(Thanks, l. :)

(In fairness to Pieczenik, we don't know what actually led to his making that comment.)

Reader l. writes:

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Re: Link, 8-min video: Steve Pieczenik - 'The ....

Hi Hobie,

Men sleeping together back in Lincoln's time was no big deal and in fact, quite common and does not mean they were gay. My 3rd great grandfather and then his son owned a hotel up east from 1848 until 1901. I have some of the old brochures from the hotel including the rules and regulations.

Rule number 2 "No more than five persons to a bed at one time. No boots worn in bed." When they talk of five persons in a bed at one time they are talking about men...because it was not proper for females to be mixed in with that number in one bed. Traveling gentlemen not accompanied by their ladies or family in bad weather when hotels were crowded, were put up together to share one large bed, if they knew one another or not. Today, this is unheard of. Back then men with families had other accommodations prepared for them as well as for female only travelers, singly or in groups and they, too shared beds if needed.

Similarly, if a man had a room in a boarding house and hospitably took in a male friend or aquaintance for on a cold night, (neither gay) and there was just one bed, they shared it. It was acceptable back then. Beds were the only way to keep warm through bitterly cold nights and all the blankets owned were needed on the bed.

It is mentioned sometimes in Lincoln's history that he shared a bed with a man but it was out of necessity and that's how it was done back then with nothing made of it. I would not proclaim Lincoln was gay on just that basis because it is too prone to error.

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