Sexuality of James Buchanan

The sexuality of James Buchanan is debated. Buchanan was the fifteenth president of the United States. Some historians have proposed that he may have been homosexual. This theory was publicized by James Loewen in the book "Lies Across America". Loewen did not originate the theory, however. Many of Buchanan's contemporaries speculated that he was gay. The issue was also raised, by, for example, historian Paul Boller is his book "Not So!" published several years before Loewen's.

Homosexual hypothesis

For many years in Washington, D.C., prior to the presidency, James Buchanan lived with William Rufus King, who had been Vice President under Franklin Pierce in 1853. King was referred to by Andrew Jackson as "Miss Nancy"cite book
last=Baker
first=Jean H.
title=James Buchanan: The American Presidents Series
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=KoTpWjUsP1sC
year=2004
publisher=Macmillan
language=English
isbn=0805069461, 9780805069464
pages=26] while Aaron V. Brown called him "Buchanan's better half (in reference to presidency not their personal relationship)." [cite book
last=Katz
first=Jonathan
title=Gay American History: Lesbians and Gay Men in the U.S.A. : A Documentary
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=ixJoAAAAIAAJ
year=1976
publisher=Crowell
language=English
isbn=0690011652, 9780690011654
pages=647] Buchanan wrote long, intimate letters to King, which were not uncommon between men during those times.
James Loewen argues that Buchanan's relationship with King may have been responsible for the former's pro-slavery positions. Buchanan was from Pennsylvania in the North, but King was a Southern slaveholder. There were many rumors at the time that Buchanan was a homosexual He is the only president to never marry. But whether he was a homosexual continues to be a point of heated debate among historians.

References

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Park/2609/famleade.htm The sexuality of James Buchanan and of James A. Garfield]

* [http://www.tompaine.com/Archive/scontent/2458.html Article on the sexuality of Buchanan]