Member-only story
Will America Ever Elect a Queer President?
Strong evidence suggests we already have.
“We can all agree that Abraham Lincoln was one of the greatest, if not the greatest president in American history. But what if I told you that Lincoln was what we would today call ‘queer’? Would he still hold a place in your heart?”
— Dr. Thomas Balcerski, Occidental College, quoted from the 2024 documentary film, Lover of Men: The Untold History of Abraham Lincoln
American voters have managed to look past sexual orientation to elect openly queer mayors, governors, legislators, and senators. Trans politicians have been voted into state office and one, Sarah McBride — to the consternation and hostility of some of her cohorts — presently serves Delaware in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In 2020, openly gay Pete Buttigieg proved to be a viable contender for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Still, we are left to ponder whether U.S. voters will ever elect a queer president.
A superb documentary film, Lover of Men: The Untold History of Abraham Lincoln, makes a strong case that America actually reached that milestone 175 years ago, that, on the precipice of civil war, American voters put a queer president in the White House.
