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Explore every episode of the podcast History is Gay

Dive into the complete episode list for History is Gay. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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TitlePub. DateDuration
48. All Your Children's Books Are Belong To Us (Gays), Part 206 Jan 202501:17:35

Welcome back to History is Gay, with part 2 of our three-part exploration of classic queer children's literature authors, with guest host Aubree Calvin! In this second installment, we give more background on the history of queer children's literature and dive a bit deeper into our favorite Queer Kid Lit fairy grandmother Ursula Nordstrom before moving into our main coverage focusing on two additional authors, beloved James Marshall, author of George and Martha and the Miss Nelson series, as well as the iconically curmudgeonly Maurice Sendak, known best for Where the Wild Things Are. 

Part three will be coming your way soon with even more queer children's authors to explore :)

Outline
0:00 – Introduction
9:35 – Socio-Historical Context: Timeline of Overt LGBTQ Rep in Children's Books
17:42 – Socio-Historical Context: Fear of the Queer Child
17:42 – 23:22 – CONTENT WARNING: Discussion of bigoted association of homosexuality with child sexual abuse
23:22 – More about Ursula Nordstorm: our queer kid lit fairy gaymother
29:27 – Who Were They? Bio Time: James Marshall
45:08 – Who Were They? Bio Time: Maurice Sendak
56:05 – Why do we think they're gay?
1:14:14 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! We have a Discord server for everyone to hang out in, exclusive O.G. Lesbian Sappho t-shirts, Pop-Culture Tie-In movie watches, and some really fun extras coming your way! You can also get merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, mugs, magnets, and other neat things!

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Find us on TwitterInstagram, and Tumblr, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

47. All Your Children's Books Are Belong To Us (Gays), Part 101 Oct 202401:39:50

This episode marks the return of History is Gay after hiatus, and we're excited to be back in your podfeeds diving into the fascinating world of classic children's literature through the lens of queer authors. Leigh is joined by wonderful guest co-host, Aubree Calvin, to explore the lives and works of several groundbreaking authors, revealing how their sexualities and personal experiences shaped the books we cherished as children.

In this first of a multi-part episode, we're focusing on four beloved authors whose works were some of our favorites: Tomie dePaola, most notable for our favorite Italian grandma Strega Nona, Margaret Wise Brown, the bisexual poet behind beloved picture books Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny, Ann M. Martin, who introduced us to our friends in The Babysitters Club, and Arnold Lobel, the man behind the cozy shared lives of Frog and Toad.  

This conversation doesn't end here; stay tuned as we will continue to explore more queer authors and their impact on the world of children's literature in the next episode, coming soon!

Outline
0:00 – Introduction
4:51 – Socio-Historical Context: History of queer children's literature
10:00 – Who Were They? Bio Time for some of your queer kid lit faves
1:00:15 – Why do we think they're gay?
1:15:57 – 1:16:03 – CONTENT WARNING: Mention of suicidal ideation
1:37:01 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! We have a Discord server for everyone to hang out in, exclusive O.G. Lesbian Sappho t-shirts, Pop-Culture Tie-In movie watches, and some really fun extras coming your way! You can also get merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, mugs, magnets, and other neat things!

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

44. Can We Just Title An Episode "F*ck Colonialism"?: Reclaiming Two-Spirit Histories23 Jan 202301:36:22
For this episode, Leigh is joined by guest host Sam Campbell for the pod’s first episode focusing on Indigenous North America, discussing the history behind various Two-Spirit identities and Indigenous cultural norms around gender and sexuality. In this episode, we’ll talk about the pre-colonial significance of Two-Spirit people to Indigenous communities, how early colonists were able to shape the narrative of what it meant to be Two-Spirit and how that has changed, and lastly, how colonization has nearly eradicated Two-Spirit histories. How can we uplift these stories to highlight Two-Spirit resilience despite the genocide they faced?   Learn more about our guest host Sam Campbell's work by following them on Instagram and TikTok, and check out their TEDx Talks linked in the blog post for this episode on our website.   If you're local to the San Francisco Bay Area, check out the 12th Annual Bay Area American Indian Two Spirit (BAAITS) Powwow, coming up on Saturday, February 4, 2023!   Outline 0:00 – Introduction and Announcements 7:49 – Socio-Historic Context 12:40 – Main Topic: What is Two-Spirit?: Indigenous Gender & Sexuality 14:33 – Word of the Week 24:47 – Two-Spirit Identity: Gender, Sexuality, Spirituality 50:04 – Different Tribal Two-Spirit Roles 1:04:26 – What Happened to these Histories? F*ck Colonialism! 1:12:48 - 1:16:16 – Content Warning: Discussion of anti-Indigenous violence and genocide 1:23:23 – Pop Culture Tie-In 1:30:07 – How Gay were They? 1:32:30 – Closing and Where to Find us Online   If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!   Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!
0.16. Undoing Silence: Hugh Ryan & The Women's House of Detention09 Jan 202300:50:02

In this interview episode, Leigh sits down for a conversation with historian and writer Hugh Ryan about his landmark book The Women's House of Detention: A Queer History of a Forgotten Prison. The Women's House of Detention is the story of one building: the people it caged, the neighborhood it changed, and the resistance it inspired. Listen for an extremely enlightening conversation on the unlikely queer community found in a space of incarceration in the heart of New York's Greenwich Village, the ways in which the carceral state specifically targets queer women and transmasculine people, and the case for abolition as prioritizing of systems of care. 

Where To Find Hugh Ryan Online:

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! We have a Discord server for everyone to hang out in, exclusive O.G. Lesbian Sappho t-shirts, Pop-Culture Tie-In movie watches, and some really fun extras coming your way! You can also get merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, mugs, magnets, and other neat things!

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Find us on TwitterInstagram, and Tumblr, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

 

0.15. Malinda Lo and Queer YA Historical Fiction24 Oct 202200:28:48

Another interview episode for you all in the feed today, this time Leigh sat down with author Malinda Lo about her writing, her interest and research into queer history, and the trajectory of queer literature since her first published book in 2009.  Her award-winning novel Last Night at the Telegraph Club is a queer historical fiction coming-of-age story set in 1954 San Francisco, following Chinese-American teenager Lily Hu as she discovers her queer identity, falls in love with classmate Kath Miller, and sneaks out to the Telegraph Club, a lesbian bar humming with life and new experiences. We dive into the research and real-life queer San Francisco scene Lo explored to create the world of Last Night at the Telegraph Club, as well as her newest book, A Scatter of Light, a companion novel set against backdrop of the first major Supreme Court decisions legalizing gay marriage.

A Scatter of Light released October 4, 2022-- go check it out!

Where To Find Malinda Lo Online:

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! We have a Discord server for everyone to hang out in, exclusive O.G. Lesbian Sappho t-shirts, Pop-Culture Tie-In movie watches, and some really fun extras coming your way! You can also get merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, mugs, magnets, and other neat things!

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Find us on TwitterInstagram, and Tumblr, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

0.14. A Pod Meets BROS Love Story: Making Queer (Romcom) History!03 Oct 202200:18:57

While Leigh is working on putting together the next regular History is Gay episode for you, we've got a special treat in the form of a minisode, all about the new film BROS, making history as the first romantic comedy from a major film studio about two gay men and featuring an all LGBTQ+ principal cast! It's uproariously funny, filled with queer history tidbits, and we worked on it!

History is Gay did some research consulting for the film back in 2021 as they were building out their set design of The LGBTQIA+ Museum, which serves as backdrop for some of the film, and Leigh got a chance to sit down with three of the cast members who play board members of the museum -- Dot-Marie Jones, Academy Award winner Jim Rash, and Eve Lindley-- to talk about their roles, their own queer history knowledge, and what it meant to them to be part of this project!

