Debut memoir available now!
An Amazon #1 New Release
feat: CNN, Nightline, Katie Couric media, USA Today, ABC, CBS, Queerty, Out
BREAKING FREE
by
CORY ALLEN
A deeply personal yet candid saga of a gay Secret Service Agent in the Obama era; an agent who was struggling with his own identity, marriage, discrimination, and balancing the demands that accompany being assigned to protect the most powerful people in the world.
Cory Allen delivers an amusing view into his adventurous life, with abundant historical and pop-culture references, twists and turns of his relationships, and an inside look into life as a gay Special Agent in the hyper-masculine career field. Through intense self-reflection he recounts the impacts it had on his life and the hardships imposed by a career in the spotlight.
At the pinnacle of his career, he left the Secret Service to restart his life in California and begin the process of finally being his own person. Struggling to break free from societal norms, creating his identity apart from his all-consuming profession, and learning to listen to intuition are at the heart of this memoir.
Available via Amazon.com, NFBpublishing.com, select bookstores, e-retailers, eBooks and audiobooks (via Audible/iTunes) everywhere!
ISBN-10: 1953610625
ISBN-13: 978-1953610621
“your story is incredible and we are so happy that you shared it with us at @katiecouricmedia”
- Katie Couric
“The memoir raises profound questions about how we become who we are, discover ourselves all at once and then gradually, and how we choose to pursue what we need, together or separately. Sometimes we see in the dark, and sometimes we wait for the sun to risE.
When you read a life story like this, one that illuminates sexual topics of the sort that casual acquaintances don’t usually talk about, it’s like putting on night-vision goggles: Everything and nothing is secret.”
“Cory Allen’s “Breaking Free” is a vulnerable and empowering memoir detailing an often-difficult childhood spent in Pennsylvania and rising through the ranks of a career in law enforcement as a gay man. Allen doesn’t hold back when it comes to detailing his sexual and romantic exploits, including a marriage that ended in divorce and a winding path toward true self-acceptance and the kind of love he’s deserved all along. Highlights include exclusive anecdotes about working as a secret service agent for the Obama family.”
- SH, PrideSource.com
“Breaking Free” challenges preconceived notions about gay relationships and sexuality, shedding light on the diversity within the LGBTQ+ community…By sharing his personal experiences, Allen offers a perspective that can help dispel stereotypes and provide accurate information. The memoir prompts profound reflections on personal growth, the process of self-discovery, and the pursuit of individual needs within relationships.”
“I stood in my kitchen and read the entire book in one night. I read his last words written with a deep breath. I closed the book and my eyes as I shed a tear, said I was sorry for this world we live in and said a prayer for his chapters left unwritten.”
- LDD, Amazon
“It was a journey of Cory’s life of lessons learned and how people and events are placed in his life to help mold the person he is today. I whole heartedly enjoyed reading this book. It was very relatable, enjoyable, and full of emotions.”
- CS, Amazon
“I was deeply moved by Cory's story. He writes with an authentic and earnest voice, making the memoir easy to read and connecting with the author's journey.
While coming out stories are fraught with emotion and compelling…this memoir is much more than that. It is about the dichotomy of having strong, principled values while still learning to create healthy relationships and presenting the authentic self.”
- Patrick, Amazon
“A story many of us can relate to, seeking acceptance and validation from outside, eventually learning that it’s always been inside, full of friends and family we’ll recognize, yet intertwined in an environment most of us never see, full of power brokers and celebrities. Easily readable and entertaining.”
-EF, Amazon
“This wonderful true story articulates that very ups and downs that come with finding oneself. The journey to being who we are as gay, and the friendships we make a long the way. Cory Allen intimately brings along on his journey, his fears, his hopes and his quest for love.”
- TS, Goodreads
Breaking Free in the media:
Orato.world - Gay Secret Service Agent who guarded Obamas write memoir
Rated LGBT Radio - The Confidential Life of a Gay Secret Service Agent-- Revealed!
