CNN's Don Lemon Comes Out

CNN's Don Lemon has joined a small but influential group of gay cable news anchors who have gone public with their sexual orientation.

Though Lemon said he did not withhold his sexual orientation from colleagues, the 45-year-old anchor, who has worked at CNN since 2006, said he believes talking about his sexuality in his new book, Transparent, was the natural thing to do.

"I haven't been in the closet for a long time," he told The Advocate. "It was just something I didn't talk about in interviews. But I would date people and I would be out."

Last month, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow implored gay anchors to come out, calling it a responsibility.

"I'm sure other people in the business have considered reasons why they're doing what they're doing, but I do think that if you're gay you have a responsibility to come out," Maddow said.