BROS is out in theaters now as of September 30, 2022 -- go support the film, and keep your eyes peeled for a fun History is Gay easter egg in the film! Tweet us your thoughts!

Learn more about BROS and our guests for this episode:

 

0.13. Before We Were Trans: A Convo with Kit Heyam13 Sep 202200:35:44

For this bonus episode, Leigh sat down with Dr. Kit Heyam, university lecturer, queer history activist, and trans awareness trainer, about their new book, Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender. We talked about gender diversity throughout the world, the importance of getting into “messy” or not easily-categorized gender variance in queer history, and more!

The book comes out in North America today (September 13, 2022), so go check it out! 

Where To Find Kit Online:

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! We have a Discord server for everyone to hang out in, exclusive O.G. Lesbian Sappho t-shirts, Pop-Culture Tie-In movie watches, and some really fun extras coming your way! You can also get merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, mugs, magnets, and other neat things!

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

 

43. Rainbow Rising: Homo-Feels About Homophiles, Part 216 Aug 202201:25:58

For this episode, Leigh is joined again by guest host Tyler Albertario, as we continue diving into the history of the Homophile movement. In this second and final part of this discussion, Leigh and Tyler cover the rise of East Coast Homophile Organizations (ECHO), its restructuring as the North American Conference of Homophile Organizations (NACHO), and the ultimate downfall of NACHO and most of its member organizations in the wake of the Stonewall Rebellion. What are the lessons we can learn and take from early gay rights organizing, and how the movement transitioned into gay liberation?

Learn more about Tyler Albertario and his work by checking out his articles on Medium, follow on Twitter @TylerAlbertario, and support him on Patreon

Outline

0:00 – Introduction and Announcements
3:33 – Follow-Ups/Corrections from last episode
4:59 – Socio-Historic Context
17:16 – Phase One: Coming Together – Regional organizing & Collaboration
22:21 - 31:07 – Content Warning: Discussion of attempted Nazi invasion
26:24 - 26:34 – Content Warning: Suicide attempt mention
44:24 – Phase 2: Homophile Organizing Goes National
1:03:32 – Phase 3: Stonewall & Failure to Capture Lighting in a Bottle
1:05:04 - 1:05:30 – Content warning: Blood mention
1:14:54 – Epilogue & Final Thoughts/Takeaways
1:18:03 – Pop-Culture Tie-In
1:22:26 – How Gay were They?
1:23:58 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

This episode is sponsored by Surfshark VPN, an awesome app and browser extension that not only protects your privacy online, but changes the virtual location of your phone or computer to anywhere in the world, allowing you access to content geoblocked content. 

Surfshark VPN is offering 83% off and 3 months free for History is Gay listeners. Just head over to https://surfshark.deals/HISTORYISGAY or go to surfshark.com and enter code HISTORYISGAY to redeem this amazing deal! Plus, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it out risk-free. 

 

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! We have a Discord server for everyone to hang out in, exclusive O.G. Lesbian Sappho t-shirts, Pop-Culture Tie-In movie watches, and some really fun extras coming your way! You can also get merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, mugs, magnets, and other neat things!

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

42. Rainbow Rising: Homo-Feels about Homophiles, Part 115 Jul 202201:34:46
0.12. Florine Stettheimer's Gay Salon (An Interview with Barbara Bloemink)16 May 202200:53:22
For this bonus episode, we're bringing you an interview with esteemed art historian, art director, and curator Barbara Bloemink about her recently published comprehensive biography of turn-of-the-century Modernist painter Florine Stettheimer. Stettheimer, a cousin of Natalie Clifford Barney's, painted the vibrant world of New York between the two world wars and welcomed gay, lesbian, and bisexual friends and family into her Manhattan salon at a time when it was dangerous and illegal to be out in New York. Listen on to hear Bloemink talk about Stettheimer's painting style, her relationships with the queer art elite of New York, and the ways the contemporary art world has shunned away from diving deeply into subversive and feminist painters.
41. Send in the Clowns: Anita Bryant, the Briggs Initiative, and the Rise of the Anti-Gay Right15 Apr 202201:36:04

Buckle up, folks – this episode contains your hosts doing a lot of swears and yelling at the general AAAAAAAAAHHHHH of the world right now. For this episode, Leigh is joined once again by guest host Aubree Calvin, for a crossover episode with Southern Queeries talking about the rise of the anti-gay Christian right movement and homophobic legislation that swept the United States in the 1970s with Anita Bryant, Save Our Children, and the Briggs Initiative, whose proponents used “parental rights” language to justify their homophobia, in an eerily similar manner as we are seeing today with anti-LGBTQ and specifically anti-trans legislation and arguments. Listen to this episode to hear the history behind all this, as well as some bits of levity we made sure to put in (listen to Anita Bryant get hit with a pie and learn about the glorious protest tactic of glitterbombing), and hear how the LGBTQ community of yesteryear rose up to fight these counter-movements, and what we can learn from them in today’s fight. 

Then, when you’re finished with this episode, head on over to Southern Queeries for the second part of our conversation, talking in depth about the current rash of anti-LGBTQ legislation in the country, our reactions and feelings, and how it’s the same conversation and language as back in 1977 and 1978. 

Outline
0:00 – Introduction and Announcements
Content Warning: References to historical lies tying queer people to child molestation and child pornography are contained in this episode in the following time-codes: 14:23 - 16:59; 59:33 - 59:48; 1:10:54 - 1:11:06; 1:13:44 - 1:15:32
7:39 – Socio-Historic Context
17:16 – Dade County FL, Anita Bryant & Save Our Children
32:06 – LGBTQ Response
51:03 – Word of the Week
57:35 – Spread Across the Country: John Briggs & CA’s Proposition 6
1:17:12 – Main Takeaways and Conclusions
1:24:46 – Pop-Culture Tie-In
1:28:23 – How (Anti) Gay were They?
1:31:28 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

This episode is sponsored by Surfshark VPN, an awesome app and browser extension that not only protects your privacy online, but changes the virtual location of your phone or computer to anywhere in the world, allowing you access to content geoblocked content. 

 

Surfshark VPN is offering 83% off and 3 months free for History is Gay listeners. Just head over to https://surfshark.deals/HISTORYISGAY or go to surfshark.com and enter code HISTORYISGAY to redeem this amazing deal! Plus, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it out risk-free. 

 

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on our NEWLY REVAMPED Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! We have a brand-new Discord server for everyone to hang out in, exclusive O.G. Lesbian Sappho t-shirts, and some really fun extras coming your way! You can also get super cool merch in our brand new TeePublic store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, mugs, magnets, and other neat things!

 

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

40. Real-Life Xenas: Warrior Women Across the World22 Feb 202201:42:28

Happy 2022 and welcome to another episode of History is Gay! This time, we’re picking up where we left off with Meghan Rose and S.C. Lucier in our discussion of Amazons and real-life warrior women in history! It’s not just the Greco-Roman world that marveled at fierce, strong female fighters, but all over the world! This episode, we’re visiting Benin, Africa to learn about the real-life dora milaje of Black Panther fame, the gender-bending Dahomey Amazons; badass female samurai defending their homesteads in Japan, and Viking shieldmaidens and mythical Valkyries– who may have been a third gender? Strap-in for a whirlwind worldwide tour of gender transgression and badass real-life Xenas we want to see all the movies about!

You can learn more about our guest hosts Meg and Luce, Xena: Warrior Musical, and more of their forthcoming projects at www.xenawarriormusical.com, @XenatheMusical on Twitter, and @XenaWarriorMusical on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube!  

