Journal of the History of Sexuality

Macías-González, Víctor M.
Masculine Friendships, Sentiment, and Homoerotics in Nineteenth-Century Mexico: The Correspondence of José María Calderón y Tapia, 1820s-1850s
Journal of the History of Sexuality - Volume 16, Number 3, July 2007, pp. 416-435

University of Texas Press

Víctor M. Macías-González - Masculine Friendships, Sentiment, and Homoerotics in Nineteenth-Century Mexico: The Correspondence of José María Calderón y Tapia, 1820s-1850s - Journal of the History of Sexuality 16:3 Journal of the History of Sexuality 16.3 (2008) 416-435 Muse Search Journals This Journal Contents Masculine Friendships, Sentiment, and Homoerotics in Nineteenth-Century Mexico: The Correspondence of José María Calderón y Tapia, 1820s-1850s Víctor Manuel Macías-González University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Mexican statesman Guillermo Prieto (1818-97) narrated in his memoirs how in 1840 and 1841 he became the companion -- confidant, private secretary, and bedfellow -- of President Anastasio Bustamante (1780-1853), a lifelong bachelor thirty-eight years his senior. Seeking to prove himself worthy of the hand of his beloved María, the impoverished twenty-two-year-old Prieto crashed the National University of Mexico's graduation ceremony to deliver a speech critical of Bustamante's administration. Upon concluding his fiery remarks, the Mexico City police chief informed Prieto that the president wanted to see him the following evening. At the subsequent meeting, Prieto explained his actions, telling Bustamante that he only wanted to become famous and popular and to find a job so he could marry. Prieto's tale charmed Bustamante, who laughed heartily. Suddenly, the president called for his valet. "López," said Bustamante, "set up a bed in my room...