Out or Not

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Maddow To Cooper: 'You Have A Responsibility To Come Out' Of The Closet

Noah Davis | Apr. 25, 2011, 11:38 AM

Rachel Maddow has a message for Anderson Cooper: If you are gay, you should come out.

The MSNBC host said as much in an interview with the Guardian.

When asked if she feels "frustration towards an equally well-known news presenter who is widely assumed to be gay but has never come out," Maddow had the following response:

"I'm sure other people in the business have considered reasons why they're doing what they're doing, but I do think that if you're gay you have a responsibility to come out."

The remark was clearly targeted towards Cooper, who Out named as the No. 2 gay but has not publicly announced his sexuality despite numerous rumors.

Maddow is the first openly gay student to receive a Rhodes scholarship to Oxford and does not hide her sexual orientation on her show.

She told interviewer Hadley Freeman that her role as an inspiration to the gay community "gives [her] joy."