‘Out’ Ranks the Top 50 Gays; Anderson Is No. 2

[arcos]

‘Out’ Ranks the Top 50 Gays; Anderson Is No. 2

When New York did a "Gay Life Now" issue in 2001, only seven of the forty prominent New York gays asked to pose for the cover were willing. Those big shots may have been gay, and they may have been out, but it just wouldn't do for them to be gay and out on the cover of a magazine. "There was a time when the closet was a necessary safe haven," our pal Maer Roshan, who edited the issue, wrote in an angry 2,000-word essay. "But now, it exists as an anachronistic monument to shame. It's time for our public figures to stop hiding in there — and for journalists to stop helping them." Six years and a month later, maybe at least that second part has come true. Here's a first glimpse at the cover of Out magazine's "50 Most Powerful Gay Men and Women in America" issue. (Click here for a larger image.) Those are models holding Jodie Foster and Anderson Cooper masks on the cover. Neither, of course, would appear themselves.

1. David Geffen
2. Anderson Cooper
3. Ellen DeGeneres
4. Tim Gill
5. Barney Frank
6. Rosie O’Donnell
7. The New York Times Gay Mafia: Richard Berke, Ben Brantley, Frank Bruni, Stuart Elliott, Adam Nagourney, Stefano Tonchi, and Eric Wilson
8. Marc Jacobs
9. Andrew Tobias
10. Brian Graden
11. Jann Wenner
12. Andrew Sullivan
13. Suze Orman
14. Joe Solmonese
15. Fred Hochberg
16. Christine Quinn
17. Perez Hilton
18. Scott Rudin
19. John Aravosis
20. Sheila Kuehl
<snip>

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2007/04/out_ranks_the_top_50_gays_ande.html

[AshevilleGuy]

1. ????????????? Anderson is gay??? Shows you my faulty gaydar!

Really, is this for real? I know he is Gloria Vanderbilt's grandson, but this really does surprise me.

I'm sure he has been here in Asheville; his cousins own the Biltmore Estate after all. He could give me a personal tour of the Mansion anytime! :)

[Qanisqineq]

3. I thought he was her son

I thought I saw them on Oprah and he is her son and his brother killed himself long ago.
:shrug:

[AshevilleGuy]

4. I believe there were two Glorias??

I could be wrong on that. It seems like he would be too young for the Gloria I am thinking of (Reggie's wife?) Yeah, his brother did kill himself. With all that money? I can't fathom it.

[arcos]

7. It's her son...

And yes, it's for real... he's never said "yes, I'm gay" publicly, but he has made it implicit.

[dancingme]

35. Anderson is Gloria's youngest son

His father died years ago. His brother committed suicide when Anderson was in college. Jumped from the window of Gloria's high rise apartment in NYC. Right in front of her. Very sad.

[in_cog_ni_to]

34. He's Gloria Vanderilt's son. n/t

[Swamp Rat]

2. ¿Como estás tuanis?

:hi: :hug:

Dónde está Georgie y su amante? :shrug:

[arcos]

8. JAJAJA!

¿Cómo estás Swamp? Espero que muy bien!

Yo aquí, desempleado... odio las corporaciones. :mad:

[Laughing Mirror]

5. André Leon Talley made the list, I see, although almost at the bottom of it

Most of the other people I've never heard of, so I'll have to take OUT's word for it that they're the best New York has to offer. New York has definitely lost a lot of its luster down through the decades.

Andrew Tobias? He's still around?

[Diane R]

6. Is Jody Foster common knowlege? I thought she was gay, but didn't know she has come out.

[arcos]

9. I believe she hasn't, but her sexuality and relationship are fairly public... nt

[Lindsey]

11. Anderson's out and his mother is Gloria Vanderbilt. As far as Jody goes,

to the best of my knowledge, she has not officially come out. However, being a resident of L.A., it's definitely common knowledge - no question.

[AshevilleGuy]

21. Good for him.

I don't have a lot of patience with closet cases. I came out in college in 1969 and lived through it just fine.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

43. It was common knowledge when she was a student at Yale

:shrug:

[Up2Late]

25. You didn't know Jody Foster was Gay? Hello!

Sheesh, I could tell she was since she was a Kid, which is one of the reasons her scenes with Rob Lowe on "Hotel New Hampshire" never really worked for me.

[jbnow]

26. If knowing she was gay

made love scenes not work...wonder if that's why some leading actors are so determined to keep it quiet?
My mom was near horrified when she learned Rock Hudson was gay because he had been her idol.
Maybe it works better for fans when they don't know even though...well it's acting.

