With Friends Like These...

I think that it is safe to say that there have been many strides forward for the GLBT community over the past few weeks.  Between President Obama throwing in his support for gay rights and various groups following suit, we’ve seen more progress in the past two months than some civil rights movements have had in an entire generation.  Personally, I think it is wonderful.  Even more recently, Anderson Cooper became more vocal about his sexuality and has gotten a great deal of press, mostly good, from his followers and the media.

However, I found myself shocked with the number of people on Facebook who were less than supportive of the Silver Fox’s public statement, particularly since most of them are on the side of progress in this case.  If I saw one “Anderson Cooper came out.  In other news, Rush Limbaugh is white” type of status update, I saw a dozen.  Such comments are derisive and do nothing to support the cause of equality.

In fact, it perpetuates the problem.

I would like to go ahead and clear something up for the people who do not have the ability to read an entire article without needing to post about it first.  To say that Anderson Cooper “came out of the closet” in this way is fallacious.  It makes the assumption that Mr. Cooper was hiding his sexuality from anyone.  He wasn’t. He didn’t hide his sexuality.  All of the people in his general vicinity know that he is gay and have for a very long time. He, as a journalist, makes his living giving information about other people and events, not about himself.  Anderson Cooper talking about his sexuality on air would have been as ridiculous as an anchor talking about her newest boyfriend or how her baby cried all night the night before.

The fact that public figures still need to come out of the closet is offensive.  It is unfair that heterosexual celebrities can be given respect when they keep their private lives private, while homosexuals are expected to put all of their information out there, like they are some commodity, owned by the public.  They aren’t.  They deserve to be treated with the same respect and privacy as anyone else.

I have no doubt part of the reason that these celebrities keep their gender preferences to themselves.  With supporters like us, who needs enemies?