Was J. Edgar Hoover a closet homosexual?

looney_tunes

"Hoover was a lifelong bachelor, and since at least the 1940s unsubstantiated rumors have circulated that he was homosexual. It has also been suggested that his long association with Clyde Tolson, an associate director of the FBI who was also Hoover's heir, was that of a gay couple. Some authors have dismissed the rumors about Hoover's sexuality and his relationship with Tolson in particular as unlikely, while others have described them as probable or even 'confirmed', and still others have reported the rumors without stating an opinion. Hoover described Tolson as his alter ego: the men not only worked closely together during the day, but also took meals, went to night clubs and vacationed together. The exceedingly close relationship between the two is often cited as evidence that the two were lovers, though some FBI employees who knew them, such as Felt, say that the relationship was merely 'brotherly'. Tolson inherited Hoover's estate and moved into his home, having also accepted the American flag that draped Hoover's casket. Tolson is buried a few yards away from Hoover in the Congressional Cemetery." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Edgar_Hoover Mar 18 09, 11:48 PM

Midget40

That Hoover was a homosexual did not originate with Anthony Summers, however. Beginning in the 1920s, a number of Hoover's agents speculated about their boss's sexual preferences. They noted how, from the 1920s up to the time of their deaths in the 1970s, Hoover and his friend, Clyde Tolson, went everywhere together. Hoover ordered them to demand that the rumor mongers "put up or shut up." It is clear that Hoover was confident no evidence existed of any indiscretions. Sen. Joseph McCarthy's former aide, Roy Cohn, a known homosexual, was (allegedly) also present at the 'famous' party that Hoover was supposed to have been at while cross dressing. He stated: Cohn said, "(Hoover) wouldn't do anything, certainly not in public, not in private either. Hoover was always afraid that someone who he saw, where he went, what he said, it would impact that all-important image of his. He would never do anything that would compromise his position as head of the FBI – ever. There was supposed to be some scandalous pictures of Hoover and Tolson – there were no pictures. Believe me, I looked. There were no pictures because there was no sexual relationship. Whatever they did, they did separately, in different rooms, and even then, I'm sure Hoover was fully dressed." http://www.crimemagazine.com/05/jedgarhoover,0719-5.htm This of course does not mean he wasn't one but that he never practised. In which case no-one but him could ever know Mar 19 09, 12:04 AM

zbeckabee

There were hints about this throughout the FBI boss's career, some of them admittedly a little silly. A 1930s magazine article describes Hoover's mincing step. He was a bit dandyish, favoring white linen suits as a young man; he had classical statues of male nudes at his home, and one of his hobbies was antique collecting. On the more serious side, many people sensed that his long relationship with Tolson was more than a friendship--the pair never lived together, but they're buried side by side. Today some gay activists include Hoover and Tolson in their pantheons of famous gay couples. But appearances notwithstanding, no one has found concrete evidence that the two men were anything other than buds. Given Hoover's ability to cover his tracks--his associates, with Tolson's help, destroyed many of his files upon his death--it's unlikely anyone ever will. http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2423/was-j-edgar-hoover-a-cross-dresser Mar 19 09, 4:25 AM