Credit: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic/Getty Images.

After years of declining to discuss his sexuality, CNN's Anderson Cooper has revealed that he's gay.

The 45-year-old CNN anchor came out in an email to the Daily Beast's Andrew Sullivan that was published on Sullivan's blog this morning. Cooper was responding to an Entertainment Weekly article about how gay public figures are increasingly coming out in more restrained ways than in the past.

"The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn't be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud," Cooper writes.

Cooper explains that he kept his sexuality private "for professional reasons" but had "begun to consider whether the unintended outcomes of maintaining my privacy outweigh personal and professional principle." Instances of gay bullying made him "believe there is value in making clear where I stand."

While Cooper doesn't go into the specifics about romantic relationships, he writes, "I am also blessed far beyond having a great career. I love, and I am loved."

He concludes his email, "I still consider myself a reserved person and I hope this doesn't mean an end to a small amount of personal space. But I do think visibility is important, more important than preserving my reporter's shield of privacy."

In 2007, Out magazine famously featured Cooper's face on the cover of its "Glass Closet" issue. (Subtitle: "Why the Stars Won't Come Out and Play.") In 2005, he defended his decision not to discuss his private life, telling New York Magazine, "I understand why people might be interested. But I just don't talk about my personal life."

Cooper, a former ABC News correspondent, anchors CNN's primetime news show "Anderson Cooper 360°." He also hosts a daytime talk show, "Anderson."