Anderson Cooper, the highly-successful CNN anchor and now host of two shows on the formerly-pioneering cable news network, has long been thought to be gay. Rumors surround Cooper and the man many believe to be his same-sex partner, Benjamin Maisani. But now Gawker’s Brian Moylan is reporting that Cooper may be paving the way to come out publicly, and step one — according to Moylan, who often writes about LGBT-related issues at Gawker — is happening today.
Moylan writes that a “tipster” is alleging that Anderson Cooper’s show Anderson “is prepping Anderson’s big coming out episode for February sweeps.”
Here’s what the tipster had to say.
Daytime talk show “Anderson” is having their first Christmas party tomorrow night, 15 December, at the Russian Tea Room. Anderson Cooper is bringing Benjamin Maisani. And introducing him as his “boyfriend” to the staff. The staff is prepping Anderson’s “coming out” show for the next sweeps. Check the ratings. They’re getting desperate.
A call to the Russian Tea Room verified that the party is in fact taking place there tomorrow evening, so at least that part is true. Whether or not Andy brings Ben and just how he introduces him, I won’t know since somehow I did not get invited. It makes sense he would attend since Anderson has already taken him to the Vanity Fair Oscar party and on his Mardi Gras float. The company Christmas party isn’t nearly as public and spouses are possibly invited, so it seems self-evident.
We have absolutely no idea if any of this is true, heck, until he says it, we don’t even know if the award-winning Anderson Cooper is gay, but if it is, please, Anderson, don’t cheapen your coming out for a ratings boost. That would be a slap in the face to everyone whose had to endure homophobic bullying and hate crime attacks.
Frankly, I’m sick and tired of people using gays — even gay people using gays — to boost their ratings, bank accounts, poll numbers, magazine sales, and so on, and so on, and so on.
Homosexuality is not something to be bought, sold, or traded.
Recently, the Kim Kardashian machine used an anti-gay attack on her soon-to-be-ex-husband, Kris Humphries, to sway public opinion and to generate cash.
Every major GOP presidential candidate this season has used “the gays” to burnish their conservative credentials.
NOM uses “the gays” to raise money. In fact, the entire reason for the existence of NOM, the National Organization For Marriage, is to fight “the gays.”
Logo’s A-List totally uses “the gays” and possible anti-gay hate crime reports to boost their ratings.
Ann Coulter loves to gay bash, and does t regularly to keep her entrenched in the good graces of conservatives, who politely “forget” she’s on the Board of GOProud, a gay tea Party group.
And don’t get me started on GOProud themselves.
So, Anderson, please, if you want to come out, please do. Just don’t use sweeps week as the reason.
Instead, why not do what so many others have done recently? Come out because our community’s kids are hurting and dying and need all the support and role models they can get.
This is the Anderson Cooper I’d like to think of when and if you do come out.
And this: