A biography published in early 2005 argued that Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was primarily homosexual in orientation. Written by C.A. Tripp, who had worked as a researcher for Alfred Kinsey, the book drew on the Kinsey measurement scale to support its argument without declaring Lincoln an active homosexual.
Tripp contended that Lincoln had physically intimate relations with men both before and during his marriage to Mary Todd. In his late 20s, Lincoln shared a bed with a close friend, Joshua Speed, for four years. Tripp also asserted that Lincoln did the same with a presidential bodyguard on occasions when Mary Todd was away.
Critics were skeptical. Historians noted that bed-sharing among men was common and practical in the 1800s, given inadequate heating and a scarcity of comfortable mattresses. Several reviewers also accused Tripp of applying contemporary sexual categories to 19th-century behavior.
Tripp died in May 2003, shortly after finishing the manuscript, having spent a decade on the research. A co-author, Philip Nobile, later accused him of plagiarism and fabricating evidence. Reviews were mixed; the New York Times called his analysis "erratic."
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in January 2005, in its own words.