Outline
0:00 – Introduction
4:27 – Announcements
7:51 – Follow-Up from Last Episode
12:48 – Main Topic: Warrior Women Across the World
13:33 – Word of the Week
18:54 – Amazon-Like Women in Africa: Dahomey Amazons/mino
43:22-44:13 – Content warning: Discussion of slave trade
46:22 – Amazon-Like Women in Japan: onna-bugeisha
1:06:50 – Amazon-Like Women in Scandinavia: the Vikings!
1:30:48 – Pop-Culture Tie-In
1:33:43 – How Gay were They?
1:39:07 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

This episode is sponsored by Surfshark VPN, an awesome app and browser extension that not only protects your privacy online, but changes the virtual location of your phone or computer to anywhere in the world, allowing you access to content geoblocked content. 

Surfshark VPN is offering 83% off and 3 months free for History is Gay listeners. Just head over to https://surfshark.deals/HISTORYISGAY or go to surfshark.com and enter code HISTORYISGAY to redeem this amazing deal! Plus, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it out risk-free. 

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on our NEWLY REVAMPED Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! We have a brand-new Discord server for everyone to hang out in, exclusive O.G. Lesbian Sappho t-shirts, and some really fun extras coming your way! You can also get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, a coloring book, and other neat things.

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on Twitter and Instagram @historyisgaypod, Tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

We're Back, Baby! New episode drops tomorrow, October 1!01 Oct 202400:02:19

Hello, queerlings! Welcome back to History is Gay! First off, I just want to say I’m so sorry for the unexpected hiatus and disappearance! Significant life events in early 2024 threw wrench after wrench into my plans and my ability to focus on the show, and I made the difficult decision in early June to announce an official hiatus to the patreon supporters with plans to return in the fall, but never sent anything out to the wider listenership, so I imagine you all felt left hanging, and I apologize for the radio silence! If you want to read more to get a better sense of the reasons for the hiatus, that Patreon post from June is public and accessible by everyone, which you can read here.

All that being said, we are back! I’m so happy to share with you that we’ll be returning to your podfeeds tomorrow, October 1, with an episode which has been a very long time coming, where guest-host Aubree Calvin and I start a deep dive into all your favorite classic children’s book authors who, turns out, are queer! We had so many folks we wanted to get into that it’s expanded into a 2-3 part episode, so we’ve got more coming your way soon to close out 2024, including Maurice Sendak, James Marshall, Louise Fitzhugh, and more!

I also wanted to announce that going into 2025, we’ll be bringing some changes to the format and structure of the show, in an aim to make it more sustainable for us to produce and freshen things up a bit! We haven’t figured out exactly what it will look like yet, but it will likely involve switching to a seasonal format with a set number of episodes followed by a break, and having our usual research deep-dive format be only one type of episode, alternating with things like learning from other queer historians and interviewing queer historymakers. More detail and information is on another publicly available Patreon post, linked here.

I hope you’ll follow along with this new phase of History is Gay, and support us in exploring new ways to keep the show going, and let us know what you think! But for now, we’ll see you tomorrow with episode 47!

39. The Amazons: Stoner Horse Girl Warriors of Antiquity31 Dec 202101:50:59

Today’s episode brings you not one, but two, wonderful guest hosts – Meghan Rose and S.C. Lucier, (known collectively as Lucier&Rose), the creators of Xena: Warrior Musical - The Lost Scroll, joining Leigh to talk about everyone’s favorite badass warrior women of antiquity, Amazons! In this first part of a two-part episode examining warrior women throughout history, we’ll dive full-tilt into the myths, legends, and misconceptions about the all-female militant society that struck fear into the hearts of ancient Greek men – powerful women, GASP! Where did these stories come from? How queer were they? And were they real, or just figments of mythology? Listen to this episode to hear us answer all these questions and talk even more, including jokes about penis bones, drinking horse-milk booze, and smoking pot with Herotodus. 

Plus, Meg and Luce debut the very first song from their forthcoming musical, titled Atalanta: The Long Shot! 

You can learn more about Meg and Luce, Xena: Warrior Musical, and more of their forthcoming projects at www.xenawarriormusical.com, @XenatheMusical on Twitter, and @XenaWarriorMusical on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube!

This episode was edited by Ellie Brigida of Lez Hang Out podcast and The Flame: A Podcast Musical.

Outline
0:00 – Introduction
10:37 – Socio-Historical Context
13:33 – The Amazons of Myth and Legend
31:10 – A tour through some Amazon queens
38:27-39:05 – Content warning: rape mention
40:34 – Atalanta, The Greek “Amazon”
59:55 – Real-Life Amazons: Warrior Women of Scythia
1:09:28 – Why do we think they're gay?
1:26:16 – Pop-Culture Tie-In
1:37:37 – How Gay were They?
1:46:09 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

Help us close out 2021 and give us your feedback with our History is Gay Listener Survey! We want to hear from YOU and your thoughts about the show! What do you like? What do you dislike? What do you want us to know? Go to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/survey to fill it out.

 

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more, and get ready for a new Patreon revamp in 2022 with awesome new perks! You can also get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, a coloring book, and other neat things.

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

38. Trans-sister Radio: Synth Icon Wendy Carlos28 Aug 202101:35:40

If you’ve ever enjoyed disco, EDM, changed your voice with auto-tune, or danced along to Daft Punk, you’ve got the subject of today’s episode to thank! In this episode of History is Gay, Leigh is joined by guest host Hannah van Rhee (they/them) of the QueerSounds Podcast to talk about Wendy Carlos, electronic music pioneer, synthesizer queen, film soundtrack composer extraordinaire, and trans woman! We’ll get into all the exciting details, like weird stories about Stanley Kubrick during A Clockwork Orange, comedy albums with Weird Al Yankovic, living inside a faraday cage, and more cats than you can shake a dangly, shiny stick at.

Our wonderful guest host for this episode, Hannah van Rhee, can be found on twitter at @duchessofdeer, and you can follow their podcast QueerSounds on twitter @queersoundspod, Instagram @queersoundspod, and at www.queersounds.com.

Outline
00:00 – Introduction
5:01 – Main Topic: Trans-sister Radio: Synth Icon Wendy Carlos
7:09 – Socio-Historical Context
13:06 – A Note on Sources
14:23 – Who were they? Bio Time.
48:09 – Why do we think they're gay? 
52:15 - 52:58 — Content warning: Descriptions of dysphoria and internalized transphobia
53:23 - 54:07 — Content warning: Suicidal ideation
1:07:36 – Word of the Week
1:20:46  – Main Takeaways and Final Conclusions: Wendy Carlos’ Legacy
1:28:54 – How Gay were They?
1:31:34 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! You can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, a coloring book, and other neat things.

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

37. The Life of Pauli Murray: My Gender is Imp, Part 215 Jul 202101:26:07

In this episode of History is Gay, Leigh and guest host Aubree Calvin return to the story of Pauli Murray, an important African American lawyer, and activist who is finally getting the historical attention they deserve. In their time, Murray was a labor rights, civil rights, and women’s rights activist, and broke significant barriers all while facing sexism and racism. In addition to having a brilliant legal mind, they were a writer, poet, and priest, and had time to be friends with Eleanor Roosevelt. Pauli Murray should be in every U.S. History book in every K-12 school.

So, if Pauli Murray was so important to so many movements, why has history largely forgotten them? Leigh and Aubree try to answer that in this two-episode series. In this second part of our first-ever two-part episode, we look at what made Pauli queer, and try to get a handle, as best we can, on their gender identity.

We also get the opportunity to speak with amazing activist, lawyer, and reproductive justice advocate Preston Mitchum, previously Policy Director at URGE (Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity) and current Director of Advocacy and Government Affairs at The Trevor Project, on his own personal history coming to Pauli Murray’s story, how they influenced him as a Black queer man, and continues to inspire and influence current and future generations of queer civil rights attorneys all across the country.

