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Most gay men celebrate their coming out experience with increasing self-confidence and visibility (sometimes followed by a dark period that could be dubbed the "Fiesta Cantina stage"), and How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris is no exception. On the heels of flamboyant moves like starring in internet musicals and dressing up as a shoe fairy, the universally-adored actor has finally lost his gay press virginity, consenting to his first cover story in Out magazine. Though he admits to some trepidation (mostly fearing that his words will be taken out of context — why, who would do that?), he's not afraid to express his affection for a certain gray-haired anchorman:

OUT: And they love a gay cohost over there at Regis and Kelly. You, Sam Champion, Anderson Cooper... NPH: Mmmmmmmm. Anderson. He’s dreamy. Just dreamy...

...I’ve been a fan of his since season 1 of The Mole. I just thought he was so cool when he talked in this cool, low, secret-agent voice — “If you can accomplish this task...” Listen, no one can tell anyone how big their steps should be or when they can take them. You can take issue with someone making overtly denying statements, and you can take issue with people straight-up presenting themselves as someone that they’re not...But again — to speak to the public nature of things — it is in our capacity to respect the job descriptions that people have separate from the life that they live. And I don’t care about the person on the news…I literally tune in to hear the news. I might find them dreamy, but I don’t really need to know much more about them.

A suggestion for Joss Whedon: once you're finished leaking animated Buffy clips to the next, might we suggest a new musical number for the inevitable Dr. Horrible 2? Make it a love duet, sung between NPH's Dr. Horrible and the new apple of his eye: the villainous, silver-haired Thief of Hearts.