Anderson Cooper: "The fact is, I'm gay."
July 2, 2012 8:22 AM   Subscribe

 
I totally just posted a second behind you.

Anyway, good for him. :) And good for the kids who look up to AC as a role model.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:25 AM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


Well, it doesn't have the Knock Me Over With A Feather shock power of James Randi coming out, but good on him, all the same.

I'll be glad when it doesn't really matter anymore.
posted by Mooski at 8:26 AM on July 2, 2012


"for reasons that are probably obvious to most ..."

I'm no fan of Andrew Sullivan, but that's a nice way of coming out to the world. Wonderful letter.
posted by mrgrimm at 8:27 AM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


Kudos to Anderson Cooper for being so matter of fact about it. Sexual orientation should be accepted as a fact, and nothing unremarkable like "my eyes are green, yours are blue, how about that?" The sooner this happens, the better.
posted by arcticseal at 8:29 AM on July 2, 2012 [2 favorites]


I'm so happy that he came out - he's such an amazing role model. The more people that come out and make it no big deal, the better.
posted by monkey!knife!fight! at 8:29 AM on July 2, 2012


"So these "non-events" are still also events of a kind; and they matter."

Yes.
posted by Seamus at 8:31 AM on July 2, 2012 [2 favorites]


Can I have just a moment to regret that such an incredibly handsome, personable, intelligent man plays for the team I'm not on? Good, thanks.

Good for you, Anderson Cooper.
posted by orange swan at 8:31 AM on July 2, 2012 [9 favorites]


Also, can we get another season of The Mole soon? Please?
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:32 AM on July 2, 2012 [15 favorites]


Have to say I've kind of impressed that his Wikipedia page has already been updated within the half-hour since this was posted. That darn internet!
posted by psoas at 8:33 AM on July 2, 2012


Well, duh. But seriously, yay!

On preview: yes more Mole plz.
posted by yellowbinder at 8:34 AM on July 2, 2012


Can I have just a moment to regret that such an incredibly handsome, personable, intelligent man plays for the team I'm not on?

While I understand the sentiment and applaud it on one level, I think that to some extent, the arbitrary forming of 'teams' is part of the problem. There's just Us.

Dear sweet mother of mercy what we could accomplish if there was no Them.
posted by Mooski at 8:35 AM on July 2, 2012 [41 favorites]


I'm sure the Mole offered him a life with a much more normal sleeping pattern, but I missed him when he left World News Now.

Anyway.

Time for a celebratory playing of the World News Polka!
posted by rewil at 8:36 AM on July 2, 2012 [2 favorites]


I'll be glad when it doesn't really matter anymore.

That time is here. It's time for homosexuals to stop with the drama of "coming out" and just get on with their business. No one cares, it's not a big deal so stop making a big deal out of it.

I don't care for Anderson Cooper and his pop-star journalism and this revelation doesn't change that at all.
posted by three blind mice at 8:40 AM on July 2, 2012 [2 favorites]


Heck, I loved his work ever since I was in high school and he was the dashing correspondent from Channel One.

Good on him for emerging from the plexiglass closet.
posted by inturnaround at 8:41 AM on July 2, 2012 [6 favorites]


Plexiglas closet is right. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea that he wasn't “formally” out.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 8:43 AM on July 2, 2012 [9 favorites]


That time is here. It's time for homosexuals to stop with the drama of "coming out" and just get on with their business. No one cares, it's not a big deal so stop making a big deal out of it.

I wish that were true. I don't think it is yet. Anyway, this was about as drama-free as possible - a second-hand report from a reporter.
posted by me & my monkey at 8:43 AM on July 2, 2012 [8 favorites]


That time is here. It's time for homosexuals to stop with the drama of "coming out" and just get on with their business. No one cares, it's not a big deal so stop making a big deal out of it.

It is a big deal to be visible. There are still people and states in this country that hate and discriminate because they don't know any gay people. The more people in public life who can say, "Hey, I'm gay, you are discriminating against me" the better.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:43 AM on July 2, 2012 [19 favorites]


It's been an open secret so long, it almost has a "who cares?" quality. I sympathize with his idea that people should have privacy and their sexual orientation shouldn't be relevant. Except it's still not that way, we still have a long way to go for gay equality, it's important for public figures to come out. The fact this announcement will be greeted with a yawn is itself a sort of new victory.

I think it's fascinating he chose Andrew Sullivan's blog to make the announcement.
posted by Nelson at 8:45 AM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


The best part about this is how much of a non-event it is.

This past weekend my wife and I attended a wedding. A friend of her's from high school and his long-time partner got married at a chapel in New York state. The service was better than just about any wedding I've ever been to. It was all about love and what love means when two people share it. Two guys up there, holding hands, exchanging vows. Plenty of guests with their partners/husbands/wives. Friends and family overjoyed. Gay or straight, whatever.

The best part was it was just a wedding. It wasn't a "gay" wedding. Well, ok, yeah it was and I think most people in the room appreciated the fact that it wasn't legal until recently, but for the most part it was just a wedding between two people who wanted to get married.

And it was awesome. Why the hell could anyone ever have a problem with that?
posted by bondcliff at 8:46 AM on July 2, 2012 [5 favorites]


No one cares, it's not a big deal so stop making a big deal out of it.

What you really mean is that you don't care. But many people are different from you. They care, and it's a big deal to them.
posted by John Cohen at 8:47 AM on July 2, 2012 [33 favorites]


That time is here. It's time for homosexuals to stop with the drama of "coming out" and just get on with their business. No one cares, it's not a big deal so stop making a big deal out of it.

Oh yeah, I forgot that we're living in a post-homophobia equal rights paradise.
posted by kmz at 8:51 AM on July 2, 2012 [54 favorites]


It's time for homosexuals to stop with the drama of "coming out" and just get on with their business.

I'll tell the homosexuals you said this. I'm sure they'll all be so relieved, and thrilled! Of course, I'm sure they'll be a little ashamed, too, for all that "drama" they foisted on everyone else for so long.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:52 AM on July 2, 2012 [51 favorites]


This is a big deal. When everybody already basically knows but the person doesn't say anything about it, ever, it's an acknowledgment that there are reasons not to say anything about it. There's a reason to pass because some people will hate you once you aren't passing anymore, even if lots more people would be okay with it. It is still something that takes courage to do, and it's going to be a few years yet before that is no longer the case. The more high-profile people that can do this, the easier it is for those of us who are not high-profile and have not been able to surround ourselves exclusively with people who will love us anyway.

Easier, but not easy. Not yet. Not by a long shot.
posted by gracedissolved at 8:53 AM on July 2, 2012 [7 favorites]


That time is here. It's time for homosexuals to stop with the drama of "coming out" and just get on with their business. No one cares, it's not a big deal so stop making a big deal out of it.

There's a lot of hostility in this comment. If you were my friend and I talked about being queer to you - and it has been, and still is, quite a journey for me - and you responded by saying "no one cares, get over it", I would feel pretty lousy and that would put paid to our friendship.

Also, we usually don't refer to ourselves as "homosexuals" except in jest.

And thirdly, look, maybe you're a swell friend to the GLBTQ folks in your life, but please remember that many, many of us do still get harassed pretty regularly. It happens to me. And there are the countless creeply little moments where someone will be on the elevator with you, for example, and nudge their friend and look at you funny, or when you're at the gym and you know that the really straight straight woman next to you is acting all weird because she thinks you're some kind of pre-vert who is desperately trying for a look at her, even though all you want to do is go lift some weights pls thx.

Also, I feel like this risks slipping over into "why do they have to be so visible?" I'm a butch queer woman. That's not a choice I made and I don't really think of my physical presence as, like, a big effort or a big performance. It's just who I am, how I look, how I act. And yet there are definitely folks both straight and gay who feel like by having short hair and sort of a butch demeanor I am "making a big deal out of it".

I mean, I assume that you say what you say out of sympathy rather than dislike, but it reads the other way around.
posted by Frowner at 8:55 AM on July 2, 2012 [86 favorites]



Time for a celebratory playing of the World News Polka!
posted by rewil at 11:36 AM on July 2



Damn straight! Hit it, Barry!

The World News Polka by Barry Mitchell


[Spoken]

Hey. News got you down? Come on, let's... POLKA!

[ABC News fanfare: Dah dah da-dah. ]

Politics and foreign wars. All the weather, all the scores.
That's the World News Polka!

Business news from Tokyo. Stuff you saw on Koppel's show
That's the World News Polka!

It's late at night, you're wide awake and you're not wearing pants.
So grab your World News Now mug and everybody dance!

[Barry's Backup singers] Hey!

Have some fun. Be a pal. Every anchor guy and gal,
Do the World News Polka!

[spoken] Come on, everyone!

[Instrumental]

[Barry's Backup singers]
That's the World News Polka!

[spoken] Insomniacs only!

[Instrumental]
That's the World News Polka!

Who cares what the network thinks? Or the sponsors, too?

[Barry's Backup singers] Who cares?

