CNN's Anderson Cooper Reveals 'I'm Gay': Denies Pushing Gay Agenda
Anderson Cooper recently spoke out regarding his sexuality, and the renowned CNN journalist and talk show host said that he is a "happy" homosexual.
"The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn't be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud," Anderson said in an email statement to The Daily Beast.
The 45-year-old has never publicly addressed questions about his sexuality until now and he explained his decision not to do so in the past.
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"I've always believed that who a reporter votes for, what religion they are, who they love, should not be something they have to discuss publicly. As long as a journalist shows fairness and honesty in his or her work, their private life shouldn't matter," Cooper wrote.
"I've stuck to those principles for my entire professional career, even when I've been directly asked 'the gay question,' which happens occasionally. I did not address my sexual orientation in the memoir I wrote several years ago because it was a book focused on war, disasters, loss and survival. I didn't set out to write about other aspects of my life," he went on.
Cooper, who is the primary anchor of the CNN news show "Anderson Cooper 360°," wrote the email directly to the Beast's Andrew Sullivan with regards to a story run by EW.com about gay people who are in the public eye and the "restrained" ways in which they publicly announce their sexuality.
The unmarried news anchor reports on various topics on his CNN show including gay bullying, which has led to criticisms that he may be using the media to push his own controversial agenda.
"It's become clear to me that by remaining silent on certain aspects of my personal life for so long, I have given some the mistaken impression that I am trying to hide something - something that makes me uncomfortable, ashamed or even afraid. This is distressing because it is simply not true," Cooper explained.
"Since my early days as a reporter, I have worked hard to accurately and fairly portray gay and lesbian people in the media - and to fairly and accurately portray those who for whatever reason disapprove of them," he went on, adding that, "It is not part of my job to push an agenda, but rather to be relentlessly honest in everything I see, say and do. I've never wanted to be any kind of reporter other than a good one, and I do not desire to promote any cause other than the truth."
