James McGreevey Quotes

A collection of quotes by James McGreevey.

James McGreevey is an American politician who served as the 52nd Governor of New Jersey from January 2002 until his resignation in August 2004. Born on August 6, 1957, in Jersey City, New Jersey, McGreevey attended Columbia University and earned a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Prior to becoming governor, McGreevey served in various political roles, including Mayor of Woodbridge Township and as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly. As Governor, he prioritized issues such as education reform, open space preservation, and improving transportation infrastructure. He also advocated for the expansion of healthcare access.

However, his term was marked by controversy when he publicly announced that he was a "gay American" and admitted to having an extramarital affair with a man named Golan Cipel, who was also an appointee in his administration. Subsequently, McGreevey decided to step down from office, making him the first openly gay governor in U.S. history.

After leaving politics, McGreevey embarked on a new path as an advocate for prisoner reentry and rehabilitation. He served as the executive director of the Jersey City Employment and Training Program and also taught a course on prisoner reentry at Kean University. McGreevey's life journey and personal transformation have been the subject of documentaries and he continues to be active in organizing programs to support former prisoners in their successful reintegration into society.

No relief was forthcoming from my then-Catholic faith, which

No relief was forthcoming from my then-Catholic faith, which said the practice of homosexuality was a 'mortal sin' subject to damnation.

James McGreevey

Faith

But being in the closet uniquely assisted me in politics. Fr

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.

James McGreevey

Politics

Inauthenticity is endemic in American politics today. The po

Inauthenticity is endemic in American politics today. The political backrooms where I spent much of my career were just as benighted as my personal life, equally crowded with shadowy strangers and compromises, truths I hoped to deny. I lived not in one closet but in many.

James McGreevey

Politics

You know for many elected officials they all started in the

You know for many elected officials they all started in the same place. You know marriage is between a man and a woman, but they understand that they are moving inevitably, catching up to the American public.

James McGreevey

Marriage

Nothingever happened on this globe, for good, at which some

Nothingever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the onset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have a malady in the less attractive forms.

Charles Dickens

Dad

We are losing sight of civility in government and politics.

We are losing sight of civility in government and politics. Debate and dialogue is taking a back seat to the politics of destruction and anger and control. Dogma has replaced thoughtful discussion between people of differing views.

James McGreevey

Anger

I realized that my truest passion was for helping people cha

I realized that my truest passion was for helping people change through faith in a higher power. That meant, for me, belonging to the church. Using my abilities to bring Christian doctrine to a postmodern world.

James McGreevey

Faith

Civil union is less than marriage. Marriage is a sacred and

Civil union is less than marriage. Marriage is a sacred and valued institution and ought to be afforded equal protection.

James McGreevey

Marriage

The arc of American history almost inevitably moves toward f

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.

James McGreevey

Freedom

For me, living in the closet corroded my ability to have an

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.

James McGreevey

Relationship

I'm on the board of a national group called Faith in America

I'm on the board of a national group called Faith in America. It's designed to fight religious-based bigotry.

James McGreevey

Faith

I kept a steel wall around my moral and sexual instincts - p

I kept a steel wall around my moral and sexual instincts - protecting them, I thought, from the threats of the real world. This gave me a tremendous advantage in politics, if not in my soul. The true me, my spiritual core, slipped further and further from reach.

James McGreevey

Politics