We all know that there's never been an openly gay president, but did you know that one of our mostly beloved presidents, John F. Kennedy, Jr., had a very close best friend that was gay? In the new book Jack and Lem , the author David Pitts tells the story of the extraordinary friendship between JFK and his best friend from school, Lem Billings. In the book its revealed that not only were they best friends but that throughout his entire presidency, Lem spent almost every weekend at the White House.
"He wasn't simply a friend", as Eunice Kennedy Shriver explains. "Of the 9 or 10 men who were close to the president, I would say Lem was number one."
I've not read the book yet but from the glowing reviews I think it should be a fascinating read. And it's a timely topic, as well, for we are still living under Don't Ask, Don't Tell, with its antiquated notion that somehow gays and lesbians are harmful to unit cohesion, team morale, and a slew of other ridiculous assumptions.
Well gosh if JFK's best friend was gay and he was very much present in the White House during one of the most challenging episodes of any presidency (Cuban Missile Crisis) and we were able to avert disaster, then it's obvious that not only are homosexuals not harmful but they could potentially be beneficial! How's that for a radical idea?
To learn more please visit:
http://www.jackandlem.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Jack-Lem-Billings-Extraordinary-Friendship/dp/0786719893
http://gaylife.about.com/od/gaybooks/a/jfklembillings.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lem_Billings
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