Perhaps you’ve seen the key art for this film, with Abraham Lincoln sporting an Aladdin Sane lightning bolt. It’s a striking image that does a lot of work in getting across a concept, and the documentary Lover of Men: The Untold History of Abraham Lincoln makes a point of exploring that concept from a historical perspective, with an incredible assortment of scholars and thinkers (much respect to Dr. Jean Baker’s sweater/scarf combo- iconic) providing intelligent discourse about Lincoln and his affections.
Putting aside the fact that there’s a great deal of joy to be had in political films getting theatrical play in this country that aren’t knee-jerk hateration, evangelical propaganda, or empty hagiography, it feels truly subversive that Lover of Men is showing in regular theatres throughout the country. It’s like pulling teeth to get queer-themed cinema seen anywhere outside of arthouse outposts and focused film festivals, so there’s already a small victory won. And here’s the most important thing about this documentary- it’s a well-made film that has done its homework (knowing that bad faith voices would attempt to tear it down each step of the way) and has found a tone that works very well with the material. We have scholarly talking heads, primary sources where available, Ken Burns documentary fundamentals (there are moments when the score wants to make a leap from Aaron Copland to Philip Glass, and I was feeling that), and a rock-solid historical narrative.
We’ve also got silent reenactments of important moments from the life of Lincoln, and these may prove a stumbling block for some viewers. While strictly PG, the fact is that any depiction of male-male intimacy will cause some people to lose their minds and try to pass legislation against the rights of others. Similarly, there might be- among the stodgier side of academia- viewers who do accept Lincoln’s sexual and affectional habits but who find these reenactments corny. And truthfully, you can’t win every time with every audience. But real talk: if you’re swinging for the fences with a subject like this, then yes, every step of the way you make it clear that the simple act of handholding, or a sweaty embrace, is part of this story. Sometimes it may be a little shady, or silly- but queer audiences can find the shade and the silly in any text- it’s a survival mechanism. And for far too long compartmentalization has been a weapon wielded against the past, and this film never forgets the stakes of living what the modern world would call a queer life.
And yes, they get into that- at times it may feel a bit of a rondelay through many of the issues that have obscured LGBTQIA+ lives over the past hundred and sixty years- but you can’t talk about why so much of this aspect of one of the most important historical American lives has been suppressed without addressing each of these specific approaches to reshaping social perspectives. (Despite seeming a little diffuse in the back half, documentarian Shaun Peterson does return to his thesis and brings it all together on the same page before it ends.) Though it is staggering that Lincoln’s wrestling career (see above photo) is never brought up, even in an incidental or anecdotal way.
Things that occurred to me while I was watching this- not in the sense of an ideological or historical conflict, but rather in a sense of commonality: the Electric Six video “Gay Bar,” current toast of Broadway Cole Escola’s play Oh, Mary, and the 2006 American Dad! Episode Lincoln Lover (which now feels completely removed from contemporary political context due to its naivete and the calcifying shifts in party lines). But all of them understand the unique vibe of this lanky symbol of American history as a signifier for gay stuff, and maybe memeification is the way to get this idea to take root across the swath of the American perspective on Abraham Lincoln. This is fun, informative, inspirational, and well-worth a look.
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