Found out I was related to a Vice President. Shortest term ever, six weeks, but still…awesome.
Then my husband received a copy of Veeps: Profiles in Insignificance and lo and behold not only was my very distant cousin Minister to France, but also something of a dandy. And mostly likely gay. More awesome.
Intrigued, I nosed around some of our ancestry records and while there was no mention of William Rufus deVane King’s rumored relationship with James Buchanan – Southern kin often pass down records via the family Bible, afterall – I did find out W.R. owned several plantations. And slaves. Lots of them. Not so awesome.
So while I cheer that Billy was at least out enough for colleagues to take note – he unapologetically shared a home with Bucky for fifteen years – I can only hope that if he’d lived a little longer or at least in a later time, he’d champion every one’s right to live freely.
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