Anderson Cooper: "I'm Gay"

Anderson Cooper has come out as a gay man in an open letter to political blogger Andrew Sullivan.

The CNN journalist, 45, revealed his sexual orientation Monday, writing a heart felt message to his longtime pal.

"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," he explained.

Sullivan had reached out to the talk show host for comment regarding an emerging trend about "gay people in public life who come out in a much more restrained and matter-of-fact way than in the past." Cooper, whose sexuality has long been questioned, detailed his decision to refrain from responding to the speculation until now.

"I have tried to maintain some level of privacy in my life. Part of that has been for purely personal reasons... 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," he went on to reveal.

So why set the record straight now?

"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," he concluded.

We applaud Mr. Cooper's courage and honesty!