James McGreevey Quotes

The Arc Of American History Almost Inevitably Moves Toward Freedom. Whether It's Lincoln And The Emancipation Proclamation, The Expansion Of Women's Rights Or, Now, Gay Rights, I Think There Is An Almost-inevitable March Toward Greater Civil Liberties.

As A Child, Recognizing My Difference From Other Kids, I Went To The Local Public Library To Try To Better Understand My Reality. Back Then, Many Library Card Catalogues Didn't Even List 'homosexuality' As A Topic.

But Being In The Closet Uniquely Assisted Me In Politics. From My First Run For The State Legislature Until My Election As Governor, All Too Often I Was Not Leading But Following My Best Guess At Public Opinion.

I Engaged In An Adult Consensual Affair With Another Man.

Of All My False Identities, The Strategies In My Campaign To Be Accepted, Being A Sworn Republican Is The Hardest To Explain. In My Later Political Life, I Can Only Be Described As A Kennedy Democrat, Eager To Pursue Equitable Treatment For The Least Fortunate.

At Different Points In My Life, I Had Grappled With The Idea Of Going Into The Priesthood - In High School Or Law School. Where It Ends, I'm Not Quite Sure. Perhaps It Ends With Death, Grappling With One's Spirituality.

As I Climbed The Electoral Ladder - From State Assemblyman To Mayor Of Woodbridge And Finally To Governor Of New Jersey - Political Compromises Came Easy To Me Because I'd Learned How To Keep A Part Of Myself Innocent Of Them.

More Than Anything Else I Recall Being, Or Trying Very Deliberately To Be, A Perfect Child. Not A Goody Two-shoes, But A Kid Who Did Good, Who Worked Hard And Met Every Expectation. I Strove To Achieve In The Excessive Way That Psychotherapists Tend To Regard With Concern.

I Have Two Extraordinary Daughters, Who, I Can Say Proudly, Are Doing Very Well In School And In Piano. Daughters Are A Father's Joy.

I've Never Been Much For Self-revelation. In Two Decades Of Public Life, I Always Approached The Limelight With Extreme Caution. Not That I Kept My Personal Life Off-limits; Rather, The Personal Life I Put On Display Was A Blend Of Fact And Fiction.

Civil Union Is Less Than Marriage. Marriage Is A Sacred And Valued Institution And Ought To Be Afforded Equal Protection.

For Me, Living In The Closet Corroded My Ability To Have An Honest, Open Relationship With My God, My Loved Ones, My Constituency And Myself.