Cover Story

Anchors Away - Chris Parente

By Matt Kailey

Painting by Marie Vlasic

Broadcast journalist Chris Parente divides his time – between anchoring two shows on two different stations, and between his career and his private life, which includes emceeing for various events, including PrideFest and other GLBT functions. But as busy as this local personality is, he still found time to meet me for lunch and talk about being an out and proud gay man on television.

Matt Kailey: You’re working at FOX and 2 The Deuce. How did that come about and how are the shows different?
Chris Parente: They’re owned by the same company. About two years ago, our stations merged, so FOX 31 and 2 The Deuce are owned by the same parent company and we now have the same studios. … There’s a huge FOX set, and right next door, there’s a huge 2 The Deuce set, so I go back and forth between each one.

MK: What are the shows you do?
CP: The four o’clock show (on FOX) is a news show … called Everyday. It started a month ago. It’s a really cool show – it’s mix of a little Oprah, a little Ellen, a little news, The View combo. I do the entertainment anchoring every day on a show called Everyday. Then at 7 p.m. on 2 The Deuce, we have our newscast, and I do the entertainment anchoring on that show, too.

MK: What made you decide to go into broadcast journalism?
CP: I started in 1992 in Indiana, of all places, where being gay is just one notch below communist, vegetarian, pinko and atheist … in a little TV station, and I kind of worked my way up from there. I’ve always loved storytelling, and in essence, that’s what TV is – we’re telling stories. They’re either boring ones or interesting ones, but I love storytelling. And I’m also a performer. I love the visual medium. So it was a logical combination for me to be able to share information, tell stories, have fun, and to do it in a way that can incorporate an element of performance.

MK: You won two local Emmy awards. Where did that happen and what were those for?
CP: Those were both during my time in Louisville, Kentucky, which is a beautiful place. One of them was an investigative piece and one was for a series I did on, of all things, near-death experiences. I’m a big believer that there’s a lot out there and I love exploring that. … And I should say, too, that before I started in TV, my first gig out of school was at Walt Disney World, which you may or may not know – it’s the happiest place on earth. It’s also the gayest place on earth. … It kind of set the pace for me, because at 19 years old – I hadn’t really graduated yet, I just went there for the summer – to be in an environment where being gay was accepted, celebrated, and integrated taught me at an early age that work could be like that. … I owe it all to Mickey Mouse. He helped me come out. Because at that point, once you’re out at work, you’re never going back in. I don’t think you can. So being out at Disney World sort of set the standard for me for all my jobs in TV.

MK: Were you out in your first job in Indiana?
CP: Yes, I was, and that was not easy. A, it was a small town, and B, it was 1993. So it was not nearly as easy and not nearly as accepted. And I did face some snide comments and some discrimination and resistance. That has changed over the years. But I really do feel that, above all else, the best way that we can effect change – I’m a big advocate of lobbyists, I’m a big advocate of changes in the law, I’m a big advocate of marches – but above all, I think being out, open, and who we are is the number one way to change society.

MK: Do you think that being out has limited your career options?
CP: In the past, yes, I do. I think that, when I started, news directors would look at me and pigeonhole me as the quirky gay uncle, really – never to be taken seriously on the anchor desk. Certainly not. And even to this day – not here in Denver, but around the country – there is that perception: ‘Oh, the gay guy? He does the entertainment. The gay guy? He’ll do the fashion.’ There’s still that stigma somewhere in the country. And I’m not just blowing smoke – the employers I work for now – my bosses at FOX and Channel 2 – are the most inclusive, progressive employers I’ve ever worked for. And they’re both straight. It’s an amazing work environment here. … It means a lot that FOX and Channel 2 accept who I am, embrace who I am, and are not afraid. They signed off on this [interview with OFC]. I think that says a lot about being on the edge of forward-thinking business.

MK: There are gay and lesbian journalists here in Colorado and nationally who are not out. What do you think about that?
CP: I do feel like each of us are on our own path. Each of us finds our own way to the top of the mountain. And for some people, in their own personal lives, they’re not ready, they’re not able, they’re not comfortable. That’s their choice. I don’t believe in forcing people out who aren’t ready. … I do think it would make a big difference. I think if you look someone like Ellen – she changed the face of America. Being gay is part of who she is – it’s not who she is in her entirety. I think she’s done more for the gay and lesbian movement just by being proud and open, and I think that others could follow that lead. We won’t name names – (coughs) Anderson Cooper (coughs). But it’s everyone’s personal choice. My choice is to be very out, very proud, because I feel like that does the most good. And that’s the only way I know how to live. If someone else has a different choice, that’s theirs to make.

MK: Do you want me to put in the part about Anderson Cooper?
CP: I don’t know. Can I get sued for that? As long as I can’t get sued. And if it will get me a date with Anderson Cooper, definitely put it in.

MK: What advice would you have for a gay or lesbian person who wants to go into broadcast journalism?
CP: First of all, the media’s changing – in a good way. Much more interactive – Channel 2 and FOX, the Web site is as important as what’s broadcast. It’s evolving, it’s growing. I think it’s a great time – a great time – for gays and lesbians to get in the media. It’s much more accepting than it was back when I started in 1993 – at the age of 10. I’m a big advocate of trying to get more gay and lesbian interns in the newsroom. And that’s something that FOX and 2 have embraced also. In fact, this year we had a gay intern – openly gay journalism student. That’s a big step forward in this business. It all trickles up, because if you can have an internship, you can move on to your first gig. My advice would simply be what my advice was to our intern this summer – to absolutely be 100 percent genuine, bold and who you are. And I think it’s that simple. That will continue to help move the business forward.

MK: What are your plans for the future?
CP: I want a biiiig wedding. First I have to find someone to marry. But then I want a big wedding. And I want it to be recognized, by the way. I want it to be a legally recognized wedding. And I want a family. I would like at least two children. That’s my personal goal. And you’ll put my phone number in this article for inquiries? …
Professionally, I love it here. My bosses at FOX and Channel 2 – I’ve never worked for a better group. That’s why I’d love to stay here in Denver. I’d love to do even more here in Denver. As new shows come up, new opportunities, I’d love to take them. I hope to make Denver home for a long time. It’s beautiful. And where else do you find gay cowboys?

MK: What else would you like to say?
CP: In our community, we talk a lot about supporting the businesses that support us. I think that’s very important – supporting the businesses that support us. And I just want to convey that TV is no different. TV is a business. And I just want our community to know that FOX 31 and 2 The Deuce are extremely inclusive, progressive, gay-friendly places, and that I think we ought to show our support for that by tuning in. They took a risk by supporting me. They took a risk by letting me come here today and do this interview, and they gladly took that risk. So no different from where we shop or who we support for political office, I think it matters if the TV station we’re watching supports the GLBT community. And I just want Denver to know that FOX and Channel 2 do. Plus they air Gossip Girl and America’s Next Top Model – everybody wins!

Watch Chris Parente on FOX 31 and 2 The Deuce.