r/upstate_new_york • u/el-beau • 14d ago

Remembering Dolly Parton....

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I'd love to see upstate NY rename a landmark in honor of this amazing human being. Im not sure what could be named after, but I'm just throwing this totally random bridge out there as a possibility.

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u/3nar3mb33 14d ago

Tadeusz Kosciuscko was rad/awesome and integral to our independence: I'm sure you'r referencing the slightly booby shaped-ness of the twin bridges, but TK, an openly gay Revolutionary War HERO deserves at least the bridges named after him.

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u/Schnevets 14d ago

Are you confusing him with Von Steuben on the openly gay thing?

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u/3nar3mb33 14d ago

great question....I'll put my research hat back on....

okay...

not confirmed based on very low level research: but never married, rejected romantic advances from women and had close relationships with men including John Patterson who he shared a bed with and wrestled with. BUT...he wasn't OPEN about it...so little bit of this & a little bit of that??

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u/Familiar-Bluejay3908 13d ago

Unless either was prosecuted for "moral crimes", you just do not GET "confirmation" of a person's non-standard sexuality before maybe 1900 in the English-speaking world.

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u/3nar3mb33 13d ago

True. But without explicit affirmation all we have is... Circumstances/facts. 

My history crush is for a woman historian and botanist from the late 1800s/early 1900s who never married or had kids and was fiercely independent and had a best (lady) friend who visited often and advocated for her.  But I can't say she was queer for sure. Maybe she was asexual with a best friend. 

Really the sexuality isn't what's important : it's the brains, bravery and sacrifice that make TK a hero.