NewsBusters is reacting to CNN anchor Don Lemon admission that he’s gay pretty much the way you’d expect — portraying it as a bad thing that merely confirms bashing him as biased.
A May 16 post by Matt Hadro howls that “Lemon has a history of pro-gay bias at CNN, featuring soft interviews of pro-gay figures and hinting that Christian churches preach the same hateful message against homosexuality that the fringe Westboro Baptist Church promotes – ‘God hates fags.'” Hadro’s main issue, it seems, is that Lemon treated gays with respect, not scorn; among the examples of so-called “pro-gay bias” he offers is that Lemon asked former Army Lt. Dan Choi, who was expelled from the military after his homosexuality became public, “Was it worth the prize [sic] for speaking out?”
The next day, Hadro took umbrage at Lemon for committing the heinous crime of asking that people treat gays with respect:
CNN anchor Don Lemon grabbed headlines over the weekend with his Twitter announcement that he is gay. On Monday his co-workers provided plenty of time for him on two separate shows to share his story and his own views on the gay-rights issue, and showered him with support. As if that wasn’t enough, he asked them in turn to do the same for others “who choose to come out.”
“I really appreciate all the support, and I hope you continue to support not only me, but other people who choose to come out,” Lemon told afternoon Newsroom host Brooke Baldwin.
Again, Hadro complained that “Lemon has himself provided a podium for gay rights activists to makes themselves heard, though he claims objectivity on the issue.”