Refusing to be Invisible

Posted on July 2, 2012

My Truth in Progress colleague, Marilyn Bennett has called my attention to an excellent piece in The Daily Beast, titled “Anderson Cooper, ‘The Fact Is I’m Gay.’” The article published on July 2, 2012 by Andrew Sullivan, allows me to weave together what Marilyn and I have been doing in TIP; reflecting upon, discussing, writing, creating a documentary, about the intersections of heterosexism, racism and religion.

Sullivan in his article shares the words of Anderson Cooper as he says to the reader, “I’m Gay.” As I was reading the article, I immediately thought of Ralph Ellison’s 1952 book, Invisible Man. A key sentence in the book is this, “I am invisible understand, simply because people refuse to see me.”

Anderson Cooper has known for some time that he is gay. Thus, he was not engaged in any act of self-deception, nor was he attempting to “pass” as heterosexual as some of my relatives have “passed” as white, because their physical appearances allowed them to do so. Rather Anderson Cooper was and is so comfortable “living in his own skin” that until now, he found no need to go public with his sexual orientation.

But, even with all of the movement toward inclusion that is taking place regarding gay persons, there are denominations like my United Methodist Church and some 30 some states that through ballot initiatives have said no to marriage equality for same sex couples. Thus, Anderson Cooper’s sharing his sexual orientation via Andrew Sullivan contributes to the curing of the “blindness” that keeps still too many persons in church and society from “seeing” with their hearts, minds and convictions, their sisters and brothers who are gay.

Anderson Cooper through the writing of Andrew Sullivan has given all of us a 4th of July present. Despite our celebrations that will take place on July 4th acknowledging our national independence, our independence is compromised as long as our nation, culturally and legislatively declares that some persons are more equal than other persons because of their heterosexual sexual orientation. Anderson Cooper has been free and independent since that time he acknowledged and accepted the totality of himself, sexual orientation and otherwise. It is the USA that is not free as long as in subtle and not-so-subtle ways in religion and society, we do not fully accept, or expect self-declared “invisibility” of those who are gay.


Marilyn and I share with Anderson Cooper, Andrew Sullivan, our supporters and the nation, these words from Ralph Ellison. No one of us, on this July 4th, for any reason should be expected to make themselves invisible as a response to the bias, bigotry and prejudice of others. These words of the gifted African American novelist are our July 4th gift to all of you.

“I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe, nor am I one of your Hollywood movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids – and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me.” (From Invisible Man).

Anderson Cooper, because you have dared to share for all to see that you are a “Gay Man,” you have encouraged and empowered others, some who are gay, some who are not, to “come out” from the shadows of invisibility that too many of us for all kinds of reasons have allowed others to wrap us in.

TRUTH IN PROGRESS IS STRONGER, BECAUSE OF YOUR STRENGTH. THANK YOU!

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  • Dnparkr

    Very well put.  Recent events – such as North Carolina’s Amendment One and the upcoming vote in Minnesota call upon every fair minded person to stand up for ALL our rights and priviledges.  Only then can any American be truly free.

  • John ferguson

    Rev Caldwell, I think you are going too easy on Cooper. You say that he has had a similar experience to that of Ellison, that he was invisible like Ellison. That is true on the surface but for a hugely different reason.

    No one was engaging in a conspiracy to ignore Ralph Ellison’s heritage as a black man. They were simply and literally not able to see him period, because of his skin color. In Cooper’s case, many people have known for a long time that he is a gay man. He has not kept it a secret among his family and friends, and he has lived publicly with a gay partner. But, all those folks have engaged in a conspiracy of silence in the press. He has refused to answer questions about that, and the press has shrouded the fact to “protect” him, just as they did for John Kennedy’s affairs with young women. The press still regards “gay” as unspeakable, unless the person themself issues a press release.

    That Cooper was comfortable in his own skin (his claim) is only to say he engaged in this conspiracy for the benefit of his career in broadcasting. Yet, the cumulative damage of his lies, taken together with the actions of other like him, and the press’ judgment that this is
    “unspeakable”, on young people is evident to us all.

    Can you imagine a world in which literally no one speaks of the color of the skin of a black youth, except that it seeps out on rare occasion by accident? That kind of silence is crazy making Even in his announcement through the blog of his colleague Sullivan Cooper has refused to acknowledge the significance of his long held lie, to take responsibility for it.

    And, I will add that we should all do that for him, and then to forgive him for that, recognizing that he did it, despite his claim of personal enlightenment, because of a lifetime of internalized
    homophobia that he was taught from the early days of his youth. His shame clouded his thinking so he felt he could not be vulnerable. And to say to him, “Yes Anderson, you are, aren’t you, and we do accept you today the way you are. We love you.”

  • Marily

    John,
    You make some excellent points. Many people have made great sacrifices to their careers, family relations, and safety to be visible and a role model. When I first read Cooper’s explanation about being closeted because of safety issues for his crew and him when he is in dangerous locations, it sounded reasonable enough until I thought about female reporters who have risked a great deal reporting from these same locations.

    I appreciate the tone of your comment in that we must challenge and support one another in our joint efforts to make our visibility count!

    Thanks,
    Marilyn