Anderson Cooper is happy to report: 'I'm gay'

CNN news journalist Anderson Cooper explains to Andrew Sullivan at The Daily Beast that he has same-sex attraction.

 The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud. 

I have always been very open and honest about this part of my life with my friends, my family, and my colleagues. In a perfect world, I don't think it's anyone else's business, but I do think there is value in standing up and being counted. I’m not an activist, but I am a human being and I don't give that up by being a journalist. 

 I’ve never wanted to be any kind of reporter other than a good one, and I do not desire to promote any cause other than the truth. 

Being a journalist, traveling to remote places, trying to understand people from all walks of life, telling their stories, has been the greatest joy of my professional career, and I hope to continue doing it for a long time to come. But while I feel very blessed to have had so many opportunities as a journalist, I am also blessed far beyond having a great career. 

I love, and I am loved. 

In my opinion, the ability to love another person is one of God’s greatest gifts, and I thank God every day for enabling me to give and share love with the people in my life. I appreciate your asking me to weigh in on this, and I would be happy for you to share my thoughts with your readers. I still consider myself a reserved person and I hope this doesn’t mean an end to a small amount of personal space. But I do think visibility is important, more important than preserving my reporter’s shield of privacy.