Reporting on everything going on around the world, news anchors have been integral parts of our waking moments since the advent of television. I've only made these decisions as a gay person.
"I don't know what it would be like to be doing this show as a straight person and make different editorial decisions, but I feel like gay rights issues get considered like all others."
Thomas Roberts
The host of DailyMailTV and former MSNBC anchor Thomas was one of the very first network TV journalists to have his coming out story become part of a nationwide conversation.
The now 50-year-old publicly declared that he was gay in 2006 while speaking at the annual convention of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists' Association, citing it as the "biggest step" when it came to his sexuality journey.
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In 2011, a day after same-sex marriage was legalized in New York, he revealed he was engaged to Patrick Abner (his partner since 2000), and they were married the following year.
Really? After Pope Leo was chosen as the new pope, Benitez covered American Catholics’ opinions, sharing in a June 2025post, “A special story this morning on GMA on Faith in the LGBTQ community. But he also viewed the advice as a challenge.
Donovan — who hails from Staten Island — initially worked as a writer and as a news producer, landing gigs in North Jersey and New York.
He continued to work as a flight attendant — the job that got him through college — because journalism didn’t pay well enough on its own.
Donovan — who is polite, approachable, playful and gay — wasn’t interested but told her to keep him in mind if she has a nephew looking for love.
He started his career in 1987. Somewhat ironically, when I came out, it was my industry who kept reporting, 'Gay! "His words struck me. But that doesn’t mean he stopped caring. People have looked through his cart at Wegmans, for instance — and once, someone stopped him in hopes of setting him up with her niece.
After cross-country trips, he’d steal 20-minute power naps in the make-up room before leaving the station to produce stories in the field.
Donovan’s first on-air break came in 1994, working on “Steals and Deals” — a CNBC segment in partnership with Good Housekeeping, where he was part of a team that conducted product testing. But now the fear and paranoia are gone."
Jenna Wolfe
Former Today Show correspondent, sportscaster, and co-anchor of Weekend Today, Jenna came out as a lesbian in 2013 on the air in the most heartfelt way.
She announced on Today that she and partner Stephanie Gosk, also an NBC News correspondent, were expecting their first child, welcoming a daughter later that year, Harper, now nine.
Benitez shared his religious journey in the caption, stating howPope Francis’ death in April 2025 led him to this moment. They soon became parents once again to their second daughter, now eight-year-old Quinn.
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Speaking at the event Further with Fordin 2014, Jenna said of coming out: "I know every little move I've made along my windy way, running around with boys at the grade school, playing sports in high school, covering sports when a few women were doing it, and finally announcing my pregnancy and coming out on national TV, all of that, all of that, has been my way of saying, what gender roles?"
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The ABC personality stood with his husband Tommy DiDario, who also served as his sponsor in an emotional Instagram post.
The video taken at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in New York City captured Benitez’s confirmation mass while a hymn was sung. But he found connections among who he called the “do-gooder gays” — philanthropic types who rally behind good causes.
Now he tries to help newbies and LGBTQ+ colleagues find places to plug in.
As startling as it was to realize he’s the oldest person in the newsroom, he learned to appreciate his role as the work dad and enjoys mentoring emerging journalists.
They tied the knot the following year and have been inseparable in their journeys on-screen and off ever since.
Gio opened up about his coming out journey on ABC News last year, saying: "Just give yourself the grace of time and understand that it doesn't have to be rushed.
Donovan said Philadelphia “is not an easy place to meet people socially if you’re not from around here.” That might be especially true for folks who aren’t into the bar scene, which is true for Donovan. He launched his own franchise — the segment he’s known for in Philadelphia — in two other markets before bringing it to the city.
With “On Your Side,” he became a reliable champion for exploited consumers to retrieve money or work they were owed from problematic businesses and fraudulent contractors.