Probably. Some reasons why this may be a correct assumption:
- He had a single relationship with a woman in his entire life and it ended when she grew tired of his not taking it to the “next level” – When Hoover failed to propose or marry her, she ended their “relationship” and married another man.
- No one can confirm his alleged heterosexual affairs – While he was alleged linked to actresses Dorothy Lamour (who never denied it) and Ginger Rogers (whose mother he was seen in the company of more than her) no one outside of these pairings can seem to confirm that they were anything other than platonic.
- His longtime relationship with his assistant Clyde Tolson – Hoover and Tolson spent long hours together, vacationed together, lived near one another and nearly always ate meals together. Tolson was the heir to Hoover’s estate, he moved into Hoover’s home following his death and he accepted the flag that was draped across Hoover’s coffin. Since Tolson was never married and not known to have any other relationship besides the one with Hoover, their intimacy would certainly not be beyond the realm of speculation.
- Hoover’s near witch hunts against anyone who questioned his sexuality – Since to remove any doubt about his sexuality, all Hoover had to do is establish a relationship (sexual or not) with a woman, his insistence upon maintaining his lifestyle with Tolson, but vigorously going after anyone who accused him of an alternative romantic life, seems to be very odd. Instead of simply finding a “beard” who would be satisfied being the wife of a powerful government official, Hoover instead collected reams of information about the sex lives of others which he may have used to divert scrutiny from himself and his own life.
Theodore Lee is the editor of Caveman Circus. He strives for self-improvement in all areas of his life, except his candy consumption, where he remains a champion gummy worm enthusiast. When not writing about mindfulness or living in integrity, you can find him hiding giant bags of sour patch kids under the bed.