Intimate, personal portraits of both known and long-forgotten champions, heroes, and witnesses to history brought to you from rare archival interviews.
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When news broke in 1952 that Christine Jorgensen, an ex-GI from the Bronx, had undergone gender-affirming surgery, she became a global sensation. In this 1957 interview, meet the thoughtful woman behind the frenzied headlines as she took on the burden of educating the public about trans people.
Visit our episode webpage for background information, archival photos, and other resources, as well as a transcript of the episode.
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Audio source: Christine Jorgensen Reveals, an LP recording of a 1957 interview between Christine Jorgensen and Nipsey Russell (credited as R. Russell), released in 1958 by J Records, New York, NY.
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Season 15: Preview
Season 15
Thursday, June 18, 2026 • Duration 05:23
MGH is back for another dive into the archives! Drawing from Eric’s own collection of rare interviews and other repositories of LGBTQ history, we’ll bring you the voices of seven LGBTQ change-makers and allies whose stories will take you from 1920s Harlem to the halls of power in 1980s D.C.
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Audio sources:
- Christine Jorgensen Reveals, an LP recording of a 1957 interview between Christine Jorgensen and Nipsey Russell (credited as R. Russell), released in 1958 by J Records, New York, NY.
- Mabel Hampton Oral History Collection, used by permission of the Lesbian Herstory Archives.
- Barney Frank interview via the Making Gay History archive.
- "Lou Sullivan and Dr. Ira Pauly Interview, Part 1," January 1988, GLBT Historical Society Film & Video Collection, courtesy of the GLBT Historical Society.
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Stonewall National Monument on “Endangered” List
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 • Duration 01:49:44
Today, the National Trust for Historic Preservation designated the Stonewall National Monument in NYC as one of America’s "11 Most Endangered Historic Places." As an antidote to the threat of erasure facing the country’s only national monument dedicated to LGBTQ+ history, MGH is re-releasing its season about the Stonewall uprising with the support of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Parks Conservation Association.
MGH's Stonewall 50 season first aired in June 2019. Visit our season webpage to access background information, archival photos, and other resources, as well as episode transcripts.
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Lucy Salani was assigned male at birth, so when she came of age she was conscripted into the Italian army. She soon deserted—the first of several daring escapes that eventually landed her in Dachau. She’s one of the only trans people to testify about their experiences in Nazi concentration camps.
Visit our episode webpage for additional resources, archival photos, and a transcript of the episode.
For exclusive Making Gay History bonus content, join our Patreon community.
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Lucy Salani interview footage courtesy of Matteo Botrugno and Daniele Coluccini, directors of the 2021 documentary C'è un soffio di vita soltanto (A Breath of Life). The film was produced and released in Italy by Blue Mirror and Kimerafilm and distributed internationally by True Colours.
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The Nazi Era: Episode 7: Gad Beck
Season 14 · Episode 7
Thursday, March 6, 2025 • Duration 28:11
After the 1942 deportation of his boyfriend, 19-year-old Jewish Berliner Gad Beck vowed to help others escape the same fate. He became a prominent resistance member and used his resourcefulness, sexual barter, and chutzpah to save fellow Jews from the Nazi murder machine.
Visit our episode webpage for additional resources, archival photos, and a transcript of the episode.
For exclusive Making Gay History bonus content, join our Patreon community.
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RG-50.030.0361, oral history interview with Gad Beck, courtesy of the Jeff and Toby Herr Oral History Archive, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, D.C. For more information about the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, go here.
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The Nazi Era: Episode 6: Frieda Belinfante
Season 14 · Episode 6
Thursday, February 27, 2025 • Duration 30:59
When the Nazis invaded the Netherlands in 1940, 36-year-old conductor Frieda Belinfante disbanded her orchestra and dedicated herself to helping others. She forged IDs to save Jews from deportation and joined a resistance group that carried out a daring act of sabotage.
Visit our episode webpage for additional resources, archival photos, and a transcript of the episode.
For exclusive Making Gay History bonus content, join our Patreon community.
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RG-50.030.0019, oral history interview with Frieda Belinfante, courtesy of the Jeff and Toby Herr Oral History Archive, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, D.C. For more information about the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, go here.
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