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Friday, May 20, 2016

Were Lincoln And Other U.S. Presidents Gay Or Bisexual?

Dear Janet,

Twenty years ago I read a brief, illustrated biography of Lincoln that referred to a bed Abe shared (for four years) with lawyer Joshua Fry Speed (whose brother went on to be Lincoln's Attorney General).

As I remember the book's treatment of this relationship, sleeping together was represented as a money-saving convenience that was pretty much standard operating procedure.

At the time I didn't think twice.

Now that I've come across the sizable literature devoted to the possibility -- if not the likelihood - of Lincoln's same-sex relationships, I'm struck by my lack of speculation.

Was Abraham Lincoln Gay?

Has this issue come to your attention before?

Love

Alan

PS Speculation of same-sex relationship hovers around eleven U.S. presidents although indications of James Buchanan's homosexuality seem most substantial. 



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