a simple story with a respectable publication would do. If you are a gay celebrity yet never mention the fact that you are gay, that sends a clear message to other gay people that it is a personal characteristic that is undesirable and must be kept hidden. I would respect him more if he was a leader rather than a follower and made the fact known without making a big deal of it.
Marcus
@CINCI Chris:
I agree. Neil didn’t do some major People magazine cover story–it’s completely unneccesary.
A quick blurb from a publicist or a mention in an interview with New York magazine is more than enough.
jeff reichenbacher
Gentlemen,
Since you’re always discussing sad, tired Mr. Cooper’s refusal to come out of the closet, why not feature a piece on Matthew Bomer, the star of “White Collar” whose alleged relationship with PMK’s Simon Halls was featured by Perez Hilton and photos of Mr. Bomer passionately kissing another guy are/were featured on “Boyculture,” “Greg In Hollywood,” et al and are now all over the internet. Best, Jeff Reichenbacher
Pip_englishamerican
Good for him for not wanting to take a label. A word that has become so cliche. It’s too bad we don’t want him to be out so much. But we only do because we need him to be one so bad.
Alex
360’s sexual preference isn’t assumed by a lot of Americans. Sure, us gays know better, but a lot of Americans seem to think that homosexuality is so rare and/or subversive that they just assume various celebrities are straight unless explicitly told otherwise. To illustrate this, go to Google and start typing “Is Anderson Cooper” and see what predictive searches Google suggests. While many of them are like “Is Anderson Cooper out of the closet?” and such, apparently a lot of people still search “Is Anderson Cooper married?”. If you start with “Does Anderson Cooper have” Google suggests both “Does Anderson Cooper have a boyfriend?” and “Does Anderson Cooper have a girlfriend?”. So while its obvious to anyone who cares to do any research at all, a lot of people seem to still assume he’s straight. Why, I don’t know, but they do.
mm
the man’ sexuality is not his job. He has a right to keep it that way. Who the hell cares? Isnt it enough the media stalks him for the gratuitous pics of his bf’s?
mm
oh, and wouldnt it be better to just have some gratuitous skin pics of cooper? that’s more important, I think.
leavetheguyalone
Just the constant whining and judging that goes on here from people who think they have the right to make decisions on other people’s personal lives (hypocrisy much?) makes me hope he’ll never come out in the media.
Progress is when people don’t have to declare they’re gay anymore than straight people have to declare their straightness. And if they want to be private about it, they should be able to.
leavetheguyalone
@Cam Cooper:”All those things – my brother’s suicide, my father’s death – were in the public domain. To me, I wasn’t writing a tell-all narrative about my life; it was a book about loss, war, disasters and survival.”
It was in a seperate book, it’s not like he’s interspersing it in his news coverage every chance he gets, and having dead family members is hardly as controversial as being gay would be for a news anchor. Telling one thing about yourself doesn’t mean you then owe everybody every little bit of your personal life.
leavetheguyalone
@ Kian I don’t think you know what hypocrite means, it doesn’t fit there.
Charles Merrill
It gets more difficult for Anderson to come out with statistics like these casting another negative on being gay. Quoting President Obama yesterday sigining the Ryan White bill. “Gay men make up 2 or 3 percent of the population, but more than half of all new cases of HIV/AIDS”.
McShane
No. 52 · leavetheguyalone ; DITTO Just because some people have the pure luck to not be in a vulnerable position, doesn’t mean that they are vetted to caim heroism and honor. It’s always easy to be in someone elses place. What good will it doi for him to be come public if he loses his job. It seems that a lot of people forget the reality of homophobia in the work world.
OneMonkeysUncle
It was wrong way-back-when Signorilie was all about it, and it’s wrong now. You can’t on the one hand demand respect and privacy for your own life, and demand Cooper give up his. NO ONE has any right, legal, moral, or otherwise, to anyone else’s private life, and you shrieking hypocrites and your cries for Cooper to “out himself” should probably spend a little more time getting your own pathetic little lives in order.
dontblamemeivotedforhillary
Was AC that guy in the Powder movie who forced people to feel his pain?
