Although Cooper consistently spoke out in favor of fairness and equal rights, and seemed clearly to be living the life of an openly gay man, for years he resisted calls for him to make a public statement regarding his sexuality, saying that he did not want to be the focus of news stories and that he preferred to stay in the background.

Sponsor Message.

Finally, however, in an email to Andrew Sullivan, published on July 1, 2012, Cooper confirmed the rumors. "The fact is," he wrote, "I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn't be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud."

The revelation came as a result of Sullivan asking Cooper for feedback on a story in Entertainment Weekly about gay people in public life who come out in a matter-of-fact way.

In response, Cooper explained that he has attempted to maintain some level of privacy for both personal and professional reasons. "Since I started as a reporter in war zones 20 years ago, I've often found myself in some very dangerous places. For my safety and the safety of those I work with, I try to blend in as much as possible, and prefer to stick to my job of telling other people's stories, and not my own. I have found that sometimes the less an interview subject knows about me, the better I can safely and effectively do my job as a journalist."

But, Cooper continued, "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."

He also noted that there is value in being visible. "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."

After disavowing any intention of becoming an activist, he declared forthrightly that he is gay, happy, proud, and that "I love, and I am loved."

In addition to these openly gay journalists, national television news shows also frequently feature openly gay commentators when gay topics are discussed. Joe Solomonese, Andrew Sullivan, Keith Boykin, Dan Savage, John Aravosis, Richard Socarides, Hilary Rosen, and David Mixner are just a few of the openly gay men who are frequent guests on news shows.

There are also a number of openly gay and lesbian television journalists in local markets. It is well to remember that the late Randy Shilts pioneered as among the first openly gay journalists in San Francisco, where he worked for both newspapers and television stations.

Perhaps the dean of openly gay local television newsmen is Randy Price of Boston. He came out in the early 1990s in an interview with a New England gay periodical, which was then picked up by a mainstream paper. Rather than hurting his career, his honesty seems to have helped it. As Sean Kennedy observed, "Today he's not only Boston's most popular news anchor but one of its most admired public figures."

Another veteran openly gay local television newsman is Henry A. "Hank" Plante, who worked for KPIX-TV in San Francisco for 25 years before retiring in 2010. Plante won several local and national Emmys, as well as the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award as part of CBS 5's "AIDS Lifeline" reporting team in 1986. He was also awarded GLAAD's Pioneer Award and the James R. Harrison Award from the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. He was named "Reporter of the Year" by the Associated Press and inducted into the Emmy Silver Circle by the National Television Academy. In 2010, he was inducted into the LGBT Journalists Hall of Fame.