The Daily Mail tells us about the next scandalous presidential biography in the pipeline:
A new biography by Don Fulsom, a veteran Washington reporter who covered the Nixon years, suggests the 37th U.S. President had a serious drink problem, beat his wife and — by the time he was inaugurated in 1969 — had links going back two decades to the Mafia, including with New Orleans godfather Carlos Marcello, then America’s most powerful mobster.
Yet the most extraordinary claim is that the homophobic Nixon may have been gay himself. If true, it would provide a fascinating insight into the motivation and behaviour of a notoriously secretive politician.
I’ve read a whole lot of Nixon biographies in my time, and not one of them has theorized that Nixon was gay. I’m not rejecting the idea out of hand—many of the most hateful, paranoid American politicians of the last century were closeted—but Fulsom had better have some compelling evidence. While it’s true that Nixon had a special place in his heart for the alleged object of his alleged affections—Charles ‘Bebe’ Rebozo, who was a perennial Nixon hanger-on—these allegations would demand that we rethink everything we know about the man.
(Via Sarah Weinman on Twitter.)
If he were gay he would never have scorned make-up for that tragic debate with Kennedy.
JFK seems like he might have been bi.
I love it! Here’s his Life magazine cover story:
http://books.google.com/books?id=slUEAAA…
I remember thinking there was something between him and Bebe Rebozo when he was first elected in the late-60s and went on those vacations to Florida. What’s surprising to me is that this is a surprise to anybody.
So… is this likely to help or to hurt the image of gay people in America?
OH HELL NO.
The str8s can keep him.
(huuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrlllllllllllll)
Yup, they tried to tell me Hitler was gay too. Nice try bigots.
I’m not buying it. If he was getting off with random twinks culled from the park by the Secret Service or something, maybe. But a 60-year-old Cuban dude? Not even remotely plausible.
who the HELL would want to sleep with Nixon, even if power is an aphrodesiac?!
Oh no you don’t. You are not blaming gay people for that jerk. The Republicans get the blame for him.
With Nixon, anything is possible. Easily the weirdest president ever.
Nooooo! We got stuck with J. Edgar, we’re not taking Tricky Dick, too. He belongs to the Birch Society; put the sticker on and forward him, please.
@8 Maybe they played “Fidel and Cuba”
@12 – his nickname was Tricky Dick. It’s enough to make you wonder…
“these allegations would demand that we rethink everything we know about the man.”
Uh,no.
It would invite us to rethink one thing we thought we knew about him.
Other than the boyfriend, just what are we to rethink?
Loveless power marriage? Knew that.
More than a touch of self-loathing? Knew that.
Willing to forego personal happiness for power and politics? Knew that.
Utterly ruthless in destroying anyone who crossed him? Knew that.
Complete asshole? Knew that.
Astonishing foreign policy genius or manager of geniuses? Knew that.
Just what is it we’re supposed to rethink? His sex life?
I’ve gotten this far in my life not picturing him having sex with anyone. I plan to continue that practice.
@13 – Cuban Missile Crisis
“Mister Castro, I can’t help but notice the sudden presence of foreign ships in your harbors. This is unacceptable.” Now read that again in your best sexy Nixon voice.
@15 wins this thread. Can I take back my lame comment now?
It’s actually Rebozo I was thinking of as the unfuckable one. The President of the United States is always fuckable, no matter how physically or morally repulsive he is. But Rebozo? He looked like a tumor with hair on it.
Wingtips on the beach is soooooo not gay, no matter what era or degree of repression we’re talking about.
But his wife always struck me as someone bearing a great sorrow in silence.
That said, I have to revive the old joke:
[The gender ambiguity of the name takes on new meaning…]
Nixon was a lot of things. A Lincoln he was not.
The man was asexual. I’d believe it if you told me he never masturbated, but not gay. Not even during the war, when he unsurprisingly made a lot of money as a supply officer.
Here is a 1959 newspaper account of VP Nixon’s night on the town seeing Gypsy, congratulating Ethel Merman, and later telling a joke at the gay bar Bon Soir*.
*The most memorable, also on 8th, was a boite called Bon Soir, where I heard Barbra Streisand and Mae Barnes sing, actually saw Senator Richard Nixon slumming there one time, saw Marlon Brando applauding his boyfriend Mr. Peepers’s comedy act, constantly eyed guitarist Tiger Haynes’s crotch, all the while being groped at the dark bar by the guys who packed the bar . (from Stonewall 1969)
That doesn’t count – Broadway wasn’t just for the gays back then.
Ya ever heard of Bohemian Grove? Would you talk about it if ya had???
This was the worst news item of 2011 because it caused me to think of Richard Nixon having sex with a man. Ew.
@24 I had a boyfriend who was a member. We used to go to the club and Grove often. And we had some great fun. Women were not allowed but we managed to sneak some into the Grove for some straight guys by dressing them as men. Never saw Nixon.
There are thousands of hours of Nixons private conversations AVAILABLE for anyone with opposable thumbs to listen to. NONE of the available conversations between Nixon and Rebozo reveal anything other than a normal platonic relationship. And yes, There are conversations that illustrate very well that Nixon believed his friend to be a ladies man. That is, a man with many sexual conquests with women. Nixons tapes have sunk him in the past, but the private conversations between Nixon and Rebozo reveal a totally Platonic relationship between the two men. Nixon expressed in private his belief of Rebozo as being a ladies man. Candide private conversation trumps all speculation. Nixon would call Rebozo to get the weather report before deciding to Come to Florida. And even when Pat did not accompany him to Florida, which wasn’t all that often, Julie, his daughter did, hardly a desirable companion to have around when meeting your so called lover. Common sense people! Acquire some today. BTW When famously referred to Bohemian Grove, he wasn’t calling the entire membership gay, he was pointing out that men FROM San Francisco at the bohemian grove were gay.