Frank678
I come to this site for the news items, and more and more I get bitchy rants from the snarky queen who runs it, telling people how to live their lives, telling Obama how to run his presidency, and on and on. Get over yourself. You’re a fucking blogger, not Jesus H. Christ. AC is a news man, and just because he wants to keep his private life his own is his business, not yours, not mine. Being gay in the public eye is very difficult – either you’re condemned by religious fanatics or you’re condemned by gay fanatics forcing you to be a “role model.” It never ends. Just keep posting items of interest, and leave out the fascism, or get the fuck off the internet.
Michelle
Rachel has not said the words, “I’m a lesbian” on her show, but she has referred to having a girlfriend, so I consider that out on her show.
Rick
After reading over some of the comments here on this subject, I’ve reconsidered my opinion about AC coming out. It’s his life, I can’t judge him for choosing to live exactly as he wishes, no one can.
Lex
@Frank678: Well said.
Cam
No. 55 · OneMonkeysUncle said…
It was wrong way-back-when Signorilie was all about it, and it’s wrong now. You can’t on the one hand demand respect and privacy for your own life, and demand Cooper give up his.
___________________________________-
And just what privacy are we all supposedly demanding for our lives? I’m out there advocating for gay marriage so I can make a very public declaration of just who I am. The fact that every celeb couple is profiled extensively in magazines every time they buy a pack of gum together, yet everything about Cooper is kept quiet outside of gay blogs shows that not only Cooper but the regular mags think being gay is shameful.
He whores out his brothers Suicide, His fathers death etc… in his book and yet somehow people still pretend that Cooper doesn’t want to put his personal life out there. Give it a rest, people like Ellen and Wanda Sykes, and nowadays, Cheyenne Jackson are part of the soloution, people like Cooper are part of the problem.
All of us can come out and be out there, but it’s too much for him? give it a rest.
Charles Merrill
Michelle. I love Rachel and respect her very much so this is not a criticism of her. If Anderson referred to his “boyfriend” or “same sex partner” on CNN, it wouldn’t get a pass from the millions of viewers the way Rachel’s “girlfriend” did. Nothing unusual about straight women and young girls having “girlfriends”. On BET and Tyra you hear “girlfriend” at least ten times an hour between women. They hold hands on the playground, compare boyfriends, and the grand ma’s refer to their “girlfriends” around the bridge table or at the church social. There is a double standard. Men can say “my buddy”, but not “my boyfriend” unless he is gay.
mk
[quote] The fact that every celeb couple is profiled extensively in magazines every time they buy a pack of gum together, yet everything about Cooper is kept quiet outside of gay blogs shows that not only Cooper but the regular mags think being gay is shameful.
A lot of those celebrity couples in tabloids don’t consent or cooperate with the couple profiling. It’s smarter for celebrities and better for their relationships if they try to keep the media and public out of that.
It’s up to the media to treat gay and straight celebrities the same. We can’t realistically expect gay celebrities to voluntarily give up privacy in areas they don’t want to and they know could hurt their careers. The hands off approach of the MSM helps them, and they naturally aren’t going to want to spoil it for themselves especially if they are rumored playboys trying to maintain good public images for their job like Anderson Cooper.
It makes zero sense for a CNN news anchor to open up to the press about the fact he is dating a beefy frenchman who bartends shirtless in divey gay bar with a communist theme. CNN is already mocked as the Communist News Network by the right, and you don’t see any other national news anchors doing relationship profiles in US Weekly with some guy or woman they’re dating. In an equal world the press would disregard his lack of cooperation and report on his relationships to the same extent that they report on straight anchors’ relationships, and they would report on the gay sex lives of others news people and stars like straights. In an equal world the career impact of that reporting would be the same as the career impact on straights, but hopefully we’ll get there eventually.
