History is Gay

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.

Outline0:00 – Introduction10:37 – Socio-Historical Context13:33 – The Amazons of Myth and Legend31:10 – A tour through some Amazon queens38:27-39:05 – Content warning: rape mention40:34 – Atalanta, The Greek “Amazon” 59:55 – Real-Life Amazons: Warrior Women of Scythia1:09:28 – Why do we think they're gay? 1:26:16 – Pop-Culture Tie-In1:37:37 – How Gay were They?1:46:09 – Closing and Where to Find us OnlineHelp 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!

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!

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!

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.

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!

Outline0:00 – Introduction10:00 – Main Topic: Pauli Murray13:06 – Socio-Historical Context14:36 – A Note on Pronouns16:11 – Who were they? Bio Time.19:26 – Content Warning: Racial violence30:05 – Fun Segment: Word of the Week57:13 – Poetry and Memoir Writing1:12:19 – Content Warning: Stark descriptions of slave trade1:20:55 – 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!

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!

Outline0:00 – Introduction7:18 – Socio-Historical Context20:58 – Who were they? Bio Time25:06 – 26:18 — Content warning: racial violence30:29 – Fun Segment: Word of the Week58:27 – Why do we think they're gay? 1:22:52  – Main Takeaways and Final Conclusions1:27:51 – How Gay were They?1:30:53 – Closing and Where to Find us OnlineWe 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!

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!

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!

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. 

Outline00:00 – Introduction5:36 – 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!

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!

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!

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 – Introduction3:49 – Main Topic: Sister Rosetta Tharpe6:12 – Socio-Historical Context 12:44: – Who were they? Bio Time. 37:46 – An Aside: Rosetta's Guitar & Singing Style1:05:40 – Why do we think they're gay? 1:17:15 – Word of the Week1:22:33 – Main Takeaways and Final Conclusions1:25:06 – 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!

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!

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 – Introduction6:01 – 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!

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:

• Category Is... | A Black, Gay Podcast
• QueerWOC
• AfroQueer
• This QPOC Life

Black History Podcasts: 

• Black History Buff Podcast
• Noire Histoir
• Code Switch 
  • You can find NPR's Code Switch playlist for Black History here. 

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:

• The Okra Project
• Black Trans Travel Fund
• Marsha P. Johnson Institute
• Breonna Taylor GoFundMe
• Nina Pop Mental Health Recovery Fund
• Tony McDade Mental Health Recovery Fund
• Homeless Black Trans Women Fund
• TGI Justice Project
• For the Gworls

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

Outline0:00 – Introduction2:58 – The Hays Code22:39 – Lesbian Pulp Fiction35:32 – Patricia Highsmith and The Price of Salt41:56 – 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!

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. Outline0:00 – Introduction5:14 – Main Topic: Bayard Rustin, the Man Behind the March5:23– Socio-Historical Context12:00 – Who were they? Bio Time. 1:05:17 – Why do we think they're gay?1:23:17 – Fun Segment: Pop Culture Tie-In1:27:05 – 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!

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!

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!

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!

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 – Introduction4:43 – Main Topic: Anti-War Poet Siegfried Sassoon6:31 – Socio-Historical Context: the United Kingdom, 1900-193016:51 – Socio-Historical Context: WWI and Homosexuality20:17 – Socio-Historical Context: Changing Masculinity29:51 – Who were they? Bio Time. 46:46 – Why do we think they're gay?1:15:37 – Pop Culture Tie-In1:16:51 – 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!

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!

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!

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!

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!Outline0:00 – 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

Way back in the first episode, Leigh and Gretchen formed a historical ‘murder wives’ ship starting with Anne Bonny; in this episode, they take a closer look at murder wife #2: Lizzie Borden! That’s right folks, she too may very well have had a thing for the ladies as well as possibly murdering her father and stepmother. Just how queer was she? Did she have an affair with her maid and her stepmother caught them? Why was she acquitted and what was society like for a single, Victorian woman? Find out on this week’s History is Gay! 

Outline 0:00 – Introduction

3:30 – Content Warnings

5:07 – Historical Context: 19th Century Victorian Society

21:57 – Who Were They? Bio Time

30:55-31:56 – Content Warning Break: Mention of Incest

35:34 – Motives, The Murders, and Trial

58:24 – Why Do We Think They’re Gay?

