Honest, Abe? A dishonest book claims Lincoln as the first log cabin Republican.

The Weekly Standard ^ | January 17, 2005 | Philip Nobile

[quidnunc]

The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln
by C.A. Tripp
Free Press, 384 pp., $27

The notion that Abraham Lincoln had homosexual experiences is hardly new. All the way back in 1924, Carl Sandburg's bestselling biography winked at Lincoln's "streak of lavender and spots soft as May violets." And more explicit versions of the idea have appeared in the years since — as signaled by "Log Cabin Republicans," the name chosen by gay members of the GOP for their advocacy group.

But the attempt to use this "Gay Lincoln Theory," making the sixteenth president an icon for modern homosexuals, is now poised to make its biggest push — led by the late C.A. Tripp's The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln, a book published this month by Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster.

The topic of Lincoln's sexuality keeps reappearing because the available evidence is so tantalizing: a jokey poem he wrote in his youth about a boy marrying a boy, a four-year sleeping arrangement with adored friend Joshua Speed, a marriage sometimes said to be reluctant and less than amorous, a lifelong preference for male company, a documented claim that he shared a bed in the summer White House with his soldier-bodyguard in 1862, and a number of other suggestive items.

C.A. Tripp, who died in 2003, was a well-known sex researcher, a protégé of Alfred Kinsey and the author of a 1975 volume, The Homosexual Matrix. After a decade of pondering Lincoln's relations with men, he pronounces in his posthumously published new book on Lincoln's masturbation habits, seduction style, sex positions, and orgasms. Confidently naming five male lovers of the president, The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln declares the conclusion absolute and obvious that this married father of four was "predominately homosexual."

-snip-

[buffyt]

He fathered children, so he was not gay.

Bisexual, maybe, but not gay. And I believe he was hetero.

[traderrob6]

I don't know, Mary Todd Lincoln could make practically anybody consider going the other way

[Sarastro]

Tomorrow's New York Times Book Review (available today) has a review of this book. It concludes that the evidence is skimpy at best and that the author had a gay agenda.

[mrustow]

Didn't you know that every prominent person in history was gay? If you don't believe me, just ask a gay activist!

[mtbopfuyn]

Is this for real? I've never heard anything about Lincoln being gay, bi, or whatever. Good golly, am I and Mr. M the only straight people on planet Earth anymore?

[imskylark]

Considering the way things were back in that time period, sleeping in the same bed with another man probably wasn't that uncommon. It also wouldn't mean you were gay. Better than sleeping on the cold floor when no other bed was available.

[highflight]

At some point in our lives (which only last about 80+ years)we must choose which endeavors to undertake, which to avoid and which to leave to others.

I choose to pursue those which produce less stomach acid and thus, shall not let this conundrum take root in the few brain cells that I have not yet rented out.

[cyborg]

Lord have mercy. Abe is supposed to be black too. Ever find the twig in his wood pile?

[bummerdude]

Articles says Abe had a lifelong preference for male company

Wow that's great "proof."

In the words of Homer Simpson:
Marge: Homer, he prefers the company of men.
Homer: Who doesn't?

[rellimpank]

--in the late fifties and early sixties ( twentieth century), in small engineering schools such as the one from which I graduated, it was the custom for juniors and seniors to take a fall and a spring "field trip"-usually two days-- to some group of pertinent industrial facilities-coal mine, steel mill, power plant, etc.

As funds were usually short (and because it left more money for beer) we invariably stayed at YMCA's or other cheap hotels and (gasp, shudder) double-bunked. It did lead to a certain amount of of coarse humor about personal hygiene, for example, but certainly no homo taint was attached. Come to think of it , public dances, girls danced with each other if no males were bold enough to ask them, also---

[AZ_Cowboy]

This was floating out here on FR a few weeks ago. It is amazing the lengths these folks go to in order to promote their agenda. I, for one, doubt it, especially given that Lincoln had at the time more than a few detractors that would have loved to dig this kind of thing up on him. In those days, it would have probably cost him the presidency to boot.

[Imaverygooddriver]

If Abe was gay who was his lover, someone blind? "Oh darling that wart is soooo hot!"

[F.J. Mitchell]

Well this certainly exonerates John Wilkes Boothe. Lincoln obviousely blew out his own brains in that Ford's Theatre box. Being President he probably had aides.

[rellimpank]

--he certainly did have aides--John Hay was one of the better known--

[TommyDale]

"I don't know, Mary Todd Lincoln could make practically anybody consider going the other way."

Well, as butt-ugly as they both were, they managed to have 4 children, and they did sleep in the same bed. You can't even say that about the Clintons...

[Viking2002]

Uh-huh-uh-huh-huh-huh-uh.....you said 'log'.

[agere_contra]

C.A. Tripp, who died in 2003, was ... a protégé of Alfred Kinsey

A protégé of Kinsey? Do we need any more proof that this is a gay agenda-driven lie?

[mrustow]

Besides its Bush's fault anyway!

LOL!