A political war is raging in the United States between two groups once considered radical, even marginal, by most Americans: the religious right and the gay movement. Perfect Enemies reveals why this conflict has moved to the center of political debate and become a pivotal issue in elections at all levels.

In Perfect Enemies, Chris Bull and John Gallagher trace the origins and growth of both groups from the seminal year of 1969, when the Stonewall Riots ushered in the modern gay rights movement and when Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell embarked on direct political action to bring strict biblical interpretation to bear on public policy.

The skillful grassroots organizational efforts of both movements, based on a mutual demonization of each side by the other, resulted in growing political clout that developed under the radar of mainstream political commentators - and exploded upon the scene in a series of bitter and, to most Americans, bewildering political conflicts.

From President Clinton's aborted pledge to lift the ban on gays and lesbians in the armed forces to the statewide antigay initiatives in Oregon, Colorado, and Maine, Bull and Gallagher offer the first comprehensive account of the rhetoric and strategies - often remarkably alike - of both sides, and of how the mutual passion of these perfect enemies is influencing electoral politics from the state houses to the White House.