I want to say Congratulations to U.S. Congressman Barney Frank and his life long partner Jim Ready. Yesterday they finally said “I do” and got married. I wish them both a life of happiness together and I must say, they are an adorable couple!
BREAKING NEWS: ANDERSON COOPER COMES OUT AS GAY
I am VERY proud the announce that my idol, my hero, Anderson Cooper has finally come out at the age of 45. I am so proud of him for having the strength to make this step and I wish him all the happiness in the world. Anderson, you are a role model, an inspiration and you deserve the very best life has to offer.
In an email to a friend, cooper said the following and wished to make public:
“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.” - Anderson H. Cooper
To read all of his coming out, please read below:
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“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 asked “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 gay 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.”
NEW FACEBOOK URL
Hey guys, a lot of you ask me about my Facebook, I posted it a while back but yesterday, I changed the URL. Feel free to add me, It is a much quicker way to communicate. I must warn though that my Facebook is mostly news and weather posts.
In total, yesterday, April 14, 2012, the Storm Prediction Center has confirmed 121 tornadoes across the Midwest yesterday. More are expected today. Woodward Oklahoma was possibly the worst impacted area with at least 5 deaths and nearly 100 buildings destroyed.
BREAKING NEWS - MEXICO EARTHQUAKE
According to Guerrero state telivision, more than 800 homes have collapsed in Igualapa and more than 500 have been damaged in Guerro after a Magnitude 7.4 earthquake near the Pacific Coast.
ALSO
A pedestrian bridge has collapsed onto a bus in Mexico City. According to CNN, No one was injured in the collapse.