Preston can be found online at www.prestonmitchum.com, on Instagram @preston.mitchum, and on Twitter @prestonmitchum.

Our wonderful guest host for this episode, Aubree Calvin, can be found at www.aubreecalvin.com or on her podcast Southern Queeries. You can also hear Aubree in previous episodes, which you can check out by clicking here!

Outline
0:00 – Introduction
4:49 – Why Do We Think They’re Gay?
7:19 – Looking at Pauli’s Relationships
14:21 – How do we talk about Pauli’s gender?
36:17 – Interview with Preston Mitchum
1:12:16 –1:14:173 – TW: Discussion of sexual abuse, rape, and assault
1:16:40 – Pop Culture Tie-In
1:18:13 – How Gay Were They?
1:22:40 – Closing and Where to Find Us Online

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! You can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, a coloring book, and other neat things.

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

0.11. "I Need You to Lick Bush in '92": Whitney Skauge and The Beauty President02 Jul 202100:32:54

We're bringing you a bonus episode as a post-Pride gift! Back in April, Leigh sat down with filmmaker Whitney Skauge (they/them) to talk about their new documentary short, The Beauty President. The Beauty President offers a glimpse into the story of Terence Alan Smith. In 1992, Smith, also known by his drag name, Joan Jett Blakk,  made a historic bid for the White House as an openly queer write-in candidate.

In our conversation, we talk about the film, the impact of focusing on historically excluded folks in media, and the importance of visibility and disruption as protest in the midst of the AIDS crisis.

Check out the trailer for The Beauty President by clicking here, and learn more about the film, upcoming screenings near you, and more on Breakwater Studios' website. 

You can learn more about Whitney Skauge on their website, and follow them on Instagram at @whitneyskauge.

36. The Life of Pauli Murray: Confrontation by Typewriter, Part 125 Jun 202101:31:57

In this episode of History is Gay, Leigh and guest host Aubree Calvin discuss Pauli Murray, an important African American lawyer, and activist who is finally getting the historical attention they deserve. In their time, Murray was a labor rights, civil rights, and women’s rights activist, and broke significant barriers all while facing sexism and racism. In addition to having a brilliant legal mind, they were a writer, poet, and priest, and had time to be friends with Eleanor Roosevelt. Pauli Murray should be in every U.S. History book in every K-12 school.

So, if Pauli Murray was so important to so many movements, why has history largely forgotten them? Leigh and Aubree try to answer that in this two-episode series. This first episode looks at their upbringing, many careers, and accomplishments. Later, in part two, we look at what made Pauli queer, and try to get a handle, as best we can, on their gender identity.

Our wonderful guest host for this episode, Aubree Calvin, can be found at www.aubreecalvin.com or on her podcast Southern Queeries. You can also hear Aubree in previous episodes, which you can check out by clicking here!

Outline
0:00 – Introduction
10:00 – Main Topic: Pauli Murray
13:06 – Socio-Historical Context
14:36 – A Note on Pronouns
16:11 – Who were they? Bio Time.
19:26 – Content Warning: Racial violence
30:05 – Fun Segment: Word of the Week
57:13 – Poetry and Memoir Writing
1:12:19 – Content Warning: Stark descriptions of slave trade
1:20:55 – Closing and Where to Find Us Online

Support for this episode comes from .gay, a brand new domain extension that will add a whole bunch of fabulousness to your website, while supporting LGBTQ rights and organizations at the same time! .gay is offering our listeners a FREE .gay domain name of your choice for your own website or brand for 1-year. Click here to get your free .gay website with our special coupon code already applied!

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Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! You can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, a coloring book, and other neat things.

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

35. Claim to Flame: Edmonia "Wildfire" Lewis and her Harem Scarem22 Mar 202101:32:11

In this episode of History is Gay Leigh and guest host Amanda Helton discuss Mary Edmonia “Wildfire” Lewis, the first internationally recognized African American and indigenous artist in the United States. Join us while we ponder how exactly a literal 2-ton sculpture goes missing, discuss the merits of lesbian drama in 1800s Rome, and did you know that blister beetles have been used as aphrodisiacs for centuries? Yeah... neither did we….

 

Our wonderful guest host for this episode, Amanda Helton, can be found at www.amandahelton.com or @oryxbesia on Instagram. You can also hear Amanda in our episode on Michelangelo!

Outline
0:00 – Introduction
7:18 – Socio-Historical Context
20:58 – Who were they? Bio Time
25:06 – 26:18 — Content warning: racial violence
30:29 – Fun Segment: Word of the Week
58:27 – Why do we think they're gay?
1:22:52  – Main Takeaways and Final Conclusions
1:27:51 – How Gay were They?
1:30:53 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

We want to hear from YOU! Please fill out our first-ever History is Gay Listener Survey! We want to hear from YOU and your thoughts about the show! What do you like? What do you dislike? What do you want us to know? Go to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/survey to fill it out, and if you enter your email, you might win a free HIG tee!

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! You can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, a coloring book, and other neat things.

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

34. Queers in the Civil Rights Movement28 Feb 202101:38:29

For today’s episode, Leigh is joined by return guest host, Aubree Calvin, to commemorate Black History Month by telling the stories of some folks who made contributions to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s whose queerness has been overlooked or erased, and the ways in which the tremendous work done by Black activists was absolutely essential to the evolution of LGBTQ rights actions. Listen to hear about Freedom Rides organizer Rodney Powell’s epic takedown of Rev. Rick Warren, Ernestine Eckstein’s directions for the homophile movement, and Lorraine Hansberry’s thoughts on Eartha Kitt’s legs.

Our wonderful guest host for this episode, Aubree Calvin, can be found at www.aubreecalvin.com or on her podcast Southern Queeries. You can also hear Aubree in our episode on Sister Rosetta Tharpe!

Outline
0:00 – Introduction
5:12 – Main Topic: Queers in the Civil Rights Movement
5:27 – Socio-Historical Context
13:47 – 14:18 — Content warning: police brutality/violence mention
20:02 – Who were they? Bio Time.
31:13 – 34:21 – Content warning: violence mention
40:57 – Why do we think they're gay? 
1:01:46 – Fun Segment: Word of the Week
1:24:56 – Content warning: suicide mention
1:28:01 – Fun Segment: Pop Culture Tie-In
1:22:25  – Main Takeaways and Final Conclusions
1:29:30 – How Gay were They?
1:35:59 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

Please fill out our first-ever History is Gay Listener Survey! We want to hear from YOU and your thoughts about the show! What do you like? What do you dislike? What do you want us to know? Go to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/survey to fill it out, and if you enter your email, you might win a free HIG tee! 

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! You can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, a coloring book, and other neat things.

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

0.10. More on the OG Lesbian and Exploring Sappho with Sweetbitter Podcast15 Dec 202000:36:45

It's been one heck of a year, huh queerlings? This month, while we're not able to bring you a regular episode of History is Gay, we are treating you to a special delight in the form of our fantastic conversation with the wonderful minds and gayness behind the brand new (or at least it was when we recorded this) Sweetbitter Podcast, all about Sappho!

Created by Ellie Brigida, Leesa Charlotte, and Alyse Knorr, Sweetbitter is an investigative podcast that delves into the truth and controversy of Sappho’s life, the Isle of Lesbos and homosexuality in ancient Greece. Was Kerkylas of Andros (translation: “Penis of Mansville”) Sappho’s husband, or a wink to her known love of women? Did she really have a daughter named Kleos or was she her young lover?

Collaborating with experts in the fields of poetry, queer studies, theatre and Ancient Greece, Sweetbitter untangles the life of Sappho including the importance of her work and sexuality in modern times.

Leigh spoke with Leesa and Alyse back in October while they were gearing up to launch the show, and now you can hear five of their episodes everywhere you listen to podcasts, and check them out at www.sweetbitterpodcast.com!

