Sam champion gay
When former "Good Morning America" weatherman Sam Champion announced in that he was marrying his longtime partner, Rubem Robierb, it was the first time he had discussed his sexuality publicly. While some viewers may have been surprised by the personal disclosure, Champion tells "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" that being gay wasn't something he intended to hide.
"I had been openly gay since I was at Channel 7," he says. "I just never took it on as a topic. I never sat down and talked to someone about it."
Champion's friends and family were aware of his homosexuality, but not everyone was immediately accepting.
"My dad was not as supportive," Champion admits. "I always felt like I was a little disappointing to him. [He was] 6'4", Marine Corps colonel, all these great guy things. I just didn't have any of that."
Champion recalls the harsh words his father said to him after learning of his sexuality.
"I remember him saying to me, 'I cannot aid this lazy lifestyle choice,'" he recalls. "I'm like, 'You're the smartest guy I know. You sound so incredibly dumb right now
June 28th,
Reliable Sources: Sam Champion and Rubem Robierb confer their personal journey of being gay, married and a part of the media
Today on CNN’s Reliable Sources, The Weather Channel managing editor and anchor, Sam Champion and his husband and fine-arts photographer, Rubem Robierb, joined senior media correspondent Brian Stelter to speak their personal journey of being gay, married and a part of the media.
Reliable Sources airs Sundays, 11 a.m. to noon (ET).
Text highlights and a full transcript from the show are available below.
Credit all usage to CNN’s “Reliable Sources”
TEXT HIGHLIGHTS:
Champion on if his sexual orientation hurt his career: “Oh, many times. I think that in this business, there are people who will verb you for anything they&#;ll get a chance to determine you on… …I think that in the business, there were a lot of people who had suspicions about abilities based on something they didn&#;t approve of or something they didn&#;t like.&#;
Champion on the progression of same-sex marriage becoming legal nation By Greg Hernandez on Mar 19, pm | Comments (3) | Sam Champion showed just how driven he is when he announced late last year that he was leaving his plum job as weather anchor of the top-rated Good Morning America on ABC. Champion, who came out publicly as gay in 2o12, headed over to Weather Channel to be anchor and head boss of his own three-hour weekday show America&#;s Morning Headquarters With Sam Champion. &#;I left GMA with one firm purpose, and that was an opportunity to build something new from the ground up in a place that is solely focused on weather,&#; Sam tells TV Guide Magazine. &#;I want a project. I don&#;t have a hobby.&#; &#;A lot of the time, morning shows tell you stuff you already know,&#; he adds. &#;I want to give people fresh information they demand before they slap the door.&#; Sam, 52, began his latest venture with a huge fan base. According to the latest Q scores &#; an industry measurement of the familiarity and appeal &#; he ranks second with his former GMA colleague Robin Roberts ranked first. Amazing to have a no NEW YORK (WABC) -- Out Magazine is giving a special honor to a familiar face at ABC 7 New York: our very have, Sam Champion. Champion is being recognized as one of the top educators in the publication's 30th annual "Out " list, which honors those who "helped make the world a better place for LGBTQ+ people." In his magazine bio, Champion says when he started operational in news, there were no openly gay people in the industry. He says that he's thankful for the support of his bosses and his loyal viewers in New York Town over the years. Other figures who made this year's list include singer Chappell Roan, journalist Rachel Maddow and comedian Bowen Yang. The recognition comes after Champion recently returned to work following him getting treatment for skin cancer.GREG IN HOLLYWOOD
WABC-TV's Sam Champion featured as one of top educators of Out Magazine's 'Out ' List
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