Recently, however, I’ve begun to consider whether the unintended outcomes of maintaining my privacy outweigh personal and professional principle. 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.
I’ve also been reminded recently that while as a society we are moving toward greater inclusion and equality for all people, the tide of history only advances when people make themselves fully visible. There continue to be far too many incidences of bullying of young people, as well as discrimination and violence against people of all ages, based on their sexual orientation, and I believe there is value in making clear where I stand.
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.
I have always been very open and honest about this part of my life with my friends, my family, and my colleagues. In a perfect world, I don't think it's anyone else's business, but I do think there is value in standing up and being counted. I’m not an activist, but I am a human being and I don't give that up by being a journalist.
A collection of his most dramatic on-screen moments from the Daily Beast:
6 comments:
Good for him - happy to hear it yesterday - I see no reason to carp about it. God bless him.
I'm fine with it too - each of us has the right to choose our own time and way of coming out, in all the various senses of that term. Outing somebody when they aren't ready to be out is a wicked thing.
I'd only make an exception for those who are covertly gay but actively working against us, like so many well-known Republican ex-Congressmen and TV preachers, etc.
In today's NY Times an excellent piece by Daniel Mendelsohn about Cooper and the "event"
I went and read it, and I think Mendelsohn is a wee bit holier-than-thou about it. It's not his life, is it?
The closet has many layers and stages. I can understand Cooper wanting to report the news rather than be the news. And finally things have come to a point in this country where it's really not news anymore. Voila.
Well sure, and as a writer it's a lot easier form him than a reporter who's watched by millions. But I don't think he was criticizing Cooper as much as looking at the situation in general.
I don't think we are yet there where it no longer matters. In a silly case recently the gossip column in our big city paper had a blurb about a "Gay Actor"... blah blah blah, when in fact what they were reporting on was some fellow who said he hoped the time had come when no one was called a "black" actor or a "gay" actor but simply an actor. Idiocy.
We have a long way to go, yet I am grateful for how far we have come.
Yes, me too. And just to clarify, I meant it's not news anymore up there at the big city - TV star level. As opposed to the Podunk level where I live.
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