News Anchor Comes out on Live TV by Saying Just One Word
Spectrum News 1 Ohio anchor Taylor Bruck said the decision to come out on-air was a "spur-of-the-moment" thing.
An Ohio news anchor has gone viral and is earning plenty of praise after she subtly told her story during a pre-holiday news broadcast. Spectrum News 1 Ohio anchor Taylor Bruck was discussing her Thanksgiving plans with co-host Alexa Maslowski during a Nov. 26 broadcast when she came out as part of the LGBT community with just a single word, Bruck that her plans revolved around her "girlfriend."
"The extent of my traveling is probably going to visit my girlfriend in Cleveland and that's about it," Bruck said during the broadcast, later telling PEOPLE that opening the decision to come out on-air was a "spur-of-the-moment" thing. Bruck said she "told myself, 'Just say it.' When I finally said it out loud, I smiled inside because it was a big moment for me."
"A seemingly simple yet scary word... I said 'girlfriend' on air for the first time today, which some people may say 'ok, who cares?' ... but to me it's a step toward accepting and loving myself fully and being authentic on and off the air," the Emmy-winning reporter, whose station covers Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati, as well as other areas of the state, wrote when sharing the clip to Instagram. "IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS."
Although Bruck often posts about her girlfriend and is open about her sexuality on social media, before the Nov. 26 broadcast, she hadn't acknowledged her relationship on-air. The moment quickly went viral, the clip Bruck shared now boasting over 200,000 likes, with Bruck admitting that she didn't "realize how meaningful it would be for over a million people worldwide." Bruck said that since coming out on-air, "messages are pouring in from all around the world, including Ghana, Germany, Australia, London, as well as many states across the U.S. People are telling me how much this visibility means to them and that they're so proud of me."
Bruck and her girlfriend, singer-songwriter Lauren Lanzaretta, first met in Cleveland while the anchor was working in the city. They initially bonded over their love for Mariah Carey and "passion for living life to the fullest without taking it too seriously." Bruck said she "always try to encourage others to live their truths, so I decided to fully live mine," adding, "I have been so lucky to have family and friends who have loved and supported me for who I am since the moment I came out. And now with this social media post, I have been blown away by additional support."