Rachel: Gay anchors should come out

[ruggerson]

FWIW I completely agree with her.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2011/04/msnbcs-rachel-maddow-i-wasnt-asked-about-anderson-cooper.html?cid=6a00d8341c630a53ef014e881702b1970d

"MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow is all about keeping them honest, telling the Guardian that closeted gay anchors should come out. But, hey, that doesn’t mean she's referring to a certain CNN anchor.

In the interview with the publication, which was published Monday, the openly gay anchor is asked if she feels frustration toward “an equally well-known news presenter who is widely assumed to be gay but has never come out?”

“I’m sure other people in the business have considered reasons why they’re doing what they’re doing," she answers, "but I do think that if you’re gay you have a responsibility to come out.”

The interview drew much attention, with blogs suggesting she was referring to Cooper, who has never acknowledged -- or denied -- that he is gay. Maddow responded to the noise in a self-penned blog post Monday evening, stressing that she wasn’t singling anyone out."

[GomezLives]

1. Or Shepard Smith

[DCKit]

2. I thought Shep was out.

Could swear I saw an article on this very subject with a pic of him and the husband... a real cutie, too.

[beyurslf]

3. While I would agree they should come out, I don't think they have a responsiblity to.

Why? Would a news anchor have a responsibility to disclose their marital status? Their religion? Their food likes/dislikes? Their middle names?

They are their to provide news. I don't care if Anderson is gay and I certainly don't care if he ever says one or the other. The only exception to this is hypocrites, but those are usually our elected officials not our newspeople.

[FreeState]

4. I believe all gay adults have a moral obligation to make life better for gay youth

That's hard to do unless your proud enough of yourself and the peole you love to live your life in the light of day.

[ZombieHorde]

5. Your post is logical, but I don't blame people for hiding when they are surrounded by madness.

Not everyone has the strength, or support, to fight the world.

I guess I am saying they probably should come out, but I don't blame them for not coming out.

[FreeState]

6. I don't blame some of them either

In an ideal world all could come out with no fear or reprisals - however that reality won't happen until people come out and and by coming out make it easy for others to come out. I owe a lot to those that came before me for my coming out experiences, yes it was hard but it would have been a lot harder if it had not been for the sacrifices of many women and men before me.

[Zorra]

19. I'm deliberately obviously radically LGBT.

People that have no problem with GLBT often smile at me, like they are saying, "I want you to know that I don't care if you are gay, I consider you just like me". I look right back into their eyes, nod, and smile--"Thanks for getting it"

I always admired Jim Morrison, because he was so deliberately outrageous in order to break down social conventions. He was like totally unafraid.

I'm trying to be fearless like that.

I believe I can help others to never need to be afraid to be who they are.

If everyone that was LGBT came out, straight might no longer be so "normal".

[The Philosopher]

21. 'If everyone that was LGBT came out, straight might no longer be so "normal"'.

Which would lead to Cthulhu.

[Rhythm]

22. You say that like it would be a BAD thing...

:hide:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

8. they do have a moral obligation to come out, to make it safe for other queer kids

its disingenuous for us to evoke the civil rights struggle as a comparison to gay rights struggle, if we don't come out. After all, if this was race, they could not have hidden it.


if wealth, well known figures refuse to come out, it makes a much bigger struggle for the rest of us.

[auntsue]

7. When I was a teacher/social worker i could not be "out" -

I'm retired now and have bumper stickers of rainbows and one that says "Being myself is not a choice." I stay alert though and today some kids in another car just stared - I don't know if that was why.

[Spinny Liberal]

9. I am crushin' hard on Rachel, but

People come out when they're ready. And when they feel "safe and secure" enough to do so. I'm pretty sure that Ken Mehlman, Bush's campaign manager, wouldn't have been well-received if he came out back then.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

10. he had a bigger moral obligation on not make it harder for lgbt to begin with

but to her point, she did mention anchors specifically and not that everyone no matter what their job should come out

[Spinny Liberal]

11. I suppose he could have

objected to the DOMA. And yes, Rachel did mention anchors, so my crush gets a pass on this one. ;-)

[La Lioness Priyanka]

12. not just to doma. ken could have objected to the general republican

strategy of 2004, which was to rile up the country against gays as they put gay marriage on the polls. the man is disgusting and his new found love for us, doesnt excuse him for his past.

[Spinny Liberal]

13. True

So what do you think of him wanting to be an advocate of gay marriage now?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

14. convenient. gay marriage is only one thing on a whole list of issues

lgbt face. someone like him, probably only sees the need for marriage.

[Spinny Liberal]

15. It is the cause du jour

[La Lioness Priyanka]

16. no its not. its one of the many things lgbt people are fighting for

[Spinny Liberal]

17. It's the one that gets the most press

[La Lioness Priyanka]

18. these days dadt does. couple of years ago, enda was

[Spinny Liberal]

20. DADT and DOMA share the spotlight right now

[justiceischeap]

23. If you are in a position to come out safely and don't then you are setting a bad

example for gay youth, IMO. Rachel is right in the respect that gay anchors, particularly national anchors, should come out. Doing so doesn't endanger them, it's obvious it doesn't hurt their careers, look at Rachel and that woman on CNN (the one with three names and recovering alcoholic). Neither of their careers have been compromised. Rosie and Ellen, though not news anchors, are/were highly popular despite their gayness.

I think there are certain careers where one cannot "safely" come out and that should indeed be considered but not in this situation.