Mr. Cooper, welcome to the light!

The first TV interview I ever did, after becoming the first openly gay priest ever to be elected bishop in the Episcopal Church, was with Anderson Cooper. I was new to the national media and a neophyte at such notoriety, but still, Anderson seemed nervous and uncomfortable. I wondered if he was distracted by other important news, simply uninterested in matters religious, or uncomfortable to be a closeted gay man wanting to stay as far away as possible from anything gay.

Coming out is an intensely personal decision, and I would be the last person to judge harshly anyone who chose not to do so. Still, as Mr. Cooper’s sexual orientation moved from rumor to open secret, I wondered why. In a rather elegant explanation to a friend, which he recently allowed to become public, Anderson Cooper has publicly come out. I am grateful to him for that, and yes, I think it matters.