RVA Mag - Breaking Free: The Inspiring Journey of a Gay Federal Agent
Seattle Gay News - Cory Allen writes about a life in service
HotSpots! Magazine - Cory Allen: A Gay Secret Service Agent's Journey
ABC7 Bay Area interview with Reggie Aqui
Up the Middle - Another Who Lived the Life: Cory Allen, Gay Secret Service Agent
Out Front Magazine - Gay Federal Agent Cory Allen Talks Debut Memoir 'Breaking Free'
Instinct Magazine - Cory Allen Talks Debut Memoir 'Breaking Free'
OutClique Magazine, September 2023 issue, pages 59-60
OutClique Magazine blog, September 2023
Unapologetically Queer - Cory Allen: A Gay Secret Service Agent's Journey
Katie Couric Media - Former Secret Service Agent on Protecting Michelle Obama
Cheddar News - Former Secret Service Agent Shares His Story
WUSA9 - National Coming Out Day: A Story From a Gay Secret Service Agent
NowThis News - Cory Allen Speaks About Being a Gay Man in Law Enforcement
SiriusXM Canada Now with Jeff Sammut - Cory Allen
Queerty - Breaking Free: A gay, former Secret Service Agent tells all
Nightline, ABC News - Breaking Free with Cory Allen
Amber Live - Gay Secret Service Agent Cory Allen Breaking Free
Nicki Swift - What Michelle Obama's Ex Secret Service Agent Says She's Really Like
PrideSource - 'Breaking Free' Changed Everything for This Once-Closeted Secret Service Agent
The First Book: Cory Allen - The Rumpus
Derek and Romaine 2.0 - Cory Allen
Madness Cafe Podcast - Living Two Separate Lives - The Story of a Gay Secret Service Agent
Queer Family Podcast - Gay Secret Service Agent Shares Surrogacy Journey and Challenges
Other aPPEARANCES and musings by Cory
The Gay & Lesbian Review - Coming Out as a Cop
Medium.com - Author Cory Allen
Beloved - Our Aging Parents, by Cory Allen
The Gay & Lesbian Review - Resolve & Resiliency
Out Magazine - Overcoming obstacles to build a blended family
Jess and Ducko Radio (Australia) - Inside the Secret Service
Katie Couric Media - Former Secret Service Agent on Trump’s Rally Shooting
NOVA Late Drive with Ben, Liam, & Belle
The Daly Migs Show Podcast - We talk to a Secret Service Agent
CNN w/ Wolf Blitzer (3:29pm mark)
USA Today Homeland Security Special Edition - Pg 44-45
ABC7 News Bay Area - Donald Trump Assassination Attempt: Former Secret Service Agent
CBC News - ‘Preventable’ : How the Secret Service failed to protect Trump | About That
An Ode to My In-Laws - The Gay & Lesbian Review
Sunrise on 7 (Sydney) - Expert Shares Security Details Ahead of US Election
About CORY
Life has not always been easy for Cory Allen. But sharing his story and finding connections with people who have similar struggles has given his life purpose. Cory, a Supervisory Special Agent, found courage in his own journey as a gay law enforcement officer, but it was when he released his memoir, Breaking Free, that he realized just how much he could give back.
Cory grew up in rural western Pennsylvania and, when his parents divorced, moved to a conservative suburb of Richmond, Virigina. There Cory faced the reality of domestic violence in his own home. He spent 10 years trying to protect his mom from an abusive partner, often being the one who had to call the police to intervene. Those early interactions with law enforcement made a lasting impression as Cory realized how much an officer could help. While in Richmond, Cory worked in the service industry and later tried his hand at music, even traveling to Nashville to record country music, but it didn’t quite stick. He found himself unsure of what he wanted to do, but realized he tended to thrive in a structured environment, so he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force at 21. Suddenly, it seemed natural that he would pursue a career in law enforcement himself, following in the footsteps of several family members, as well as those who showed him kindness as a child.
Becoming a police officer at 24 and then a Special Agent for the U.S. Secret Service felt right to Cory, but it also meant hiding his sexuality. He had to live dual lives: one as an officer and one as a gay man. He worked high level jobs for the U.S. Secret Service, including protection assignments and criminal investigations, and in 2016, Cory received the ultimate assignment as a Secret Service Agent: to protect the Obamas. He spent two years as Michelle Obama’s Secret Service Agent and became part of a tight-knit group who traveled the world together. It felt like an opportunity for Cory to be himself and in 2017 he slowly began coming out to people in his close work family.
“Even now there's an inherent risk in owning my identity because law enforcement is not known for being open minded,” he says. “It's straight, white male dominated. I'm a white male, so I've gotten to this point in my career, undoubtedly, because of some of that. But there was this big hesitation that being out it would stymie my future.”
After leaving the U.S. Secret Service in 2019, Cory moved to Fresno for six months. It was a period of reflection as Cory considered the whirlwind of his past 10 years. He’d worked with the Obamas, met Tom Hanks and Bruce Springsteen, been backstage with Jay-Z and Beyonce, protected the Pope, fanned out on Anderson Cooper, traveled to dozens of cities, and begun to own his identity. He wanted to catalogue it all, at least for his future children. What began as a few notes on his phone quickly became an entire book. Cory moved again, to San Francisco, and when Covid hit he realized he wanted to bring his journey to the world.
Breaking Free: A Saga of Self-Discovery by a Gay Secret Service Agent, Cory’s debut memoir, was released in 2023. Since then, he’s discovered how much sharing his own story has helped others. During a book reading at a local shop, one of the employees was inspired to come out herself. One of his colleagues, who has been in law enforcement for years, confided in Cory that she hopes to eventually find the confidence to come out after hearing him speak about his book. The messages on social media and at events are similar. Cory’s candidness and vulnerability are giving others permission to do the same.
“In this environment that we're in where the LGBTQ+ community is under attack, there's a huge need to be an advocate,” Cory says. “And I'm willing to do that. If I have the platform, then I want to use it. I never imagined myself to be a writer—I was always a creative storyteller—but now I write articles regularly and want to share aspects of my story that could help others feel less alone.”
More recently, Cory has been sharing his surrogacy journey, which he’s been on with his fiancé for more than two years. He’s felt the distinct lack of information about LGBTQ+ family building and the discrimination that gay couples face. Cory wants to be a resource for couples grappling with a similar struggle. It’s been a rocky path, with heart-breaking disappointments and challenges, but Cory is hopeful his family will soon grow. He imagines there’s also a second book to be written from the process.
Ultimately, Cory wants to be a beacon of hope for gay people who face hurdles when coming out. He stands as proof that you can thrive as a proud gay man, especially within the hyper-masculine world of law enforcement. As a kid, Cory’s grandfather was his mentor, hero and role model, but he never had anyone to look up to professionally. Now, he can be that for those who follow in his footsteps.
“It feels so empowering,” he says. “It's humbling, as well. I never thought that I would be in this position where I could help people just by being myself. I joined law enforcement because I want to help and to give back, so it feels amazing to be able to do that in such a meaningful way.”
Bio by Emily Zemler