The Accidental Activist

When the Republican landslide of 1994 propelled her brother, Newt Gingrich, to the top of national politics, Candace Gingrich knew her life would never be the same. Alarmed at the epidemic of gaybashing in America and her own brother's support for antigay legislation, Candace felt she had to act.The Accidental Activistchronicles her journey from being an unknown, part-time truck loader for UPS to a nationally renowned activist for gay rights.Whether she is exposing the hypocrisy in Newt's "family values," discussing the experiences of famous families with gay members, or trying to reconcile her love for her brother with her hatred of his politics, Candace Gingrich's poignant memoir -- now updated with a new epilogue -- reflects her extraordinary candor and courage.

Candace Gingrich received her BA from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She was the Human Rights Campaign's National Coming Out Project Spokesperson for 1995 and, the same year, named one of Esquire's "Women We Love" and Ms. magazine's "Women of the Year." She is currently Spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign's voter mobilization project. The lesbian half-sister of Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, she lives in Washington, D.C.