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“I am, and have been—first, last, and always—a child of America.”
This quote appears in Chapter Fourteen in the speech that Alex gives after his relationship with Henry has been leaked to the press by the Richards campaign. Here, Alex officially comes out to the country and owns how much he loves Henry while asking the nation to focus on its future and the upcoming election. To many, the phrase “child of America” invokes the stereotypical image of Americanness that thrived for centuries, a person who is often white and straight. By claiming his identity as a child of America, Alex, in many ways, redefines what it means to be American. He identifies with the countless other children of America who are afraid to come out because they might be judged, harmed, or murdered. He emphasizes that his and Henry’s love is as strong and true as other famous political couples. He drives home the point that his bisexuality doesn’t make him any less of a citizen, nor does it in any way impact his mother’s ability to lead the nation, emphasizing that the definition of what it means to be a true American has changed.
