House and home

by Steve Gunderson

House and Home is an extraordinary story: the personal account of the only openly gay Republican congressman in history, along with the man who shares his life and has helped form his political vision. This important and provocative book, written by him and his lover, Rob Morris, tells the story of Steve Gunderson's growing up gay in Wisconsin, his refusal to accept his sexuality for years, and his reluctance to publicly acknowledge it until well into a successful career in politics. It chronicles both the pain and the liberation of coming out, and what it meant in terms of effectiveness in Congress and in the challenge of winning reelection in the face of strident attacks from the religious right. It recounts the reactions of his Republican congressional colleagues, ranging from savagely vituperative to warmly and sometimes surprisingly supportive. And it describes what it was like when Steve and Rob were invited to dine at the Clinton White House.