Out.com takes flak for including Anderson Cooper on gay power list

Posted by Mark Dundas Wood on April 27, 2012

Yesterday, out.com revealed its Power List of 65 prominent gay Americans. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc., was number one, followed by entertainer Ellen DeGeneres. Others on the roster included Houston mayor Annise Parker, actor Neil Patrick Harris, gossip maven Perez Hilton, and Entertainment Weekly’s Jess Cagle.

Number 6 on the list was Anderson Cooper, who has not officially come out as gay or bisexual (or lesbian, for that matter). This caused some consternation among out.com readers.

He’ll cop to the “power” part, anyway….

“Closet cases SHOULD NOT be included on your list,” wrote a reader named Doug. “Do you people have ANY respect for honest/open gays–fighting hard for all of us?!” Added an anonymous responder: “Like Anderson Cooper, Richard Simmons hasn’t come out officially. [S]o why not add him to the list too?”

I understand these folks’ frustration: The site is called “out.com” not “semicloseted.com.” On the other hand, the appellations “Doug” and (especially) “Anonymous” keep the identities of these complainers shaded. Is it safe to say they would be willing to stand up in front of the world and reveal their sexual identities also? (I’d guess yes, but who knows?)

More yikes-worthy to me was the absence of Rosie O’Donnell’s name from the list.