Maddow Im Not on a Gay Crusade

Rachel Maddow tells TheWashington Post that being a lesbian is not what drives her high-profile coverage of issues like the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Media columnist Howard Kurtz profiles the MSNBC host with great attention to how her sexual orientation impacts her treatment of guests like Lt. Dan Choi, who came out on The Rachel Maddow Show last March.

"As one of the few openly gay television anchors, Maddow has kept the spotlight trained on the contentious issue of whether service members known to be homosexual should face discharge proceedings, as Choi did after that interview," writes Kurtz. "But she doesn't view herself as mounting a crusade."

"We don't really treat gay issues differently than other issues," Maddow tells Kurtz. "The controversy, she says, is just 'a great story.'"

Not that Maddow wants to hide her identity either.

"I can't do the show as a non-gay person," she tells Kurtz. "I don't have that option."

The interview also includes discussion of whether Maddow sees her work as activism, which she denies, drawing a contrast between herself and competitor Fox News.

Asked for response, a Fox spokesperson told Kurtz, "These feelings that she experienced about Fox News didn't stop her from applying for a job here."