 

33. Besotted with Beefcake: A MichelangelHO Story23 Nov 202001:36:58

In this episode of History is Gay, Leigh and guest host and art museum professional nerd Amanda Helton discuss Michelangelo Buonarroti. THE Michelangelo. And we'll get into all the juicy deets you didn't learn in art history class-- full of stories of broken noses, the gay art of forgery, big ol’ artist egos, and attempts to answer the question, “what even is a titty”? Buckle up for the extremely gay Italian Renaissance, everyone!

Our wonderful guest host for this episode, Amanda Helton, can be found at www.amandahelton.com or on Instagram at oryxbesia

 

Outline
00:00 – Introduction
5:36 – Main Topic: Michelangelo: Besotted with Beefcake
6:34 – Socio-Historical Context
15:14 – Who were they? Bio Time.
48:43 – Why do we think they're gay?
1:22:25  – Main Takeaways and Final Conclusions
1:28:56 – How Gay were They?|
1:34:06 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! You can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, a coloring book, and other neat things.

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

0.9. Back in the Saddle Again: Trans Edition30 Sep 202000:20:10

Get ready to slap on your spurs once more, because we're back with more trans vagabonds of the wild west! In our last full episode, Leigh and guest host Ashten promised more tidbits and tales of transgender trailblazers that we weren't able to cover in our time together, so here's a bonus for you! Strap in to hear the (abbreviated) tales of several awesome folks we just couldn't bear to leave out. 

Thank you to Ashten Hope for the additional research provided to make this bonus episode possible!

Outline:

0:00 - Introduction and event announcement
2:37 - Joe Monahan
5:58 - John Runk
7:17 - Ray Leonard
8:58 - Bert Martin
10:35 - Joseph Lobdell
15:21 - Jean Bonnet
19:14 - Closing

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! You can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and other neat things, as well as pages from our History is Gay digital coloring book!

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

0.20. Dialing in to Gender: Tracing Trans Internet History with Avery Dame-Griff04 Dec 202301:02:54

In this interview episode, Leigh sits down with scholar and creator of the Queer Digital History Project Avery Dame-Griff to discuss his book The Two Revolutions: A History of the Transgender Internet and all it contains about the magic of the evolution of trans folks on the internet. From BBSes (bulletin board system) to Twitter, we discuss how trans people have always existed on and created their own unique spaces on the World Wide Web, tapping into Avery’s extensive research, interviews, and media archaeology.

Where to find more from Avery Dame-Griff online:

Also, some additional awesome news about internet trans history!

As listeners may know, Leigh works at the GLBT Historical Society for their day job. And recently, a volunteer archivist, Cara Esten Hurtle, discovered an amazing CD-ROM containing the entirety of Transgender Forum, (TGForum.com) from 1995 to 1998, one of the largest trans communities online at that time, that Avery Dame-Griff also covers in his book! Hurtle uploaded the CD-rom online for anyone to peruse and it’s absolutely amazing to see the 90s trans community right there before your very eyes!

The discovery has been covered by them online in a fantastic article which you can read here: This Archive Offers an Incredible Window Into the Early Trans Internet.

And you can peruse the CD-Rom of TGForum.com here, where Cara uploaded the archive! Just click the “START.HTM” file in the tgfcd window, and browse to your heart’s content! Want Leigh to do an interview with Cara about her discovery? Let us know!

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! We have a Discord server for everyone to hang out in, exclusive O.G. Lesbian Sappho t-shirts, Pop-Culture Tie-In movie watches, and some really fun extras coming your way! You can also get merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, mugs, magnets, and other neat things!

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

32. Stealing Horses & Hearts: Trans Vagabonds of the Wild West16 Sep 202001:29:22

In this episode of History is Gay, Leigh and guest host Ashten Hope slap on some cowboy boots and head to the wild west to tip our hats to a slew of badass transgender pioneers. We’ll first meet Harry Allen, a handsome horse-stealing and heart-stealing trans man who was both loved and hated by papers and police across the pacific northwest. Then we’ll dance with the dazzling and talented Mrs. Nash, who’s baking and sewing charmed many a soldier boy. Lastly, prepare to be lassoed by the legendary Charley Parkhurst who was known as one of the best “whips” in all the west. Grab your horse and your headphones and get ready to ride into the fantastic lives of these frontier queers.

Outline: 

0:00 – Introduction
4:12 – Main Topic: Stealing Horses & Hearts: Trans Vagabonds of the Wild West
4:47 – Socio-Historical Context: What was the Wild West and Why do we think its gay?
16:51 – Who were they? Bio Time: Harry Allen
31:40 – 33:04 – Content warning: suicide mention
36:29 – Word of the Week
39:12 –39:31 – Content warning: sexual assault reference
42:52 – 43:03 – Content warning: substance abuse mention
50:26 – Who were they? Bio Time: Mrs. Nash
1:01:26 – 1:03:06 – Content warning: suicide mention
1:06:54 – Who were they? Bio Time: Charley Parkhurst
1:21:16  – Main Takeaways and Final Conclusions
1:22:36 – How Gay were They?
1:25:47 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

You can find guest host Ashten at @AshtenHope on twitter!

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! You can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and other neat things.

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

31. The Gaymother of Rock n' Roll, O.G. Electric Lady Sister Rosetta Tharpe15 Aug 202001:30:58

Holy crap, y’all! It’s already AUGUST. Somehow this year has simultaneously lasted forever and also gone by way too quickly. We’re back in your podcatchers today with a new episode, this time introducing you all to the Godmother (or Gaymother, if you will) of Rock n’ Roll, the original stadium rockstar, and badass Black woman guitar virtuoso, Sister Rosetta Tharpe! Think Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry invented rock n’ roll? Think again! Sister Rosetta was shredding on guitar way before them, and it’s time she gets the credit she is due. She broke boundaries wherever she went, straddling the line between worldly and chaste, secular and gospel, and loved both men and women.

Our wonderful guest host for today’s episode is Aubree Calvin- writer, professor, and podcast host! You can learn more about Aubree and her freelance writing at her website  www.aubreecalvin.com, and check out her brand new podcast Southern Queeries, all about LGBTQ life in the South!

0:00 – Introduction
3:49 – Main Topic: Sister Rosetta Tharpe
6:12 – Socio-Historical Context
12:44: – Who were they? Bio Time.
37:46 – An Aside: Rosetta's Guitar & Singing Style
1:05:40 – Why do we think they're gay? 
1:17:15 – Word of the Week
1:22:33 – Main Takeaways and Final Conclusions
1:25:06 – How Gay were They?
1:26:55 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! You can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and other neat things.

Currently, all proceeds from Patreon and our store that aren't being put towards production costs are going to The Okra Project, a collective that provides free, healthy meals to Black trans people wherever they can reach them. 

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

0.8. Alternate Channels: Talking Queer TV with Steven Capsuto31 Jul 202000:50:03

We’re bringing you a bonus episode here on the History is Gay feed today, so get ready for a ride through the history of queers on TV! Leigh got a chance to sit down and talk with Steven Capsuto, author of Alternate Channels: Queer Images on 20th-Century TV, a deep dive into the history of queer representation on radio and the small screen from the 1930s to 2000! We chat about our favorite moments of representation from the era, the impact and role of gay activists in moving the needle forward for narrative depictions of queerness, and more!

Check out Steven and his work at www.alternatechannels.net and follow him on twitter @StevenCapsuto for daily “Today in Queer TV History" tidbits and more!

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! You can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and other neat things.

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

30. Alan Turing: Computer Daddy15 Jul 202001:25:01

In this episode of History is Gay, Leigh and guest host Maren (@RygarBorgvoss) tackle the father of modern computing, and gay geek hero, Alan Turing! Whether he be sending love-struck letters about astronomy to his high school bestie, riding a bicycle in a gas mask, or completely revolutionizing mathematics and machinery, we’re in awe of Alan. Listen as we talk about his successes and foibles, and how history did this code-breaking, number-crunching badass dirty. 

