To out or not to out

After watching Hillary Clinton give her practice swan song last night, I was talking on the phone with my good friend, Carl, when CNN anchor Anderson Cooper said to Democratic strategist Donna Brazile that he wants to be her "boo."

Without missing a beat - and never the one to self-censor - Carl, who is openly gay, said: "Oh please, who are these people fooling? Everybody knows Anderson is so into d*#k, and Donna eats out. All this pretend heterosexual talk by quasi-closeted gay people just to appease middle America is just plain ridiculous. Why don't they just come out the closet? Somebody needs to out them."

Yes, the silly sexual exchange between Cooper and Brazile seemed odd, to say the least. Both of them have been rumored to be gay for years, but neither have either confirmed or denied it. And why should they say anything to anyone? Sexual orientation, and sexual behavior among consenting adults in general, is a private matter, and doesn't need to be shared with anyone, even if the persons in question are public figures.

However, Carl and other like-minded people within the LGBT community feel that it is not only necessary for gay public figures to be out about their sexuality, they should also be pushed out the closet by other gays who feel public figures need to be role models for other gays struggling with their sexual orientation. But wouldn't gay celebrities be better role models for keeping their private lives private? With the rash of sex tapes out of Hollywood in recent years, I think it is too much information to know about somebody else's sexual habits. Plus, there are many reasons people are not open about their sex lives, many because of homophobic backlashes, but also for wanting to respect themselves and their significant others.

Nonetheless, I do think it is only okay to out a well-known person who is privately gay but very publicly homophobic (Larry Craig, anyone?). But, there are many of you who may disagree with me.

Discuss

BTW, I found this footage of Anderson Cooper allegedly coming on to or interviewing soccer sensation David Beckham on 60 Minutes, another alleged gay man.