Robin Roberts, a supremely popular anchorwoman on Good Morning America, is used to breaking big stories. But she has become the talk of the town since broadcasting her own bit of news on her Facebook page this weekend: the 20-year TV news veteran revealed to the world that she is a lesbian and involved in a loving 10-year relationship with a massage therapist named Amber Laign.
While reflecting on all that she is thankful for this past year, Robin wrote: "I am grateful for my entire family, my longtime girlfriend, Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together." That's it. She just kind of slipped it in there, casually -- yet the world can't stop chatting about the super-cool way she has come out.
There's just something about the classy way Roberts shared this news with the public that really impresses. The anchorwoman, who is a breast cancer survivor, penned the Facebook status as a way to pay tribute to those who helped her after she received a bone-marrow transplant to help with a rare blood disorder she has called myelodysplastic syndrome, or MDS. She wrote:
At this moment I am at peace and filled with joy and gratitude.
I am grateful to God, my doctors and nurses for my restored good health.
I am grateful for my sister, Sally-Ann, for being my donor and giving me the gift of life.
I am grateful for my entire family, my long time girlfriend, Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together.
I am grateful for the many prayers and well wishes for my recovery. I return every one of them to you 100 fold.
On this last Sunday of 2013 I encourage you to reflect on what you are grateful for too.
If you know very little about Roberts, prepare to be amazed. I mean, the woman has worked everywhere and interviewed everyone, from Barack Obama to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Lisa Niemi. She was responsible for bringing the first camera crew into the Centers for Disease Control when all of us were losing our minds over the scary H1N1 "swine flu" virus AND, despite her serious credentials, didn't consider herself too highfalutin to co-host the 81st Annual Academy Awards pre-show.
She's, very simply, an incredible professional and well-respected leader in her field.
Now, add to that the fact that Roberts has been vocal about her disease and wrote an inspiring book on how to live a strong and healthy life, and, well, you can see why her willingness to share her sexual orientation with the public is a big deal. Any young woman -- or any woman of any age, really -- who has not felt comfortable coming out as gay can look at Roberts as a fantastic role model and source of strength.
What do you think of Robin Roberts' decision to "come out" as gay in her Facebook post?
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