Outline: 

01:43 – Introduction
6:01 – Main Topic: Alan Turing: Computer Daddy
7:38 – Socio-Historical Context
11:53 – Who were they? Bio Time.
44:55 – 45:23 - Content warning: suicide mention
46:02 – Why do we think they're gay?
1:05:45  – Main Takeaways and Final Conclusions
1:05:49 – 1:08:41 - Content warning: suicide mention
1:19:27 – How Gay were They?
1:20:56 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

This episode is sponsored by Hank Green’s new book, A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor. The book is out July 7th in physical, audio, and e-book wherever books are sold, or you can just go to hankgreen.com and that will get you where you need to go!

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! You can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and other neat things. You can also check out some amazing History is Gay coloring book pages created by listeners, that are available for $2 donations that will go towards The Okra Project!

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

#PodcastBlackout22 Jun 202000:05:17

Instead of a new episode this month, History is Gay is participating in #PodcastBlackout. If you are not Black, we hope you take this opportunity and time to read, educate yourself, and donate to organizations and causes dedicated to the fight for Black lives. 

The Black-created podcasts mentioned in this episode that you should check out and financially support: 

Black, Queer Podcasts:

Black History Podcasts: 

Also, 100% proceeds from the new History is Gay coloring book project will be donated to The Okra Project, a collective that seeks to address the global crisis faced by Black Trans people by bringing home-cooked, healthy, and culturally specific meals and resources to Black Trans people wherever they can reach them. You can donate and download the pages at www.historyisgaypodcast.com/coloring-book

Places to Donate:

0.7. Rainbow Revolutionaries: An(other) Interview with Sarah Prager16 May 202000:49:17

Welcome to History is Gay's latest minisode! This time, we're interviewing author and queer historian Sarah Prager again, in anticipation of her new book Rainbow Revolutionaries: Fifty LGBTQ+ People Who Made History. We get into the details of who is featured in this new book, what it was like writing for a young audience, and get some sneak peek details about the illustrations for the book and the upcoming release party!

You can follow Sarah's work on her website, www.sarahprager.com and check out her daily queer history app, Quist. You can also follow her on twitter @Sarah_Prager!

Rainbow Revolutionaries comes out on May 26, preorder it from your favorite indie bookstore! You can find your local store by going to www.indiebound.com and putting in your location. 

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! You can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and other neat things.

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

29. Beyond the Rainbow: Building Queer Symbologies Before & After Gilbert Baker02 May 202001:14:46

For this very first solo episode, we’re bringing you a whole bunch of history at once, for everyone’s quarantined entertainment! Presented live on Zoom, we revisited a presentation that Leigh originally gave at the GLBT Historical Society Museum about the history of queer symbols before and after the creation of the rainbow flag, and sharing some stories from folks who participated in a flag-making workshop! From 600 B.C. to right now, queer people have used hundreds of symbols to refer to themselves, find community, and create shared language. Learn about just some of them in this episode, and tell us your favorites! What symbols are your favorites? If you were to create a new queer symbol or flag, what would you do?

Outline

0:00 – Introduction
3:42 – Main presentation: Beyond the Rainbow
57:31 – Interviews with flag workshop participants
1:09:57 – Closing Announcements and Where to Find us Online

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! You can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and other neat things.

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

28. Anne Lister Goes to TGIFemslash17 Mar 202000:46:55

Welcome to Gretchen and Leigh’s annual episode hosted live at TGIFemslash! This is the con where it all began, and what better way to celebrate our origins than with the ‘first modern lesbian’, Anne Lister! Join us as we learn more about her life, her loves, and her extensive diaries that she used to record her sexual escapades, and you can even play along with the games we hosted live at TGI!

Outline

0:00 – Introduction
6:11 – Main Topic: Anne Lister
6:37 – Who were they? Bio Time 
12:43 – Why do we think they're gay?
25:37 – Fun Segment: Dialogue or Diary?
31:39 – Words of the Week: So You Want to Be a 19th Century Lesbian?
45:39 – How Gay were They?
46:26 – Closing 

And as a bonus, check out the super gorgeous and hilarious Sappho Shitpost Generator created by two of our listeners, Annie J. and Laura Galm! Head over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/sappho for the fun, and share your favorite results with us on twitter using the hashtag #SapphoShitposts!

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! You can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and other neat things, including our two new amazing t-shirt designs created by Hafsah Mijinyawa at Wet Cloud Media!

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

0.6. A Gay Poetry Salon with Alexandra Tydings13 Feb 202001:01:52

Happy Valentines’ Day, loves! We’re here today with a special treat bonus episode for you with a very special guest! You may know her from Xena: The Warrior Princess as the patron god of Sappho, the goddess of love, Aphrodite: it’s Alexandra Tydings! You heard her voice briefly in our last episode on Sappho, but we had so much fun talking with Alex about the Poetess, gay feelings, hysteria, and more, that we created a whole episode for it.

Want to find more info on Alexandra and her work? Go to www.alexandratydings.com or follow on twitter @alextydings or instagram @atydings!

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! You can also get super cool merch in our store

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

27. Fucking Superb, You Funky Little Lesbian27 Jan 202001:37:40

At long last, hosts Gretchen and Leigh are going back to the beginning, to the OG lesbian: Sappho herself. Despite the dearth of information about her life and history, your hosts still find plenty to say about Sappho, her poetry, her legacy, and all the debate that’s circled around her for years. Find out what Leigh and Gretchen think about the many questions about Sappho and listen to fragmentary poetry filled with queer longing and other relatable feels like fire burning beneath flesh, wind crashing through mountain oaks, and…celery. 

Outline

0:00 – Introduction

4:57 – Main Topic: The OG Lesbian Sappho 

5:08 – Socio-Historical Context

13:02 – Who were they? Bio Time.

23:42 – Sappho’s Poetry

56:12 – Fun Segment: Word of the Week 

1:16:40 – Why do we think they're gay? 

1:30:12 – How Gay were They?

1:33:48 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! You can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and other neat things.

 

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!


Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

46. A Husband is Unnecessary: Yoshiya Nobuko & Japanese Girls' Culture06 Nov 202301:42:58

This episode has EVERYTHING: gay haircuts, yearning, rage against the patriarchy, they were *roommates*....let’s talk about the magical world of Yoshiya Nobuko, girls’ culture, and lesbian fiction in Taishō era Japan! Leigh is joined by guest host Erica Friedman, speaker, editor, researcher and an expert on all things Yuri. Yoshiya Nobuko was an extremely popular writer in 20th century Japan who lived with her beloved female partner for 50 years and her legacy continues today as “the Grandmother of Yuri.”. The tropes and storylines established in her writing can still be seen today in queer girls stories in and outside of Japan– get ready to learn all about modern Japan’s very own Sappho. After all, it’s all in the yearning. 

 Erica Friedman writes about Yuri anime, manga and related media on her blog Okazu, and can be found on Twitter as @okazuyuri, Bluesky as Okazu and @EricaFriedman@mastodon.social 

 Erica’s book By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga is the first in-depth study of Yuri in English.

