<p>Thank you, NYmomof2. I posted on her FB page that I was proud that Melissa Harris Perry is on the Tulane Faculty (teaches Political science). She left Princeton to teach at Tulane. <a href=“http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2011/02/03/27448/[/url]”>http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2011/02/03/27448/</a></p>
<p>I care abutnthenpoor kids who are beaten up for being gay. Or kill themselves. Makes me so angry that there is still so much hate toward lgbt people. That is why his making a public decleration is so important. Now only we us atheists were able to say it out loud.</p>
<p>I don’t think his declaration is important at all and I doubt it’ll prevent any kid from getting beaten up by insecure ignorant thugs (most of whom probably have no idea who Anderson is in the first place) or prevent them from killing themselves due to a complex of issues. There have been gay celebrities who have been ‘out’ for many years and it hasn’t stopped it yet.</p>
<p>We can. I do. No cost to professional life. </p>
<p>I remember something Gertrude Stein said to an interviewer asking her if she’d left the US because she was gay. She said no, it was because she was fat, and that in France she could eat cake in peace without people disapproving of her.</p>
<p>Oppression comes in so many forms.</p>
<p>It’s a huge deal when someone of Cooper’s stature comes out, especially with such an eloquent and dignified public statement. I’m confident that young lives were saved by his action today. When the suicide rate of gay teenagers drops to the overall teen rate, we can all yawn and say, What’s the big deal, but for now, it really matters. I’m a regular reader of Andrew Sullivan’s blog (where the letter was published), and a PFLAG member, and reading that post just sent a shiver down my spine.</p>
<p>The email was amazing and I do believe it matters. I live in a city where it’s no big deal. But sadly, there is so much bigotry it’s scary elsewhere.</p>
<p>I wish the closeted gay men who are making public policy against gay rights would get outed more often. its the hypocrits I can’t stand.</p>
<p>Next you’ll be telling me Elton John is gay and my life will be over.</p>
<p>His coming out makes no difference to me but if it some young gay person feels a little bit better about himself or herself then I’m glad he came out.</p>
<p>But seriously, I thought it was common knowledge that he is gay (Anderson, not Elton ). I love Anderson Cooper - he is my favorite on air reporter - neither because of or in spite of him being gay, just really enjoy his reporting on big issues. </p>
<p>Did anyone else see the video where he had a fit of the giggles. I was almost in tears laughing.</p>
<p>Catbird, I’m a regular reader of Andrew Sullivan, too, and I agree that Cooper’s statement was eloquent. I don’t know that it saves lives, but i think it’s important to show that all kinds of people are gay, and that being gay doesn’t define them. It’s just one part of their lives. I do think that over the years, the accumulation of well-known people being out has helped people accept gays. Long way to go, but there has been a lot of progress.</p>
<p>My friend has a son who recently came out, even though my friend figured it out a long time ago. She said something that I thought was just great … her comment was that he wouldn’t run into the room announcing to everyone that he is straight, so why should anyone expect he would announce that he is gay. Makes sense.</p>
<p>My daughter told her gay best friend, “you cant have Neil Patrick Harris and Anderson Cooper you have to give one of them back” I thought it was common knowledge, I dont see where it matters but it if it helps I am glad he came out. Anderson’s mother is gloria Vanderbilt as well, and he has talked a great deal about his brother’s suicide which I am sure has helped many people.</p>
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<p>That makes me think of Chris Colfer, who said that he never felt like he had to come out to his parents because they were accepting and it was a non-issue. No need for a big announcement. He came out very quickly once he became famous, though, because it became obvious pretty quickly that since he was playing a flamboyant gay character, he was going to get the question (or have it assumed) every single interview. It can be pretty obnoxious how much the press will focus on certain personal things.</p>
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<p>But in fact straight people announce their sexual orientations all the time without even noticing it. They often refer to their opposite sex significant others and spouses in casual conversation. They hold hands, kiss, and otherwise engage in PDA in all sorts of places- serious and not-so-serious. Gay people can only do that in some environments.</p>
<p>downtoearth, Can your daughter negotiate back that gorgeous guy from White Collar?</p>
<p>I’d like Rupert Everett too please.</p>
<p>This is such a funny topic of discussion since I always thought Anderson Cooper was gay. Like much of Hollywood, male and female. Does this affect his ability to do his job? No!</p>
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He is very lucky to have parents like that. We have seen both sides of parent reactions. One of my daughter’s closest friends was known to be gay by everyone but had not told his police officer parents. From a couple of conversations his Mom had with him, we were pretty sure she knew and was trying to give him an opening to tell her. He made himself actually ill worrying about it (panic attacks), but when he finally told them they were just wonderful and accepting. It just made me cry how wonderful they were. Some other gay friends of hers had very different reactions from their parents - everything ranging from “I’d rather be dead than have a gay son”, to sending them to psychiatrists to be “cured”. We live in the bible belt as you may have guessed. </p>
<p>One of her friends actually went back into the closet while he was in college, then moved to New York where he happily and very flamboyantly gay. Not sure how his parents handle it now - even I blinked a bit when I saw some of his facebook pictures, and I don’t give a hoot about anyone’s sexual orientation (I’m not originally from the bible belt).</p>
<p>We have all those people Rupert Evert, Neil Patrick Harris and Anderson Cooper.</p>
<p>It reminds me of what a top white theater critic (I forget his name) said when Paul Robeson died: I am proud to be a member of his race: human.</p>
<p>We are all one human race. We don’t divide righties from lefties.</p>
<p>And for the younger generation many are bi and don’t want these labels.</p>
<p>I do think Anderson Cooper wrote a beautiful, dignified email. I think it shows him as a writer, a group I belong to! Yay!</p>
<p>catbird: Thank you for your personal and beautiful post. I agree with you. And Matthew Shepard wasn’t that long ago either.</p>
<p>beautiful post mythmom–I so enjoy your writing, even if it is just CC, you have a wonderful voice ;)</p>