Poll: Does Anderson Cooper ‘Coming Out’ Signal Gay Acceptance by Culture?

Anderson Cooper, the CNN celebrity journalist who visited San Diego during the 2007 firestorm, on Monday confirmed what many suspected: “The fact is, I’m gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud,” Cooper wrote columnist Andrew Sullivan. In San Diego—with openly gay politicians like mayor candidate Carl DeMaio, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and state Sen. Christine Kehoe—this isn’t exceptional news. But does it signal new acceptance by American society?