James Hormel: Private Struggles & Public Battles

James Hormel was brought up among privilege and with high expectations. In the face of opposition from family, friends and society at large, he had the courage to be himself, meeting those expectations on his own terms. Despite personal despair and family anguish, Hormel came out of the closet to battle homophobia, losing many friends to AIDS, and went on to become an antiwar activist and the first openly gay United States Ambassador, serving during the Clinton administration.