Andrew Michael Sullivan is a writer, editor, political commentator, and one of the world's most widely read bloggers. A pioneer in the field of political blogging, he started his own political blog, andrewsullivan.com's Daily Dish in 2000. He soon developed a large online leadership and became one of the most popular bloggers in the world. The success of his blog spurred him to move it to various publishing platforms including the TheAtlantic.com and TheDailyBeast.com. The influential blogger announced his retirement from blogging in 2015, disappointing millions of his loyal followers. A highly educated man, he began his career with ‘The New Republic’ magazine, eventually becoming its editor, and under his editorship the magazine produced some groundbreaking journalism. Bold, outspoken and sometimes brash, he is as well-known for his penchant for kindling controversies as he is famous for his exceptional literary skills. Openly gay, he identifies himself as a member of the gay "bear community" and is a strong supporter of gay marriage. Diagnosed as HIV-positive in the 1990s, he remains in good health today. Sullivan was born and brought up in England though he has been living in the United States since 1984. For many years he was denied US citizenship because of his HIV-positive status though he was eventually successful in obtaining it.