Don Lemon Comes Out of the Glass Closet
If you were surprised by CNN anchor Don Lemon's recent disclosure that he's a homosexual that probably means you're not a hardcore news junkie who lives and dies by the extracurricular activities of TV news anchors.
On top of that, Lemon was never truly "in the closet." There were no pretend girlfriends or allusions to female lovers. There was no charade. Lemon was always himself and like many news anchors and journalists, he wanted to keep himself out of the story. Or as some have called it, "the glass closet" where homosexual men and women who are out to everyone in their personal life -- friends, relatives, co-workers -- but don't discuss their sexual orientation publicly.
There are a lot of public figures and celebrities who are considered to be in "the glass closet," most notably Lemon's fellow CNN co-worker, popular evening anchor Anderson Cooper, who is routinely photographed around New York with his alleged boyfriend. But Cooper has never publicly admitted to being gay. Again citing that who he chooses to spend his time with is not the lead story. News anchors aren't supposed to make themselves the news.
Except there are countless gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people, risking life and limb, battling for acceptance, fighting for equal rights. Individuals who choose to live their lives "out" and that often means facing ridicule, discrimination or even worse, bodily harm. And when people are fighting for acceptance, can someone who is a public figure responsibly sit on the sidelines and not join the fight?
CNN, Don Lemon, homosexuality, media 
Reader Comments (12)
"Individuals who choose to live their lives "out" and that often means facing ridicule, discrimination or even worse, bodily harm. And when people are fighting for acceptance, can someone who is a public figure responsibly sit on the sidelines and not join the fight?"
if they've already been accepted by the people who accept them, haven't they alredy won the fight?
@ swiv
If your family loves you for you, but being you means you get fired from your position as a school teacher or a "corrective rape" delivered to you via angry mob, did you win? The problem is that while it's great more people are getting support from their families, bigotry is still real and abundant. A lot of homosexuals face serious discrimination. Even violence. Especially if they live in areas that aren't know for their tolerance. Society doesn't change it's attitude towards others until they are confronted with their prejudices. Otherwise there'd be no racism if all curing racism took was getting our respective friends and family to love us. One would hope that you'd have some advantage winning over those folks, if at all possible, since they're already used to you.
he doesn't need to be the poster boy, or the champion of the gay community. and the fact that people want him to be are the ones who will never let his homosexuality be a normal part of his life. let the people who want to be on the front lines be on the front lines. and if don lemon doesn't want to be on the front lines, then he isn't obligated to be. the fact of the matter is that everyone isn't going to accept you. everyone on this planet is prejudiced and has personal bias.
@ swiv
No one has to be the poster boy, but you can't exactly fight prejudice if no one shows up to fight prejudice. Someone has to take a risk and get out there. And in Lemon's case, it's up to him whether or not he wants to carry the flag in the Pride parade. This is more about not having to live a lie or deny things about yourself to make other folks feel more comfortable in their prejudice. Just like me admitting my bipolar helps some folks confront the stigma of mental illness. I'm not a mental health advocate or activist, but by simply admitting "Yeah, I have a mental illness, so what?" it helps people. Most people don't feel like they can say it out-loud without being thought less of at all.
CNN and MSNBC are pretty progressive in terms of their TV personalities. Plus, Lemon is living in ATL to boot. If you can't come out in ATL, you are going to come out. I do wonder if he were the anchor in Dallas, STL or Nashville would he have come out.
no one is showing up to fight? really? just because he's not the hero, that means there are no heroes?
like you admitting you are bipolar, lemon's come out of the closet and said a "so what." and by some folks expecting him to be the hero of the movement, it's not longer a "so what." i don't think you'd want to be defined as a bi-polar blogger/writer, and i'm sure lemon doesn't want to be defined as a gay journalist.
and wenzel's right. someone will out you here in the A. hell, maybe on fox 5 morning news with gurvir and mark, lol.
@ swiv
I didn't say that. I just said someone has to show up and fight prejudice. That can be anyone, including Lemon or not including Lemon at all. The point being that everyone cannot say "Don't feel like sticking my neck out today." Otherwise there is no movement. The fact that Lemon can come out and not fear losing his job is by virtue of those who have fought for tolerance. There are plenty of champions of gay rights -- big and small. My point was simply that at some point someone has to take a risk. Not everyone can afford to stay in the closet if the larger goal is tolerance.
@ swiv
Also, if someone only wants to see me as the "bipolar" journalist, that says an awful a lot more about them than me. I'm open about my disease because I don't want other sufferers to think that being diagnosed with a mental illness means not pursuing your dreams or having a life. Even when I was first diagnosed I thought it was all over for me. It would have meant a lot to me back then to have met someone who suffers from bipolar but still lives an active, productive and fulfilling life. I pretty much promised myself if I ever got stable I would talk about it openly.
absolutely. but if the gay community has hella heroes and fighters, then why are you (global not specific) questioning whether or not he's being responsible by joining or not joining the fight?
there's a difference between talking about it openly, and defining yourself by it.
talking about it openly:
don lemon: i'm gay
you (global not specific): ok....i'm hungry
defining yourself by it
don lemon: i'm gay
you (global not specific): you need to fight the good fight and be a responsible gay man
it's like being the spokeperson for >insert group< when you're the only one
Snob,
When I read that Lemon was gay, I didn't think good for him. I didn't think he was going to experience discrimination. My first thought was that the Black Snob was going to have to find someone else to cyberstalk ;-)
What is it about those men on CNN? I just want to lock Fareed Zakaria in my love dungeon.
@ Monica
I was always more dedicated in my harassment of TJ Holmes that Don. Mostly because I kinda always knew Don was probably not interested in my cyber affections. Not that TJ was either, but I figured I had a better shot there! Of course, the Teej just HAD to go marry that woman who is not me ... so that ended that!
well after all this, I think I am going to go upstairs and kiss my big sexy who's watching the game whilst I get my daily dose of snob. (you already got me riled up with that Henney fellow on the previous post.)