And if your neighbors call the cops, here's all you have to do:

[Barry's Backup singers] What?

When they yell "It's half past three!," tell them "Hey, it's news to me!"
That's the World News Polka!

They make us work the graveyard shift.
That's why we go for broke. So why not tune in ABC,
And join our little joke?

Five whole days, every week,
We're here with our tongues in cheek.
That's the World News Polka!

Do the World News Polka!

[SFX] quarter being tossed into Barry's World News Now Mug

[Spoken]Gee, thanks, Mr. Jennings!


Congrats, Anderson, on coming out!
posted by magstheaxe at 8:55 AM on July 2, 2012 [8 favorites]


That time is here. It's time for homosexuals to stop with the drama of "coming out" and just get on with their business. No one cares, it's not a big deal so stop making a big deal out of it.

Yeah -- tell that to the many LGBT folks who find their houses vandalized, get beaten up or bullied and many times killed for being gay. No big deal!
posted by ericb at 8:55 AM on July 2, 2012 [5 favorites]


No one cares, it's not a big deal so stop making a big deal out of it.

Dammit, I can't get Bingo unless you say "flaunting".
posted by Horace Rumpole at 8:56 AM on July 2, 2012 [69 favorites]


It's time for homosexuals to stop with the drama of "coming out" and just get on with their business.

That has to be one of the most insensitive, asinine things I've read on MetaFilter. Shameful comment!
posted by ericb at 8:57 AM on July 2, 2012 [19 favorites]


That time is here. It's time for homosexuals to stop with the drama of "coming out" and just get on with their business.

You mean their business of being able to marry the person they love in all 50 states (and around the world)? Their business of not being bullied, harassed, raped, or murdered for their sexual orientation? Their business of not being blamed for the downfall of the family for one of the two major political parties in this country, and by a number of its churches?

Yes, why don't they just get on with it already!
posted by scody at 8:57 AM on July 2, 2012 [37 favorites]


Good for him. I hope he enjoys taking his boyfriend/partner/whatever to the emmy awards or whatever. Out Magazine had Cooper as the cover guy for their article on the glass closet back in 2008.
posted by rmd1023 at 8:57 AM on July 2, 2012


One side effect of all these non-event coming out stories is that those people in the public eye who are still in the closet are becoming ever more obvious. John? Tom? It's time.
posted by PapaLobo at 9:00 AM on July 2, 2012 [5 favorites]


This is a big deal. When everybody already basically knows but the person doesn't say anything about it, ever, it's an acknowledgment that there are reasons not to say anything about it. There's a reason to pass because some people will hate you once you aren't passing anymore, even if lots more people would be okay with it.

Yeah, I think this is a really important point. I can never forget how in the enlightened year of 2011, Vaughn Walker's basic ability to do his job (ie, rule on a case without bias) was questioned because he was gay.
posted by muddgirl at 9:03 AM on July 2, 2012 [4 favorites]


I add, too, that there are times when I am physically afraid. When I read about the lesbian couple who were shot out of the blue in Texas, that scares me, for example. When I'm biking around at night and someone yells homophobic insults, that scares me. When I have to deal with a large group of frat boys who might think it was fun to hassle or hurt me because I am not sexually desirable to or interested in them, that scares me. I worry about my friends who are younger and more socially vulnerable than I am. I worry about my friends who have been through really bad things because of their sexuality and still struggle with the aftermath. Those are daily realities for me, and I basically live in a quite socially liberal place.

I suspect that to straight people who don't have a lot of queer friends, it can appear that our lives are pretty...er...straightforward by now. I promise you that if you have some detailed conversations with a variety of GLBTQ folks, you will find that this is not the real, down-deep texture of our experience. I think many, many marginalized folks don't just share this stuff left and right - whether that is people of color talking about racism or trans folks talking about trans issues or people who, say, grew up poor in a rich town. I think people prefer to build some trust first, so if you don't have those friendships you can really think that everything must be just fine.

For example, I myself just learned some really sad stuff about a friend - stuff I would absolutely not have suspected from their demeanor and our interactions, stuff they'd gone through actually pretty recently because of gender/sexuality things. In a minor way it haunts me to think of this stuff.
posted by Frowner at 9:04 AM on July 2, 2012 [21 favorites]


More on the letter G from the Grouch News Network.
posted by bicyclefish at 9:04 AM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


I think it's fascinating he chose Andrew Sullivan's blog to make the announcement.

He graciously stepped in after Drudge got cold feet.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 9:06 AM on July 2, 2012 [2 favorites]


Interesting. I thought this was well known for some time now. I am pretty sure it came up in the thread about the teenage girl who was crazy for Cooper. (That was a great post, albeit with some really stupid comments filled with condescension).
posted by caddis at 9:06 AM on July 2, 2012


That time is here.
It really isn't. I live in California and can't marry my partner yet; we live in San Francisco and still occasionally get slurs yelled at us walking down the street.

It's time for homosexuals to stop with the drama of "coming out" and just get on with their business.
Your choice of diction here fairly screams that you might just have some internal issues regarding this subject.

No one cares, it's not a big deal so stop making a big deal out of it.
Doesn't your posting this bit of hate in this thread indicate that you care, therefore invalidating your claim?

I don't care for Anderson Cooper and his pop-star journalism and this revelation doesn't change that at all.

Oh, so you're here to grind an axe against a celebrity you don't care for in addition to carelessly bashing the civil rights struggle millions of your fellow humans are engaged in. Thanks for clarifying that!

Honestly, what did you feel your comment was contributing to the thread?
posted by spitefulcrow at 9:08 AM on July 2, 2012 [16 favorites]


We Love You Anderson
posted by BungaDunga at 9:08 AM on July 2, 2012 [2 favorites]


John? Tom? It's time.

Now that Katie Holmes has filed for divorce, gay hookup website Manhunt has an offer for Tom.
posted by ericb at 9:08 AM on July 2, 2012 [7 favorites]


That's obvious enough, but who's "John"? I'm blanking.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 9:16 AM on July 2, 2012


Travolta.
posted by muddgirl at 9:17 AM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


Now that Katie Holmes has filed for divorce,

Tangent -- I wish I could find the original tumblr comment so that I could get this quote right. When the "Tom and Katie split" news was brand-new, a post went by on my dash that said something like "What the hell--I turn my back for thirty minutes and someone handed Katie a sock."

It took me a few seconds to make sense of those words in that order, and then I couldn't stop laughing.

(Image for those who may not have had coffee yet.)
posted by tzikeh at 9:18 AM on July 2, 2012 [22 favorites]


One side effect of all these non-event coming out stories is that those people in the public eye who are still in the closet are becoming ever more obvious. John? Tom? It's time.

Add to that Will and George.
posted by hugandpint at 9:20 AM on July 2, 2012


Mads:
WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT
ANDERSON COOPER FINALLY CAME OUT

KathrynT:
I KNOW
I thought he already had.

Mads:
no, he was still in by the thinnest of threads
like Queen Latifah in

KathrynT:
. . . is she still in?

Mads:
again, I believe so.
like, she said something at some pride fest that didn't say anything about herself, and then immediately her rep took it back

KathrynT:
oh dear

Mads:
Right?
it's like waiting to lose a tooth when it is basically hanging there swaying :P
also, I still think Anderson is kind of a weenie, but still.

KathrynT:
sigh. people, when you refuse to talk about it, you give the impression that there's a reason not to talk about it.
posted by Madamina at 9:21 AM on July 2, 2012


Calling coming out drama and putting coming out in scare quotes tells me that three blind mice doesn't actually know what he's talking about. I feel quite sure that he wants this to be true - that it's not a big deal, that no one really cares - but it seems he's living in even more of a bubble than I am, which is saying a lot.

And yes, those of us in this bubble have known that Cooper's gay for ages and and ages, it hasn't really been a secret, and I'm glad he's done the big public thing anyway.
posted by rtha at 9:21 AM on July 2, 2012 [2 favorites]


Dear sweet mother of mercy what we could accomplish if there was no Them.

And maybe we'd all get laid more often. Sounds like win-win to me!
posted by orange swan at 9:21 AM on July 2, 2012


Can I have just a moment to regret that such an incredibly handsome, personable, intelligent man plays for the team I'm not on?

OTOH, even as a straight dude I had a millisecond of "I conceivably have a chance with Anderson Cooper?!"

I mean, in the same way that I conceivably have a chance with Christina Hendricks or Princess Madeleine of Sweden, but still.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:22 AM on July 2, 2012 [13 favorites]


"Oh yeah, I forgot that we're living in a post-homophobia equal rights paradise."

Thanks, Obamacare.
posted by klangklangston at 9:23 AM on July 2, 2012 [3 favorites]


But does he twerk?
posted by Nomyte at 9:24 AM on July 2, 2012 [4 favorites]


oh my god Katie Holmes the house-elf
posted by Madamina at 9:26 AM on July 2, 2012 [8 favorites]


More of a shocker than Cooper coming out as gay is that he's Gloria Vanderbilt's son? How did I not know that?
posted by PapaLobo at 9:27 AM on July 2, 2012 [15 favorites]


I regret that a man proclaiming his sexual preferences is reason enough to generate a post here on metafilter, dreamy ice blue eyes or not.
posted by crunchland at 9:29 AM on July 2, 2012


sigh. people, when you refuse to talk about it, you give the impression that there's a reason not to talk about it.

