Abraham Lincoln’s sex life, including theories that he had homosexual relationships with men, is explored in a new documentary.
For decades, there has been scholarly debate about the sexuality of the legendary 16th president, largely based on letters he wrote to close male friends.
Opinions range from the fact that he is gay and in the closet, to the fact that he is simply experimenting with his sexuality, while he is predominantly straight.
Lover of Men, which opens in select theaters September 6, “explores the intimate life of America’s most influential president,” according to the film’s website.
Abraham Lincoln’s sex life, including theories that he had homosexual relationships with men, will be explored in a new documentary
Lincoln was married to Mary Todd and had four children
A trailer released this week features clips from interviews with more than a dozen Lincoln scholars and historians discussing the evidence.
Actors were also shown portraying intimate scenes between Lincoln and male figures from his life, such as holding hands and cuddling in bed.
Key evidence of Lincoln’s homosexual identity includes letters he wrote to alleged male lovers and other letters from people who gossiped about him.
“Dear Speed, I’m going to be very lonely without you, sweet Lincoln,” the trailer reads, referring to Joshua Fry Speed.
Speed was Lincoln’s most frequently mentioned potential homosexual partner, as the two had a close friendship that lasted from their youth until Lincoln’s assassination.
Another man, also mentioned in the trailer, was Army Captain and Lincoln’s bodyguard David Derickson, who was the subject of gossip.
Actors were also shown portraying intimate scenes between Lincoln and male figures in his life, including walking hand in hand and cuddling in bed
Elizabeth Woodbury Fox, the wife of Lincoln’s naval aide, wrote in her diary of November 16, 1862, about a rumor she had heard about them.
“Tish says, ‘Oh, there’s a Bucktail soldier here who’s devoted to the President, who rides with him, and when Mrs. L. isn’t home, sleeps with him.’ What nonsense!” she wrote.
However, most historians believe that this reference has been misinterpreted. “What nonsense!” was used at the time to indicate that the gossip was absurd, rather than outright scandalous.
The trailer also explained that sexuality was much more fluid in the 19th century than it is today, which is both a pro and a con for Lincoln’s homosexuality.
“Lover Of Men broadens the view of the history of human sexual fluidity, addressing the fundamental differences between the sexual mores of the nineteenth century and those of today,” the synopsis reads.
“The film fills in an important missing piece of American history and challenges the viewer to think about why we have such a narrow view of human sexuality.”
Other aspects of the debate over Lincoln’s sexuality include the fact that he slept in beds with at least eleven other men and boys during his youth and adulthood.
It was very common back then, especially when you were traveling. Bedrooms were scarce then and it didn’t have the sexual connotation that you have today.
Lincoln began sleeping with Speed when he moved to Springfield, Illinois in 1837 and could not afford his own bed and bedding.
However, they continued this sleeping arrangement for four years, when he was a successful attorney and member of the Illinois House of Representatives.
Historians noted that Speed and Lincoln never denied sharing a bed. Speed’s offer to the broke Lincoln was considered noncommittal and uncontroversial.
Moreover, none of Lincoln’s many political enemies ever attempted to portray him as homosexual.
Lincoln also often slept in the same bed as other lawyers, as was common in the traveling “circuits” of the time, where up to 20 lawyers slept in the same room.
This sleeping situation was also not considered sexual, because there were other people in the room sharing the bed and so they were never alone.
However, Jonathan Katz wrote in his book on Lincoln’s sexuality that sharing a bed “provided an important site (probably the most important site) for erotic possibilities” if they could avoid being noticed by anyone else nearby.
Katz wrote that in the past, in contrast to the more fixed sexuality of today, people “continuously reshaped their affective and erotic feelings and actions.”
Joshua Fry Speed was Lincoln’s most frequently mentioned potential homosexual partner, as the pair had a close friendship that lasted from their youth until Lincoln’s assassination
A trailer released this week features excerpts from interviews with more than a dozen Lincoln scholars and historians discussing the evidence
The film also attempted to comment on modern American attitudes to sexuality and how they differed from those of Lincoln’s time. It was a “study of American intolerance.”
It has been argued that attitudes changed in the late 19th century and that the work of the famous psychologist Sigmund Freud imposed stricter sexual categories,
This environment led to homosexuality being viewed as a mental disorder and criminalized.
“If Lincoln were to look down today, he would see the United States at a particularly vulnerable moment,” one expert said in the trailer.
“Lincoln’s legacy is the insistence on equality… if you can accept a gay Lincoln, you can accept gay people in general.”