1:07:10 – Fun Segment: Word of the Week: Spinsters

1:13:55 – Fun Segment: Pop Culture Tie-In

1:16:34 – How Gay were They?

1:20:32 – 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!

Leigh and Gretchen have a special History is Gay treat for you this Labor Day. Join them as they discuss the history of the labor movement as it relates to the struggle for queer civil rights in America. You may not know, but the labor and LGBTQ+ movements have been allies for a long time. Just how far back does the partnership go? Listen and find out! Learn about Jewish lesbian feminists fighting for better workplace conditions during WWI, the mostly-queer marine cooks union in the 30s and 40s, lesbian bus drivers’ unions, the Coors boycott, and more. We end with a discussion of what needs to be done and Gretchen may or may not end up on a soapbox. Happy Labor Gay!

Outline 0:00 – Introduction

1:13 – Corrections Corner: Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum

6:50 – Main Topic: The Labor Struggle is Real Queer

25:04-31:47 – Fun Segment: Words of the Week

1:13:24 – Takeaways

1:19:20 – Fun Segment: Pop Culture Tie-In

1:19:45 – How Gay were They?

1:21:01 – 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!

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!

Gretchen and Leigh are pleased to announce their very first special guest to History is Gay, Dan Arndt of Write to Survive Podcast and The Fandomentals, to talk about Virginia Woolf and Vita-Sackville-West. This episode has everything: modernism, gay love letters, dramatic queers, queers with mommy issues, and a truly cinematic adventures. Join us for Part 1 of an ongoing series.

2:05 – Introduction

5:40– Socio-Historical Context: Modernism

15:20– A Note About Language: The Terms Lesbian and Bisexual

19:15– Who were they and why do we think they're gay?

21:23 – 22:08 CONTENT WARNING: Mention of childhood sexual abuse

1:08:39– Fun Segment: Word of the Week: Oysters

1:20:15–1:20:47 CONTENT WARNING: Mention of suicide

1:22:10– Fun Segment: Pop Culture Tie-In

1:25:08– How Gay were They?

1:29:30– Closing and Where to Find us Online

Want to listen to Leigh guest on the Ignorance Conscious podcast for their LGBTQAAIP+ Media Representation Panel? Go for it!

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 awesome History is Gay merch at our brand new 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!

Welcome to our very first extra special collaboration! Joining Leigh and Gretchen this episode are our friends over at Queer as Fact, a queer history podcast from Australia. Our topic of choice? Queer slang! Join us as we discuss lavender linguistics, the history of queer slang in Australian penal colonies, and our favorite slang words, both American and Australian! So brush off your oysters, pitch your tents for camp, sharpen up your Gillette blades, and let’s have a kiki with Queer as Fact!

Outline 0:00 – Introduction 09:14 – Historical Background: Lavender Linguistics 28:48 – Historical Background: History of Queer Slang in Australia 52:35 – Our Favorite Slang: America vs Australia 1:36:56 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

Queer as Fact can be found on Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook, and you can listen to them on your podcatcher app of choice!

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! 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!

Instead of a regular episode this week, Leigh & Gretchen treat you to a very special sneak peek into Sappho's Salon, an exclusive place where the sighs, yearnings, tragedies, and triumphs of queer love are brought to life. If you enjoyed this minisode and would like more of these queer readings, keep an eye out for our upcoming Patreon launch and consider becoming a patron to get all the secret goodies and behind-the-scenes glimpses we're excited to bring you from History is Gay!

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!

Leigh and Gretchen welcome you to their first Pride month special and the first of an ongoing series on Queer civil rights movements in the United States. And what better way to do both than to dive into the lives of Gilbert Baker---the maker of the first rainbow pride flag---and Brenda Howard---one of the primary organizers of the first Pride march commemorating the Stonewall riots and Pride week. Pride is a special month for those of us in the queer community, so we wanted to celebrate our forefathers and foremothers that make this month possible. So, without further ado, let's chat about the Mother of Pride and the Gay Betsy Ross!

