Stranger Among Friends [Paperback]

David Mixner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2, 1997

"From my fear of coming out to coming on strong in the struggle for human rights, this is my American journey, the story of an outsider on the inside, a gay man proudly committed to a life of standing up for freedom.

"President Clinton and I were born three days apart.  We had both dreamed of serving our country.  There was one difference:  He could pursue his dream, while I felt I could not.  The President was born straight and I was born gay."

In this stirring personal history, one of America's most influential gay rights advocates recounts his extraordinary career as a policy maker and adviser to the major political leaders of our time, and his own often anguishing, ultimately triumphant life as a gay man.  A longtime personal friend of Bill Clinton, in Stranger Among Friends David Mixner offers an insider's look at the power struggles that occur every day in our nation's capital and candid insights on the Clinton administration's successes and failures.  Spanning three decades of human rights activism--from the behind-the-scenes negotiations to the painful betrayals to the hard-won victories--his forthright story unflinchingly explores what it means to be an outsider on the inside, and sends a message of hope to all who have ever stood up for what they believe.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In the sixties, David Mixner became an activist in the civil rights and anti-war movements, then emerged in the seventies as an influential Washington insider. Unknown to his comrades, he was also a closet homosexual, so scared of exposure he let hardly anyone know his secret. With good reason: when he came out in 1977 he lost a lot of his political clout. Undeterred he marched on a new crusade--gay liberation. He returned to national prominence as a political activist when he led a hugely successful drive in the gay community to elect his long-time friend Bill Clinton. That relationship, which has been bittersweet through Clinton's presidency, is one of the fascinating sidelights in this memoir of a radical life. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Mixner, an openly gay campaign strategist and fund-raiser for Bill Clinton, mobilized gay and lesbian support for Clinton's presidential race, so he felt a deep sense of betrayal when the President, his longtime friend, abandoned his promise to lift the ban on homosexuals in the military. This impassioned, absorbing memoir charts the gay and lesbian community's deteriorating relationship with the Clinton administration, as Mixner reveals how, as a senior adviser to the president, his public opposition on national television to Clinton's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military made him a pariah to the White House staff. Mixner, who grew up poor on a New Jersey farm, was active in the civil rights movement and was a leading anti-Vietnam War activist. His coming out, a long, difficult process, culminated in 1976 when, at age 30, he told his horrified parents he was gay. He writes movingly of his lover/business partner's death from AIDS, discusses his work as AIDS activist and campaign strategist for Clinton and George McGovern and muses on the pressures of being gay in a homophobic straight world.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (June 2, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553375547
• ISBN-13: 978-0553375541
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,388,756 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, April 22, 2006

By 

Trevor Hunter "Trevor" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stranger Among Friends (Paperback)

In this day of the modern Gay Rights Movement, no biography captures the true story of someone moderately simple, becoming the voice of a fantastic mission with true, heartfelt passion for the equality of gays and lesbians. Full of pathos, life lessons, screw-ups, ironies and inspiration that truly reflects the dichotomy of living as an evolving gay man during the sexual revolution, Reagan-Era AIDS, and the Clinton Era of Inclusion against the backdrop of a hidden sex life. I was glad to know this story!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A timelessly inspirational, extraordinary life, September 24, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stranger Among Friends (Hardcover)

I have always admired David's courage and dedication to his causes. I recently re-read this book and found it to be just as inspirational now as it was in 1996. It gives a deep sense of perspective to the political movements of the '60s and '70 that is just fascinating. It then paints a spellbinding portrait of the Gay Rights Movement. Most important, however, "Stranger" is a Profile in Courage of an extraordinary man who has helped all Americans who pursue "Liberty and Justice for ALL. I re-read "Stranger Among Friends" as I was completing my most recent book "Pathways to Inner Peace" and it gave me just what I was looking for -- a dose of courage to continue helping others. (Rev. Jim Webb, author of "Pathways to Inner Peace").

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth Reading, March 25, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Stranger Among Friends (Hardcover)

A very interesting account of a political activist who staked his hopes on the Clinton presidency to write the executive order permitting gays in the military. He was instrumental in organizing the gay community in support of the Clinton campaign. Intertwined in the political activism is Mixner's account of his own homophobia and his difficult times in coming to terms with his sexual orientation. A long time friend of Clinton, Mixner belived he would keep his promise to overturn the ban on gays in the military. The rest is history, including their former rather close relationship.