Many people are blogging about Anderson Cooper coming out. Many are saying: “that this was old news and that they are not surprised”, many others are also saying that it was a vital move on his part for coming out especially when he was reporting on bullying and the need to advocate against it. We look to celebrities and public figures as role models and as such, should they not be responsible to be truthful about who they really are?
Growing up in the 80’s – I didn’t really have too many gay role models to look up to – especially as a closeted gay pre-teen. Everytime I did see a gay person on television or in print – they were always flamboyant and feminine or they were painted as being deviant, promiscuous and not part of mainstream society. I did know that there were many celebrities who were gay but they feared that coming out would hurt their careers – with a few exceptions like; Holly Johnson (from Frankie Goes To Hollywood – remember the song Relax?), Elton John (was out as bi-sexual), Boy George (from Culture Club), Andy Bell (from Erasure) and Jimmy Sommerville (from Bronski Beat and The Communards). Jimmy Sommervile was by far the person who I deemed the bravest – he had a huge hit with ‘Small Town Boy’ which depicted the ‘coming out’ story of a teenage boy. This was my story and the story of so many other teenage boys (and girls) who were bullied and pushed to have their sexual identity oppressed and hidden. In 1983 – the video tackled all the issues that the LGBT community faces – harrassment, bullying, not being accepted by friends and family etc. It seemed that Jimmy Sommerville was the only ‘celebrity’ who was not afraid to be his authentic self and to address it in his music and videos.
There were many artists that were ‘gay-friendly’ and embraced the gay community and even used their voices to make us feel accepted and loved – Cher, Barbara Streisand, Donna Summer, Diana Ross and Bette Midler (just to name a few) – most of these celebrities or artists didn’t speak for my generation and I didn’t connect with their music as much as I did with Madonna. Madonna was a voice for my generation – I felt like she was the voice I never had. She was excepting, opinionated, direct, strong and did not care about what people thought of her. She was innovative, provocative, sexual, controversial and made people notice and talk. She was never afraid to say what she felt and was successful in her goal to ensure people talked about the things they were afraid to talk about – sex, religion, feminism, homosexuality. Madonna was monumental in helping me coming out and being true to myself.
Today – it may not be as difficult for someone to come out and become their authentic selves. There are gay role-models who are accepted and celebrated for who they are; Ellen DeGeneres, Harvey Fierstein, Ricky Martin, Melissa Etheridge, Barney Frank, Rupaul and so many others. There are artists that are speaking out and are not afraid to let their generation know that it is okay to be themselves without fear. Adam Lambert is a perfect example of being his true authentic self and remain successful.
The biggest defender of equality for all for today’s generation is Lady Gaga. She is the Madonna for today’s generation. She is a huge advocate for LGBT rights and is not shy to let everyone know that it is okay to express yourself and be who you are. She has managed to express her message at the height of her career. She truly is a huge role-model for today’s generation because she speaks for everyone despite their age or sexual orientation. Lady Gaga’s message is a message of compassion, equality and strength.
I applaud Anderson Cooper for his decision to be public about his sexual orientation. I know that he is not asking to be the voice of a generation or to be recognized as a public role-mode for the LGBT community but in coming out, he is clearly sending out a message that it is okay to represent yourself in a true and authentic way.
We all have our struggles in life – some are easier than others. We must encourage each other to talk about those struggles (without judgment) to ensure that WE ALL have the support, love and compassion to make those struggles easier so that we can all truly be authentic to who we are.
COALITION OF POSITIVE ENERGY 