Dear Anderson Cooper and CNN: I am Straight

The topic of my sexual orientation has rarely been broached, and I've been thankful for all these years of not having my online identity tied to who I choose to have sex with. However, in light of Anderson Cooper's recent official emergence from the closet, I feel it would be disingenuous for me to continue my public existence on the internet without coming clean: I'm a heterosexual man.

I drew inspiration from Cooper as he stated, "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 think it's important to be comfortable with one's sexual orientation, and rather than face the type of questions that Cooper was fearing, I thought it best to put this issue to rest. I don't want anyone to have the mistaken impression that I'm trying to hide my heterosexual nature, or that I'm uncomfortable and ashamed by it.

I'm not. No, seriously. I'm not!

So, to all those on the internet I've conversed with over the years: Please accept my sincere apology for remaining silent on what is clearly a very important element of my personal life that you should have been privy to long ago. I encourage all those who have also been 'shielding' their heterosexual nature to take my example to heart.

Let them know you're straight. You won't regret it.