Here Comes the Anchor

Here Comes the Anchor

MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts To Become First Out And Married News Anchor

Anderson Cooper, step off the throne — there’s another queen in town. MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts has been out since 2006 and come late-September, longtime partner Patrick Abner will make an honest man out of him.

Roberts and Abner will marry in Manhattan with 150 guests in attendance so in preparation, Roberts has flown into full bridezilla mode. He told The New York Observer, “I was on the treadmill for three miles this morning. I will be on it for three miles tomorrow. I had a Red Bull for lunch and I eat gum. I’m the typical groom!”

You say groom, we say “where’s the veil?”

After being canned at CNN — not a result of his coming out or so he claims — Roberts resurfaced at MSNBC where he’s taken a decidedly less objective stance than the silver-haired squire of Gloria Vanderbilt. Though he doesn’t necessarily make a beeline to LGBT-centric stories, Roberts believes that his seshuality can be an asset when covering them.

“Because I am who I am, I can provide a different viewpoint, because people at home might know who I am or where I’ve come from—and that’s O.K.,” the blushing anchor said.

His relative forthrightness doesn’t mean that Roberts begrudges Mr. Johnny Coming-Out-Lately. Rather, Roberts sounds proud of his former colleague. “Now people can stop asking me when do you think Anderson’s going to come out,” Roberts said. “I have had that for years! And I think it’s great … I think he’s in a place now where he wants that personal-professional synergy. And he deserves that.”

Since things are so chummy-chummy between the two, hopefully Cooper will turn up as maid of honor at the wedding. Or at the very least, flower gay.

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