Robin Roberts On The Fears That Kept Her From Coming Out

“Good Morning America” anchor Robin Roberts is opening up about her sexuality and why she was “afraid” to return out.

The American broadcaster began a romantic relationship with therapeutic massage therapist Amber Laign in 2005. Though her pals and associates had been conscious of her sexuality, Roberts publicly acknowledged that she was homosexual for the primary time in late December 2013.

Years later, Robin Roberts is revealing what made her skeptical of telling the world about her sexual relations.

Robin Roberts, who revealed she was a part of the LGBTQ group in 2013, mentioned she advised her sister when she was in her 20s.

“I made a decision to inform my sister Dorothy [when] I used to be in my 20s. I knew I needed to inform her,” she mentioned, per People Magazine. “We went out to lunch. I will always remember it. We’re sitting down, I am working up the nerve, over candy tea, to spill the tea. And proper once I say to her, identical to out of the flicks, ‘Dorothy, I am homosexual,’ the server put down our lunch. Then he fiddled round for what felt like 5 minutes.”

She continued, “And so I’ve simply advised my sister I am homosexual, and she or he’s crying, and we have now to attend for the server. Lastly, the server walked away. And I have a look at her and she or he goes, ‘Oh, oh, I am not crying since you advised me you are homosexual. I am crying since you love me sufficient to inform me that.'”

When talking with social media persona Jamie Kern Lima on her podcast, Robin Roberts revealed that though her “Good Morning America” colleagues knew she was homosexual earlier than she got here out, she was afraid that publicly disclosing her sexuality would negatively influence the present.

“It’s not the ‘Robin Roberts Present,’ it’s ‘Good Morning America,’ and there are such a lot of individuals whose livelihoods rely upon the success of our present,” the 63-year-old mentioned. “And so, if I do one thing that hurts the present, that hurts them.”

“I might stroll down the road with Amber and if someone noticed us, I might introduce her,” she mentioned on the podcast. “I wasn’t making an attempt to cover.” The largest subject with popping out was due to her faith, which made her “afraid” to return out. “Individuals, they suppose you’ll be able to’t be homosexual and a Christian, and I’m. I used to be so fearful that I might be shunned,” she admitted.

A lot to her shock, after popping out, the Nationwide Workplace of the Presbyterian Church despatched her “a phenomenal letter” expressing that they’re “absolutely supportive.”

“After which I take into consideration all these years I wasted, nervous — unnecessary fear. And all of us are responsible of this,” Roberts added. “Take into consideration all these items that we fear about that by no means come to fruition. And we simply spend all of this power on that.”

“But in addition I needed to consider this was proper on time. This was the time in my life that was proper. It felt good,” she continued. “And I am unable to even think about now individuals not figuring out all the pieces about me. And you understand what’s so liberating about it additionally? It is like, ‘Deliver it on. all the pieces about me. And I’ve nothing to cover.’ And to nonetheless be embraced, I’m blessed and extremely favored. I am so grateful.”

“I used to be so impressed by my pricey, pricey buddy, and ‘GMA’ colleague Sam Champion. I knew he was homosexual,” she mentioned per Individuals, in 2022. “He knew I used to be homosexual. Our colleagues, our bosses, all of them knew.”

She thought again to when Champion married Rubem Robierb and the way the community dealt with it. “They by no means mentioned, ‘Hey, must you rethink this.’ They embraced it,” she mentioned. “After which to see how the general public was so supportive, that actually opened my eyes.”