Ocasio-Cortez Suggests U.S. May Have Had a Gay President

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) stirred some conversation this week by suggesting that the United States might already have had a gay president.

During a meeting with a TMZ reporter on Capitol Hill, she remarked that if the country were to elect its first female or gay president, it would likely be her. “To be honest, I don’t know if we’ve already had a gay president. I think it’s possible, but I don’t know,” she stated.

Ocasio-Cortez shared a clip of the conversation, adding a light note in her caption, “This was fun.”

In 2012, a piece in Newsweek referred to former President Barack Obama as “the first gay president,” courtesy of an article by Andrew Sullivan.

Ben Shapiro remarked on Sullivan’s deep support for Obama, noting his shift in party allegiance largely stemmed from views on same-sex marriage. Sullivan embraced a portrayal of Obama as almost a religious figure, fiercely advocating for the same-sex marriage movement.

Years later, former President Abraham Lincoln was depicted as a “queer” hero in a Discovery+ series aimed at younger audiences, although historians have largely dismissed these claims.

Historian Charles Strozier noted in a 2017 interview with The Daily Beast that the close relationship between Lincoln and Joshua Speed was not sexual, countering narratives from some left-wing activists. “I think it’s very important to understand the historical context,” he explained. “In the 19th century, the taboo on homosexuality was absolutely strict. Whitman was gay. He had to stay in the closet. Sodomy was illegal.”

He continued, “But intimate, loving friendships like the one between Lincoln and Speed were encouraged, as long as boundaries around sexuality were maintained.” This dynamic was common in the 19th century.

In recent news, Ocasio-Cortez, who once claimed to do her own makeup, has been under scrutiny for spending over $2,000 in campaign funds on professional makeup artists.