Outline

0:00 Introduction
7:29 Socio-Historical Context
24:00 Who Were They? Bio Time
41:36 - 43:42 Content Note: discussion of WWII 
48:37 Why Do We Think They’re Gay?: Some More Socio-Historical Context
50:12 - 55:30 Content Note: discussion of pathologizing of homosexuality
55:30 - 58:00 Content Note: discussion of suicides in the news at the time
58:34 Word of The Week: “S Class”
1:06:56 Why Do We Think They’re Gay?: Yoshiya’s Life
1:17:47 Queer Themes in Yoshiya’s Fiction
1:21:30 -1:22:39 Content Note: brief reference to suicide
1:30:07 Pop Culture Tie-Ins
1:36:00 How Gay Were They?
1:37:15 Conclusion and Sign off

 Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! We have a Discord server for everyone to hang out in, exclusive O.G. Lesbian Sappho t-shirts, Pop-Culture Tie-In movie watches, and some really fun extras coming your way! You can also get merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, mugs, magnets, and other neat things!

 If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

 Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

 

26. A Royal Troublemaker in King Kristina of Sweden03 Dec 201901:21:30

Welcome to winter! Join Leigh and guest host V Silverman as they dive into the fascinating history of King Kristina of Sweden. A probably nonbinary, most likely asexual, definitely biromantic monarch of 17th century Sweden, Kristina was known for their aesthetic tastes, insatiable hunger for knowledge, and absolutely atrocious spending habits. Obviously this episode has all the queer kingly content your heart could desire, but did you know it also has: Coffin Time With Daddy (Deceased), dramatic French executions of Italian noblemen by Swedish royalty, BFFing with Bernini, no fewer than 4 bids for a throne (not all the same one), and how to kidnap your favorite philosopher? Get ready for the incredible story of the jam-packed life of Kristina of Sweden on this episode of History is Gay!

Outline

0:00 – Introduction

5:22 – Main topic: King Kristina of Sweden

7:45 – Socio-Historical Context: 17th Century Europe

11:38 – Who Were They? Bio Time

39:10 – Why do we think they're gay?

1:13:08 – Fun Segment: Pop Culture Tie-In

1:15:35 – How Gay were They?

1:17:02 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! 

Also now you can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and more!

 

Our wonderful guest host for this episode, V Silverman, can be found at www.vcsilverman.com or on twitter @nikeagxy. You can also listen to their hilarious podcast, Fuzzy Logic, @FuzzyLogicPod.

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

25. Chrysanthemums and Golden Bums: Male Love in Pre-Modern Japan15 Oct 201901:31:45

That’s right, Leigh and Gretchen are back with another delightful look at the history of homosexuality in East Asian history! Episode 3 explored homosexuality in Ancient China but this time, they’re heading over to Japan to take a closer look at Buddhism, samurai tradition, and the economy-shaped homosexuality in the Tokugawa shogunate. But it’s not all context, you’ll laugh along with us at some of the monks’ exploits, swoon over romantic queer poetry, and peer into the delights of the floating world. So strap in for an exciting look at the rich history of male and female homosexuality in Japan!

Outline

0:00 – Introduction
6:37 – Main Topic: Male/Male Homosexuality in Pre-Modern Japan
6:52 – Socio-Historical and Religious Context
15:47 – Fun Segment: Word of the Week
25:25 – Earliest References to Male Love in Japan
28:47 – The Monastic Tradition
42:40 – The Samurai Tradition and Undying Devotion
48:44 – The Rise of Kabuki and Commercialized Nanshoku
1:03:00 – Male Love in Popular Tokugawa Literature and Art
1:17:57 – Female/Female Homosexuality in Japan
1:23:43 – Main Takeaways/Conclusions
1:25:29 – How Gay were They?
1:26:40 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! Also, patrons will get download links to our fantastic jingles composed by the amazing Lilly Brown!

Buy merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and geographic queer gear, designed by the incomparable V Silverman. Plus we now have stickers and phone cases!

You can also now join the amazing volunteer team helping us to transcribe past episodes for accessibility! Go to historyisgaypodcast.com/transcriptions for more information!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

24. Transcestors, A Look at Art Beyond the Binary (Live from the DMA)22 Jul 201900:59:17

Leigh and Gretchen are back from hiatus with an extra special episode! Recorded live at the Dallas Museum of Art on June 21st as part of the museum’s Pride events, your friendly neighborhood queer history nerds sat down to chat about gender diversity in art and mythology. Come take a tour through Mesopotamian, Hindu, and Norse mythology, then dive into two modern artists who questioned and transcended gender norms in their lives and art: Anton Prinner and Frida Kahlo. So pull up a chair and hang out with a couple of gayvenclaws to, retroactively, celebrate pride and art beyond the binary!

Outline
0:00 – Introduction
8:02 – Gender Diversity in Mythology: Inanna/Ishtar
16:19 – Gender Diversity in Mythology: Hapi
23:24 – Gender Diversity in Mythology: Hindu gods
30:32 – Gender Diversity in Mythology: Loki
36:43 – Anton Prinner
46:12 – Frida Kahlo
52:44 – How Gay Were They?
53:40 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

 

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! 

Also you can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and more! We just added STICKERS!


Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

Announcements Aplenty!09 Apr 201900:11:03

Leigh & Gretchen have a few announcements about what's going on in History is Gay land - hiatus, transcripts, and a live show! Listen to get all the details :)

Want to be a part of the volunteer team helping us transcribe History is Gay episodes? Visit www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcriptions

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more!

Also you can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and more!


Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

23. Bury the Hays Code04 Mar 201900:44:37

It’s that time of year again, time for the second annual live episode of History is Gay, live-recorded at TGIFemslash, the convention that birthed our little podcast! Join Leigh, Gretchen, and special guest host Morgan as they discuss the origins of queer censorship in the 20th century. They dive into the Hays Code, lesbian pulp fiction, and briefly discuss Patricia Highsmith, author of The Price of Salt---the lesbian pulp fiction novel from 1952 that became the 2015 blockbuster Carol. And don’t worry, this story has a happy ending!

Outline
0:00 – Introduction
2:58 – The Hays Code
22:39 – Lesbian Pulp Fiction
35:32 – Patricia Highsmith and The Price of Salt
41:56 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more!

Also now you can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and more!
Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

22. Bae-yard Rustin: The Man Behind the March11 Feb 201901:34:09

February means love and Black History, so join Gretchen and Leigh as they celebrate both by diving into into the life and work of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin! Due to his being gay, Rustin’s role as advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr. and in organizing the 1963 March on Washington was actively erased for several decades. Fortunately, he’s been gaining more recognition in recent years and both queer history and civil rights history is actively recovering his memory and legacy. So join us as we talk about one of the most impactful but least well-known activists of the civil rights movement.

Outline

0:00 – Introduction
5:14 – Main Topic: Bayard Rustin, the Man Behind the March
5:23– Socio-Historical Context
12:00 – Who were they? Bio Time.
1:05:17 – Why do we think they're gay?
1:23:17 – Fun Segment: Pop Culture Tie-In
1:27:05 – How Gay were They?
1:29:20 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! Also, patrons will get download links to our fantastic new jingles composed by the amazing Lilly Brown!

Buy merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and geographic queer gear, designed by the incomparable V Silverman. We also have new MUGS!


Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

21. The Real Housewife of Rome23 Jan 201901:21:47

What better way to celebrate the New Year than with a new episode of History is Gay? This time, Gretchen and Leigh dive into the brief, controversial, and totally extra reign of Emperor Elagabalus of Rome. Or rather, Empress Elagabalus! Whether it be marrying multiple wives and one husband, revolutionizing the Roman religion, installing women as senators, throwing parties with sex workers, or enjoying the attention of well-endowed men, Elagabalus was as unconventional as they come. And chances are, she may very well have been a trans woman.

Outline

0:00 – Introduction
4:23 – Main Topic: Elagabalus
8:40 – Socio-Historical and Religious Context
13:31 – Fun Segment: Word of the Week
22:47 – Elagabal and Roman Religion
29:39 – Who were they? Bio Time
54:48 – Why do we think they're gay?
1:08:30 – Analysis from Queer Historians
1:09:49 – Fun Segment: Pop Culture Tie-In
1:12:45 – How Gay were They?
1:17:10 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! Also, patrons will get download links to our fantastic new jingles composed by the amazing Lilly Brown!