Well, there are still reasons not to talk about it, for some people. These sort of 'coming out of the glass closet' stories always make me feel conflicted, but the bottom line is that Cooper could still suffer personal or professional barriers based on being open about his sexuality, so coming out (even if he was 'in' by the thinnest of threads) is a courageous act.
posted by muddgirl at 9:30 AM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


I think that all of three blind mice's contentious comment bears repeating:

That time is here. It's time for homosexuals to stop with the drama of "coming out" and just get on with their business. No one cares, it's not a big deal so stop making a big deal out of it.

I don't care for Anderson Cooper and his pop-star journalism and this revelation doesn't change that at all.


Too bad we're not all taking issue with the second part of it, having it out about Mr. Cooper's arguably egotistical, narcissistic, skin deep journalism. That would be progress. That would be the world where Part A of the comment would either get shrugged off or better yet score a few dozen favorites.

Clearly, we ain't there yet.
posted by philip-random at 9:30 AM on July 2, 2012


Yeah, and Diane Arbus took a picture of him as a baby.
posted by klangklangston at 9:30 AM on July 2, 2012 [2 favorites]


More of a shocker than Cooper coming out as gay is that he's Gloria Vanderbilt's son?

That's one of the many facts you learn in Gay 101.
posted by ericb at 9:32 AM on July 2, 2012 [10 favorites]


Diane Arbus photo of Anderson Cooper is here.
“To dispel the growing myth that [Arbus] only took pictures of freaks, she made up a list of elegant people she wanted to photograph…As if to prove her point, she took a remarkable portrait of Gloria Vanderbilt’s sleeping baby son, Anderson Hays Cooper, for a Harper’s Bazaar Valentine issue. In this truly astonishing picture, the infant resembles a flat white death’s head — eyes sealed shut, moth pursed and moist with saliva. When Gloria Vanderbilt saw the photograph, she forbade Bazaar to publish it, but eventually she changed her mind and this stunning image opened Diane’s retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in 1972.”
posted by ericb at 9:36 AM on July 2, 2012 [7 favorites]


No one's made the obvious "CNN messing up the headline comment" yet? It's even on the same blog!
posted by zombieflanders at 9:42 AM on July 2, 2012


More of a shocker than Cooper coming out as gay is that he's Gloria Vanderbilt's son?

Imagine sitting at the man's desk messing with his computer while he's sitting on the other side, and looking up from the keyboard when he says 'Oh, Hi Mom, ready for lunch?'
posted by pupdog at 9:44 AM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


Mooski: Dear sweet mother of mercy what we could accomplish if there was no Them.

Ahem. Depends on what you want to do with the other "team." But at this point the whole "team" analogy becomes hopelessly confusing so I'll concede your point and go mumble over my work.
posted by lodurr at 9:45 AM on July 2, 2012


That's one of the many facts you learn in Gay 101.
Obviously, I've skipped some of my adult CE courses in this matter.
posted by PapaLobo at 9:51 AM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


To join the pile-on:
It's time for homosexuals to stop with the drama of "coming out" and just get on with their business.
I think it's worth pointing out that it's not "the homosexuals" who are responsible for all the drama over who's gay and who is not. It's time for us straights to shut the fuck up about the whole business.
posted by benito.strauss at 9:54 AM on July 2, 2012 [24 favorites]


His boyfriend owns Eastern Bloc a blind tiger on 6th street. Never seen anyone go in or out.
posted by Ad hominem at 9:55 AM on July 2, 2012


The thing is, straight people don't have the "drama" of coming out because we don't have to. If I casually mention my husband at work, it's no big deal. Heck, we even get to walk down the street holding hands without stares and threats!

Except for the one time where we were mistaken for a lesbian couple by some drunk military guys...
posted by JoanArkham at 9:57 AM on July 2, 2012 [4 favorites]


Full Episode: The Story of My Mom [43:45] -- Anderson Cooper interviews his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt (September 2011).
posted by ericb at 9:58 AM on July 2, 2012 [3 favorites]


I agree. Less drama, more sitcoms and science fiction!

Seriously, a celebrity coming-outs go, that was relatively drama-free.
posted by jonmc at 9:58 AM on July 2, 2012


The Entertainment Weekly cover story -- The New Art of Coming Out in Hollywood -- that spurred the conversation between Cooper and Sullivan (and to which Sullivan also links in his posting).
posted by ericb at 10:00 AM on July 2, 2012 [3 favorites]


I kind of wonder if it took Don Lemon coming out for Anderson Cooper to realize that there's really not much reason not to.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:02 AM on July 2, 2012


The full EW article ericb links is really quite illuminating on how we've gone from "Yep, She's Gay" to "meh". I wish they'd put the whole think up on the website as a public service.
posted by PapaLobo at 10:03 AM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


I kind of wonder if it took Don Lemon coming out...

As well as Tom Roberts and Jonathan Capehart.
posted by ericb at 10:04 AM on July 2, 2012


That time is here. It's time for homosexuals to stop with the drama of "coming out" and just get on with their business. No one cares, it's not a big deal so stop making a big deal out of it.

Every time a straight person talks about their BF/GF/husband/wife, they are "coming out" as straight. The difference is that, as the majority, it's not obvious to them. There's the constant assumption that everyone (or mostly everyone) is like them. LGBT people have learned the "dance of the pronouns" over the years to participate in conversations that everyone else can without revealing something.

You can not imagine the level of self-loathing that it can feed to have to constantly hide, even in plain sight.
posted by petrilli at 10:07 AM on July 2, 2012 [16 favorites]


Not to mention NBC News Justice correspondant Pete Williams (but, he was 'outed').
posted by ericb at 10:07 AM on July 2, 2012


Without Anderson Cooper being sent to war zones or disaster sites we wouldn't know how dangerous things are - if his shirt is on and tucked in, everything is fine - if the sleeves are rolled up- be careful out there, if his shirt is off then just run like hell toward the horizon.
posted by The Whelk at 10:09 AM on July 2, 2012 [23 favorites]


What annoys me is the thoughtful and broad-based nature of AC's comments, and then Sullivan's headline is basically "Anderson Cooper is gay OMG".

Good for Anderson, of course. Now if only he could take care of our Kathy Griffin problem once and for all...
posted by nickgb at 10:11 AM on July 2, 2012 [2 favorites]


(And for the record, my best friend is queer. She married her wife in Iowa because New York at the time denied her the right to be who she was and love how she wanted. That changed. Maybe, in the future, there won't be the need for the "drama," but until then, every step we take towards accepting that people are people are people is a good one.)
posted by beaucoupkevin at 10:14 AM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


Gayja vu - the feeling that someone had already come out of the closet.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 10:26 AM on July 2, 2012 [33 favorites]


LGBT people have learned the "dance of the pronouns" over the years to participate in conversations that everyone else can without revealing something.

My brother's gay. So this is an issue even for me, whenever his partner comes up. Do I just refer to him as "my brother's partner" (gender unspecific which tends to raise questions anyway) or "my brother-in-law" (accurate sort of, except they're not married, and then it just gets confusing anyway when I start calling him "him")?

Like I've suggested already. We've still got a long way to go.
posted by philip-random at 10:26 AM on July 2, 2012


I am very much looking forward to the new James O'Keefe video where he goes undercover in leather to Anderson's boyfriend's gay bar.
posted by mediareport at 10:28 AM on July 2, 2012 [2 favorites]


That time is here. It's time for homosexuals to stop with the drama of "coming out" and just get on with their business. No one cares, it's not a big deal so stop making a big deal out of it.

Wow. What a mind-numbingly ignorant thing to say.
posted by dobbs at 10:35 AM on July 2, 2012 [2 favorites]


His boyfriend owns Eastern Bloc a blind tiger on 6th street. Never seen anyone go in or out.

Finally, a second-degree connection to the story! I have a friend who lives upstairs from Eastern Bloc. Now to find out if they're regulars...

Now if only he could take care of our Kathy Griffin problem once and for all...

YOU SHUT YOUR TRAITOROUS AMERICA-HATING MOUTH

Seriously, watching Anderson giggle and squirm as Kathy went profane on one of the recent CNN New Year's Eve shows they hosted is one of the most endearing things about the guy.
posted by psoas at 10:36 AM on July 2, 2012 [4 favorites]


Coming out publicly when you are 13 takes courage.

Staying silent for just as long when you are a powerful media figure doesn't.

Good for Anderson. But I really can't be made to care when there are hundreds of YouTube videos out there of children doimg the same thing with infinitely more courage.
posted by munchingzombie at 10:42 AM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


It's time for us straights to shut the fuck up about the whole business.