[krispos42]

31. I didn't know either, but I don't track these things

I'd love to see Guliani or Romney come out, though. :-)

[calimary]

10. What - no ken mehlman?

n/t

[mrreowwr_kittty]

Where's Ken Mehlman? n/t

[devilgrrl]

12. Perez Hilton at #17? And no Harvey Fierstein?

What a stupid list. :mad:

[saracat]

13. Except for Barny none of the gay Congressman?

And what about Mary Cheney?

[arcos]

17. Mary doesn't count...

If she actually did have any influence, probably gay marriage would be legalized by now.

I do find it surprising that Rep. Tammy Baldwin is not mentioned... I think she would be a great Senator if and when Kohl retires.

[saracat]

18. Congressman Jim Kolbe of AZ is openly gay!

[arcos]

20. He's no longer a congressman... nt

:)

[terrya]

27. What about Tammy Baldwin, Representative from Wisconsin?

Openly lesbian Democrat.

[Prophet 451]

14. How sad is it...

How sad a reflection of our society is it that Ellen DeGeneres outranks Barney Frank?

Also, given that Jodie Foster isn't openly gay, I have to question her inclusion.

[arcos]

15. Theoretically, Anderson Cooper is not "openly gay"...

Although I mostly agree that an openly gay politician should be above an openly gay entertainer, I think Ellen sort of deserves it.

They both broke new ground, they have both been pioneers in coming out of the closet in their respective fields, but Ellen is more widely known (and thus, she carries more influence, at least for the general population) than Barney Frank.

[Prophet 451]

28. That's kind of my point

It's rather a sad reflection on society that an entertainer (and I have no beef with Ellen on that score, I quite liked her show) outranks a politician in terms of influence.

Still, at least they picked a decent entertainer. Our version would probably include Graham Norton (whom I loathe with a passion).

[arcos]

37. I totally agree...

Our version would be 90% TV reporters, and mostly crappy ones to make it worse. Oh, and no politicians at all of course!

[devilgrrl]

16. What about people who weren't included...

Where's Michelangelo Signorile? Where's Judy Gold? :wtf:

[ruiner4u]

19. well tacky porn is represented

36. Chi Chi LaRue

Huh??

[silverojo]

22. I'm sick of people being "outed"

One's decision to come out is a private one, and something over which the person him/herself should have total control. When you "out" someone else, you're robbing that person of their freedom to make this choice, and it's deplorable.

[mondo joe]

33. If you don't want to be out, keep it a secret. If you introduce others to

your partner, or take same sex dates to events, or in other ways convey that you are gay, then don't expect others to be complicit in keeping it a secret.

[orleans]

23. "50 Most Powerful Gay Men and Women in America"

who the hell are all these people?

i've heard of a handful--but the rest...?

(i know 1-6 except tim gill, 13, 29 & 43. who are these other people? obviously i don't get out much--no pun intended--otherwise i'd know about these "most powerful" people.) (i'm sooo suburban!)

[arcos]

24. I don't know most of them...

But for the ones you don't know but I do:

8. Marc Jacobs
Fashion designer

12. Andrew Sullivan
Conservative columnist and blogger

17. Perez Hilton
Gossip blogger

19. John Aravosis
Blogger (AmericaBlog is his, you probably know it because he uncovered the Jeff Gannon scandal)

23. Tom Ford
Fashion designer

36. Chi Chi LaRue
Gay porn director

46. Hilary Rosen
Former chair of RIAA

[WI_DEM]

30. At first I thought that was "Paris" Hilton.

[orleans]

38. thanks. i guess i know andrew sullivan--isn't he the guy who does

appearances on cnn or msnbc--maybe on tweety's show? i think he has a book out that they hawk for him...if that's the guy i'm thinking of.

and yes, i'm familiar with americablog. (obviously not that familiar--i didn't recognize the name!)

thanks for the run down.

[Beaverhausen]

29. Jann Wenner? Really?

I did not know that...

[dancingme]

36. Yes, he left his wife for a man

Wenner was married with kids for many years.

[krispos42]

32. Who is the 'Gay Mafia', and what do they do? n/t

[Cha]

39. Jann Wenner?!

I find that interesting.

[Chemical Bill]

40. What about *?

Don't Gannon's overnight visits to the WH count for something?

Oh, wait, * reads children's books while Darth Vader runs the country. He has no real power. Never mind.

Bill

[ComerPerro]

41. No John Amaechi?

[RB TexLa]

42. So if we could train monkeys to talk and read the news would he drop to 18 or 21?

:crazy: