# Anderson Cooper comes out. Finally. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 2, 2012, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006 "2012-07-02T15:14:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006/1 "2012-07-02T15:14:02Z")
[Link](http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/07/anderson-cooper-the-fact-is-im-gay.html). I’m torn between “good for him” and “about damn time.” ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006/2 "2012-07-02T15:17:15Z")
I’ll come down solidly on “good for him”. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006/3 "2012-07-02T15:17:17Z")
Really? Everybody knew he was gay. He was going to be Colbert’s new gay best friend like a year ago. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006/4 "2012-07-02T15:19:05Z")
What a really nice email. I found myself in agreement with all his points - that he’s sometimes in areas and situations where being known as gay could be physically dangerous, that interviewees sometimes open up more to a blank slate of an interviewer, and that’s why he’s resisted coming out until now, but also that at some point dodging the question may be misinterpreted as being ashamed, and he thinks that’s the point it’s at now so he’s come out. I hope people still afford him some measure of privacy. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006/5 "2012-07-02T15:19:13Z")
I’ve thought for years that his uber-private policy was more detrimental than beneficial, if only because it’s meant he’s essentially been hounded for years about it. Of course, I also think that being that circumspect sends the implicit message that there _is_ something wrong with being gay, even if that’s not the message intended to be sent. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006/6 "2012-07-02T15:22:52Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > [Link](http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/07/anderson-cooper-the-fact-is-im-gay.html). > > I’m torn between “good for him” and “about damn time.” Please don’t get defensive, this is not an attempt to pick a fight. What difference does it make how he handles his closet? To me, it seems that no one else should judge when and where another person reveals something so personal like that. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006/7 "2012-07-02T15:28:02Z")
Another vote for “good for him”. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006/8 "2012-07-02T15:28:58Z")
How reliable is _The Daily Beast_ ? ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006/9 "2012-07-02T15:34:17Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > How reliable is _The Daily Beast_ ? Andrew Sullivan is a well known (gay) blogger. Its pretty unlikely that he’d lie about being friends with Cooper or fabricate an email from him. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006/10 "2012-07-02T15:35:47Z")
Cheers for Cooper. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006/11 "2012-07-02T15:35:52Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > To me, it seems that no one else should judge when and where another person reveals something so personal like that. In my opinion, when we treat it like a state secret, it becomes, or feels like it becomes more of a big deal than it should be.\* The fact that I’m gay should not require some big announcement anymore than revealing my true hair color. And the more people who treat it as an, oh yeah, sort of thing, the more mundane and un-noteworthy we make it. And for someone as visible and notable as Anderson Cooper to not appear to be afraid of mentioning it, well that’s a really nice bit of PR. ---
**Author:** ![twhitt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@twhitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twhitt)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006/12 "2012-07-02T15:40:19Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > How reliable is _The Daily Beast_ ? Pretty darn reliable, when you’re looking at statements of fact. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006/13 "2012-07-02T15:42:07Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > Please don’t get defensive, this is not an attempt to pick a fight. > > What difference does it make how he handles his closet? > > To me, it seems that no one else should judge when and where another person reveals something so personal like that. Because, as he says in the email, the fact that he’s refused to discuss his sexuality had long since reached the point where it seemed like he was ashamed of it. To me, personally, it makes no difference at all – he’s long been on my list of “I don’t care if he’s gay, I’ve got a massive freaking crush on him anyway.” ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006/14 "2012-07-02T15:43:07Z")
Line starts behind me, sister. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006/15 "2012-07-02T15:46:21Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Because, as he says in the email, the fact that he’s refused to discuss his sexuality had long since reached the point where it seemed like he was ashamed of it. I had been wondering whether he feared lost ratings in response to him coming out, and that’s why he stayed closeted. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006/16 "2012-07-02T15:47:59Z")
I can’t imagine any bigger tell than how he giggles. If he didn’t lose ratings following the Depardieu Ridiculist incident, I don’t think they had anything to fear from him coming out. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006/17 "2012-07-02T15:53:26Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > I had been wondering whether he feared lost ratings in response to him coming out, and that’s why he stayed closeted. I should think so. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006/18 "2012-07-02T15:55:17Z")
Confirmation on the world’s most poorly kept “secret.” I’m with Anderson on this one. It really isn’t anyone’s business, except for those he wants (and needs, natch) to tell. His sexual orientation has little bearing on his professional work, and he doesn’t seem interested in being an activist (yes, contrary to popular opinion, there is no obligation for anyone in a marginalized population to lead parades and the like). The fact that this rumor has been out for years and he’s never really bothered to address it, and certainly never denied it (like, say Tom Cruise), suggests that he’s fine with people figuring it out for themselves. I predict this will have absolutely no impact on his life/work/anything. I’m sure someone will clutch their pearls, and there’ll be some late night jokes about it, but then it’s back to your usual scheduled programming. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006/19 "2012-07-02T15:56:26Z")
If you refuse to discuss your sexuality, does that mean you’re in the closet? If you’re private about your sex life, for whatever reason, it’s really no ones business to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006/20 "2012-07-02T15:57:56Z")
Another vote for ‘good for him’. This is the 21st century, right? \ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anderson-cooper-comes-out-finally/627006.md?page=2)