CNBC’s Shepard Smith got candid about some of the unique struggles he’s faced as an openly LGBTQ person working in corporate media.
In an interview during the Association of LGBTQ Journalists 2021 National Convention, Smith, who came out publicly in 2017, spoke about his experiences as a gay man competing in a world dominated by straight men.
“I signed up to work for the man,” he said. “I came to work for corporations and large groups because when I was a child my dad worked for himself and sometimes we had enough money to get by and sometimes we didn’t.”
“That created strife in our family and I said from childhood I’m going to work for someone that gives me a check every two weeks… But when you work for the man, you follow the man’s rules.”
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Though he didn’t say it outright, it’s pretty obvious what “man” Smith was referring to.
He worked for Fox News from 1996 until 2019, when abruptly left after network execs refused to intervene when a feud with fellow Fox News host/homophobe Tucker Carlson reached what HuffPost described a “full-blown civil war.”
During his nearly 25 years at the network, he said he was often made to feel like a “token”, and he urged others not to let the same thing happen to them.
“You know how they stereotype us,” he said. “We’re emotional, we fly off the handle, we have chips on our shoulder. None of that’s true. It’s true for individuals. It’s not true for [all LGBTQ people].”
“I am not here to be your token. I don’t want to be the gay journalist. I want to be the journalist who is gay.”
Since leaving Fox News, Smith has spoken out against the network for spreading misinformation. Earlier this year, he blasted his former colleagues for sharing too many opinions and not enough facts during their broadcasts.
“Opine all you like,” he said, “but if you’re going to opine, begin with the truth and opine from there.”
“When people begin with a false premise and lead people astray, that’s injurious to society and it’s the antithesis of what we should be doing: Those of us who are so honored and grateful to have a platform of public influence have to use it for the public good.”
GayEGO
Absolutely true that we keep business separate from pleasure as he wanted to do and I did.
winemaker
This brings up the old adage: ‘You don’t get your honey where you get your money’ or something like that. That being said, keeping your home life private has its rewards. For one thing, why give ammunition to co workers or management who don’t like gays? Although there are anti discrimination laws on the books, working with someone who has the power to make your life less than pleasant can be avoided by keeping private matters private. Really it’s nobody’s business who you sleep with and for the most part has no place at work. The same goes for political views and religion. These three things should be off the table for discussion in the workplace. With the last two being hot button topics, this is especially important
Cam
@winemaker
Translation: As usual, the right wing troll account advocates for LGBTQ people to stay in the closet.
Vince
winemaker
You’re living in a fantasy world if you think a person sex isn’t part of their work environment. How may times have you been asked about your girlfriend at work? How about pics of their families?
muscl954
I’m sure his $15 Million salary at FOX assuaged his struggles.
radiooutmike
That why all those people who win the big lotteries have such happy endings!
Musk
Is that just a random comment, or comment that needs a paragraph or two behind it?
Fahd
To me, he’s just not likable enough to give the benefit of the doubt, but I suppose one should. Now that he’s apparently “reformed”, he should do more to advance gay causes, in my opinion. He could if he were motivated.
rray63
So how do we determine which person is okay for reform or not okay? Is there a manual we read that has advice on which person is okay? If we aren’t careful we become as hypocritical as those that a lot in here judge, one way or the other. No, asking simple questions does not make me a troll. But you can call me one if it makes you feel good.
Jim
Poor Shep only complaining after he gets booted.
Ya lay down with dogs ya gonna get fleas!!!
radiooutmike
To me, it sounds like Shepard Smith did not have to come out at his workplace.
Maybe he was assumed to be gay?! Or was out, but was not super-flamboyant. Clearly, they paid him $15 million because people watched for being journalist, not for being gay.
Cam
The reason the folks at FOX Hated him is because Shep destroyed one of their big moves.
When the Supreme Court decision legalized same sex marriage, FOX’s website headlines screamed “America’s War on Marriage”
Well Smith, one of their higher rated folks, gave a speech on his how about how the Court was on the right side of history, and FOX had to pull all of that down off their site.
So Love that he did that to them.
LifeinShaw
Shep was always a true newsman at FOX and didn’t push the FOX agenda.
Caddy4J
Absolutely no sympathies for him. He was a whining Diva at Fox, treated people terribly but stayed all those years because the “MONEY” was too good to move on. When he finally did make the move, and his New network poured millions and millions in advertising dollars to promote his new show, He flopped and failed soon after and now he became irrelevant. You can call yourself anything you want, and bash your former Network. But you failed on your own because you’re unlikeable, yet you call yourself the token gay. but why did your token Gay ass stay fox all those years if you hate it so much. Oh, I forgot, that man!!!!!
Cam
@Caddy4J
The right wing troll account switched names so it could come in again and attack the guy at FOX who prevented them from going forward with their “War on Marriage” narrative when the court legalized same sex marriage.
Sweetie, your trolling is sad and weak.
Gandalf The Grey
Are we supposed to feel sorry for him working for the most anti-gay network for all those years? Please. He’s just another traitor who wants to rehabilitate his image for the LGBTQI+ community. After all it’s image that really counts. Not content of character!
Doug
I think anybody who isn’t straight and white will continue to be presented as “tokens” and it’s unlikely to stop for quite awhile. I think every minority deals with this, and it comes hand-in-hand with fighting for equal rights. Every time I watch a tv show now I’m aware of how many black, gay, Asian and Latin actors have been cast, as though they have a quota of some kind to reach. I’d like to think that there will be a day when we’re all casually accepted as a group that are all on equal footing, but I wonder sometimes if I’ll see it in my lifetime.
Invader7
TOO much makeup..