Are there people out there who don’t think CNN’s Anderson Cooper is gay? For some years now, Anderson has been living in what some refer to as “the glass closet”. Meaning he lives his life as a gay man and everyone knows he’s gay, but he still won’t talk about or answer questions about his sexuality. Which leads to some strange moments when some media outlet has an ax to grind. Like the Rupert Murdoch-owned New York Post. Less than a month ago, Page Six ran this little story about Anderson and his boyfriend, er, I mean “muscular friend” Benjamin Maisani:

Anderson Cooper has been consoling himself over falling ratings by living it up in Jaipur, India, at one of the world’s most opulent hotels. The CNN star was spotted Tuesday with his muscular friend, Benjamin Maisani, an owner of East Village bar Eastern Bloc, at the Rambagh Palace, named the best hotel in the world by Conde Nast Traveler. Cooper’s $3,200-a-night room features a four-poster mahogany bed and views of the gardens of the former Maharaja palace. Our source said, “Anderson’s room has a large round bathtub. On the first night it was filled with bubbles and sprinkled with red rose petals.” CNN declined to comment.

[From Page Six]

Gay catchwords: bubbles, sprinkle, Conde Nast, opulent, four poster, garden, round, rose petals, and Rambagh. Page Six is screaming it! “The Coop is gay – with bubbles!!” Anyway, this new National Enquirer report just reminded me of the Page Six thing. The Enquirer claims that Anderson and this Maisani fellow are moving in together. They’re house hunting now!

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper has found love with the buff owner of a gay bar – and pals say the couple is moving in together.

The award-winning newsman, 42, has been quietly seeing 36-year-old New Yorker Ben Maisani for the last eight months, and they’re now house-hunting, The ENQUIRER has learned.

“Anderson has found his ‘Mr. Right’ in Ben. Their relationship is so solid they want to move in together, and they’ve been looking at Manhattan real estate,” a longtime friend told The ENQUIRER.

The two met briefly years ago, and were reintroduced earlier this year, according to a CNN insider. They recently vacationed at a romantic resort in Jaipur, India – the Rambagh Palace – where their opulent $3,200-a-night room had views of the gardens of the former Maharaja palace.

“I’ve seen Anderson have crushes before, but he’s been telling pals that this is the real thing,” said the CNN source. “He plans to sell his condo and move in with Ben. They looked at an old firehouse in Greenwich Village that Anderson wanted to convert into a residence.”

While he’s widely considered one of TV’s sexiest newsmen, prematurely gray Cooper has long been the source of gay speculation. With Ben’s love and support, he may finally come out of the closet, the friend said.

“Anderson firmly believes that media members should keep their personal lives private, but for years he’s dropped hints that he’s gay,” the source said.

“Now that he’s with Ben – who is certainly not shy about his sexuality – Anderson is seriously considering publicly acknowledging his sexuality.”

Ben co-owns a raunchy gay bar, the Eastern Bloc, and while he’s in fantastic shape, he’s also an intellectual who was the valedictorian of his Hunter College graduating class in 2000, the source said. The two share a love for horror movies, good wine and photography, friends say.

“Anderson and Ben do everything together. They bike and work out at the gym,” said the source. “They also like to have intimate dinners alone and with friends.”

Meanwhile, the relationship has delighted their friends. “Anderson says Ben is the first guy who he can see sharing his life with,” said the CNN insider.

The source added: “Up until now, Anderson has refused to comment on his sexuality. He wanted to be a serious newscaster – not ‘the gay newscaster.’ But Anderson cares so much about Ben that he’s ready to change his attitude. That’s what love will do for you.”

POP FYI: Anderson is the son of heiress and 1980s jeans magnate Gloria Vanderbilt.

[From The National Enquirer]

Here’s the thing – I love Anderson Cooper, and I want him to be happy. Do I wish he would just publicly declare that he’s gay and get it over with? Sure. It would be nice to have an openly gay newsman in America (we already have an openly gay newswoman in Rachel Maddow). But on the other hand, I get why Anderson’s fabulousness is relegated to snark-filled gossip and tabloid posts – because if he came out, all of that stuff would go mainstream in a big way, and Anderson probably doesn’t want to be the story. In any case, I love him and I hope he’s happy. His boyfriend’s cute, isn’t he?

Header photo is Anderson Cooper with Benjamin Maisani in New York City on June 26, 2009. Credit: Hector Vallenilla, PacificCoastNews.com. Additional photos of Anderson at the CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute event on November 21, 2009. Credit: WENN.