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 credit: Emily Zemler
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