Unprotected: A Memoir

Broadway and television star Porter lays bare his traumatic upbringing and path toward healing in his revelatory debut. He writes in an intimate, conversational style, leaping from past to present and pairing his reflections on growing up gay in the 1970s with living through the AIDS epidemic and the deep pain and fear of the Trump presidency and Covid-19 pandemic. Those who know Porter from his Grammy and Emmy award–winning roles in Kinky Boots and the TV show Pose will relish the insider look at those productions and marvel at the tribulations Porter overcame to get there—from his sexual abuse by his stepfather to the racism and homophobia he encountered in the entertainment world. Just as captivating are the ways in which Porter advocated for himself—“I will be singing everything up the octave until this issue is resolved,” he told directors in response to being asked to sing in a key below his register—earning him a “difficult” reputation among white gatekeepers in the industry and leading him to fight harder for space on the stage. Haunting and inspirational, this is both a powerful indictment of the lasting harms of bigotry and an immensely moving account of moving forward. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Oct.)