Was Abraham Lincoln bisexual? Noted psychologist and Kinsey researcher C.A. Tripp presents a compelling case in The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln. Image: Want It All

What do Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Malcolm X and Jesus have in common? While that question may sound like the beginning to a really off color joke it turns out these men do have a lot in common. All are champions of equality and peace—even while Malcolm X is not known for pacifism as say Gandhi and Jesus are, his message is similar—all of them are men and all of them were killed violently. Also—according to recent books—all of them may have been bisexual.

Starting with The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln by C.A. Tripp—noted Kinsey psychologist and author of The Homosexual Matrix—Tripp presents a case for Lincoln’s sexuality. Tripp seemingly relies solely on his reputation as a Kinsey researcher to make purely circumstantial evidence credible and present Abraham Lincoln as a man who may have been married and had relationships with women throughout his life—but probably would have been happier in the company of men. Indeed, stories of allowing a Union army Captain to share his bed during the Civil War while Mary Todd Lincoln was away—through an extended affair with his best friend, directly prior to his marriage, would seem to present a compelling case. Several chapters outline Lincoln’s awkwardness with women and the fact that he seemed to feel marriage was necessary only to ensure his success as a politician. The author also presents “scientific” evidence, suggesting that Lincoln reached puberty at an earlier age and therefore was more open to “unconventional” relationships as was postulated by Alfred Kinsey himself. When all is said and done, however, the evidence is purely circumstantial peppered with the author’s own experience and the research of Alfred Kinsey—although the evidence of Lincoln sharing the bed of several men throughout his life is corroborated enough to raise eyebrows.This content is for members only.