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| I helped push Anderson Cooper out of the closet – and his journalism is better for it I helped push Anderson Cooper out of the closet – and his journalism is better for it | |
| (6 months later) | |
| This week, my Facebook news feed has been really hard to take. Ever since the death of 49 people at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, my gay brethren have reacted with sadness, anger and compassion. I’ve seen friends talk about their struggles with being gay in religious families, memes sharing memories of first visits to gay bars, and countless outpourings of emotion. | This week, my Facebook news feed has been really hard to take. Ever since the death of 49 people at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, my gay brethren have reacted with sadness, anger and compassion. I’ve seen friends talk about their struggles with being gay in religious families, memes sharing memories of first visits to gay bars, and countless outpourings of emotion. |
| But among all these expressions of mourning there has been one constant: Anderson Cooper. Every day since Sunday’s tragedy, people have shared stories, videos and comments about the gay anchor’s coverage of the massacre, and how powerful his interventions have been. First, it was his tearing up while reading the names of the victims. Then, it was his confrontational interview with Florida’s anti-gay attorney general, Pam Bondi. Finally, it was his response to Bondi claiming she either misunderstood him or was lying in an interview she gave to a radio show that was critical of his interview tactics. Each time, people cheered his coverage, as if it was one of the few victories of this especially dark time for the gay community. | But among all these expressions of mourning there has been one constant: Anderson Cooper. Every day since Sunday’s tragedy, people have shared stories, videos and comments about the gay anchor’s coverage of the massacre, and how powerful his interventions have been. First, it was his tearing up while reading the names of the victims. Then, it was his confrontational interview with Florida’s anti-gay attorney general, Pam Bondi. Finally, it was his response to Bondi claiming she either misunderstood him or was lying in an interview she gave to a radio show that was critical of his interview tactics. Each time, people cheered his coverage, as if it was one of the few victories of this especially dark time for the gay community. |
| Cooper has proven himself to be the public face of the Pulse shooting, and I believe it is right that a gay man could hold this position. In fact, I don’t think he could have done such a good job if he hadn’t been out. Which is why being proud of Cooper is a little bit strange for me. | Cooper has proven himself to be the public face of the Pulse shooting, and I believe it is right that a gay man could hold this position. In fact, I don’t think he could have done such a good job if he hadn’t been out. Which is why being proud of Cooper is a little bit strange for me. |
| Years ago, when I was a journalist at Gawker, Cooper, then living in a glass closet, was my bête noir. In 2009, I wrote a story titled Anderson Cooper Is a Giant Homosexual and Everyone Knows It. I was not the first person to out Cooper but I was very persistent, regularly posting stories pleading with him to come out and show America that there is nothing shameful about being gay. | Years ago, when I was a journalist at Gawker, Cooper, then living in a glass closet, was my bête noir. In 2009, I wrote a story titled Anderson Cooper Is a Giant Homosexual and Everyone Knows It. I was not the first person to out Cooper but I was very persistent, regularly posting stories pleading with him to come out and show America that there is nothing shameful about being gay. |
| I was not the first person to out Cooper but I was persistent, regularly posting stories pleading with him to come out | I was not the first person to out Cooper but I was persistent, regularly posting stories pleading with him to come out |
| Cooper’s rationale for keeping his sexual orientation concealed was that he didn’t want his personal life interfering with his journalistic integrity. In 2005, he told New York magazine: “The whole thing about being a reporter is that you’re supposed to be an observer and to be able to adapt with any group you’re in, and I don’t want to do anything that threatens that.” | Cooper’s rationale for keeping his sexual orientation concealed was that he didn’t want his personal life interfering with his journalistic integrity. In 2005, he told New York magazine: “The whole thing about being a reporter is that you’re supposed to be an observer and to be able to adapt with any group you’re in, and I don’t want to do anything that threatens that.” |
| Instead of taking his outing into his own hands, he left it to journalists. Eventually, after much criticism, Cooper came out himself in a letter to gay journalist Andrew Sullivan, saying: “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.” | Instead of taking his outing into his own hands, he left it to journalists. Eventually, after much criticism, Cooper came out himself in a letter to gay journalist Andrew Sullivan, saying: “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.” |
| In the same letter, Cooper insisted that he was “not an activist” – as if he was afraid that being known as gay would hurt his integrity, that he would be expected to don a cape made of rainbows. | In the same letter, Cooper insisted that he was “not an activist” – as if he was afraid that being known as gay would hurt his integrity, that he would be expected to don a cape made of rainbows. |
