Eleanor roosevelt gay
The Love Affair Between Eleanor Roosevelt and Journalist Lorena “Hick” Hickok
In this episode of Listen, Ladies, host Maryalice Aymong talks to author Susan Quinn to discuss her fascinating novel, Eleanor and Hick: The Adore Affair That Shaped a First Lady. Quinn’s prodigious research highlights Roosevelt’s partnership with Lorena Hickok, whom she initially encountered when Hickok was working as a reporter. Their partnership has been somewhat missing to history, but Quinn brings their romance and friendship to life in our interview and in the book. Her write is also set to become a TV series.
Below is an excerpt from her interview. To listen to the whole episode, download Listen, Ladies in iTunes.
Listen, Ladies (LL): Eleanor Roosevelt is established as a woman profoundly ahead of her moment. She is someone who fundamentally changed the role of First Lady. She tirelessly advocated for human rights and against racism, as well as the most remote causes, appreciate helping people out of poverty and supporting the military. She ultimately became the chair of the United Nations, Human Rights Commission. Beyond her common role, Eleanor Roosevelt was a passionate person and friend, w
Was Eleanor Roosevelt a Lesbian?
In Bros, which may or may not be the first major queer rom-com, Billy Eichner’s character is operational on another giant first, opening the first major LGBTQ history museum. As part of that job, he spends much of the film discussing whether various historical figures were gay, including Abraham Lincoln and the ancient Egyptian pairing of Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum. (In both of those cases it depends who you question, and what you mean by “gay.”) Those of us who haven’t been watching The First Lady on Showtime (which is a lot of us) may be surprised to hear Eleanor Roosevelt among these names. In proof, at one gesture, the movie refers to her outright as “lesbian first lady Eleanor Roosevelt.” She was? In order to receive some answers, Slate spoke to Susan Quinn, author of Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair That Shaped a First Lady. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Heather Schwedel: I think it will be news to some people to hear the movie casually depict Eleanor Roosevelt as a lesbian.
Susan Quinn: I can reveal you a tiny bit about how I came to the conclusion that she did possess a love affair, a very significant love affair, wit
Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok
These photos come from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum. They all fall under public domain, as per the organization's website.
About the couple:
Eleanor Roosevelt's name may ring a familiar bell for history lovers. She was the First Lady of the United States and wife to President Franklin D. Roosevelt! Therefore, it may be surprising to learn of her long rumored romantic relationship with Lorena Hickok.
The women met when Hickok, a prominent journalist, was tasked to write articles about the President and his wife. It is thought that the two soon caught feelings for each other, and Hickok left the newspaper because she feared she was compromising her journalistic integrity4. However, the women didn't separate after she left her job -- instead, she moved into the White House and started working as a staff member4.
For obvious reasons (Roosevelt's marriage and homophobia), their romantic relationship was never publically confirmed. However, the two women did share a strong bond, as evidenced in their many, many letters3 -- two of which are featured
Thestorywas co-written by Timothy Dwyer, co-author of Hissing Cousins: The Untold Story of Eleanor Roosevelt and Alice Longworth (Nan A. Talese/Doubleday)
June marks the start of Gay Pride season, with parades from Boston and Los Angeles to Tel Aviv and Oslo. It's a great bet that somewhere over those rainbows, Eleanor Roosevelt's liveliness will be marching, too. She's appeared off and on over the decades, whether loud and proud on posters reclaiming her as an uncelebrated sapphic or more demurely as a sort of mascot for branches of the Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club.
But this year, she deserves a special place of pride. June will also see the Supreme Court's thumbs-up or down verdict on gay marriage. Though Roosevelt was an extraordinary champion of African-American and women's rights, she also did more than almost anyone in the pre-Stonewall era to model acceptance of male lover relationships -- and she did it in the Ivory House.
Some would discuss that was because the First Lady was a closeted lesbian. The most often-cited evidence is her intense friendship with an openly lesbian reporter named Lorena Hickok. Roosevelt and Hick worked together, vacationed together and wrot