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Journalist and Morning Man alum Steve Kornacki comes out in a deeply personal Salon column

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/images/06/13/kornacki.jpgWhen I selected Steve Kornacki as a Morning Man last December, I had no idea if he was gay or straight. He got my attention by being so handsome for one thing, but also for being so articulate and insightful during his appearances on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360.

Now Kornacki, news editor at Salon.com. has come out in a deeply personal column that takes you into the compartmentalized world that a lot of men feel they must live in in order to have the life they want.

We also learn of the romantic price he had to pay before finally deciding to come out to everyone at the age of 32.

Here is an excerpt:

You may be wondering why I was so afraid. It’s 2011, after all, and I live in Manhattan, surrounded in social and professional settings by gay people. It’s not like I come from a morally judgmental family; I never feared my parents or other relatives turning their backs on me. But 17 years of fear and hang-ups can be hard for a person to shake.

My friends were confused about me, but I’d throw them off my trail by embracing the persona of a cynical, slightly neurotic fatalist. My buddies would urge me to approach an attractive girl at a bar, and I’d tell them it wouldn’t be worth it – not when I was liable to wake up with a sexually transmitted disease. Friends would try to set me up with girls and I’d remind them that most marriages quickly devolve into loveless, soul-crushing arrangements. They didn’t think I was interested in any kind of relationship – straight or gay.

In a way, I can’t even explain why I kept this part of myself private for so long. But whenever I would contemplate a change, I would think back to my youth, and the fathers, teachers and coaches who had been my adult role models, all of them old-fashioned family men. How could I possibly be so different?

Here is a LINK to the entire column. I congratulate Steve and applaud him  for being so candid.

A photo of the author as a boy

http://media.salon.com/2010/11/steve_kornacki_talks_men_on_top-460x307.jpg

FILE UNDER: Coming Out

Comments

(All comments are reviewed before being published, and I review submissions several times per day.)

6 Remarks

  1. Oh Gee it must be incredibly painful to be really sexy and young and rich and good looking and smart and fast-talking and make salads and have parties and cocktails with Andy Cooper. Painful. Horrible. Unimaginable! What a self-indulgent little shit you are. It makes me so want to be NOT gay when I see men like you who are, or claim to be, so. Yuk.

  2. Wow, bitter much? You think that just because someone has become successful in their profession that the prospect of coming out is less scary? I would honestly hope you get some perspective on your self-loathing and recognize that the coming out process is not about whether one is comfortable in their life or career. It’s about them being comfortable in their skin and their psyche. It would also be nice if you were more supportive of fellow gay individuals. We get enough crap from the right wing haters that we don’t really need it from our brethren. Thanks.

  3. I have always admired Steve for his brilliant analysis and ability to think quickly on his feet; so few analysts seem to be in command of the facts like he does. He, Like Rachel Maddow, is able to explain complex issues so the average guy can understand them; that is a gift few have. His being gay has nothing to do with that; I’m just glad he’s able to admit to the world who he is. There is no timetable for gay men or women to follow as far as coming out goes; it’s different for each of us. When one is a celebrity of sorts there is probably more pressure to be honest, to be a role model. Unless you’ve been in that position (andrew) you have no business criticizing another. I’m just happy this really smart guy is playing for my team.

  4. Steve’s choice to suffer in silence reveals a serious character flaw whether gay or str8. He is smart but bankrupt of common sense and emotional maturity…He is NOT alone in living in fear of probably EVERYTHING…At his age and hiding out until the year 2011 is unfathomable to me as a 71 yr old gay man in a 27 yr committed relationship. TIME TO GROW UP STEVIE!

  5. Harsh Frank. It’s a personal journey for each of us.

  6. November 8th, 2020 at 2:49 pm
    Paul Brazeau says:

    I can’t believe the harsh comments. He struggled like we all do. Maybe it took him a bit longer than some of us but that doesn’t make his struggle any less difficult. He’s gorgeous. Stop being so jealous.

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