Outline

0:00 – Introduction 2:56 – Content Warnings 6:35 – Historical Context: Brief Discussion of the Stonewall Riots and Aftermath 22:10 – Brenda Howard: Mother of Pride 41:25 – Gilbert Baker: Creator of the LGBT+ Rainbow Flag 1:06:01 – Fun Segment: Pop Culture Tie-In 1:09:06 – How Gay were They? 1:11:35– Closing and Where to Find Us Online

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!

In this episode, co-hosts Gretchen and Leigh will take you on a tour of medieval Arabo-Islamic erotic literature and the many delightful descriptions of queer female experience it contains. Remember way back in episode two when ‘thigh fencing’ came up? Well, that and other martial imagery for wlw sexual experience come from medieval Arabo-Islamic poetry! Like shield banging, jousting without a lance, or our new favorite---the saffron massage. Plus, we’ll dive into cross-dressing heroines, the music of love (moaning), and the first lesbian couple, Hind and al-Zarqa’!

Outline

0:00 – Introduction 5:57 – Historical Context: Medieval Arabic Erotic Tradition More Generally 25:52 – Historical Context: Arabic Literature and Western Courtly Love Poetry 36:11 – Fun Segment: Word of the Week 42:38 – Tribadism and Queer Lady Love in Arabo-Islamic Writing 1:03:17 – Tales of Cross-Dressing and Same-Sex Marriage 1:16:10 – People Examples 1:24:41 – Takeaways 1:30:25 – How Gay were They? 1:33:18 – Closing and Where to Find Us Online

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!

Leigh & Gretchen are bringing you a special bonus episode this week! Wow, three whole episodes in a month, Happy Pride! In this bonus, Leigh sits down with Robert Philipson, producer and director of the documentary T’Aint Nobody’s Bizness: Queer Blues Divas of the 1920s, which we discussed in our episode Bulldaggers and Lady Lovers, about his process, the importance of telling queer stories and excavating lost history, his upcoming documentary project Mood Lavender which sheds light on more queers in the Harlem Renaissance, and maybe even a little sneaky surprise for you all.

Want to find more info on Robert and his work? Go to www.shogafilms.com or follow on twitter @ShogaFilms or like the Shoga Films facebook page!

Want to see Robert’s short film Congo Cabaret at the San Francisco Black Film Festival this Sunday, June 17? Purchase tickets at www.sfbff.org.

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!

As you know, we're not a fan of Nazis. In part two of our (what will very likely be ongoing) series on badass Nazi-fighting queer anti-fascists we discuss the genderqueer, surrealist artist and Nazi resistance fighter Claude Cahun! Teen love to stepsisters to lifelong partners in art and resistance? Lovers literally saving each others lives more than once? Taking a break from sunbathing and walking their cat on a leash in middle age to spread anti-fascist propaganda and lower morale among the invading German forces? Gender is a performance, what? Classic Claude Cahun (and Marcel Moore)! So say it with us again, "Nazi punks, fuck off" this time with surrealism.

Outline0:00 – Introduction2:19 – Content Warnings4:05 – Historical Context: Dreyfus Affair and 'New Women' in France9:13 – Who Were They? Bio Time23:22-28:32 – Fun Segment: Word of the Week1:00:14 – Why Do We Think They're Gay?1:17:51 – Pop Culture Tie In1:19:01 – How Gay Were They?1:24:57 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

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!

We're not a fan of nazis around these parts, and not just for the obvious reasons. Did you know that one of the most iconic images of them burning books is from when they burned the library of a gay, Jewish, communist sexologist well known for his research on sexuality and gender, including trans identity? Until this episode, we didn't either! In this first part of a two part series (so far!), we dive into the fascinating life of Doctor Magnus Hirschfeld, the "Einstein of sex." His approach to sexuality, gender, and race was decades ahead of the likes of Alfred Kinsey and Harry Benjamin, and who knows were society would be had his research not been destroyed. So come join us as we say, "Nazi punks, fuck off!" 

