Dr. Kate Lister

Yes, there was one. It's not widely known. His name was James Buchanan, and he was the president before Abraham Lincoln. He's best known for just muddling politics so badly that he helped bring on the Civil War soon after he left office. He was the only U.S. president to remain a lifelong bachelor, but that didn't mean he led a celibate life.

Yes, there was one. It's not widely known. His name was James Buchanan, and he was the president before Abraham Lincoln. He's best known for just muddling politics so badly that he helped bring on the Civil War soon after he left office. He was the only U.S. president to remain a lifelong bachelor, but that didn't mean he led a celibate life.

When he was a young man, he met William Rufus King, who was what we might call flamboyantly gay, and they developed a lifelong relationship and often lived together. King was a senator from Alabama. So over the course of their 23 years as a couple, they would often socialize in Washington and they were known as Mr. and Mrs. Buchanan or Aunt Nancy and Miss Fancy.

When he was a young man, he met William Rufus King, who was what we might call flamboyantly gay, and they developed a lifelong relationship and often lived together. King was a senator from Alabama. So over the course of their 23 years as a couple, they would often socialize in Washington and they were known as Mr. and Mrs. Buchanan or Aunt Nancy and Miss Fancy.

When he was a young man, he met William Rufus King, who was what we might call flamboyantly gay, and they developed a lifelong relationship and often lived together. King was a senator from Alabama. So over the course of their 23 years as a couple, they would often socialize in Washington and they were known as Mr. and Mrs. Buchanan or Aunt Nancy and Miss Fancy.

So those were terms usually used to denote gay men. And when King went to France to serve as US ambassador in the 1840s, Buchanan wrote to a friend that he was very lonely and that he'd gone a-wooing to several gentlemen, but they had all turned him down. So William Rufus King became vice president and died in 1853. And then a few years later, Buchanan became president.

So those were terms usually used to denote gay men. And when King went to France to serve as US ambassador in the 1840s, Buchanan wrote to a friend that he was very lonely and that he'd gone a-wooing to several gentlemen, but they had all turned him down. So William Rufus King became vice president and died in 1853. And then a few years later, Buchanan became president.

So those were terms usually used to denote gay men. And when King went to France to serve as US ambassador in the 1840s, Buchanan wrote to a friend that he was very lonely and that he'd gone a-wooing to several gentlemen, but they had all turned him down. So William Rufus King became vice president and died in 1853. And then a few years later, Buchanan became president.

And when Buchanan died, his nieces and nephews went through his papers and his desk and they were so horrified by whatever it was they found there that they lit a big bonfire in the backyard immediately. No.

And when Buchanan died, his nieces and nephews went through his papers and his desk and they were so horrified by whatever it was they found there that they lit a big bonfire in the backyard immediately. No.

And when Buchanan died, his nieces and nephews went through his papers and his desk and they were so horrified by whatever it was they found there that they lit a big bonfire in the backyard immediately. No.

No.

No.

No.

Right, right. And it happened with Warren Harding in the early 1920s. When he died, his wife found these 50-page pornographic letters that he had written and women had written him. God damn it. It took her several days. There was a big bonfire in the backyard of the White House. And she'd come in after 12 hours of burning these things with soot and ashes all over her face.

Right, right. And it happened with Warren Harding in the early 1920s. When he died, his wife found these 50-page pornographic letters that he had written and women had written him. God damn it. It took her several days. There was a big bonfire in the backyard of the White House. And she'd come in after 12 hours of burning these things with soot and ashes all over her face.

Right, right. And it happened with Warren Harding in the early 1920s. When he died, his wife found these 50-page pornographic letters that he had written and women had written him. God damn it. It took her several days. There was a big bonfire in the backyard of the White House. And she'd come in after 12 hours of burning these things with soot and ashes all over her face.

Yeah, this went on for several days. And there were still so many more that she took all of these boxes of, you know, some of them were official White House documents to her friend's house across town. And they spent several more days burning them, which led Congress to pass the Official Records Act,

Yeah, this went on for several days. And there were still so many more that she took all of these boxes of, you know, some of them were official White House documents to her friend's house across town. And they spent several more days burning them, which led Congress to pass the Official Records Act,

Yeah, this went on for several days. And there were still so many more that she took all of these boxes of, you know, some of them were official White House documents to her friend's house across town. And they spent several more days burning them, which led Congress to pass the Official Records Act,