Anderson Cooper: I'm gay

Anderson Cooper confirmed in an email to Daily Beast columnist Andrew Sullivan posted this morning that he is "gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud.”

The genesis of this at this moment in time? According to Sullivan, who describes himself as a Cooper friend, he had asked the CNN newsman about his reaction to the recent EW cover story about prominent celebrities who were gay.

Why is any of this a big deal? Well, it really isn't, in the broader scheme of things, though it's certainly good for Cooper himself, one would imagine. But certain websites -- notably Gawker -- over the years have teased Cooper about his unwillingness to address his sexual orientation. At the very least, those gibes are gone now.

Here's more of AC's email:

“I did not address my sexual orientation in the memoir I wrote several years ago because it was a book focused on war, disasters, loss and survival. I didn't set out to write about other aspects of my life. Recently, however, 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. 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.”

SEE PHOTOSTV shows that made an impact