YES.

Why the need to get all bent out of shape about someone else's orientation? I can't imagine why it's any of my business, and I find that the whole notion of straight people breathlessly carrying on in "surprise" or whatever that someone is gay is kind of gross.

Yes, OK, Anderson is gay. So's your bank teller, the punky looking kid that changes your oil, the manager at the grocery store, your next door neighbor, and your third grade teacher. They're not hurting you, so leave 'em be.
posted by MissySedai at 10:46 AM on July 2, 2012 [2 favorites]


Seriously, watching Anderson giggle and squirm as Kathy went profane on one of the recent CNN New Year's Eve shows they hosted is one of the most endearing things about the guy.

I really like Anderson when he does real reporting. I really hate Anderson when he does the celebrity stuff, or the fluff pieces, etc. To each their own, but I couldn't make it through five seconds of NYE coverage on any channel, especially with the ginger she-bitch from hell...

As you can see, I have no strong feelings on the matter.
posted by nickgb at 10:52 AM on July 2, 2012


It's time for homosexuals to stop with the drama of "coming out" and just get on with their business.

If you really think this, I am inclined to think you were never bullied when growing up. And in my experience, the people who weren't getting bullied were usually the ones doing the bullying.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:54 AM on July 2, 2012 [3 favorites]


John and Tom in the closet. Thanks, South Park.
posted by Mojojojo at 10:56 AM on July 2, 2012


The standard procedure for NYE in the Ber Manor is to sit at home with our pets, have a few drinks and watch TV. Frankly, the she-bitch and Anderson are the only thing worth watching on NYE if there isn't a good movie on. I never could stand more than 5 seconds of Dick Clark's pop treacle but Kathy riffing just to trip up AC or crack him up is entertaining. Well, at least it is when you're two sheets to the wind.
posted by Ber at 10:59 AM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


...or "my brother-in-law" (accurate sort of, except they're not married, and then it just gets confusing anyway when I start calling him "him")?

When I was shacked up with a former girlfriend, we referred to one another's families as our "outlaws." Most people thought it was amusing, but it also had the benefit of not papering over the lack of a marriage certificate.

My wife still prefers 'partner' because she feels it participates less in the stigmatization of people who can't get married (i.e., gay folks who don't live in one of the states where it's legal). I've always believed the terminology shouldn't really need to change. If I write a story about a man who's married to a man, he'll discuss his husband. I see it as a small contribution toward normalization.
posted by lodurr at 10:59 AM on July 2, 2012 [2 favorites]


I am inclined to think you were never bullied when growing up. And in my experience, the people who weren't getting bullied were usually the ones doing the bullying.

For a fight to stop, someone has to take a punch and not swing.
posted by Mooski at 11:00 AM on July 2, 2012


also, i'm sympathetic toward Anderson's claim that he did this in part to protect people he works with. there are parts of the world where the gay american reporter would just be asking to get hit, along with his team.
posted by lodurr at 11:01 AM on July 2, 2012 [5 favorites]


For a fight to stop, someone has to take a punch and not swing.

I think you meant 'or not swing.' Since there is always that choice.
posted by lodurr at 11:02 AM on July 2, 2012


Hahaha, conservative talk radio this morning -- in between ACA and Fast and Furious ranting -- is mostly about how The Gays need to shut up about their Gayness already, and stop "ramming it down our throats". Simply incredible.
posted by jake at 11:09 AM on July 2, 2012


That's how you don't start a fight at all.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 11:09 AM on July 2, 2012


stop jamming it down their throats, over the over, pumping and pumping like a ramrod piston
posted by The Whelk at 11:10 AM on July 2, 2012 [21 favorites]


...or "my brother-in-law" (accurate sort of, except they're not married, and then it just gets confusing anyway when I start calling him "him")?

And again, the pronouns trip me up. Should be ...

except they're not married, and then it just gets confusing anyway when folks start to realize that it's not my sister that "he" is hooked up with, but my brother.
posted by philip-random at 11:10 AM on July 2, 2012


Related ... and in today's NYT --

Openly gay former high school coach, Eric Anderson:
It’s hard for me to suggest that gay public figures have a moral obligation to come out. Personally, I wish they would, however. It is a long-standing sociological finding that when liked people come out, it reduces prejudice. I’m not convinced that an openly gay sports star would have much impact on today’s youth, but it might make a difference for those who grew up in a more homophobic generation.

Whichever gay male athlete comes out first, he will find himself similarly sought by the media for input on all types of L.G.B.T. matters. Only after a few professional male athletes come out will the media care less. Future openly gay male athletes will have to rely on athletic talent to earn celebrity status, not their sexuality.
posted by ericb at 11:14 AM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


Do Gay Celebrities Have an Obligation to Come Out? -- "Boldface names like Anderson Cooper often argue that their romantic lives should be private. But does the need for gay role models outweigh that?"
posted by ericb at 11:15 AM on July 2, 2012


But I really can't be made to care when there are hundreds of YouTube videos out there of children doimg the same thing with infinitely more courage.
Don't harsh the positive feedback loop, friend.
posted by PapaLobo at 11:30 AM on July 2, 2012 [2 favorites]


Kids get bullied for all kinds of reasons in school. Gays don't have a monopoly on it. It's good that young gay people can have role models like Anderson Cooper to help reaffirm themselves as normal, but it's regrettable that the admission of where a man prefers to put his penis is such a big news story.
posted by crunchland at 11:44 AM on July 2, 2012


but it's regrettable that the admission of where a man prefers to put his penis is such a big news story.

That's an incredibly reductive way to describe homosexuality.
posted by muddgirl at 11:48 AM on July 2, 2012 [9 favorites]


Reducing the concepts of affection and attachment and lust down to "where a man puts his penis" trivializes the problem. People putting those big engagement announcements in the paper aren't thought of as making a huge deal out of where that (straight) man is putting his penis, so why should Cooper talking about his longstanding relationship be belittled that way?
posted by winna at 11:49 AM on July 2, 2012 [11 favorites]




His sexual preference shouldn't have any bearing on anything, whatsoever. How many levels of non-discrimination are there?
posted by crunchland at 11:54 AM on July 2, 2012


Whether or not someone is gay or straight doesn't say anything about 'where he prefers to put his penis.' Homosexuality is not strictly about sex acts, just as heterosexuality is not strictly about Penis-in-Vagina intercourse.

His sexual preference shouldn't have any bearing on anything, whatsoever.

It shouldn't, but it does. We can't make it not so by pretending.
posted by muddgirl at 11:58 AM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


I said it was regrettable that him being gay is such a news story. I wasn't pretending.
posted by crunchland at 12:02 PM on July 2, 2012


It shouldn't, but it does. We can't make it not so by pretending.

No, we can't. Which is one of the things that's frustrating about this kind of thing. You wish that people like Cooper or like NPH would come out openly & help everyone, and one suspects that there may be more reason than privacy why they don't "come out" publicly for such a long time.

It's not their job to fix the rest of the world. But it would help. So it's a frustrating self-argument I have about this kind of thing...
posted by lodurr at 12:04 PM on July 2, 2012


His sexual preference shouldn't have any bearing on anything, whatsoever.

It probably has bearing to his sexual partners.
posted by mrgrimm at 12:04 PM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


Previously.
posted by brundlefly at 12:11 PM on July 2, 2012


That time is here. It's time for homosexuals to stop with the drama of "coming out" and just get on with their business. No one cares

Sure, an obvious troll, but thousands of publications across the country are proving you obviously wrong this very minute.
posted by mrgrimm at 12:13 PM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


So, many years ago I was a reporter at a little daily paper in a tony little Connecticut town. One of the local ladies' organizations held a fundraiser for something or other, and Gloria Vanderbilt was their guest speaker.

As a rule, we didn't cover luncheons. Not because they were unimportant, but because there was often somebody in the organization angling for a story about how awesome their club was.

In this case, we said we could write about the luncheon if we could interview Gloria. I was annoyed, because my coworker had gotten a plum assignment to report on a Gloria Steinem lecture. My editor gave me the Gloria Vanderbilt interview because it was (a) a nuisance, (b) a fluff piece, and (c) a little bit of a crumb to toss the lowly obit writer, a different Gloria but a Gloria nonetheless.

So I went to meet her and saw that she was a tiny woman who wore bold eye shadow. Something about her stood out in a roomful of women in pastels. Maybe she wore a black suit, or maybe it was a bold color -- I'd have to check the article. She was every bit as put-together as the ladies' club folks, but in a very different way. When we first shook hands and all the club ladies were around, Gloria presented as a little dizzy and out of sorts. But as soon as we were left alone and we began to talk, I realized she was whip smart.

She mostly talked about her other son, Carter, whom she watched jump out of a skyrise apartment window to his death. That was pretty much what we focused on in our interview, and I believe it's what the story ended up being about. Being aware of mental illness and the consequences of leaving it untreated, being compassionate, being resilient, living through tragedy and coming out the other side a better person.

