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Has there ever been a gay US president?

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James Buchanan

Here You go for you true historians!

For many years in Washington, D.C. prior to the presidency, James Buchanan lived with William Rufus King, who was earlier Vice President under Franklin Pierce in 1853. King was referred to by Andrew Jackson as "Miss Nancy" while Aaron Brown called him "Buchanan's better half." Buchanan actually wrote long, intimate letters to King.

There were many rumors at the time that Buchanan was a homosexual. He is, after all, the only president to never marry in his life. But whether or not he was a homosexual continues to be a point of heated debate between historians. (Steve Tally discusses King and Buchanan's relationship in more depth in his book Bland Ambition: From Adams to Quayle--The Cranks, Criminals, Tax Cheats, and Golfers Who Made It to Vice President.)"


"Some historians have speculated that King may have been homosexual, and that he had a long-term intimate relationship with President-to-be James Buchanan (it is not disputed that the two lived together for 16 years in Washington). It is also said that King's detractors in the Senate referred to him as "Aunt fancy" and "Miss Nancy" (both language referring to homosexual men in the nineteenth century). The theory is controversial and a source of debate among Buchanan and King historians. Historian and author James Loewen is one of the theory's better-known proponents. Presidential historian Michael Beschloss when asked by C-SPAN founder and host Brian Lamm if the United States had ever had a gay president responded that the term "gay" was a twentieth century construct. Undeterred, Lamm rephrased his question, asking if the nation had had a homosexual president. Beschloss replied that it appears Buchanan and King may have been homosexual." www.wikipedia.org

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First answer by ID1108035142. Last edit by NathanV70. Contributor trust: 0 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 22 [recommend question]

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