"ABOUT TIME!"

Seriously, my gaydar has been pinging off that man for years. I'm very very happy for him, and if he was in front of me right now, I'd give him the biggest frigging hug.

I don't know who that is, but good for him! One thing I wanted to address, though:

'So these "non-events" are still also events of a kind; and they matter.'

I was musing on this a few days ago - though on a different person. I've recently got into the TV show How I Met Your Mother. I was looking up information on this show on imdb, and decided to look up some of the actors, see what else they've been in. I looked up the man who plays Barney, and was surprised to learn that he's gay. Learning that shocked me, and made me quite pleased. Yet I wondered why. I know quite a few gay people, and so I know that they come in different shapes, sizes and what have you. This shouldn't have surprised me so. I don't yet know quite what to make of my reaction. I suppose it stems from the fact that he's a popular character in a popular US TV show. That's kind of cool, really, when you think about it. Makes me think that all those people who dislike gay people for their 'deviant lifestyles' (pfft!) will look at him and think 'he's gay? Woah. I need to rethink a few things.'

I was surprised only because I thought everyone already knew. Yep, definitely worst kept secret.

I thought this was common knowledge, but nevertheless I think his letter was very powerful. It was beautifully written and I'm glad he finally "officially" came out. My mom will be heartbroken. She has a major crush on him.

It was common knowledge, at least in the gay community as far as I know. My partner gets a magazine called "out" and they will publish celebrities, authors, etc.. who come out, so we'll see if Anderson gets a page. Good for him!

I know some straight girls that were disappointed to say the least!

Same underHim, my friend made the same comment about sadness. Hopefully it'll encourage more people to realize gay people are people too

I've wondered for years. Before Anderson came out, I was sitting with a friend who has a gay brother and we were talking about it, and she said, "Let me call R. He'll probably know." We called R. and he said, "He's never confirmed it, but his favorite TV show is "The Real Housewives of Atlanta." That's my favorite show, too. So he probably is gay." That's how R. determines things. He was right!

He was on the cover of The Advocate some years ago, and I kind of assumed that was in informal "coming out." Not everyone on the cover of The Advocate is gay, but I took it to be a coming out of sorts.

I've had a crush on him for years. It makes no difference. Fantasy fodder is fantasy fodder. I'm proud of him for coming out.

Yeah, it's been public knowledge in online circles for years, a given. I really hadn't realized he was not "out."

I've seen him out and about with his partner in NYC, so I've known for years, however I completely respected his decision to not make a public fuss about it. Everyone deserves privacy. However, as the subject of gay rights has come to the forefront of politics and the media, I find myself wishing that some of the people reporting the news would acknowledge that they aren't talking about just the rights of others, but things that would affect them personally. I think Anderson did it in a very eloquent manner.

@P'Gell
And hell yeah he's still fantasy fodder! Hottie!

He wasn't hiding. The lack of a "public statement" on one's personal life isn't the same thing as hiding.

I feel the eensiest bit bad for Anderson, because he seems like more of a keep-to-himself-when-n ot-working kind of guy, not a marching-through-the-s treets kind of guy. And people should be able to make up their own damn mind about how they express themselves (for stories of not-hiding but not-making-magazine-co vers, see also: Lily Tomlin, David Hyde Pierce). I want to live in a world where gay is just some other kind of normal.

It was public knowledge, to an extent, already. I think mocking it is douchey.

I was reacting to the "worst kept secret" sentiment above. It wasn't a secret.

I didn't say anything about "forced." I don't mean to be negative, just trying to describe how I felt more cautious than excited upon hearing the news. Because I relate to how there's more than one way to be. I liked how his statement addressed that.

I agree that it was one of the worst kept secrets out there, but I'm so proud of him for coming out in the public eye.