Nationality American Spouse Rebecca Jones (m. 2009) Role Speaker | Name Candace Gingrich | |
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Books The Accidental Activist: A Personal and Political Memoir Parents Kathleen Daughterty, Robert Gingrich Siblings Newt Gingrich, Susan Gingrich, Randy McPherson, Roberta Brown Gingrich Nieces Jackie Gingrich Cushman, Kathy Lubbers | ||
HRC's Candace Gingrich to Newt "Back Off of Harry Knox"
Candace Gingrich (; born June 2, 1966) is an American LGBT rights activist at the Human Rights Campaign. They are the half-sibling of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who is more than 20 years their senior.
Contents
- HRCs Candace Gingrich to Newt Back Off of Harry Knox
- Biography
- Professional work
- Public appearances
- Personal
- References
Biography
Candace Gingrich was born to Robert and Kathleen (Daugherty) Gingrich on June 2, 1966. Candace attended high school at Central Dauphin East High School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1989.
Professional work
Although Gingrich's sexual orientation was publicly reported on as early as 1994, they first gained significant press attention in 1995 as a spokesperson for gay rights. They served as the Human Rights Campaign's National Coming Out Project Spokesperson for 1995 and was named one of Esquire's "Women We Love" and "Women of the Year" for Ms. magazine. They are currently the Senior Manager of the Human Rights Campaign's Youth & Campus Outreach, as well as the Human Rights Campaign's HRC University Internship Program coordinator. Their autobiography, Accidental Activist: A Personal and Political Memoir, was released in 1996.
Public appearances
They have guest-starred on the television sitcom Friends in January 1996, in which they officiated over a commitment ceremony for two recurring characters in the episode "The One With the Lesbian Wedding." They also appeared on the debut of Al Franken's TV program Lateline in 1998.
Gingrich endorsed President Barack Obama in 2012, despite their half-brother's running for the Republican nomination.
Personal
As a "lesbian-identified genderqueer [person]," Candace uses they/them pronouns. They married playwright Rebecca Jones in 2009. The Gingrich-Joneses lived in Hyattsville, Maryland, where Candace played rugby with the Washington Furies. In 2013 it was reported the couple were divorcing.