In case you missed it, CNN is scheduled to re-air Anderson Cooper's terrific interview with his colleague Thomas Roberts, titled "sins of the Father," on Monday where Roberts discusses the sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of a trusted family chaplain.
"I had a lot of hesitation," Roberts tells People magazine about speaking out. "You worry about what everybody thinks of you."
I'm a little dismayed by some of the reaction I've been reading on the Internet. People are disappointed or downright pissed that Thomas did not mention being gay or that it was not stated at all during the piece. Some feel that Cooper dodged that area because of all the mystery/speculation/interest surrounding his own sexuality.
Here's my take: As for as Anderson Cooper goes, I give him the benefit of the doubt that his not focusing on the openly-gay Roberts' sexuality was a journalistic decision. He's a terrific journalist and does not seem uncomfortable about his sexuality. He just chooses not to talk about it, period. That's his right.
As for Roberts, he has been out for years and in case anyone didn't know, his appearance last fall on a panel about being gay in the new biz at the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Assn. convention left no doubt. So let's focus on the actual story here which is about a man who suffered greatly in his life because of the sexual abuse and is now ready to taik about it.
In the interview with People, he recalls a suicide attempt at the age of 14 because he felt that the abuse had to end: "I just wanted to fade away." Rev. Jerome Toohey Jr. comforted Roberts, then molested him for another two years.
"What happened to me was a selfish and disgusting thing to do to a kid," Roberts says. "I thought I'd go to my grave with this secret." The news anchor believes he buried the experience for so long because "I didn't want to understand the severity of what he had done to me. I didn't want to be a victim."
Roberts, 34, now says he feels ready to move on with his life: "I feel like I've been through a ring of fire. Being on this side feels so much better."