1983 congressional scandal
20th century gay politicians
A01=Mark Robert Schneider
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AIDS research funding Congress
American fishermen protection laws
Author_Mark Robert Schneider
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Cape Cod congressional district
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Central America wars opposition
coming out in politics
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first openly gay congressman
fishing legislation
gay congressmen history
gay history and American politics
gay marriage pioneers
gay marriage rights
gay political representation
gay rights political history
gays in the military movement
Gerry Studds and AIDS activism
Gerry Studds biography
House of Representatives history
Language_English
LGBTQ elected officials
LGBTQ history Massachusetts
LGBTQ leaders in U.S. government
LGBTQ pioneers in politics
LGBTQ rights 1980s and 1990s
LGBTQ rights in Congress
LGBTQ trailblazers
marine conservation politics
marriage equality
Massachusetts congressional history
military service equality
New Bedford politics
New England political figures
openly gay politicians
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political courage in Congress
political scandals
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Reagan era opposition
softlaunch
South Shore political history
Studds and AIDS policy leadership
Studds and government transparency
Studds and LGBTQ military service
Studds and the gay rights movement
Studds and the House page scandal
Studds reelection campaign
U.S. gay political leaders
U.S. LGBTQ political history
Product details
- ISBN 9781625342850
- Weight: 480g
- Dimensions: 157 x 233mm
- Publication Date: 23 May 2017
- Publisher: University of Massachusetts Press
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Paperback
- Language: English
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Representative Gerry Studds served the Massachusetts South Shore, Cape Cod, and New Bedford congressional district from 1973 to 1997. During his first decade in the House he helped pass legislation that protected American fishermen from overfishing by international boats and limited President Ronald Reagan’s wars in Central America.
The defining moment of his career, however, came in 1983, when he was censured by the House for having had an affair with a page ten years previously. On the floor of Congress, Studds confessed to having behaved inappropriately and then courageously declared that he was a gay man— becoming the country’s first openly gay member of Congress. Defying all expectations, Studds won reelection in a bruising campaign. For the rest of his career, he remained loyal to his constituents’ concerns while also championing AIDS research and care, leading the effort in Congress to allow gays and lesbians to serve in the military, and opposing the Defense of Marriage Act. Once a deeply conflicted man, he ultimately found a balance between his public service and his private life, which included a happy, legally recognized marriage.
The defining moment of his career, however, came in 1983, when he was censured by the House for having had an affair with a page ten years previously. On the floor of Congress, Studds confessed to having behaved inappropriately and then courageously declared that he was a gay man— becoming the country’s first openly gay member of Congress. Defying all expectations, Studds won reelection in a bruising campaign. For the rest of his career, he remained loyal to his constituents’ concerns while also championing AIDS research and care, leading the effort in Congress to allow gays and lesbians to serve in the military, and opposing the Defense of Marriage Act. Once a deeply conflicted man, he ultimately found a balance between his public service and his private life, which included a happy, legally recognized marriage.
Mark Robert Schneider teaches history at Boston area colleges and universities. He is the author of numerous books, including most recently Joe Moakley’s Journey: From South Boston to El Salvador.
