George Takei Surprises Jacob Rudolph, Gay Teen Who Came Out To Hundreds At High School Assembly 

If you haven’t watched it, click here. It’s a must.

Ian McKellen On Anderson Cooper: I’ve Never Met A Gay Person Who Regretted Coming Out

Anderson Cooper Slams Star Jones: I Didn’t Come Out To Win Higher Ratings For My Show

Anderson Cooper Talks About Coming Out

Cyndi Lauper Hosts Online Celebrity Auction To Benefit LGBT Causes

Via Pres Release:

Long-time civil rights advocate and artist Cyndi Lauper has rallied an impressive list of stars from music and entertainment to help kick off the 2012 True Colors Summer Charity Auction to benefit the True Colors Fund’s work in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. Elton John, Liza Minnelli, Lady Gaga, Anderson Cooper, Jason Mraz, Ricky Martin and many more celebrities have donated incredible experiences for the auction, open now through July 31st at leading online charity auction house Charitybuzz. Lauper founded the True Colors Fund to inspire and engage everyone, especially straight people, to become active participants in the advancement of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. The organization also works to raise awareness about and bring an end to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth homelessness.

Some of the other celebrities that are up for auction are Lady Gaga, Peter Gabriel, Joan Rivers, Jason Mraz, Anderson Cooper, among others.

CBS: Coming Out - The Difference Between Ellen DeGeneres & Anderson Cooper

Anderson Cooper Officially Comes Out

Via email to Andrew Sullivan: 

Andrew, as you know, the issue you raise is one that I’ve thought about for years. Even though my job puts me in the public eye, I have tried to maintain some level of privacy in my life. Part of that has been for purely personal reasons. I think most people want some privacy for themselves and the people they are close to.

But I’ve also wanted to retain some privacy for professional reasons. Since I started as a reporter in war zones 20 years ago, I’ve often found myself in some very dangerous places. For my safety and the safety of those I work with, I try to blend in as much as possible, and prefer to stick to my job of telling other people’s stories, and not my own. I have found that sometimes the less an interview subject knows about me, the better I can safely and effectively do my job as a journalist.

I’ve always believed that who a reporter votes for, what religion they are, who they love, should not be something they have to discuss publicly. As long as a journalist shows fairness and honesty in his or her work, their private life shouldn’t matter. I’ve stuck to those principles for my entire professional career, even when I’ve been directly asked “the gay question,” which happens occasionally. I did not address my sexual orientation in the memoir I wrote several years ago because it was a book focused on war, disasters, loss and survival. I didn’t set out to write about other aspects of my life.

Recently, however, I’ve begun to consider whether the unintended outcomes of maintaining my privacy outweigh personal and professional principle. It’s become clear to me that by remaining silent on certain aspects of my personal life for so long, I have given some the mistaken impression that I am trying to hide something - something that makes me uncomfortable, ashamed or even afraid. This is distressing because it is simply not true.

I’ve also been reminded recently that while as a society we are moving toward greater inclusion and equality for all people, the tide of history only advances when people make themselves fully visible. There continue to be far too many incidences of bullying of young people, as well as discrimination and violence against people of all ages, based on their sexual orientation, and I believe there is value in making clear where I stand.

The fact is, I’m gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud.

I have always been very open and honest about this part of my life with my friends, my family, and my colleagues. In a perfect world, I don’t think it’s anyone else’s business, but I do think there is value in standing up and being counted. I’m not an activist, but I am a human being and I don’t give that up by being a journalist.

Since my early days as a reporter, I have worked hard to accurately and fairly portray gay and lesbian people in the media - and to fairly and accurately portray those who for whatever reason disapprove of them. It is not part of my job to push an agenda, but rather to be relentlessly honest in everything I see, say and do. I’ve never wanted to be any kind of reporter other than a good one, and I do not desire to promote any cause other than the truth.

Being a journalist, traveling to remote places, trying to understand people from all walks of life, telling their stories, has been the greatest joy of my professional career, and I hope to continue doing it for a long time to come. But while I feel very blessed to have had so many opportunities as a journalist, I am also blessed far beyond having a great career.

I love, and I am loved.

In my opinion, the ability to love another person is one of God’s greatest gifts, and I thank God every day for enabling me to give and share love with the people in my life. I appreciate your asking me to weigh in on this, and I would be happy for you to share my thoughts with your readers. I still consider myself a reserved person and I hope this doesn’t mean an end to a small amount of personal space. But I do think visibility is important, more important than preserving my reporter’s shield of privacy.

Always accurate, wihtout losing his style.

Anderson Cooper’s AC360 - Julian Bond: NOM Is Scary

CNN: John King Explains Opening Gingrich Question

Yeah, that’s reasonable from Gingrich. Kill the messenger, right? Of course John King had to make that question. It was the elephant in the room! 

Anderson Cooper Show: Famous Porn Star Sperm-Donor Is Also A 36 Year-Old-Virgin

Gawker reports:

We weren’t the only ones simultaneously grossed out by and fascinated with human DNA factory Trent Arsenault—the prolific DIY sperm donor who happens to be a prolific amateur porn star. He’s going to be on Anderson Cooper’s daytime talk show tomorrow, where he’ll admit to being a 36-year-old virgin with more than a dozen kids.
In this preview clip, Arsenault, who’s been under fire from the FDA to shut down his one-man sperm bank, reiterates that he’s a “donorsexual”—that is, all his sexual energy is devoted to donating sperm (and populating his Xtube site with videos of himself masturbating into a cup). “I don’t have other activity outside of that,” he said. “I will probably be the 40 year-old virgin but I will have 15-plus kids.” Don’t you love science?
ABC is really milking (ahem) this Trent Arsenault thing. Last week they published his special blueberry “fertility smoothie” recipe in honor of a 20/20 appearance. Maybe next week they’ll give him a cooking show.

CNN’s Anderson Cooper: Michele “Crazy Eyes” Bachmann’s HPV Lie

The American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement on this:

“The American Academy of Pediatrics would like to correct false statements made in the Republican presidential campaign that HPV vaccine is dangerous and can cause mental retardation. There is absolutely no scientific validity to this statement. Since the vaccine has been introduced, more than 35 million doses have been administered, and it has an excellent safety record. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Academy of Family Physicians all recommend that girls receive HPV vaccine around age 11 or 12. That’s because this is the age at which the vaccine produces the best immune response in the body, and because it’s important to protect girls well before the onset of sexual activity. In the U.S., about 6 million people, including teens, become infected with HPV each year, and 4,000 women die from cervical cancer. This is a life-saving vaccine that can protect girls from cervical cancer.”

25 Things About Anderson Cooper

Anderson Cooper Rips Michele “Crazy Eyes” Bachmann