Of course, all of this was recorded on an iPod with an iMic or whatever the old-school equivalent was. It worked very well, better than any tape recorder I'd ever had. The paper had decided it was essential to record an interview with someone of Vanderbilt's status, and we were hoping we could start to save those sorts of interviews to keep in our library.

At the end of my interview with Ms. Vanderbilt, I turned off the recorder and Gloria and I continued to make small talk. I said something to her like, "You must be so proud to have a son like Anderson in your life. I admire his work." And she said something, and I don't remember what, and it wasn't on the recorder, but she mentioned in passing, like it was no thing at all, that Anderson was gay.

Take this all with a grain of salt, because I have no proof, because there are no records of that conversation. But she said it, and I couldn't report it.

My editor was not only out, but married, and talked occasionally and casually of her wife. When I got back to the newsroom I immediately told her about my interview and how Gloria Vanderbilt had said Anderson Cooper was gay, but not until after I turned off the iThingie.

My dear editor was heartbroken.

But I said then, and I believe now, that if Ms. Vanderbilt had said on the record that her son was gay, it would have been a mess. Because that would have been a slip of the tongue, it would have been an accident, and it would not have been how Anderson Cooper wanted to publicly come out about his identity. With an AP wire story originating from a small-town paper that set out to report on a luncheon? No, no, and no. Absolutely not.

It was his story, and he needed to be in charge of how and when it was told, to the greatest extent possible. And by writing about how he has tried to be an observer and teller of the truth, he has done his best to own at least his part of the narrative.

But now that I'm not a reporter any more, just a MeFite, I can tell you my story about how I once crossed paths with Anderson Cooper's. And having considered it a bit, having had years to look back on it, I am sure of one thing: Gloria Vanderbilt intentionally waited till the recorder was off before saying anything about her living son's personal life. Whip smart.
posted by brina at 12:24 PM on July 2, 2012 [76 favorites]


Personally, it delights me when famous people come out. Mainly because I think it really does serve to normalize being gay in the eyes of the public but also because I really do love seeing the tidbits of normalcy in famous people's lives.

When NPH tweets about his kids keeping him up all night, or William Shatner talks about his wife's amazing abilities as a horsewoman, or Portia de Rossi talks about how much Ellen means to her, I melt a bit. It reminds me that these people are normal people, that despite the complete other-worldliness of their lives, they are like us. That's why there's so many shots of Britney getting coffee, or Suri wearing a cute outfit. Because if famous people are normal, then their lives are somewhat attainable.

And the more celebrities that come out of the closet and show people that being gay is not a big deal and nothing to be ashamed of, the more the rest of us can do the same. Hopefully, one day, no one will have to come out of the closet publicly because there will be no damn closet.

Until then, good on you, Anderson.
posted by teleri025 at 12:25 PM on July 2, 2012 [3 favorites]


three blind mice: "I'll be glad when it doesn't really matter anymore.

That time is here. It's time for homosexuals to stop with the drama of "coming out" and just get on with their business. No one cares, it's not a big deal so stop making a big deal out of it.
"

Believe it or not, in the US it's still a big deal. Not everywhere, but in enough places that it's always helpful to keep reinforcing the idea that gay people really are just like you and me, they're everywhere, and that who they are is totally okay and normal.

Not to mention that right now gays are totally "winning" the discourse. So they need to keep participating in the discourse. If they figure it's no big deal and stop talking, then all the bigots, who still freak out when a company posts an innocuous picture of a rainbow colored cookie, will take over that discourse. And then it'll be "all gay people are sexual perverts" all over again.
posted by Deathalicious at 12:36 PM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


or William Shatner talks about his wife's amazing abilities as a horsewoman
??

Which one of them is gay?

Yeah, even though everyone has known Cooper was gay for years (The guy brought his gentleman friends to CNN and introduced them around causing all the interns to run off to tell everyone how hot Anderson's new boyfriend was ) aside from random blog snark about him picking up a new guy every night and the general disreputable atmosphere at his boyfriend's bar nobody has ever mentioned it in "public". It isn't like he is coming out, this is like when Bret Easton Elis came out. I guess they figure there are 2-3 people who didn't know so they just wanted to make it clear.
posted by Ad hominem at 12:43 PM on July 2, 2012


One thing I'd like to mention--saying this as someone who's worked for a movie producer and met a lot of celebrities--is that while it's pretty much an open secret of who's in and who's out in Hollywood it's hard to tell just by outward appearances. Not because so many gay stars work hard at acting straight but because many straight actors are flamingly straight. They've worked around people in traditional "gay" careers--stylist, decorator, what have you--for the majority of their careers and have picked up and enjoy the flamboyance of it all.

Blew my fragile demarcated mind, let me tell you.
posted by PapaLobo at 12:58 PM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


That time is here. It's time for homosexuals to stop with the drama of "coming out" and just get on with their business. No one cares, it's not a big deal so stop making a big deal out of it.

The thing is, as others have mentioned above me, some people do care, and not in the whole "oooooh, he's gay!" type of gossipy way. Whether you like him or not, Anderson Cooper has been successful in his professional life. Whether you think his work is worthy of that success or not doesn't really matter. The fact is, he's high-profile, he's got Anderson Cooper 360, a talk show and has won several Emmy Awards, as well as other awards.

So being a successful person in his chosen (high-profile) industry means that his coming out matters as it adds one more person to the list of successful LGBT individuals. Visibility matters. Anderson Cooper joins the ranks of the "newly out" of Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer and more.

I would imagine that, to a young individual, who is perhaps bullied at school because they don't quite fit in with expected gender stereotypes, it would be very important for them to be able to see adult LGBT people who are successful in their chosen professions. "It gets better" can sound trite, but if you can actually see the people living their lives, happily and with success, I would think that would be incredibly helpful.

I'm glad Anderson has come out. And I also miss him hosting The Mole. :)
posted by juliebug at 12:58 PM on July 2, 2012


Neither, but the wife is a centaur.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 12:59 PM on July 2, 2012 [2 favorites]


I wonder how this will change his ability to be a 'frontline' reporter.
posted by rosswald at 1:00 PM on July 2, 2012


... this is like when Bret Easton Ellis came out.

Man, I'm outa the pool. I thought BEE was supposed to have been some coked-up lothario back in the day, which I would have thought would make it a big deal when he came out. But, like I said, pool, out of...
posted by lodurr at 1:01 PM on July 2, 2012


I wonder how this will change his ability to be a 'frontline' reporter.

I initially read 'frontline' as meaning Frontline, and my first thought was "why would he take that pay cut?" And my second was "isn't he a little light-weight for them?"

Then I realized you meant political hot-spots.

I have to think it's going to make a difference. Maybe it means extra security and more careful decisions about where he goes, maybe more cut-outs between him and the actual reporting work. But I think it might make a difference. But maybe not, and if someone with weight goes around being both publicly gay and a high-profile foreign correspondent, that's a good thing. (At least as long as his whole team doesn't get attacked for it.)
posted by lodurr at 1:05 PM on July 2, 2012


Ya, I was talking more about his ability to get into countries like Uganda, Saudi Arabia, etc.
posted by rosswald at 1:09 PM on July 2, 2012


...it's important because he's an accomplished, successful journalist with a large following.

...it's important to know that he's not ashamed.

...it's important because, as big a yawn as it was for New Yorkers, there are kids in Indiana that need to know that there's a possibility of a better life.
posted by mikehipp at 1:11 PM on July 2, 2012 [6 favorites]


I thought BEE was supposed to have been some coked-up lothario back in the day

He always identified as bisexual but recently he stated that it was mostly a fig leaf and only slept with women every dozen years or so. He only came out because he was surprised when a journalist asked him about his relationships with women. He thought everyone already knew.

I think it is similar with Cooper. Everyone he knows knows he is gay. There is probably a understanding that there are people out there that don't know but he probably doesn't come into contact with them all that much. In all fairness to him, you would probably have to sequester youself from the majority of the internet to not know.
posted by Ad hominem at 1:17 PM on July 2, 2012




Maybe it's a watershed moment. Maybe the perceived cost is now low enough that enough people will come out to make it actually not matter in a few years time.

(and: stand by for backlash "jokes" about 'turning gay for your career.' like the jokes about all those people who supposedly went to AA meetings to meet business contacts, except they're even less funny.)
posted by lodurr at 1:34 PM on July 2, 2012


Two recent favorite moments of Cooper losing it on air and giggling: 1, 2.
posted by ericb at 1:50 PM on July 2, 2012 [6 favorites]


rewil: "Time for a celebratory playing of the World News Polka!"

I'm glad someone else remembers this. I reassures me that World News Now actually existed and was not some sort of insomniac delirium I experienced during the 1990s.
posted by Dr. Zira at 1:51 PM on July 2, 2012


More on Anderson's boyfriend, Benjamin Maisani.
posted by ericb at 1:53 PM on July 2, 2012


Maybe the perceived cost is now low enough that enough people will come out to make it actually not matter in a few years time.

I really think pro sports will be "the watershed moment." It is still definitely taboo.

