Many people across the nation were moved when “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts came out as gay and thanked her “long time girlfriend” in a Facebook post in which she reflected on the past year. And one of those people who was definitely moved by Roberts’ brave confession was fellow gay news anchor Don Lemon, who recently focused a segment of his show to thanking Roberts for coming out.
“I have been there,” the CNN host said while signing off from Monday’s “OutFront,” reflecting on his own public coming out in 2011.
“I can’t speak for Robin Roberts, nor any of my recently out gay colleagues — I didn’t do it sooner because I was afraid of losing my livelihood,” he said. “I was afraid that you would no longer watch me.”
Lemon explained that Roberts’ coming out would empower other LGBT people to love themselves as they are to proudly show their true selves to the world without fear. Case in point, Lemon discussed the recent homophobic controversy with “Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson and explained that LGBT people deserve as much praise for being open about their sexualities as Robertson has for trying to promote a mentality that would push them to do the opposite.
“[If] people like Phil Robertson are deserving of keeping their platforms and are even being defended and celebrated, then people like Don Lemon, or Thomas Roberts, or Rachel Maddow, or Sam Champion, or Anderson Cooper or Robin Roberts are also deserving of their platforms and should be celebrated, as well,” he said. “That’s why it’s still important to come out and say very simply, ‘I’m gay.’”
We agree with Lemon and hope that he voices of proud LGBT like Roberts continue to shine and eventually overshadow the voice of anyone who would promote oppression and phobia toward anyone else.
Check out a list of other LGBT news anchors below. – nicholas robinson
