Don Lemon Defends Owning Gay Porn Sites (Even Those Owned by Virginia Shooter)

Out CNN anchor Don Lemon found himself in the odd position of defending the Virginia shooter Vestor Flanagan's ownership of gay porn sites on Thursday's CNN show "Situation Room."

That came while CNN's Don Lemon was discussing with show's host Wolf Blitzer a recent news report that said Flanagan, an out gay man who cited numerous cases of anti-gay discrimination in media jobs over his career, may have owned gay porn website.

At that point Lemon decided to draw an analogy between the reporter-turned-killer and Mediaite's owner Dan Abrams, who is also the Chief Legal Analyst for ABC News.

Below is the exchange between Blitzer and Lemon taken from the CNN Situation Point website:

BLITZER: We just heard, Don, from the guy who fired him, the station director, the news director in Tallahassee, what, 15 years ago, that there was some, I guess, anti-gay discrimination that he felt there. When some of his colleagues found out he was gay they were making fun of him, some of the outfits he was wearing, and that in years afterwards, he was actually involved in launching these gay porn websites. What's your reaction when you hear all of this?

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Well, I think the gay porn site I think, to me is I don't really see the relevance of it. Because if it's not illegal, then what's wrong with him owning gay porn sites or straight porn sites or, as a journalist, forming, you know, a media company like, you know, Dan Abrams did? I mean, I don't see anything wrong with him. He's an entrepreneur; he's an American. As long as there's two consenting adults I don't see what difference it makes that he owns gay -- it may be salacious. Maybe it helps you sort of put a timeline together, but I don't see the relevance.

As far as his co-workers criticizing him, listen, again with the sites, I don't want to gay shame him. There's nothing wrong with being gay. I'm sure he probably faced some discrimination, as we all do. And that's horrible, but it still does not condone his actions two days ago.

BLITZER: I just want to make it clear that Dan Abrams owns a media website.

LEMON: Right.

BLITZER: But it's not a gay porn website, to make that clear.

LEMON: There's no difference, though. As long as it's -- if it's -- they're both legal. So, you know -- if Dan Abrams or anybody else wanted to start a gay porn website, as long as they're abiding by the law, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. You may look down upon it and judge it, but there's nothing illegal about it. I don't see anything -- I don't see why it's relevant in this particular case.

BLITZER: All right. Well, fair enough point.

"Got that everyone? Mediaite is not a gay porn site, but if it was, that would be cool too," the Mediaite story concluded.