アメリカで一番有名なキャスターといっても過言でもないCNNのキャスター、アンダーソン・クーパー(Anderson Cooper 45歳)が公的に同性愛者であることをカミングアウトしました。


ライターのアンドリュー・サリバン（Andrew Sullivan）に宛てたメールの声明の中でゲイであると告白しました。

以前からもゲイであろうと噂されてきましたが、彼はジャーナリストと言う中立的な立場を守るために性的指向についての発言は避けてきました。

彼はその方がよいと思って今まで公言しなかったのですが、発言しないことによってのデメリットの方が大きいのではないかと思い始めたそうです。沈黙を保つことで、隠し事があるというような間違った印象を持つ人もいるということに気付き、さらにカミングアウトすることよって、世の中のために役立つこともあると思い、カミングアウトするに至ったそうです。

彼は『僕は、ゲイで、今までもずっとゲイだったし、これからもずっとゲイだ。このことについてこれ以上のものないというほど幸せに思うし、自分のアイデンティティに満足していて、誇りに思う。』と述べています。

今後同性愛者としての立場から発言することがあるかどうかはわかりませんが、彼のように影響力の大きい人がカミングアウトすることは嬉しいことですね。


僕もアメリカにいたときに彼のニュース番組をよく見ていました。見た目はタイプじゃないんですが、しゃべっているのを聞いていると、すごく知的だし、清潔感もあって、すごく魅力的だなと思いました。もちろんお金持ちだというのもあると思います。頭がいい人は魅力が倍増する気がします。

僕はキャスターや男性アナウンサーに弱いんですよね。

日本人の男性アナウンサーにも惹かれちゃいます。枡太一アナウンサーや中野謙吾アナウンサーとか、好きです。中村光宏アナや渡辺和洋アナも結構好きです。他にもかっこいいアナウンサーたくさんいますよね。

才色兼備な人が好きです。

男性アナウンサーは、ジャニーズなどの男性アイドルや俳優さんなどの芸能人と共演することも多いですが、芸能人より断然かっこいいなと思ってしまいます。


日本でもアンダーソン・クーパーのように男性っぽい超有名人がカミングアウトしたらいいなと思います。




アンダーソン・クーパーがライターのアンドリュー・サリバンに宛てたメール：

Andrew, as you know, the issue you raise is one that I've thought about for years. Even though my job puts me in the public eye, I have tried to maintain some level of privacy in my life. Part of that has been for purely personal reasons. I think most people want some privacy for themselves and the people they are close to.

But I've also wanted to retain some privacy for professional reasons. Since I started as a reporter in war zones 20 years ago, I've often found myself in some very dangerous places. For my safety and the safety of those I work with, I try to blend in as much as possible, and prefer to stick to my job of telling other people’s stories, and not my own. I have found that sometimes the less an interview subject knows about me, the better I can safely and effectively do my job as a journalist.

I've always believed that who a reporter votes for, what religion they are, who they love, should not be something they have to discuss publicly. As long as a journalist shows fairness and honesty in his or her work, their private life shouldn't matter. I’ve stuck to those principles for my entire professional career, even when I’ve been directly 12039_084asked “the gay question,” which happens occasionally. 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.

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.

Since my early days as a reporter, I have worked hard to accurately and fairly portray 19447_001_1563_CCgay and lesbian people in the media - and to fairly and accurately portray those who for whatever reason disapprove of them. It is not part of my job to push an agenda, but rather to be relentlessly honest in everything I see, say and do. 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.