Rachel Maddow to Gay On-Air Journalists: Come Out Already

Rachel Maddow spoke with the The Guardian today about growing up in a "very conservative, very nasty little town," how she got into journalism, her appeal to viewers, the "ugly jeans" she wears behind her desk, and perhaps most interestingly... the obligation news presenters like herself have to come out of the closet.

Does she feel frustration towards an equally well-known news presenter who is widely assumed to be gay but has never come out? For the first time, Maddow pauses: "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," she says carefully.

Perhaps the reporter caught her off guard, but Maddow's statement here seems a bit more frank than fair. There's a couple people that the interviewer might be alluding to and who Maddow might be lightly admonishing. I guess I can totally see Maddow's point with respect to one - but the other glass-closeted anchor might well have countervailing considerations. Like keeping his job. Not everyone hosts a liberal talk show on MSNBC.