Anderson Cooper still hopes for privacy after coming out

Journalist Anderson Cooper stole Monday morning headlines by coming out as gay, but the anchor much prefers reporting the news over making it.

In an eloquent email to a colleague, Cooper weighed in on his years-long struggle to maintain objectivity as a journalist and his personal privacy through the lens of his sexual orientation. But now he’d like everyone to calm down.

“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,” he wrote to the Daily Beast’s Andrew Sullivan.

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The correspondence was sparked when Sullivan pressed Cooper for his thoughts on an Entertainment Weekly cover story about an emerging trend public figures are deploying in coming out.

“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,” Cooper said.

And private. Cooper won’t be available for any follow-up commentary on his announcement, as quite fittingly he’s on assignment for “60 Minutes,”according to New York Times TV reporter Brian Stelter.

There’s no shortage of commentary from media folks and celebs on Twitter, however.

“I’m proud of you,” talk show host Ellen DeGeneres tweeted at Anderson.

“Good for you, @AndersonCooper. You’re awesome,” actor Neil Patrick Harris shared.

Cooper coworkers like CNN’s Don Lemon, also an openly gay anchor, offered congrats and said “we should all be supportive.”

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