Don Lemon Comes Out: CNN Anchor Reveals He's Gay In New Book

CNN anchor Don Lemon has come out. In a new book, "Transparent," Lemon talks about his life and his sexuality, and he revealed that he is gay in an interview with the New York Times. In a tweet on Sunday night, Lemon, who has anchored in a variety of roles for CNN, linked to the Times article and wrote, "wanted to be the firs to share with u. thanks for your support!!!"

By coming out, Lemon becomes one of a tiny number of openly gay anchors on television; the list also includes Rachel Maddow and Thomas Roberts, both of MSNBC.

In the interview, Lemon said that he has never hidden his sexuality from his co-workers at CNN, but decided to take a more public step after he felt that he could not write an inspirational book without being open about who he is.

Lemon also said that he was "scared," because he was talking about things that "people might shun me for." He said that he was particularly concerned about what the reaction in the black community would be. At one point, Lemon got so nervous that he thought about removing the parts of the book that dealt with his sexuality, but he changed his mind.

Lemon has been a reporter and anchor at CNN since 2006. On Monday, he is scheduled to give several interviews on the network about his revelation.

“I think it would be great if everybody could be out,” he told the Times. “...I think if I had seen more people like me who are out and proud, it wouldn’t have taken me 45 years to say it, to walk in the truth.”

Comments

[Ced Peters]

07:48 PM on 06/07/2011

Never known of someone been born gay, poor excuse Don lemon: it is just sad to see a lot of beautiful young men making a fool of themselves and saying that they are gay. The world too advance for people to be still doing that kind of Sh**. Get a life brother, i think you will look better with a woman, and don't tell me aminals have more sense than us humans, better yet you are a news anchor you should know better.

[jordanadam395]

10:29 AM on 06/11/2011

Idiot......

[nebulaboy23]

03:12 PM on 06/11/2011

It would appear that you haven't known many people, much less gay ones, as evidenced by your broad assumption. In any case, whether someone is born gay or decides to be gay is irrelevant. One thing that is irrefutable is that we are all human beings with a capacity to love, as well as hate. In general we should all focus on the former.
As "animals have more sense than humans", you are attempting an appeal to nature. People of your ilk like to say that homosexuality is bad because it is unnatural and justify that by saying it doesn't appear in nature. When it is pointed out that it *does* occur in nature, they are backed into a corner and then say something like "well we are better than animals" .. Can't have it both ways.
Who are you to tell someone how to live their lives anyway? Maybe you would look better with a man.

[Gigi Jacobs]

04:10 AM on 06/24/2011

Racel Maddow Blog is full of gay creatures-only they've decided to be mean and bully the sick disabled and cause thousands of dollars in IT crashing which they are very proud of. Rachel lets them stay to increase ratings. Just does to show you gays are no better that the straights who encourage a young boy to hang himself. Only they get away with it becasue they are gay. They are bullys regardless of their preference. And I don't think I'd like all that hair legg stuff in the morning to boot. Gays commint crimes just as much and are no better than their straight counterpart. Only a bit more aggressive and mean spirited-Syncerity for one.

[Kevin Bradley]

12:45 AM on 06/05/2011

Congrats to Don for being out about not only his sexuality, but about being the victim of child sexual abuse. If more people were honest about who they are, we would all lead happier lives.

I'm still waiting on Anderson Cooper, though. (sigh) God he's beautiful.

[trescher]

09:11 PM on 05/30/2011

I love Don Lemon. His sexual orientation has absolutely NOTHING to do with the way he does his job. He is a reputable and honest person. It comes out in the way he speaks to people that he is interviewing, and the way he comports himself. I say more power to him, and may he succeed in all of his endeavors. Besides all that he is eye candy and it makes me feel great to see that he is 45 and looks maybe 30!

[Michael-n-Tom]

03:59 PM on 05/23/2011

It is also HUGE news that the big wigs at CNN are supportive of his coming out.

People can still get fired for being gay.

[Michael-n-Tom]

03:07 PM on 05/23/2011

What is the big deal? Who Cares?
EQUALITY is the big deal.
Gays are treated as second class citizens. We want equality.
There is still institutionalized civil and religious discrimination against gays.
How many states can gays get married in? Quick!
Only five: CT, IA, MA, NH, VT.

