I had read about Kirk LeMoyne “Lem” Billings earlier but was reminded of him and his friendship with John Kennedy by the post at the link below. Although it is not widely known, Kennedy’s life long friend Lem was gay. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I thought I’d post some interesting points about their friendship (gathered from Wikipedia).
Billings was a prep school roommate of Kennedy, an usher at his wedding and a campaigner for his successful 1960 presidential bid.
Joseph Kennedy Sr. called Lem “my second son”.
Billings, a 16-year-old third-year student, and Kennedy, a 15-year-old second-year student, met at prep school, in the fall of 1933.
They became fast friends, drawn to each other by their mutual distaste for their strict school.
Billings repeated his senior year so that he and Kennedy could graduate together in 1935.
The duo took a summer trip through Europe in the summer of 1937… two and a half months and solidified their friendship.
Billings was an usher at the wedding of Kennedy and Jacqueline Lee Bouvier in 1953, and usher at the wedding of Kennedy’s sister Jean to Stephen Edward Smith in 1956.
He worked on Kennedy’s presidential campaign in 1960.
In 1961, Billings declined Kennedy’s offer to appoint him the first head of the Peace Corps or ambassador to Denmark. He later said: "I realized that I did not want to work for the president — because I felt it would change our relationship.”
Lem visited the White House for most weekends during the Kennedy Administration. When a butler commented on the fact that Billings was leaving his belongings in one of the third-floor guest rooms, the First Lady replied: “He’s been my house guest since I was married.”
When the First Lady was away, Billings organized White House dinner parties for the President and old friends.
And when the President traveled he kept the First Lady company.
Billings’ role as "first friend” was assessed by many observers at the time and since. Ted Sorensen called him “an admirer — almost a fawning admirer — of his friend.”
Billings saw the President for the last time when they dined at the White House with Greta Garbo on November 13, 1963,
Friends from the 1970s confirmed that Billings was gay, but not open to discussing it.
In 2006, looking back to the Kennedy Administration, Ben Bradlee (executive editor for the Washington Post) said: “I suppose it’s known that Lem was gay….It impressed me that Jack had gay friends.
Jack made a big difference in my life,” Billings said. “Because of him, I was never lonely. He may have been the reason I never got married.”
JFK: “Freedom of information is a fundamental human right…for a nation that is afraid to let its people to judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.”
JFK wouldn’t even make it past the democrat primaries today.
As always, never buy anything made in china. Don’t ever trust a democrat and NEVER leave your child alone with one.