Buy merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and geographic queer gear, designed by the incomparable V Silverman.

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

20. More Than Meets the Eye(brow): Frida Kahlo24 Dec 201801:29:33

In this episode, Gretchen and Leigh talk about Frida Kahlo, a Mexican artist best known for her many self-portraits and for works inspired by nature and the culture and artifacts of Mexico. She may be known for her unibrow, but that’s far from the most important aspect of her art or her story or her art. In keeping with her self-exploration of identity in her paintings, we’re going to explore one of the things least well known about her: that she had relationships with men and women! That’s right, this famous postcolonial, multiracial, disabled artist was bisexual!

Outline

0:00 – Introduction
5:56 – Main Topic: Frida Kahlo
6:02 – Socio-Historical and Religious Context
16:45 – Who were they? Bio Time.
55:52 – Why do we think they're gay?
1:15:25 – Fun Segment: Pop Culture Tie-In
1:16:27 – How Gay were They?
1:24:49 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! Also, patrons will get download links to our fantastic new jingles composed by the amazing Lilly Brown!

Also now you can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and more!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

0.5. Letters & Queeries - Gay Ghosts and an Announcement!10 Dec 201800:14:39

Welcome to our first Letters & Queeries minisode, where we hear from our listeners and share stories! In this inaugural bonus, we're sharing with you the fabulous haunting calling cards of several History is Gay listener ghosts. We also have an announcement regarding a schedule change for regular History is Gay episodes. 

Submission to Letters & Queeries episodes is exclusive perks for our $10 and above Patreon supporters!  Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more!

Also now you can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and more! Get your loved ones some cool queer swag for the holigays.


Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

19. Queer Poetry in the Not-So-Great War: Siegfried Sassoon26 Nov 201801:26:14

We’ve got a special episode for you this time, gayvenclaws! Gretchen is taking care of a family medical emergency, so join Leigh and special guest Hayden Smith as they discuss the famous WWI soldier Siegfried Sassoon. A writer, poet, and novelist known for his anti-jingoist, anti-war poetry, Sassoon was willing to showcase the horrors of the trenches for foot soldiers. It’s a tale of love, loss, grief, anger, and healing as we dig into this fascinating fellow and his prolific poetry!

Outline

0:00 – Introduction
4:43 – Main Topic: Anti-War Poet Siegfried Sassoon
6:31 – Socio-Historical Context: the United Kingdom, 1900-1930
16:51 – Socio-Historical Context: WWI and Homosexuality
20:17 – Socio-Historical Context: Changing Masculinity
29:51 – Who were they? Bio Time.
46:46 – Why do we think they're gay?
1:15:37 – Pop Culture Tie-In
1:16:51 – How Gay were They?
1:21:28 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

You can find guest host Hayden Smith’s work online on his blog, SealedInInk.com, or check him out on instagram at afterthewaves!

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more!

Also now you can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and more!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

History is Gay Presents: LGBTQ+ History Trivia Night!28 Aug 202300:01:17

Hello queerlings! Leigh here with an exciting announcement! |

Join us on Sunday, October 1 at 5:00 pm Pacific Time / 8:00 pm Eastern for our first-ever virtual LGBTQ+ History Trivia Night, presented by History is Gay! All listeners and friends are invited to come join the fun, make a team (or get to know new friends), and flex your queer history and trivia knowledge, with a mix of questions about general queer history and some memories from History is Gay episodes past!

Tickets are $10 for the general public, $5 for History is Gay Patrons at any level, and FREE for patrons at the Lavender Menace tier and above. Check out our Patreon for promo codes that were sent out to patrons. 

Go to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/trivia to see details and get your tickets! We can't wait to see you :D

18. Girls Gone Wilde06 Nov 201801:32:36

What would an exploration of the Wilde family be without taking a closer look at Oscar Wilde’s ‘virulently lesbian’ niece Dolly Wilde? Gretchen and Leigh take you on a journey to learn more about this elusive personality. Unlike her uncle, Dolly left little written work behind and is best known from her letters and from what other people have to say about her. Come join the ouroboros of gay that is the Sapphic ‘sewing circle’ of 1920s Hollywood and Paris.

Outline

0:00 – Introduction
5:02 – Main Topic: Dolly Wilde
5:23 – Socio-Historical Context: Paris and London in the 1920s
10:20 – Who were they? Bio Time. 
48:53 – Why do we think they're gay?
58:50 – Fun Segment: Word of the Week
1:26:21 – How Gay were They?
1:28:44 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! Also now you can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and more! Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com.

Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

0.4. A Queer Ghost Huntin' We Will Go (An Interview with Shane McLelland)29 Oct 201800:31:17

Hello again, guys, gals and ghouls, and welcome to a fun Halloween minisode! This week, Leigh & Gretchen bring you an interview with our second Queer Ghost Hunter of the month, Shane McLelland! Shane is one of the co-founders of the Stonewall Columbus Queer Ghost Hunters group, and he had lots to say about the paranormal, queer entities, and his favorite spooky stories growing up. 

You can learn more about their work at www.queerghosthunters.com!

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more!

Also now you can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and more! New merch coming November 1, just in time for holiday shopping!

Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

17. He's a Real Wilde One15 Oct 201801:31:10

In honor of his 164th birthday, Leigh and Gretchen talk about the life and times of Oscar Wilde with special guest K. W. Moore from the blog “A Scholar of No Importance.” Wilde’s unwillingness to conform to Victorian sensibilities regarding keeping his private life private and the famous trials that resulted from it changed the shape of Western discussions of sexuality thereafter. His writing, too has left its mark both on the world, and on all three of our hosts this episode. So come join us as we pay homage to the Wilde man himself, the man who sought to live up to his blue china and worried he might fall short.

Outline

0:00 – Introduction
5:30 – Socio-Historical Context: 19th Century England, Male-Male Intimacy, and the Criminal Amendment Act of 1885
15:11 – Who were They/Why Do We Think They’re Gay: The Early Life, Loves, and Scandals of Oscar Wilde
20:50 – Fun Segment: Word of the Week
41:03 - 43:17 – Content Warning for mentions of child abuse & suicide
46:45- 51:12– Content Warning: Discussion regarding ephebophilia and pederasty
51:12 – The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, Exile, and Death
1:20:19 – Fun Segment: Pop Culture Tie-In
1:25:47 – How Gay were They?
1:28:04– Closing and Where to Find us Online

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more!

Also now you can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and more!


Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

16. Lavender Apparitions01 Oct 201801:49:56

 

Happy Halloween everybody! As good Halloween gays, Leigh and Gretchen bring you a special, spoopy episode for Halloween. In the first half, they bring tales of gay and lesbian ghosts and lavender apparitions of all kinds, though of the kindly and perhaps a bit cheeky variety rather than bloody or scary. For the second half, they interview Joe Applebaum, one of the producers of Queer Ghost Hunters, a paranormal investigation series on YouTube focused on finding and talking to queer ghosts. So grab your bucket of candy and get ready for some spoopy fun on History is Gay!

Outline

0:00 – Introduction

6:41– Socio-Historic Context: Spiritualism

11:23 – Lavender Apparitions and Queer Ghosts

45:16 – Leigh and Gretchen Plan Their Hauntings

52:23 – Fun Segment: Pop Culture Tie-In

54:47 – How Gay were They?

56:31 – Interview with Joe Applebaum of Queer Ghost Hunters

1:44:47 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more!

Also now you can get super cool merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, and more!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

The music used in this episode is “Hammond Horror” by Keschco from the Free Music Archive, and sound effects were by Mike Koenig from Soundbible.com

© My Podcast Data