President Richard Nixon patted himself on the back as his administration’s “most tolerant person” when it came to gay rights — but also feared that being too tolerant could mean the fall of civilizations, just like the Romans and Greeks.
In newly unearthed White House tape recordings posted by Vanity Fair, the nation’s 37th president said gays are “born that way” — a moderately progressive stance for 1971 — but also called being homosexual “a problem.”
“I don’t want my views misunderstood. I am the most tolerant person on that of anybody in this shop,” Nixon said, while talking about an upcoming youth conference.
“They have a problem. They’re born that way. You know that. That’s all. I think they are. Anyway, my point is, though, when I say they’re born that way, the tendency is there.”
Nixon turned to national security adviser Henry Kissinger, chief of staff Bob Haldeman and chief domestic aide John Ehrlichman to test his theory that great world cultures have been brought down by gays.
Haldeman enthusiastically jumped in with, “There’s a whole bunch of Roman emperors” who were probably gay.
“But the point is, look at that, once a society moves in that direction, the vitality goes out of that society. Now, isn’t that right, Henry?” Nixon said.
“That’s certainly been the case in antiquity,” Kissinger agreed in the April 28, 1971, chat. “The Romans were notorious … homosexuals.”
Nixon went on to say he didn’t “want to touch” the gay “lifestyle” or voice anything that could be viewed as supportive of homosexuals — who apparently brought down the Greek Empire before laying waste to Rome.
“The Greeks. And they had plenty of it,” Nixon said.
“By God, I am not going to have a situation where we pass along a law indicating, `Well, now, kids, just go out and be gay.’ They can do it. Just leave them alone. That’s a lifestyle I don’t want to touch.”
The infamously foul-mouthed chief executive had very set views on gender roles and expected behaviors for men and women.
Moments after his musings on gays in world history, Nixon pivoted to the do’s and don’ts of swearing in public.
The profanity-loving president said men swearing shows “masculinity” while women dropping F-bombs lose “all femininity.”
“A man drunk, and a man who swears, people will tolerate and say that’s a sign of masculinity or some other damn thing. We all do it. We all swear,” Nixon said.
“But you show me a girl that swears and I’ll show you an awful unattractive person. … I mean, all femininity is gone. And none of the smart girls do swear, incidentally.”
The new tapes also show how the incredibly blunt, filter-free president was prone to ripping Kissinger, one of his most trusted confidantes, behind the diplomat’s back.
In a July 6, 1971, chat with Haldeman and Ehrlichman, Nixon said Kissinger, who is Jewish, paid too much attention to Israel.
Less than 30 years removed from the Holocaust, Nixon observed — in his incredibly crass manner — that the slaughter of millions of Jews must have had an impact on Kissinger.
“Even though Henry’s, I know, as fair as he can possibly be, he can’t help but be affected by it,” Nixon said.
“You know, put yourself in his position. Good God! You know, his people were crucified over there. Jesus Christ! And 5 million of them, popped into bake ovens! What the hell does he feel about all this?”