ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Well, that was a book and a process. I’m so grateful to my family, friends, and colleagues who helped make writing this possible. First, I couldn’t have done any of this had it not been for the amazing team at Crown Archetype, my kind, thoughtful, patient, and spectacular editor Jen Schuster, and the stellar broader editorial team of Trish Boczkowski and Jon Darga, as well as Kathleen, Tammy, Julie, Kathryn, and Maya in the marketing and publicity departments. At a certain point in the writing process, it felt like I was in the middle of the ocean, no land in sight, and unsure of whether I was going in the right direction. But Jen (and Trish and Jon while Jen was out) were my North Stars.

A huge set of thanks to my agent, Katie Zanecchia. I don’t know what I would have done had it not been for her careful read of so many drafts from the proposal to the final manuscript and her reassurances during my frequent flare-ups of impostor syndrome.

Endless thanks and love to my parents, Sally and Dave McBride, for being the most loving and caring people in the world. Nothing I do in this life would be possible without their love and support. As I say in the book, I lucked out in the parent lottery! A big thanks to Andy’s parents, Ardis, Richard, Steve, and Debbie, and the whole Cray-Sweeney crew. A huge “I love you” to my brothers and their significant others, Sean McBride and Blake Marks Landro and Dan McBride and Jamie Prater. I’m eternally indebted to my friends who have been by my side through so much, putting up with me interviewing many of them about memories and, generously, not rolling their eyes when I updated them on the book: Read Scott, Helen Boyer, Mat Marshall, Harry Berger, Liz Richards, Jaelyn Brown, Sarah Fulton, Alanna Mozeik, Tracey Ross, Sarah Baron, Kendall Bills, Wes Garson, Erin Fitzgerald, Kelsey Pacha, Heather Butt, Jaimie Ermak, Kat Skiles, Kaela Jeffers, Bishop Gene Robinson, Joe Ste.Marie, Erika Zois, Chelsea Babcock, Riley Fujisaki, Taylor Yeates, Eric Reath, Adam Daniel-Wayman, Brett Atanasio, Palak Gosar, Dr. Laura Durso, Sharita Gruberg, Kellan Baker, Rebecca Fox, Jose Morales, Liz Glaser, Mara Keisling, Lisa Mottet, Lisa Goodman, and Mark Purpura.

I couldn’t have written this thing and kept my job had it not been for my accommodating, tireless, fearless, and effective colleagues at the Human Rights Campaign, in particular, Liz Halloran, Jay Brown, Chris Sgro, Chad Griffin, Olivia Alair Dalton, David Stacy, and J. Dee Winterhof. I’ll never forget my former colleague at the Center for American Progress, Lauren Vicary, who told me years ago to write a book.

I’m so in awe of our former vice president, Joe Biden, for his leadership and compassion, and grateful for his willingness to write the foreword to this book. I can’t imagine what my ten-year-old self would say if I had been told then that this would happen. I’m still freaking out. Thank you to Gautam Raghavan and Louisa Terrell at the Biden Foundation. Sonia Sloan is an inspiring advocate in Delaware, and she was instrumental in the beginning stages of the foreword.

Had it not been for the incomparable Roddy Flynn and the LGBT Equality Caucus, who invited me to speak at the convention—with, of course, the permission of Hillary Clinton and her team—this whole adventure would have never been set into motion.

I feel privileged to have been mentored by two amazing leaders, Jack Markell and the late Beau Biden. They took me under their wings, gave unique opportunities to a cringe-worthy seventeen-year-old, and supported me before and after I came out. A quick shout-out to the Great State of Delaware for being small but mighty, and for always feeling like home.

Finally, to Andy, my bean, I love you forever and ever. I miss you every day. I think about you always. I perpetually ask myself, “What Would Andy Do?” I would give anything to have you back.

I hope I’ve made you proud.