Secret City

In 'Secret City,' James Kirchick chronicles the hidden history of the gay community in Washington, D.C.

, and its profound impact on American politics.

The book begins with the story of Sumner Welles, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s diplomatic advisor, and explores how cultural and political anxiety over gay people led to a decades-long witch hunt.

This anxiety influenced various aspects of American history, including the rivalry between the CIA and FBI, the ascent of Joseph McCarthy, the struggle for Black civil rights, and the rise of the conservative movement.

Kirchick’s work is based on thousands of pages of declassified documents, interviews with over a hundred people, and material from presidential libraries and archives, offering a detailed and intimate look at the intersection of gay history and American politics.