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By Jesse Monteagudo
On the other hand, homophobic historians continue to heterosexualize the greats, even when that person's same-sex attractions are obvious. A few years ago, when a newspaper ran a piece about Michelangelo's love for other men it drew an angry response from Irving Stone, author of The Agony and the Ecstasy, insisting that the creator of "David" could only be straight. Other scholars still deny that Whitman ever had sex with other men, in spite of all the evidence. Though we are usually willing to accept a historical figure's homosexuality, in fact we don't want everyone to be gay. Recently German historian Lothar Machtan shocked the world by claiming that Adolf Hitler was homosexual. "Adolf Hitler was fond of men. He had a homosexual nature," said Machtan, who elaborates in his book Hitler's Secret: The Double Life of a Dictator.
The idea that the most evil man in history - under whose regime thousands of gay men died in concentration camps - might have been "gay" shocked the LGBT community, while delighting antigay fanatics who always thought that the Nazis were queer. For its part, the media ran the story as a delightful diversion from the events of Sept. 11 and their aftermath. NBC news, which turned 9-11 hero Mark Bingham into a eunuch on Dateline, added insult to injury by granting Machtan an extensive interview on the "Today" show. "There have been 120,000 books, give or take a few, written about Adolf Hitler since his death," said Today host Matt Lauer. "The newest one claims that Hitler was actually gay, and that his homosexuality was at the root of his evil." That was enough to evoke a response from GLAAD - the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation - attacking Machtan's views as "speculation" and condemning NBC for its obvious bias:
But this does not prove that Hitler, known for his heterosexual affairs, was gay, or at least actively so. Perhaps Hitler denied his own same-sex feelings, and envied those who, like Röhm, were more comfortable with their sexuality. But even if Hitler was as gay as a tree full of parrots, his homosexuality should not be used to indict others who are similarly oriented. The fact that it is shows the extent of antigay hatred in our society. While Hitler's (homo)sexuality was making headlines and controversy, other famous figures were being dragged out of the historical closet. In her upcoming book Handel as Orpheus: Voice and Desire in the Chamber Cantatas, Professor Ellen Harris of MIT claims that composer George Frederick Handel was gay. Handel's cantatas, says Harris, "are clearly homosexual. Many of the cantatas avoid identifying the gender of the beloved ... Also they were designed to be sung by both men and women - both castrato and soprano singers." Handel was also financed by three titled patrons who, while married, were undoubtedly gay. Though the idea that this bachelor composer might have been queer has crossed our mind, Jacqueline Riding, director of the Handel House Museum in London, would only comment that "very little is known about Handel's private life. None of his friends wrote much about him, and apart from the fact that he ate and drank too much and had a bad temper, we don't known much about his feelings." As if that wasn't enough, Professor Stephen Knight has put forth the claim that the 12th century folk hero Robin Hood was a poof. Knight, who teaches English literature at the University of Cardiff in Wales, claims that Robin of Locksley was a victim of antigay prejudice who was forced to live in Sherwood Forest with his band of "merry men".
After studying ballads of Robin Hood written in the 14th Century, Knight concludes that "the ballads could not say outright that he was gay because of the prevailing moral climate, but they do contain a great deal of erotic imagery. The green wood itself is a symbol of virility and the references to arrows, quivers and swords make it clear, too."
Knight adds that Maid Marian was a "beard", invented in the 16th century, and that Robin's real love was "Little John", one of his "merry men". Though Knight's theories seem far-fetched, even to me, the very merry British group Outrage welcome the "outing" of Robin Hood: "It's about time school history lessons acknowledged the contribution of famous homosexuals." For the most part, speculation about the homosexuality of famous figures is limited to the safely dead. This did not stop Patricia Butler, author of a soon-to-be released biography of singer-composer Barry Manilow. According to the London "Evening Standard", Manilow's "avowed heterosexuality is placed in serious doubt" by Butler's book Barry Manilow: A Biography. But this is where I draw the line. Barry Manilow could never be gay.
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Hitler loved the company of men, according to a new book by author Lothar Machtan, but did that make him a homosexual? 
The controversial book that sparked the 'Was Hitler Gay?' debate 
Jesse Monteagudo is a freelance writer who lives in South Florida with
his domestic partner. He can be reached at 
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