Joey
Why are you people so obsessed over this man? Get a life already.
Scoop
Sites like this perfectly illustrate that there sure are a lot of closet cases in the world.
An
@scoop That’s pathetic. It’s not even an argument, you’re just trying to trigger a reaction. Just because people disagree, doesn’t mean they’re closet cases.
@cam The privacy, or personal right, to not have other people, the government, the church, who ever, make decisions about your personal life, or judge you all the time.
What news anchor get pictures published of him with his partner buying gum ~anywhere~, except for Cooper?
It’s ridiculous to suggest he is ashamed of being gay. He’s made it clear this is about privacy and work for him. Anyone who knows he is gay, and that’s not hard to find out, knows he’s leading a perfectly content private life being gay, no bearding, no denial, he goes on dates, he goes to gay bars, he hangs out with other gay friends, and makes no effort of hiding interests that might make him come off as gay in his public life. He might have an extra platform, but as it is, he’s perfectly fine being as out as you and most people here are, and it’s not hard to see that.
As above:”All those things – my brother’s suicide, my father’s death – were in the public domain. To me, I wasn’t writing a tell-all narrative about my life; it was a book about loss, war, disasters and survival.” He also doesn’t talk about his two other brothers and plenty of other things besides who he sleeps with.
Cooper is not part of the problem. This whole “if you’re not with us, you’re against us” mentality is way too simple. There’s not just one way of doing things, Cooper gives a lot of coverage to gay issues compared to other anchors, he supports several aids charities, an issue within the community, he was the only anchor to cover the gay teen bullying suicides. He’s a likable guy who’s happy with himself, who happens to be gay and happens to be private. That’s still a good image to have out there.
Mike
Rose petals in the bathwater? That’s some Young and the Restless bullshit.
Fred
Did it ever occur to anyone; that the terms of his contract with CNN has a clause in it that prevent him from coming out on camera? Growing up with the loses he has endured,the famous mother and her social circle – has shaped the person he is today. We should all have walked in his foot steps……… perhaps then we’d have the right to judge him. I have not walked in his foot steps; I have my own steps to deal with. To quote a deceased author friend: “the grass is not always greener over the septic tank”. Life is full of lessons, hopefully we learn from them………. I know I have.
AxelDC
Just what has he got to lose? He’s rich, he’s famous, his mama is filthy rich.
What, is CNN going to fire him for being gay? If anything, CNN could use the ratings!
Rachel Maddow is out and proud, and she doesn’t have the Vanderbilt fortune behind her.
Michael
I’ll post my comment as briefly as I can. Amen! You make the most sense here.
uhaditcoming
When CNN calls him in and says, “OK Andersson, your ratings are in the toilet. What are you going to do about it? He’ll say: “I know, I’ll come out and become an activist for gay rights!”
The Milkman
Unless Mr. Cooper is actively working against the interests of fellow GLBT people, he has a right to keep his personal life private. Our culture would do well to rediscover the value of personal discretion.
James UK
Anderson Cooper is gay.
His employers know.
The interviewees know.
I expect his family know.
His boyfriend knows.
Bergdorf’s know.
We know.
Who else is important?
We don’t know if he votes Republican (and I don’t suggest he does or worse, should) but hey, what have the Democrats done for us lately?
One can’t put the nice bits of one’s private life out into the public domain with lovely little fluff appeareances on Oprah and endorsing this, that and the other without giving the media the green light to go after the dirt under the rug. Just ask Tiger.
It’s ok to say “my private life is my private life”.
It’s not ok to say one thing and do another. If there is evidence that he does that in any meaningful way, then fine, hang him out to dry.
Otherwise, relax and enjoy the view. It’s pretty nice and isn’t spoilt whenever he opens his mouth.
And as news anchors go, he’s better than the average bear (in the Yogi sense of the word).
Queen Senath CarMel Anderson
anderson is not gay,he is my sweetheart and i am the President of Straight Pride. I love him very much. Read about Senath Anderson on myspace.com