LGBTQIA+ Advocates

Tim Miller is an openly gay American political commentator, writer and former Republican strategist. He has built an unusual career at the intersection of American conservative politics and LGBTQIA+ identities. Now a writer-at-large and host at The Bulwark, Miller emerged as one of the most recognisable voices in the Never Trump movement after years in Republican politics.

Tim Miller was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on December 25, 1981, and raised in Denver, Colorado. He attended Regis Jesuit High School before studying political science and journalism at George Washington University. After university, Miller entered Republican politics, working on numerous campaigns, including those of Jon Huntsman, John McCain and Jeb Bush. He later served as a spokesman for the Republican National Committee and as communications director for Jeb Bush’s 2016 presidential campaign. He also founded America Rising, a Republican opposition research organisation.

Tim came out as gay in 2007, while already working professionally in Republican politics. His decision to live openly as a gay man in conservative political circles was not without risk. Miller has spoken publicly about how the controversy surrounding Republican Senator Larry Craig’s 2007 arrest helped shape his decision to come out. Rather than hide his sexuality to protect his career, Miller chose to be honest about who he was.

In 2016, Miller’s political world changed dramatically. After Donald Trump won the Republican presidential primary and was elected, Tim became an outspoken critic of Trump. He eventually emerged as one of the most prominent Republican voices in the Never Trump movement. He worked with organisations seeking to prevent Trump’s nomination. He later became a leading voice arguing that the Republican Party had abandoned many of the principles that had originally attracted him to conservatism. In 2020, he formally announced that he was leaving the Republican Party.

Miller has since become a writer-at-large for The Bulwark and, from 2024, has hosted The Bulwark Podcast. He is also a political analyst and the author of Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell. Tim has long spoken openly about being gay, his marriage to his husband, Tyler Jameson, and their life as fathers to their adopted daughter. His willingness to discuss his family publicly helps challenge political stereotypes that portray LGBTQIA+ people as belonging to a single political or cultural world.

Tim shows that LGBTQIA+ advocacy can come from many places and from people with very different backgrounds. Even if you do not share his views or understand his perspective or political position, you can still acknowledge the human drive to be authentic to yourself. Tim did not begin his career as an activist; he began as a young man working within Republican politics while trying to build a successful career without hiding who he was.

Tim’s decision to come out, build a family openly, and eventually speak out publicly against the political movement he sees as a threat to democracy and the rights of marginalised people has made his voice particularly distinctive. Tim Miller reminds us that LGBTQIA+ people do not belong to one political party, profession, or way of life. His life shows the importance of authenticity, courage, and the willingness to change when one’s convictions demand it. Tim, we love you.