Gay CNN anchor, Don Lemon admits fear risking career for coming out in book
But coming out in a book has still given him fear that this may affect his career.
CNN’s weekend anchor, Don Lemon joins a few television news personalities who have come out as gay and he was quick to admit fears for risking his career for sharing his life in a book he has written.
He has made no intentions to make his personal life and gender preference a secret to his colleagues. According to a New York Times report, Lemon’s co-workers in CNN and his previous jobs are fully-aware that he is gay.
But coming out in a book has still given him fear that this may affect his career.
“People are going to say: ‘Oh, he was molested as a kid and now he is coming out.’ I get it,” Lemon was quoted as saying by the New York Times.
The 45-year-old anchor shared a lot of detailed information about his work as a TV journalist and his life in a book he wrote, titled “Transparent”.
“I’m scared,” Lemon said in a telephone interview, according to NYTimes. “I’m talking about something that people might shun me for, ostracize me for.”
He also emphasized during the interview with the Times that being black may add insult to injury.
“It’s quite different for an African-American male,” he said. “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.”
The CNN anchor also explained that his fear can be attributed to “the history of discrimination that still affects many black Americans, as well as the attitudes of some black women”.
“You’re afraid that black women will say the same things they do about how black men should be dating black women.” He added, “I guess this makes me a double minority now.”
Despite fear the CNN anchor has prepared himself to what to expect after his book is out in the market in June.
“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,” Mr. Lemon said, “to walk in the truth.”
His full profile can be found on CNN's official website.
See Don Lemon at work. Watch the VIDEO.
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