Gay Newsmen — A Clearer Picture: Part II

Many of Fox's most high-profile conservative opinion makers are similarly comfortable with Brown's sexual orientation. Brown was the lead producer when launching The O'Reilly Factor and says that Bill O'Reilly was "absolutely" cool with Brown's sexual orientation. "Bill and I care very, very deeply for each other," Brown said. "I mean, he was a mentor to me. I've been to his home. I was part of building this wonderful, incredibly amazing huge thing [The O'Reilly Factor]."

As the head producer on The O'Reilly Factor, Brown was a part of the discussion on how topics such as gay adoption, Gay Days at Disney and gay circuit party culture were covered. "My point of view was heard and respected," Brown explained, "and whether or not Bill agreed with it — and it's not The Brown Factor, it's The O'Reilly Factor — but he had me at his side and in his ear."

As for family-values conservative Sean Hannity, Brown said, "Sean and I love each other." As to whether Hannity has an issue with Brown being gay, Brown said: "I'm Dave and he's Sean, and the show is good, or the show is bad. There is no gay issue." Brown insisted it's like that across the board at Fox, and said that at monthly NLGJA mixers at a local New York gay club, Fox News journalists are "always the largest contingent."

When asked whether Fox News management is comfortable with this kind of gay visibility from its employees, Brown responded: "I'd go even beyond that. What's wonderful here is that not only is management comfortable with it, they support it."

Brown explained that for last summer's NLGJA convention in Miami, Fox paid the way for 15–20 of its gay employees to attend. "The hotel, the airfare, the food — it's all on their dime," he said. Brown added that when it comes to himself and fellow gay Fox employees, "We're proud, and we are who we are. … And we love the fact that management acknowledges it and supports us."

And what about some viewers who may turn to Fox as a conservative alternative and might feel betrayed that the channel is this inclusive? "My response to them would be: I'm your child," said Brown. "And maybe you get that phone call, or that 'Hey Mom and Dad — I'm gay.' Should they be denied a job or should they be denied anything that anybody else would be because of their sexuality?"

The fear is the audience

So if there is no issue about being out within the national news organizations, what is the concern for gay news correspondents and anchors about being as frank with outside press as their straight colleagues?

Laymen in the blogosphere sometimes posit that the silence on sexuality is a security issue. Yet when it comes to the professionals, no executive or reporter ever gave that as a possible reason to not come out. The attitude seems to be that certain assignments are dangerous for everyone. And in fact, many of the reporters speaking for this series report from the most dangerous and homophobic countries on the globe.

Another reason often given is that sexual orientation is an individual's personal, private life. Yet there is usually no such thing as a profile of a straight public figure without some heterosexual defining detail. It takes a strange and constant self-editing not to reveal one's sexual orientation. Somehow, every individual interviewed for this article — both straight and gay — managed to acknowledge their sexual orientation without ever discussing anything about their private lives.

Brown gave an insight which may point out the bottom-line issue when it comes to being out as a journalist, observing that it's different for him, “not being on-air.” "I guess anybody that's a public figure — it's perception,” said Brown. “And are you going to be welcomed into somebody's home or not?"

Miami anchor Craig Stevens laid it out this way: "Management knows [who's gay], and they're OK with it per se. But the fear is the audience; that is the fear. Management fears what the audience reaction will be if and when there's a revelation."