Candace Gingrich
As the lesbian half-sibling of a conservative powerhouse, Candace Gingrich used her unique platform to become a fierce and visible advocate for LGBT equality.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American LGBT rights activist·Birthday: June 2·Generation X
Biography
Candace Gingrich became a press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign in 1995, the same year her half-brother Newt Gingrich became Speaker of the House. She used her family connection to advocate for LGBT rights during a period of intense partisan conflict over issues like the Defense of Marriage Act. She testified before Congress and spoke at rallies across the country, presenting a personal narrative that challenged assumptions about conservative families and gay identity. In 1996, she published 'The Accidental Activist,' detailing her journey from private citizen to public advocate. She later served as senior manager for youth and campus organizing at HRC. Gingrich's visibility helped humanize the LGBT rights movement for audiences skeptical of its goals. She retired from HRC in 2020 after 25 years of advocacy.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Candace was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Candace Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Candace's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the Human Rights Campaign's National Coming Out Project Manager, empowering LGBT individuals to live openly.
- Became a prominent national spokesperson for LGBT rights during the 1990s, leveraging her unique family background.
- Testified before Congress in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).
- Authored the book 'The Accidental Activist', detailing her experiences.
Did You Know?
She is an avid motorcyclist and has participated in charity rides.
Gingrich worked as a lobbyist for the Human Rights Campaign.
She is significantly younger than her half-brother Newt Gingrich.
“Coming out is a political act, and visibility is our most powerful tool.”
