This Is Scary...

[tim460]

yes...when I saw the documentary, it was really incredible. There's letters, all sorts of things, plus his close, close friendship with...sorry, forgot this guy.....the general? whatever. What cracks me up is when I see dime a dozen boring show on Lincoln...listen to them carefully. They now mention how Lincoln shacked up and slept with this guy, and quickly say "as was the custom in those days." This is how Lincoln's relationship is dismissed by some scholars...that a lot of guys slept in the same bed in those days. Maybe, but how come I've never heard this mentioned about any other man in American history? It's like because of the evidence coming out, the naysayers will put it out but quickly explain it away...interesting. Lincoln was shocked and devastated when he found out that "this guy" (sorry) was getting married. Not all, but part of Lincoln's depression was from his emotional longing for this particular man...and it IS documented. Poor good Abe.

[DrChango]

yes...when I saw the documentary, it was really incredible. There's letters, all sorts of things, plus his close, close friendship with...sorry, forgot this guy.....the general? whatever. What cracks me up is when I see dime a dozen boring show on Lincoln...listen to them carefully. They now mention how Lincoln shacked up and slept with this guy, and quickly say "as was the custom in those days." This is how Lincoln's relationship is dismissed by some scholars...that a lot of guys slept in the same bed in those days. Maybe, but how come I've never heard this mentioned about any other man in American history? It's like because of the evidence coming out, the naysayers will put it out but quickly explain it away...interesting. Lincoln was shocked and devastated when he found out that "this guy" (sorry) was getting married. Not all, but part of Lincoln's depression was from his emotional longing for this particular man...and it IS documented. Poor good Abe.

To be fair, I've taken a couple of classes on modern sexuality that compared mores in the 18th and 19th century with today, and straight guys spooning back in the day was not considered weird.
One example that stuck in my head was a New York police officer who was accused of touching a suspect inappropriately. His partner came forward and stated that they slept in the same bed on numerous occasions and that his fellow officer had never done anything inappropriate. The same text book also cited Moby Dick (yeah, ironic, I know) and how the guys in that book would bunk with each other and it wasn't considered weird.

That being said, I still think Lincoln was gay. Look how he dressed compared to others of the time. The guy had some progressive fashion sense, and no straight man of that era could have rocked the top hat =)

[tim460]

LOL. That is a funny, cute observation. Interesting information, Jacob.

For the people on the documentary, it seems like Lincoln's letters to his friends and about his "relationship" (whatever it may or may not be) with him were most revelatory. Actually there were more details on other things but I forgot them...I'm not a history buff anyway.