James Buchanan and William King..A famous gay couple who made a great career for each in the middle of the 19th century. They were known as a couple in those days. Andrew Jackson called King Miss Nancy and had some other unkind words for Buchanan. Even the ever religious Sarah Polk, wife of President Polk in the 1840's wanted to know about Buchanan and his better half. She was always writing gossipy letters about the two. They were a popular center of Washington life in the early days of the 19th century.
Buchanan became President in 1857 and King became Vice President in 1853. This special relationship between these men for many years was the talk of Washington DC. They lived together and shared a warm and what seemed, very happy life together. Buchanan was the first gay President and King was the first gay Vice President! How is that for a very successful gay couple. Yet I rarely hear about either of them. Being that they lived together for over 30 years
I am so sick and tired of some people trying to make Lincoln gay, I kind of think of him as A-sexual. I think the case for JFK being bi-sexual is a better shot as it seems there is more stories around that than of Lincoln. In the case of Lincoln it is more romantic love rather than JFK's slam bam thank you ma'am or man.
But getting back to Buchanan why does the gay community kind of shun him and VP King? Maybe because Buchanan had about the worst Presidency in history and is always ranked at the bottom of the list with many other useless Presidents
It was said in his day that Buchanan's Presidency was socially successful and politically disastrous. As for King he was Vice President for the greatest drunk to ever occupy the White House, Franklin Pierce. King would die early in the Pierce administration and therefore spared seeing his lovers terrible Presidency.
But in this age of gay marriage and equal rights, what greater story is there than two men who were in a committed relationship and both of them made a great success of themselves. I think if they were great or not in their office ..They did it!
Can you imagine such a thing happening today? Specially a couple like this?
And they were not very much in the closet about it either. Good for them both, they were true to each other and did what they believed. So we have some catching up to do with 19th century Washington. Don't we people? In closing I think that it is about time to honor these two men who were brave enough to be who they were. And not hide in closets like so many politicians have done for the last 160 years after them.
Obviously politicians today are little girls compared to these men . Bravo James and William!
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