Why do gays have to shove it in your face?
Anytime a heterosexuals wear their wedding rings it shoves the inequality in our faces.
Family pictures on a desk? Yup, shoving it in our face.
Spousal/family benefits at work? In the face again.
Estate passing tax free to a spouse? Up the you know what!
Etc, etc, etc.

Organized religion has nothing to do with human sexuality. The stores is the various holy books are only stories. Basing civil law on story books is silly.

[Gigi Jacobs]

04:15 AM on 06/24/2011

Gays can be just as nasty as straights-Syncerity-what an idea opposite of her bad nature and bullying bahavior. Too much testosterone makes for a nasty gay female. Doesn't matter to Rachel...probably right in the same line. Boy wil you be fooled to find Rachel is not Keith Olberman. Cocktail anyone?

[jacobisrael]

03:50 PM on 05/20/2011

for jcfollower:

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?" 2 Corinthians 6:14

"Now we command you, brethren, on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us", 2 Thessalonians 3:6

[TheNewShadeofBlue]

12:16 AM on 05/21/2011

Dude...Dude....help me out here...can you put that in English or American. I am lost and I don't feel like reaching out to a theologian to give me a 15 page dissertation on these Biblical references. I mean I could easily throw up a few verses but would not dare without some interpretation for the layperson. Psstttt..in Homer Simpson voice whispering, "What are we talking about here?"

[jacobisrael]

12:04 PM on 05/21/2011

Homosexuality (or sodomy) is condemned more than 100 times in Scripture, in both the "old" (Hebrew) testament and the "new" (Greek) testament. There are only seven sins which COMMAND the death penalty, and sodomy is one of the seven. Jesus COMMANDED us to have nothing to do with those who "walketh disorderly", and naturally that includes those who engage in homosexuality, those who PROMOTE homosexuality, those who condone homosexuality, and all public servants who attempt to "legalize gay marriage", which means giving the government stamp of approval for homosexuality.

It really can't be simpler than that. You don't need to know Hebrew, Greek, or even English, to grasp that such unnatural acts are contrary to nature, God, Jesus, the vast majority of mankind, and most of man's laws.

Of course God will bless the legislators in Tennessee who just outlawed this practice, won't He?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/20/tennessee-teaching-homosexuality-ban_n_864895.html

[ched]

11:17 PM on 06/14/2011

Has it ever occurred to you, Jake, that basing your entire belief system on a work of fiction, the Bible, is no less nutty than, say, believing the Moon is made of blue cheese?
Just wondering.

[Volantiad]

08:34 PM on 05/19/2011

"I think if I had seen more people like me who are out and proud, it wouldn’t have taken me 45 years to say it, to walk in the truth.”

And now, people are seeing YOU and are feeling less shame and more pride, coming out younger and facing fewer dangers (like homelessness and abuse) doing so. You are doing your heroic part: good for you!

[Tommy Gremillion]

11:15 AM on 05/19/2011

This means a great deal to those who are afraid to come out. Gays are still discriminated, jeered, hated and bullied. We need role models. They need role models. When every parent raises they kids to accept their sexuality, regardless of orientation, then coming out will no longer be an issue. I think we have a long way to go. Needs of acceptance and understanding elsewhere are light years behind the USA, but I have many friends in professions that are not accepting IN THE LEAST. Being in the closet allows us to hear the degrading comments, feelings, beliefs and jokes of our colleagues. Trust me, it is NOT accepted as much as you might think. Gays are always around, always listening and always discussing this issue. Coming out is a risk. Now, what are our colleagues supposed to do with all those nasty comments once we've come out? Repentance? Mea Culpa? Rehab?....Right.

[Volantiad]

08:50 PM on 05/19/2011

"Needs of acceptance and understand ing elsewhere are light years behind the USA"

Well, yes & no. Uganda is voting to make homosexual acts punishable by death for those with previous convictions (yep: it's totally illegal), are HIV +, or have engaged in sexual acts with people of the same sex and have not yet been convicted. Australia federally recognizes same sex cohabitation nation wide and, in 4 states have civil union policies, allows open service in their defense forces and has the biggest darn homo Mardi Gras on the planet!