We just need one Andrew Luck (or Peyton Manning) or Chris Bosh or Prince Fielder. It was nice to see Amaechi (after the fact), but he was a very, very minor player. I want an "A" level athlete.
posted by mrgrimm at 1:56 PM on July 2, 2012


It reminds me that these people are normal people ...

Yep ... and it's important to remember that "everyone poops."
posted by ericb at 2:03 PM on July 2, 2012


It's time for homosexuals to stop with the drama of "coming out" and just get on with their business. No one cares, it's not a big deal so stop making a big deal out of it.

Perhaps that's true in Sweden. That "no one cares." But wow. I wish to God that were true here in the US. Because if it were truly "not a big deal" and if no one really cared one way or the other, I and my husband of 12 years would never have to worry about these things again:

Being looked at sideways or possibly physically attacked for holding hands or demonstrating any kind of affection in public, even in a supposedly "tolerant" city like San Francisco, even more so in the South. Being asked at almost every single restaurant whether we want separate checks. Being told by the attending nurse at a major hospital that I couldn't see my partner or even find out his condition because I'm not a relative. Having to pay extra taxes to help my partner keep his health insurance because we aren't legally married and therefore aren't entitled to the tax breaks that all heterosexual married couples automatically get. Whether it's okay to bring up the fact that I'm gay with a married partner in a job interview for fear that it might mean that I get nixed before any other consideration is made. Whether some future employer might fire me because I'm gay because there's no federal law protecting me against being fired on the basis of sexual orientation. Whether a future landlord might evict me because there's no federal law protecting me against being evicted on the basis of sexual orientation. Whether the family of my spouse would try to seize anything we jointly owned in the event of a calamity because there's no law that says that they can't do that. Feeling like I have to re-legitimize and re-litigate my existence every time a politician or fundie preacher gets in front of a microphone and says that I'm diseased, immoral, dangerous, or all three, and then tries to get laws passed that take away the few rights I already have.

And most of all, we'd be able to get fucking MARRIED like everyone else, not have it be a "big deal" -- and be in a legal status equivalent to heterosexual marriage federally and in all 50 states, not just a small patchwork of them.

So I'll "get on with my business" when I'm actually physically and legally able to do it. Not one second before then.
posted by blucevalo at 2:04 PM on July 2, 2012 [29 favorites]


Two recent favorite moments of Cooper losing it on air…

I don't watch TV news, but is the first item what he now reports on? French celebrities urinating in public? All couched in idiotic puns and euphemisms?
posted by Nomyte at 2:05 PM on July 2, 2012


Then I realized you meant political hot-spots. I have to think it's going to make a difference. Maybe it means extra security and more careful decisions about where he goes.

From the L.A. Times article:
Cooper’s comments on why he hasn’t talked about his sexual orientation focused more on his career as a journalist rather than his daily life as an American.

“Since I started as a reporter in war zones 20 years ago, I've often found myself in some very dangerous places,” Cooper wrote in his email to Sullivan. “For my safety and the safety of those I work with, I try to blend in as much as possible, and prefer to stick to my job of telling other people’s stories, and not my own. I have found that sometimes the less an interview subject knows about me, the better I can safely and effectively do my job as a journalist.”

Cooper did not explicitly state whether he was referring to being gay as a threat to his safety. Some countries maintain a death penalty for homosexuality. The Committee to Protect Journalists told the Los Angeles Times that it does not keep data on journalists who have been attacked for their sexual orientation.
posted by ericb at 2:12 PM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


I don't watch TV news, but is the first item what he now reports on? French celebrities urinating in public? All couched in idiotic puns and euphemisms?

At the end of his nightly show, AC 360, he does a segment called The Ridiculist. It's a light-hearted, joking take on 'ridiculous' news that is getting media coverage. It's a comedic and often satirical take on celebrity or political news.
posted by ericb at 2:19 PM on July 2, 2012


Both of those segments were from The Ridiculist.
posted by ericb at 2:22 PM on July 2, 2012


This was the worst kept non-secret ever.
posted by Justinian at 2:28 PM on July 2, 2012


Forget Wikipedia, let's see what Conservapedia has to say!

Anderson Hays Cooper was born on June 3, 1967, and is an American television personality. He is the main anchor of CNN's liberal news show Anderson Cooper 360°, and hosted the first two seasons of the ABC reality game show The Mole. The program is based out of New York City. Cooper is the son of the writer Wyatt Emory Cooper and the designer and heiress Gloria Vanderbilt. He graduated from Yale in 1989 in Political Science and International Relations.

Though Cooper is popular, he is no stranger to controversy and accusations of media bias. [1] For example, during the time of Hurricane Katrina, he consistently played-up the government's poor response, even appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show to accuse the government of negligence while at the same time, giving John Edwards what one media watchdog group called the "silk glove treatment".

Cooper's first major interview occurred on April 22, 2007, when he interviewed the infamous rapper Cam'ron about the "Stop Snitching" campaign. During the interview, Cooper asked Cam'ron if he lived next door to a serial killer and knew for a fact that person was killing people if would he tell or "snitch" to the police. Cam'ron said, "No, I wouldn't call and tell on them but I'd probably move."

Cooper is currently in a homosexual relationship with gay bar owner Benjamin Maisani[2].


Huh. How disappointingly sane.
posted by Sebmojo at 2:48 PM on July 2, 2012


I really think pro sports will be "the watershed moment." It is still definitely taboo.

Which is kind of weird, in a way (and of course totally to be expected in another). In the 60s & 70s, at least according to Peter Gent, homosexuality was pretty well accepted in American Football. And it's long been known that homosexual behavior is significantly more common among athletes than in the general population. (Last time I looked into this was in the 70s, but at that time the researchers seemed to assume that it was mostly a function of athletes being more body-focused. Maybe they were implying narcissism, but I didn't know the buzzwords at the time so that's not how I read it.)
posted by lodurr at 2:51 PM on July 2, 2012


I learned something new about Anderson Cooper today. I hadn't known that he was the son of Gloria Vanderbilt.

(Seriously, though, good on Mr. Cooper.)
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 3:11 PM on July 2, 2012


At the end of his nightly show, AC 360, he does a segment called The Ridiculist. It's a light-hearted, joking take on 'ridiculous' news that is getting media coverage. It's a comedic and often satirical take on celebrity or political news.

Indeed.

It's a stupid bit, though. It commits the same sin it's ostensibly decrying, only worse; it takes local news filler material and gives it time on the national level when there is no shortage of actual news to report. That segment was the first reason my opinion of Cooper -- which was once very, very favourable -- went down several large notches.

The second reason: Have you seen that talk show of his? Guh. I mean, don't get me wrong, there's definitely a need in the post-Oprah era for easily-digestible talk shows that occasionally dare to inject serious issues into the vast wasteland of vapid celebrity worship that is daytime television, but it's a big, big, big step down for Anderson Cooper. And most of the "serious issues" the show churns out are just rubbernecking exploitation.

The man once showed promise as a potential Walter Cronkite in the making. Now? Geraldo Rivera, tops.

Kudos on the coming out, though.
posted by Sys Rq at 3:14 PM on July 2, 2012 [2 favorites]


The Guardian is running an ... interesting pair of articles.

Emma G. Keller: Anderson Cooper was bullied into coming out. We should know better

Brian Moylan: I don't regret outing Anderson Cooper

Choice quote from the second:
Those are precisely the same reasons that fueled what I am happy to admit was my personal crusade to nudge Cooper slowly out of the closet, whether he wanted to come or not.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 3:15 PM on July 2, 2012 [2 favorites]




That article will be the reason that fueled what I am happy to admit is a personal crusade to nudge Moylan slowly out of the "asshole" closet. Just admit it! Your long storied career as a gossip blogger will inspire other young assholes to perservere in the face of adversity!

It's not like Cooper was living with a beard, or decrying gay rights issues, or leaving his partner at home on awards night, or lying about his sexuality in any way. When questioned about his sexuality, he said, "That's personal and I don't want to discuss it." Maybe that's cowardly, but who the fuck is Moylan to decide that Cooper doesn't get to be a coward about this? While I think it's a good thing that Cooper came out of the glass closet, Moylan is a jerk for crowing over it.
posted by muddgirl at 3:26 PM on July 2, 2012 [8 favorites]


Moylan is a jerk for crowing over it.

Now, now, muddgirl,
But today shouldn't be about finger pointing, credit claiming, or rehearsing the same old Anderson arguments we've been having for years.
Of course, that was Moylan saying it.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 3:29 PM on July 2, 2012


"I had a personal crusade to get Cooper to publicly admit what everyone in the whole world knows. But today shouldn't be about credit claiming!"
posted by muddgirl at 3:31 PM on July 2, 2012




His boyfriend owns Eastern Bloc a blind tiger on 6th street. Never seen anyone go in or out.

Oh, awesome. I love that place, but yeah, it's always weirdly empty. It makes it easier to sing along to Sparks or whatever random music they're playing.
posted by lunalaguna at 4:13 PM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


Cooper is currently in a homosexual relationship with gay bar owner Benjamin Maisani[2].

