In a CNN interview broadcast Sunday,
Robin Roberts weighed in on the controversy surrounding a celebratory
kiss between Michael Sam and his boyfriend.
The 24-year-old All-American defensive
end from Missouri kissed his boyfriend when he learned that he had
been drafted by the St. Louis Rams, making Sam the first openly gay
football player to be drafted by the NFL.
The 53-year-old Roberts quietly came
out in December when she thanked her girlfriend Amber Laign in a
Facebook post for standing by her side during a tumultuous year.
Roberts, who is pitching her latest
book Everybody's Got Something, told Reliable Sources'
Brian Stelter that she was “pleasantly surprised” that her coming
out was greeted with a shrug.
“We were pleasantly surprised that
there was a big shrug of the shoulders,” Roberts said. “I love
how one person said it, it wasn't like I was trying to keep the
closet doors shut that tightly. People were very much aware.”
“Gayle King said this the other day,
that somebody came up to her – and this catches me – and said
that a young man whose mother was having a tough time and said, 'If
it's okay for Robin, it's okay for my son.' I find it surprising
that somebody in your own family that don't even know me but for
whatever reason it helps you understand your own family member's
orientation. Wow.”
“I'm very grateful that it is
creating dialogue for families.”
When asked her thoughts on the Sam
kiss, Roberts answered: “It's amazing. What was he supposed to do,
shake his hand? I mean, really.”
“He's happy like every other young
man was happy and turned to somebody and showed their gratitude,
expressed their love for the person that was next to them. His just
happened to be his boyfriend. I think that he has handled it very
well. And I think overwhelmingly the response has been positive.”
(The video is embedded on this page. Video
is embedded on this page.)
(Related: SNL's
Vogelcheck skit mocks Michael Sam kiss outrage.)