Here: Wikipedia breaks it down by country, for what it's worth -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_by_country_or_territory

Also, for what it's worth, I've found that coming out to coworkers does mostly stop verbal gay bashing and disrespect. Also, more importantly, it seems to motivate them to think twice about what they presume is true about GLBT folks when they look at me and it doesn't line up as neatly as it did before they knew me. And, BTW, I don't work in a nice, clean office with comparably nice, clean social behavior. I work on a ship in the engineering department w/ blue-collar guys turning wrenches side-by-side.

I hope you can soon enjoy the liberating relief of being more out! Good luck!

[Paul C Miller]

07:45 AM on 05/19/2011

Coming out matters to gay people because until they do, people make assumptions that can be frustrating and tiresome, like suggesting dates based on the default view that the other person is 'straight like them'. This guy has a right to announce he's gay. Because he's a public figure, it seems stagy, but in an average life it would just be part of the normal coming out process. I suspect all the knee jerk reactions have a sliver of hatefulness behind them; sort of a 'we don't care if you're gay, but just be quiet about it' approach. A glass closet.

[Just Me1014]

07:24 AM on 05/19/2011

why do people feel it necessary to tell others their gay...who cares?

[SILVANUS]

03:19 PM on 05/19/2011

People who bully, fire and make the lives of gay men and women difficult seem to care. Don't hawk that "hide it" B.S. People who are very private about their orientation and don't "Advertise" it DO hassled.

It needs to be on the table for a decade or so in order for everyone to actually,really, truly get over the years of demonization and marginalization. Yes, It's a phase, hopefully.

[Volantiad]

09:17 PM on 05/19/2011

Well, JM1014, if you don't actually know I 'spose that is a legitimate question.

Being closeted - hiding something basic and important about yourself, namely being not heterosexual - means that one isn't entirely truthful, omits truth & fact, is evasive and does obfuscate who they are when interacting with people. If the interacted-with person in question is, let's say, a grocery store clerk the closeted person doesn't really know/isn't really friends with/doesn't work with/isn't related to, etc., then this is not a big deal. Indeed, who really cares? However, if the interacted-with person is a friend/coworker/family member/prospective date/etc., this is a REALLY BIG DEAL. Not being truthful, being evasive, hiding who they are is a BREACH OF TRUST. This does matter in real relationships; professional, personal, familial. Being closeted engenders distrust and distance when there can be anything from cordial respect to full-blown love. People don't like to be lied to and being closeted puts that person in a position to either do that or come uncomfortably close even in seemingly innocuous, casual conversations. Like, if you're a woman and a co worker asks "How was your weekend?" You can't say anything like "It was great! My wife and I put on a huge BBQ after we played the Pink Triangles, our nemesis softball team!"

I hope this makes it all make more sense. If not, I laud you for trying to figure it out!

[Demetrios423]

06:53 AM on 05/19/2011

OK, so you're gay. And? Why do gays feel the need to announce their sexuality? It doesn't change my opinion of you. I believe most Americans really don't care either.

[Atwill]

07:37 AM on 05/19/2011

are you straight? i only ask this becasue peole who say "Why do gays need to tell" are straight people who have no clue thatthey annocnce it everyday

[Demetrios423]

08:45 AM on 05/19/2011

I am straight, and I do not announce my sexuality everyday. In fact, I have never done so. If people can tell I am straight that is not me announcing it. My point was that straight society doesn't care one way or the other if you are gay or not.

[Ashley AddisonBlack]

06:44 AM on 05/19/2011

Don!!! Can I still have a crush on you???

[booshh]

06:36 AM on 05/19/2011

So?

[ILoveGreatDanes]

06:25 AM on 05/19/2011

Why is this a big deal anymore? There are gay people everywhere. And why does everybody think their lives are so interesting they need to write a book about themselves? Sorry people, nobody cares about you.

[evamevesin]

06:03 AM on 05/19/2011

Okay, let's get real. CNN and this guy's show must have needed a ratings boost, thus, the "I'm gay story!". I am thoroughly tired of people using their private lives as as a means of getting viewers to tune in, or buy a book.

All the news channels do it, but it seems CNN has the most sensationalism hanging around. (Fox News coming in second). Why should Anderson Cooper come out of the closet when people tune in on a continuous basis hoping they will be watching when he decides to make the announcement.