IIRC, Dr. DiLorenzo raised the question in The Real Lincoln, but dismissed it as modern people misinterpreting customs and habits from another era.
Deo Vindice!
That is exactly the angle they work.
Peter the Great was supposedly "gay" because he would often sleep in a dogpile of other men, particularly after a night of heavy drinking. What the "outers" failed to mention was that that was the custom of the day. It was common for men to sleep in groups on the floor even in the same bed.
I agree. "Scholars" have analyzed letters written during the same time period by women to their female friends and assume from the terms of endearment that were used that the women were lovers. In reality, the letters just typify the flowery, emotional writing style of the time.
" IIRC, Dr. DiLorenzo raised the question in The Real Lincoln, but dismissed it as modern people misinterpreting customs and habits from another era."
That may be correct. But having been one of the few on this thread who actually READ the referenced article for my own curiosity, I must say that it is very odd that Lincoln would want to have a male companion to sleep in his bed with him when his wife was away.