Fit to serve : reflections on a secret life, private struggle, and public battle to become the first openly gay U.S. ambassador
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

James C. Hormel--a man who grew up feeling different, not only because his family built the SPAM meatpacking "empire" and lived in the only mansion in his small Midwestern town, but because he was gay at a time when homosexuality was not mentioned, let alone accepted. Outwardly, he tried to live up to the life his parents wanted for him--he was a successful professional, married to a lovely woman, and father of five children--but as the 1960s reshaped the American psyche, Hormel felt that he could no longer hide his true self. He became an antiwar activist, fought homophobia, lost half his friends to AIDS, and set out to become America's first openly gay ambassador, a position he finally won during the Clinton administration. Today, Hormel continues to fight for LGBT equality and gay marriage rights. His passionate story will inspire you to fight for fairness and for your own version of the American Dream.--From publisher description.