Isaac Newton wasn't exactly celibate. He was gay.

You can be celibate whatever your sexual orientation.

And having recently got off an extended Newton reading jag everybody and their dog seems to have a different opinion on his sexual orientation, but the arguments are all made on damn thin evidence and don't convince (whether it be gay, het, bi or furry :-).

Well my information is based on The Last Sorcerer, which identified 2 men who it seems likely that he had long-term relationships with. However I freely admit to not being a Newton expert, and I have no real idea if the information in that book is accurate.

Well my information is based on The Last Sorcerer, which identified 2 men who it seems likely that he had long-term relationships with.

As I recall the evidence boils down to Newton's censoring of some letters and two long-term relationships with John Wickins, his roommate from his Trinity days, and a young Swiss mathematician whose name escapes me.

Could he be gay? Certainly. Are there any number of alternate explanations? Yup.

Isaac Newton wasn't exactly celibate. He was gay.

Celibate people are very frequently (I would even suggest usually) accused of being gay. I mean, if he doesn't run after women, it must be because he's secretly lusting after the men, right? I think the main reason for this is that most people just can't imagine that someone would really prefer to be alone. But believe me, there are those of us who really prefer, strongly prefer, to be alone.

I'm perfectly aware that there are people who truly are celibate. However my comment is based on a biography that I read recently, The Last Sorcerer, which identified 2 men who Newton was intimate with over an extended period of time who are suspected to be his lovers. (At least by that author.)

As I admitted in response to adrianh, my impression is that this biographer is fairly highly regarded, but I don't know how widely accepted his beliefs are.