Steve Gunderson
Encyclopedia
Steven Craig "Steve" Gunderson (born May 10, 1951, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin
) is the President and CEO of the Council on Foundations
and a former Republican
congressman from Wisconsin
.
. After studying at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
, he went on to train at the Brown School of Broadcasting
in Minneapolis.
from 1975 to 1979 before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1980. Representing Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district
, he served eight terms in the House and did not seek re-election to the 105th Congress in 1996. He was appointed by President Barack Obama
to the President's Commission on White House Fellows
in January 2010.
as gay
on the House floor by conservative then-representative Bob Dornan
(R-CA
) during the debate over the federal Defense of Marriage Act, making him one of the first openly gay members of Congress and the first openly gay Republican representative. In the same year, Gunderson was the only Republican in Congress to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act
and since leaving Congress he has been a vocal supporter of gay rights causes.
Although Gunderson drew opposition from some conservatives for his support of gay rights causes, other conservatives later praised him for his advocacy on behalf of expedited immigration rights for the Lao
Hmong
, who had been allied with U.S. war efforts during the Vietnam War
and later faced persecution under the Communist government of Laos
.
In an October 1995 National Review
article, Michael Johns
, a former Republican White House
aide and Heritage Foundation
policy analyst, praised Gunderson's efforts in behalf of the Hmong, quoting Gunderson as telling a Hmong gathering in Wisconsin: "I do not enjoy standing up and saying to my government that you are not telling the truth, but if that is necessary to defend truth and justice, I will do that." Republicans also called several Congressional hearings on alleged persecution of the Hmong in Laos in an apparent attempt to generate further support for their opposition to the Hmong's repatriation to Laos. Led by Gunderson and other Hmong advocates in Congress, the Clinton administration
's policy of forced repatriation of the Hmong was ultimately overturned and thousands were granted U.S. immigration rights.
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Eau Claire is a city located in the west-central part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 65,883 as of the 2010 census, making it the largest municipality in the northwestern portion of the state, and the 9th largest in the state overall. It is the county seat of Eau Claire County,...
) is the President and CEO of the Council on Foundations
Council on Foundations
The Council on Foundations, formed in 1949, is a nonprofit membership association of grantmaking foundations and corporations. Members of the Council include more than 1,750 independent, operating, community, public, and company-sponsored foundations, and corporate giving programs in the United...
and a former Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
congressman from Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
.
Early years
Gunderson grew up near Whitehall, WisconsinWhitehall, Wisconsin
Whitehall is a city in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Trempealeau River. The population was 1,651 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Trempealeau County....
. After studying at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, he went on to train at the Brown School of Broadcasting
Brown College (Minnesota)
Brown College is a for-profit school and is a subsidiary of Career Education Corporation. It is located in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, near Minneapolis/St. Paul...
in Minneapolis.
Political career
Gunderson served in the Wisconsin State AssemblyWisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin....
from 1975 to 1979 before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1980. Representing Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district
Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district
Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district is a U.S. congressional district covering much of southwestern and western Wisconsin; it is the second-largest congressional district by area in Wisconsin...
, he served eight terms in the House and did not seek re-election to the 105th Congress in 1996. He was appointed by President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
to the President's Commission on White House Fellows
White House Fellows
The White House Fellows program was established by President of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson in October 1964. President Johnson articulated that the mission of the program was "to give the Fellows first hand, high-level experience with the workings of the federal government and to increase...
in January 2010.
Opposed and then supported by conservatives
In 1994, Gunderson was outedOuting
Outing is the act of disclosing a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person's true sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent. Outing gives rise to issues of privacy, choice, hypocrisy, and harm in addition to sparking debate on what constitutes common good in efforts...
as gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
on the House floor by conservative then-representative Bob Dornan
Bob Dornan
Robert Kenneth "Bob" Dornan is a Republican and former member of the United States House of Representatives from California and a vocal advocate of pro-life and social conservative causes....
(R-CA
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) during the debate over the federal Defense of Marriage Act, making him one of the first openly gay members of Congress and the first openly gay Republican representative. In the same year, Gunderson was the only Republican in Congress to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act
Defense of Marriage Act
The Defense of Marriage Act is a United States federal law whereby the federal government defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Under the law, no U.S. state may be required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state...
and since leaving Congress he has been a vocal supporter of gay rights causes.
Although Gunderson drew opposition from some conservatives for his support of gay rights causes, other conservatives later praised him for his advocacy on behalf of expedited immigration rights for the Lao
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
Hmong
Hmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
, who had been allied with U.S. war efforts during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and later faced persecution under the Communist government of Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
.
In an October 1995 National Review
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
article, Michael Johns
Michael Johns (executive)
Michael Johns is an American health care executive, former federal government of the United States official and conservative policy analyst and writer.-Biography:...
, a former Republican White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
aide and Heritage Foundation
Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...
policy analyst, praised Gunderson's efforts in behalf of the Hmong, quoting Gunderson as telling a Hmong gathering in Wisconsin: "I do not enjoy standing up and saying to my government that you are not telling the truth, but if that is necessary to defend truth and justice, I will do that." Republicans also called several Congressional hearings on alleged persecution of the Hmong in Laos in an apparent attempt to generate further support for their opposition to the Hmong's repatriation to Laos. Led by Gunderson and other Hmong advocates in Congress, the Clinton administration
Presidency of Bill Clinton
The United States Presidency of Bill Clinton, also known as the Clinton Administration, was the executive branch of the federal government of the United States from January 20, 1993 to January 20, 2001. Clinton was the first Democratic president since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win a second full term...
's policy of forced repatriation of the Hmong was ultimately overturned and thousands were granted U.S. immigration rights.
Personal
Gunderson wrote the 1996 book House and Home. He currently lives in Arlington, Virginia, with his partner, Jonathan Stevens.Published works
- House and Home, E. P. DuttonE. P. DuttonE. P. Dutton was an American book publishing company founded as a book retailer in Boston, Massachusetts in 1852 by Edward Payson Dutton. In 1986, the company was acquired by Penguin Group and split into two imprints: Dutton Penguin and Dutton Children's Books.-History:Edward Payson Dutton founded...
, 1996, ISBN 978-0525941972 (with Rob Morris and Bruce BawerBruce BawerBruce Bawer is an American literary critic, writer and poet. His work focuses mainly on criticism and issues related to Islam.-Personal life:Bawer received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D...
)