| In fact it has proven the opposite. Watching Cooper well up while reading the names of the Orlando victims is especially powerful because viewers know that the tragedy feels personal for him, as it is for all gay Americans. Watching Cooper stand up to Bondi is even more meaningful because not only is she being forced to answer for her anti-gay speech in the past, but she’s being held accountable for it by a gay man. His very existence, standing there in front of her in one of his dozens of tight black polo shirts, disproves her claim that gay people can do “harm”. | In fact it has proven the opposite. Watching Cooper well up while reading the names of the Orlando victims is especially powerful because viewers know that the tragedy feels personal for him, as it is for all gay Americans. Watching Cooper stand up to Bondi is even more meaningful because not only is she being forced to answer for her anti-gay speech in the past, but she’s being held accountable for it by a gay man. His very existence, standing there in front of her in one of his dozens of tight black polo shirts, disproves her claim that gay people can do “harm”. |
| His coverage of Orlando proves that the perceived threat to his journalism before coming out was only in his imagination | His coverage of Orlando proves that the perceived threat to his journalism before coming out was only in his imagination |
| The impact of his coverage proves that the perceived threat to his journalism before coming out was a figment of his imagination. The New York Times recently wrote: “Mr Cooper, who is gay, has seemed to embrace an advocacy role rarely seen among top network anchors, blending on-the-ground reporting with a distinctly personal and empathetic touch.” | The impact of his coverage proves that the perceived threat to his journalism before coming out was a figment of his imagination. The New York Times recently wrote: “Mr Cooper, who is gay, has seemed to embrace an advocacy role rarely seen among top network anchors, blending on-the-ground reporting with a distinctly personal and empathetic touch.” |
| Contrary to what many closeted gay people think, being more personal won’t hurt your career, especially in a job like journalism — it will only help it. | Contrary to what many closeted gay people think, being more personal won’t hurt your career, especially in a job like journalism — it will only help it. |
| Cooper is obviously an excellent journalist in his own right, but now that he can be fully himself in front of the camera, acknowledging that this event has an especially deep impact on him, makes him even better. Cooper might have come out eventually if everyone agreed to keep his secret, but who knows how long it might have taken had the media not sped up the process. | Cooper is obviously an excellent journalist in his own right, but now that he can be fully himself in front of the camera, acknowledging that this event has an especially deep impact on him, makes him even better. Cooper might have come out eventually if everyone agreed to keep his secret, but who knows how long it might have taken had the media not sped up the process. |
| I’ve always been a proponent of outing public figures, especially those that live in a so-called glass closet, where many people know that they’re gay but they won’t acknowledge it publicly. I think it’s a disservice to gay people and leads to negative attitudes toward homosexuality within our culture – something that might have played a part in the Pulse shootings. | I’ve always been a proponent of outing public figures, especially those that live in a so-called glass closet, where many people know that they’re gay but they won’t acknowledge it publicly. I think it’s a disservice to gay people and leads to negative attitudes toward homosexuality within our culture – something that might have played a part in the Pulse shootings. |
| Nick Denton, the owner of Gawker, feels the same way, or at least did when I worked for him at Gawker. He encouraged outing not only Cooper but any public figure. This is especially ironic now since Gawker Media filed bankruptcy protection after losing a $115m lawsuit for posting snippets of a sex tape made by professional wrestler Hulk Hogan. A substantial part of Hogan’s legal bills were paid by gay billionaire Peter Thiel, who carries a grudge against Gawker because they outed him once upon a time. | Nick Denton, the owner of Gawker, feels the same way, or at least did when I worked for him at Gawker. He encouraged outing not only Cooper but any public figure. This is especially ironic now since Gawker Media filed bankruptcy protection after losing a $115m lawsuit for posting snippets of a sex tape made by professional wrestler Hulk Hogan. A substantial part of Hogan’s legal bills were paid by gay billionaire Peter Thiel, who carries a grudge against Gawker because they outed him once upon a time. |
| Maybe Thiel can learn something from this (and maybe put away his checkbook). Being outed has proven to be a boon for Cooper as well as Apple CEO Tim Cook, whom Gawker also outed. Cook gave his own tribute to the victims in Orlando this week. That out leaders in tech and media are making these statements is not only powerful to unify the gay community after being ripped apart by senseless violence, but also for the acceptance of gay people in every corner of life. | Maybe Thiel can learn something from this (and maybe put away his checkbook). Being outed has proven to be a boon for Cooper as well as Apple CEO Tim Cook, whom Gawker also outed. Cook gave his own tribute to the victims in Orlando this week. That out leaders in tech and media are making these statements is not only powerful to unify the gay community after being ripped apart by senseless violence, but also for the acceptance of gay people in every corner of life. |
| Before outing him, seeing Anderson Cooper in my Facebook feed used to fill me with rage. This week, seeing him doing his job made me happy. Happy to see a gay man doing some good in this world. | Before outing him, seeing Anderson Cooper in my Facebook feed used to fill me with rage. This week, seeing him doing his job made me happy. Happy to see a gay man doing some good in this world. |