This phrasing is cracking me up. What, is he supposed to be in a homosexual relationship with a straight man? Or in a heterosexual relationship with a gay bar owner? We get that you want to make sure the subliterates understand that he's gay, conservapedia, but surely one reference or the other would hammer the point home.
posted by winna at 4:44 PM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


In the 60s & 70s, at least according to Peter Gent, homosexuality was pretty well accepted in American Football.

Huh?! I'm no expert here, but I know Gent from North Dallas Forty (which became a movie of course). That was fiction, right?

And it's long been known that homosexual behavior is significantly more common among athletes than in the general population.

And double huh? Got a reference for that?

"Dave Kopay was the first professional team sport athlete to declare his homosexuality. Since that moment in 1975, three years after his retirement from a nine-year career as an NFL running back, few have followed in his wake."

Just a quick survey of more recent players shows 3 or so who've come out after retiring from the NFL.

Wade Davis talks for the first time about being gay in the NFL, working with LGBTQ youth

I think it would be pretty huge to have an openly gay active pro athlete in the MLB, NBA, or NFL, simply because there has never ever ever been one before.
posted by mrgrimm at 4:44 PM on July 2, 2012


From Emma G. Kellar's Guardian article a few posts above this one: Type "Anderson Cooper" into Google, and it gives you the option of autocompleting "gay" before spewing out pages of innuendo, rumor and ridicule.

I don't even have to type that much, I merely start typing "is " and google suggests "is anderson cooper gay". Is google doing that because their ad servers see I've been reading this page, or are they doing that for everyone?
posted by bobo123 at 4:55 PM on July 2, 2012


Google personalizes results, often based on search history. So that she saw that autocomplete doesn't actually tell her anything about the global search corpus.
posted by klangklangston at 5:11 PM on July 2, 2012


I stay as far as conceivably possible from cable news, especially CNN, it's always just pissed me off, but Anderson always seemed like he was genuinely trying to produce good journalism (with the aforementioned exception of celebrity/puff pieces - frequent enough on CNN).

Good on him for coming out. Hopefully, others will follow his lead until it isn't a big deal.
posted by IvoShandor at 5:14 PM on July 2, 2012 [2 favorites]


I don't even have to type that much, I merely start typing "is " and google suggests "is anderson cooper gay". Is google doing that because their ad servers see I've been reading this page, or are they doing that for everyone?

Google personalizes results, often based on search history. So that she saw that autocomplete doesn't actually tell her anything about the global search corpus.

Indeed. See the Filter Bubble.

On a fresh install of Chrome (not logged into Google) and Safari, the 3 standard autocomplete suggestions for Anderson Cooper are "Anderson Cooper boyfriend" "Anderson Cooper gay" and "Anderson Cooper show"
posted by mrgrimm at 5:20 PM on July 2, 2012


I will have to go on the record and agree with sys rq that the "Ridiculist" segments also made my estimation of Cooper's journalistic swag drop a few notches. It really undermines him, I think, as does that teeth-clenchingly irritating New Year's Eve campiness with whatserface.

But you know, maybe that's what he really wants to be in the world. Maybe he's not really in the game to be another Edward R. Murrow, or Cronkite or Koppel. But still, he's way, way better than Rivera or Stossel.
posted by darkstar at 5:28 PM on July 2, 2012


>Cooper is currently in a homosexual relationship with gay bar owner Benjamin Maisani[2].

This phrasing is cracking me up. What, is he supposed to be in a homosexual relationship with a straight man? Or in a heterosexual relationship with a gay bar owner? We get that you want to make sure the subliterates understand that he's gay, conservapedia, but surely one reference or the other would hammer the point home.


Not to crush your fun or side with the conservatives or anything, but you seem to be interpreting it as [gay] [bar owner], which is entirely accurate and a valid reading, but I'm pretty sure they meant [gay bar] [owner]; i.e., he owns a gay bar.
posted by Sys Rq at 5:35 PM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


I've been in some homosexual relationship with straight men, I mean they weren't aware of it at the time but I totally was.
posted by The Whelk at 5:41 PM on July 2, 2012 [5 favorites]


... but I know Gent from North Dallas Forty (which became a movie of course). That was fiction, right?

As is often the case, Gent based his books about life in a professional pursuit on his own experience in that field (i.e., professional football). Plus, he was hot & heavy on the dog & pony circuit, and I saw him do Merv & Cavett (actually saw him several times on Cavett). The idea was basically that you didn't really mention terms like 'gay' or 'queer', you just didn't say anything about it, it was just there, and if they were holding up their own on the field it didn't mean shit. But that was the 70s and these were guys who made their living proving how macho they were.

And double huh? Got a reference for that? [i.e., that homosexual behavior is significantly more common among athletes.]

Sadly, no. I read it in several sources when I was in high school, doing research for a paper on sports medicine. (I didn't have very good research boundaries.) I realize it's superficially counter-intuitive, but I don't think it's that strange an idea, outside of sports where there's a strong homophobic cultural component (e.g., basketball).
posted by lodurr at 6:16 PM on July 2, 2012


I mean they weren't aware of it at the time but I totally was.

Weren't aware of what -- that they were straight? I'm confused...
posted by lodurr at 6:17 PM on July 2, 2012


... you seem to be interpreting it as [gay] [bar owner], which is entirely accurate and a valid reading, but I'm pretty sure they meant [gay bar] [owner]; i.e., he owns a gay bar.

There are people on this thread who actually go there -- we could ask them.
posted by lodurr at 6:19 PM on July 2, 2012


On a fresh install of Chrome (not logged into Google) and Safari, the 3 standard autocomplete suggestions for Anderson Cooper are "Anderson Cooper boyfriend" "Anderson Cooper gay" and "Anderson Cooper show"

Eh, probably not good enough to do a clean install. If that system or any other at that IP has been displaying the story, it will mess with the results. Also, Google's responsiveness is really high these days -- this story's been out there for positive HOURS, and that's more than enough time for it to have started autocompleting. What I mean is that your autocomplete as of 8-ish on 7/2/2012 is not likely reflective of what people searched about AC this a.m.
posted by lodurr at 6:22 PM on July 2, 2012


Good. I'm glad he finally came out. It's been an open secret for ages, but it's better that it's not a secret any longer.

Anyway, the point about coming out still being a big deal is, in a culture where the assumption is that you're straight, and where being something other than straight continues to be something of a more advanced setting than "default basic" in the videogame of life, living life as an open queer is always going to be one of those personal-political things.

The fact of the matter is, every person who comes out makes it easier for others to come out. This has been preached in the gay community for 40-odd years now, if not longer. And it's true. Cooper is coming out from a pretty well-placed position of privilege -- he's a well known celebrity news man from a rich white family.

But imagine the possibility that there might be (probably are) others who will draw courage and inspiration from his public statement of being gay. That conversations could be started using Cooper's statement as a springboard to personal honesty. Parents and children, co-workers, friends... We won't hear about these moments in the news or in any large way, but they will be happening tonight and tomorrow and throughout the next week.

Every person who comes out makes it easier for others to come out.

Someday we won't assume everyone is straight until they say otherwise. Someday we will see making the statement about being homosexual to be of the same social status as saying whether or not one likes brussel sprouts or prefers daiquiris over beer, whatever... But we aren't there yet, not by a long shot.
posted by hippybear at 7:27 PM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


I like brussels sprouts. Especially roasted.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 8:28 PM on July 2, 2012 [2 favorites]


I like brussels sprouts. Especially roasted.

You're a freak of nature. Stay out of my church and stay away from my children.
posted by hippybear at 8:33 PM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


Hey, let's have a little respect! It's not like I'm a cilantrophile.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 8:50 PM on July 2, 2012


It's a slippery slope from brussels sprouts to cilantrophilia.
posted by hippybear at 9:39 PM on July 2, 2012


We just need one Andrew Luck (or Peyton Manning) or Chris Bosh or Prince Fielder. It was nice to see Amaechi (after the fact), but he was a very, very minor player. I want an "A" level athlete.

Better yet, Tim Tebow. :)
posted by Celsius1414 at 9:44 PM on July 2, 2012 [2 favorites]


Better yet, Tim Tebow. :)

He does spend a lot of time on his knees....
posted by hippybear at 9:46 PM on July 2, 2012


Me: "Hey, did you hear? Anderson Cooper finally came out of the totally glass closet."

My dad: "What? Really?! Oh, he's gay?"

Me: "Uh, ok.....you know, Rachel Maddow too...." (He watches both of their shows avidly.)

My dad: *totally surprised* "Her too? What? I had no idea!"

I ended up spending the next half-hour doing a run-down of all the public figures he didn't know were not straight. Well, at least he knew about Barney Frank.

So there you have it. Proof that there is at least one human being (one who works right near the CNN studios building no less!) who has not heard that the Silver Fox is gay.
posted by adso at 9:49 PM on July 2, 2012 [5 favorites]


C'mon. Tim Lincecum. Prime freaky sk8rboy twinkilicous baseballboi.

