Cooper, de Lima: of gays, stooges

BOTH Anderson Cooper and Leila de Lima have made life-altering decisions.

Cooper wants the world to know he's homosexual. His peers already knew he is but most of his global audience didn't. Coming out from the closet was a major move, which could kill his career.

De Lima wants to be Supreme Court chief justice though she helped remove the man she'd like to succeed and is seen as stooge of the President. By shedding off "delicadeza," she could be the first woman chief justice of the country.

By his admission, Cooper said he couldn't be "any more happy and comfortable and proud" than now as an out-gay. His TV public could shun him although initial reactions, mostly from friends and LGBTs, cheered his courage.

Cool, hostile

Which can't be said of de Lima's denial: after she stopped being coy and came out lusting for the job, responses were cold or hostile. Unfriendly fire comes from those who think that after risking contempt when she defied a Supreme Court order favoring former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, de Lima couldn't be anything but PNoy's stooge.

She implies she no longer will be a stooge once installed as chief justice. Wasn't that line used by Renato Corona defenders when critics called him a "GMA boy"? He'd be his own man, they said.

(paseares@sunstar.com.ph or @gmail.com)