Anderson Cooper is the latest celebrity to reveal that he is gay. CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 host pulled a complete 180 on unsuspecting fans when he wrote an online letter to the Daily Beast that revealed -- or confirmed, if you were in the know -- his sexual orientation.

The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn't be any more happy, comfortable with myself and proud, he wrote in the letter, published by Andrew Sullivan of the Beast.

In an effort to explain his sudden decision to come out of the closet, Cooper also wrote, I still consider myself a reserved person and I hope this doesn't mean an end to a small amount of personal space. But I do think visibility is important, more important than preserving my reporter's shield of privacy.

Cooper went on to reference the public outrage over recent stories of gay youths being bullied, some to the point of suicide, and similar incidents of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

In a perfect world, I don't think it's anyone else's business, but I do think there is value in standing up and being counted. I'm not an activist, but I am a human being and I don't give that up by being a journalist, the anchor and talk show host said.

Coincidentally, Cooper's CNN show, Anderson Cooper 360, received an award earlier this year from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

Even prior to coming out publicly, Anderson's terrific work has raised awareness of inequalities facing LGBT people, said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. He's a role model to millions and now will inspire countless others.

While few national television news reporters have publicly acknowledged being gay, Cooper is definitely not the first.

Click Start to check out some other celebrities that you probably didn't know were gay

Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper is the latest celebrity to reveal that he is gay. The “Anderson Cooper 360” host pulled a complete 180 on unsuspecting fans, when he wrote an online letter to the Daily Beast that revealed his sexual orientation. Wikiepedia
Neil Patrick Harris
"How I Met Your Mother" actor Neil Patrick Harris is penning a memoir. Wikipedia
Michael Stipe
In 1994, REM lead singer Michael Stipe described himself as "an equal opportunity lech," and said he did not define himself as gay, straight, or bisexual, but that he was attracted to, and had relationships with, both men and women. Wikipedia
Tila Tequila
In November 2009, Til "Tequila" Nguyen announced on Twitter that she is a lesbian, rather than bisexual, as she had previously proclaimed herself to be. Wikpedia