The journalist released a statement today that reads “I chose to step out on faith and begin openly living my own truth.” He says the decision to go public followed making this same admission to his mother, after which his life began to “change in positive ways that I never imagined possible.”
Lemon has penned a memoir titled “Transparent” that also deals with his molestation as a child. He told the world about that incident on the air eight months ago, while reporting on an Atlanta church sex scandal.
“I, like most gay people, lived a life of fear,” Lemon says. “Fear that if some employers, coworkers, friends, neighbors and family members learned of my sexuality, I would be shunned, mocked and ostracized. It is a burden that millions of people carry with them every single day. And sadly, while the mockery and ostracizing are realized by millions of people every day, I truly believe it doesn’t have to happen.”
Lemon, who has been with CNN since 2006, joins MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow and Thomas Roberts as broadcasters that are now out of the closet.