Eleanor roosevelt gay lover
Eleanor Roosevelt and journalist Lorena Hickok's love affair addressed in novel White Houses
Former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt is remembered as an activist, diplomat and the wife of former US president Franklin D Roosevelt.
But she is seldom thought of as a lover.
In a new novel, American author Amy Bloom explores the rumoured real-life relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and female journalist Lorena Hickok.
In media reports and history books, the two women have often been described as "close friends".
But Bloom, who has pored through the thousands of letters the women exchanged, says there is no doubt they were in love.
"We have 3, letters between them which are warm and passionate and exactly the compassionate of letters you expect lovers who are still in the first blush of a romance to exchange with each other," she says.
The letters began in and continued for three decades. At some points in their relationship the women were sending each other two letters a day.
They have been publicly on hand since the s.
In one, Roosevelt writes, "I ache
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 speak her fascinating book, Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair That Shaped a First Lady. Quinn&#;s immense research highlights Roosevelt&#;s relationship with Lorena Hickok, whom she initially encountered when Hickok was operational as a reporter. Their relationship has been somewhat lost to history, but Quinn brings their romance and friendship to life in our interview and in the book. Her text 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 known as a chick profoundly ahead of her period. 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, like helping people out of poverty and supporting the military. She ultimately became the chair of the United Nations, Human Rights
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 wome
Was Eleanor Roosevelt a Lesbian?
In Bros, which may or may not be the first major gay rom-com, Billy Eichner’s character is working on another big 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 ask, 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 fact, at one point, the movie refers to her outright as “lesbian first lady Eleanor Roosevelt.” She was? In order to get 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 notice the movie casually describe Eleanor Roosevelt as a lesbian.
Susan Quinn: I can tell you a little bit a