Mon. May 16, 2011
Atlanta -
For years, colleagues of CNN anchor Don Lemon have known he was gay, but now he's talking about his sexual orientation in a new book, "Transparent."
Lemon's career has taken him from WCAU-Philadelphia to WMAQ-Chicago to WNYW-New York.
He told the New York Times he was reluctant to come out and be known as "the gay anchor" but even more concerned about reaction among blacks.
"It's about the worst thing you can be in black culture. You're taught you have to be a man; you have to be masculine. In the black community they think you can pray the gay away."
He wrote the book after a publisher asked him for something "inspirational."
He told the New York Times that more people in high-profile positions need to come out, so that kids like Rutgers student Tyler Clementi don't kill themselves. Lemon said his own life might have been different if he'd known more out gay men.
"I think if I had seen more people like me who are out and proud, it wouldn't have taken me 45 years to say it," Lemon said.
In the book, Lemon also talks about being molested as a child.
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