*ahem* what?
posted by PapaLobo at 10:06 PM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


From that first Guardian link ...

And why should it be? Why did Cooper have to be so bullied? He never pretended to be straight. He just chose not to address the issue. Why did that enrage people? Shouldn't the increasing acceptance of gay lifestyles, the growing legalization of gay marriage, the realization that 21st century families come in all shapes and sizes, mean that Cooper should have been left alone? Of course it does. Why should anyone care about this? What's it got to do with you or me? Are you NOT going to watch him on TV now that you "know"?
posted by philip-random at 11:31 PM on July 2, 2012


"...whether you are out or not, you cannot win... To be closeted is to be “dishonest,” to be out, “making a big deal.” It’s not just about the fundamentalists and the queer-bashers – good, decent liberal people with the best of intentions can make negotiating the heterosexual world tiring, traumatising and even occasionally dangerous."
posted by muddgirl at 5:46 AM on July 3, 2012 [5 favorites]


From muddgirl's linked article:
"Many of the reactions from heterosexual progressives that I observed around social media in response were, to be blunt, really fucking annoying and entitled. The salacious shock, the studied boredom and cynicism, the jokes, the questions about why he took so long or why he needed to come out at all. And on and on."
See the asinine, insensitive comment above.
posted by ericb at 7:20 AM on July 3, 2012


It really undermines him, I think, as does that teeth-clenchingly irritating New Year's Eve campiness with whatserface.

Kathy Griffin. I think his stagey "I'm here expressly to be humiliated by this shrill TV personality" New Year's appearances with her actually humanize him somewhat and make him seem less remote, robotic, and icy. YMMV.

Maybe he's not really in the game to be another Edward R. Murrow, or Cronkite or Koppel.

Who is in the game to be that? Who even knows or remembers these people or what they did/stood for anymore? Seriously.
posted by blucevalo at 8:14 AM on July 3, 2012


Not only did my wife not know he was gay -- she had to ask me "now who is that again?" (I informed her that it was OK, she'd have to watch television to know.)

To be honest, I kind of barely knew who he was before about a year or so ago. Just one of those names that seems familiar for some reason. I think I kept confusing him with Harry Anderson.
posted by lodurr at 8:20 AM on July 3, 2012 [1 favorite]


Who even knows or remembers these people or what they did/stood for anymore?

Obviously we do.
posted by lodurr at 8:21 AM on July 3, 2012 [3 favorites]


Now that Katie Holmes has filed for divorce, gay hookup website Manhunt has an offer for Tom.

In related 'gay hookup' news ...

Santorum Claims He Thought Grindr Was a Coffee App
Former U.S. presidential candidate Rick Santorum has issued a statement claiming that he didn't know what the gay dating app he downloaded to his iPhone was for when he downloaded it.

The 51 year old former senator from the state of Pennsylvania was caught Friday when during an interview with a reporter he took out his iPhone to answer an emergency call from his wife.

During the 10 second interval it took for Santorum to figure out how to answer the call, the reporter noticed the distinctive icon for Grindr - "the world's biggest mobile network of guys" - on the conservative, catholic father of seven's home screen.

"Is that - is that - Grindr Mr. Santorum?" the young reporter can be heard saying on videotape of the incident." America's number one gay dating app?"

"Grindr? What's no? The yellow one? Oh right. OK. Grindr.  Like coffee grinds. Yeah that's something I downloaded for coffee. It finds the nearest Starbucks."

A review of the videotape clearly shows, however, that Santorum's iPhone was not carrying this hypothetical app to find coffee, but rather the very real Grindr whose purpose is to "find local gay, bi and curious guys for dating or friends for free."
posted by ericb at 12:28 PM on July 3, 2012 [3 favorites]


I'm making a series of tiny squealing noises right now
posted by The Whelk at 12:29 PM on July 3, 2012 [1 favorite]


that's...that's not real...right? Onion ahead of the curve again?
posted by lodurr at 12:37 PM on July 3, 2012


...nah, I see it's just another one of those annoyingly deadpan humor sites, perhaps inspired by reading too much by that borowitz person...
posted by lodurr at 12:39 PM on July 3, 2012


Looks to be an Onion knockoff, possibly located in Australia.
posted by mrgrimm at 12:39 PM on July 3, 2012


BOOO THIS IS WHAT I GET FOR READING MOBILE SITES
posted by The Whelk at 12:42 PM on July 3, 2012


Damn it. Too good to be true. Facebook friends are all chatting about it.
posted by ericb at 12:42 PM on July 3, 2012


Don't tease us like that eric

(oh well just happy he's not using scruff....)
posted by The Whelk at 12:43 PM on July 3, 2012 [3 favorites]


About Daily Currant:
Q. Are your newstories real?

A. No. Our stories are purely fictional. However they are meant to address real-world issues though [sic] satire and often refer and link to real events happening in the world.
posted by ericb at 12:49 PM on July 3, 2012


It really is too good to be true. On the other hand, I hope an in-the-closet politician would be smart enough to have two cell phones, for this very reason.
posted by muddgirl at 12:54 PM on July 3, 2012


HBR Blog Network: Come Out of the Closet at Work, Whether You're Gay or Not.
posted by ericb at 1:18 PM on July 3, 2012




Is it just me or is that "come out of the closet" article incredibly infuriating? 'Come out' to your coworkers about your nerd interests! 'Come out' about your love of 18th century art, maybe your boss can use that! 'Come out' about the fact that you speak Spanish!
posted by muddgirl at 1:45 PM on July 3, 2012


Not just you.
As Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Karen Sumberg reported last year in the Harvard Business Review, it actually pays for GLBT employees to come out of the closet. They're more likely to be promoted because they spend less time worrying about secrecy and hiding and more time focused on their jobs. It's likely that Cooper's announcement will similarly liberate him from these concerns and enable him to have an even better career and more satisfying personal life.
Not likely, except as a consequence unexpected enough that to cite it smacks of rationalization. He's probably not going to be as safe reporting in war zones, can't go certain places in africa anymore, etc.

More pernicious is the attitude betrayed by this:
Bringing your whole self to work is increasingly encouraged (think Zappos and their stated corporate policy of embracing weirdness). After all, in an increasingly diverse world, it can help you connect better with customers (Spanish speakers are likely to appreciate messages crafted from a Latino cultural perspective), develop new insights (a World of Warcraft-obsessed employee may have a relevant take on youth culture) and enhance employee morale and retention (a well-known Gallup study showed remarkable performance advantages from having a best friend at work — a situation far more likely to occur if you're not putting on a façade).

Many people still argue there's a fundamental right to privacy. But post-Zuckerberg, that illusion has evaporated — and, as I wrote in a previous HBR post, that's a good thing: closing the gap between one's public and private images results in more people being honest about themselves and their lives.
Consider the venue: Harvard Business Review. "Bringing your whole self to work" is basically just a way of getting people to commit more fully to the workplace as a new "tribe".

And this "privacy is dead, Zuckerberg proved it" thing has just got to fucking stop. I really don't give a flying shit what Mark Zuckerberg says about privacy. He can and does afford to buy his own; he gets fuck all from me.
posted by lodurr at 1:57 PM on July 3, 2012 [5 favorites]


Many people still argue there's a fundamental right to privacy. But post-Zuckerberg, that illusion has evaporated

I often fantasize that someone will hide a camera in the bedroom or bathroom of people who make these sorts of fatuous pronouncements, just to see how fast they'll suddenly rediscover this "illusory" right to privacy.
posted by scody at 4:42 PM on July 3, 2012 [6 favorites]


Mr. Anderson Cooper, Superstar, New York Obsever, March 2004
posted by the man of twists and turns at 6:14 PM on July 3, 2012


Here's a side of this story I hadn't considered ... "In China, very few homosexuals are “out,” or “chugui” (this translates as “come out closet.”) Familial and cultural pressures to be heterosexual, marry and produce an heir are simply too great... If anything, the recent wave of casual, “I’m gay, so what” announcements by prominent Americans is underscoring a fast-widening gap in social attitudes between the United States and many other countries, including China."
posted by crunchland at 12:31 AM on July 6, 2012 [1 favorite]


Ha! Eastern Bloc is great. We should have a meetup there.
posted by en forme de poire at 2:53 PM on July 10, 2012


We're going to to have to ask for at least some shade throwing Greg.
posted by The Whelk at 3:01 PM on July 10, 2012


YES YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY COME. I am a recluse until around Aug 2, though (I accidentally didn't an entire thesis).
posted by en forme de poire at 3:26 PM on July 10, 2012


I don't think I've ever seen his show, but, knowing Cooper as a TV personality, I honestly thought he was already out. My girlfriend and best friend have just always spoken of him matter-of-factly, when it comes up, as being gay. I was a bit confused when this broke as something of a major news story.
posted by Theophilus at 1:45 AM on July 17, 2012


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