After years of rumors about his sexual orientation, CNN anchor/reporter Anderson Cooper has ended all speculation in the most understated way imaginable. Rather than a big splashy magazine cover or heartfelt interview on his network, Cooper simply sent a lengthy email about the subject to Andrew Sullivan, who posted it on his Daily Beast blog. Here's an excerpt:

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.

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.

So there you have it: Read the whole thing at The Daily Beast.

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Dashiell Bennett