Outline 0:00 – Introduction 3:38 – Content Warnings 5:40 – Social Context: Taboos and Mores 12:50 – Social Context: White Supremacy 17:43 – Social Context: Romanticism and the German Wilhelmite Period 24:50 – Social Context: Volkish Movements and Nazism 26:47 – Who Were They? Bio Time 31:00-31:53 – Content Warning: Discussion of Suicide 55:45-59:00 - (Not So) Fun Segment: Word of the Week 1:06:48 - Why Do We Think They're Gay? 1:11:40 – How Gay Were They? 1:14:30 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

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

Welcome to a special first here in History is Gay: our first ever minisode! As Gretchen has been busy traveling this month, she and Leigh are filling in with a special guest interview with Sarah Prager, author of Queer, There, and Everywhere and creator of the Queer history app Quist. If you love queer folks from history and learning fun, daily facts about queer history, then this interview should be right up your alley!

Outline

0:00 – Introduction 2:15 – Interview with Sarah Prager 37:27– Closing and Where to Find us Online

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

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!

R is for Revolutionary War, which is where hosts Leigh & Gretchen are headed in this, the very first episode dedicated to a single person from history: the Publick Universal Friend. The Friend presented as something entirely new: a genderless spirit from God who eschewed gendered pronouns and dressed and spoke in ways that purposefully blurred the lines between male and female in early American society. So come join us as we talk about this most special of Friends; to make things even more interesting, turns out one of our hosts is related to the Friend!

Outline

0:00 – Introduction

2:30 – Corrections Corner: On Egyptian Lettuce

5:22 – Main Topic: Jemima Wilkinson, The Publick Universal Friend

7:54 – Socio-Historical and Religious Context

27:48 – Who were they? Bio Time.

48:42 – Why do we think they're gay?

1:05:08 – Analysis from Queer Historians

1:17:15 – Fun Fact: One of our Hosts is Related!

1:20:40 – How Gay were They?

1:27:10 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

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!

In today’s episode, Leigh and Gretchen head way back in time to Ancient Egypt. That’s right, get ready to walk like an Egyptian! Take a tour through Egyptian mythology to discuss what Set and Nephthys imply about Egypt having a concept of third gender. Plus, the dancing woman mummy, gender transformation in burial, the gender presentation of women pharaohs like Hatshepsut, and Gretchen’s favorite gay Egyptian tomb! By the end, you’ll see why having 3 genders in Ancient Egypt is more likely than people think!

Outline0:00 – Introduction

5:38 – A Note on Mythological Sources

9:44 – Gender Ambiguity in Mythology

30:29 – What Does this Have to do with Gender?

40:00 – Other Evidence of Non-Cisheteronormative Gender

54:58 – Linguistic Evidence of Third Gender

1:07:36 – Two Famous hm Priests: Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep

1:23:52 – Takeaways

1:29:39 – How Gay Were They?

1:36:51 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

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!

In this very special episode, hosts Leigh & Gretchen travel to the red carpet and the silver screen to hear stories about queer actors from the golden age of Hollywood. Along for the ride is a room full of queer people who came to listen to the podcast being recorded live at TGIFemslash, a convention dedicated to the queer ladies of media, the ladies who love them, and the fans who love them. Join us and a room full of big gay nerds as we discuss the early years of film, the sexploits of the rich and famous, and other favorite queermos from history! Outline0:00 - Pre-show announcements

2:25 – Introduction

4:44 – Game: Silver Screen Sexploits

10:54 – Word of the Week: Lavender Marriages

12:54 – More Stars of a Bi Gone Era: Why Do We Think They're Gay?

17:15 – How Gay Were They?

22:20 – Group Discussion: Favorite Queermos from History

45:15 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

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!

For awesome nerdy queer merch like buttons, shirts, necklaces, and other fantastic things to deck your femslash-loving self out in, please check out our amazing friend’s shop mentioned in the show, Glorious Weirdo! They make stuff for nerds, fangirls, feminists, queers, geeks & other cool people. Their designs celebrate the things we love, and we hope you'll love them too.

In this episode, your hosts Leigh & Gretchen take a stroll down Jungle Alley and bring you stories of the vibrant black lesbian and gay subculture of the Harlem Renaissance and the blues legends who sang of its glory. With wild parties, bathtub gin, clandestine orgies, and crooning bulldaggers, the lesbian and bisexual blues legends of the 1920s and 1930s were definitely not as straight as you think.

Outline

0:00 – Introduction3:46 – The Harlem Renaissance, Cultural Context, and the Language We Used10:42 – Bio Time!: Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, Bessie Smith, Gladys Bentley, Ethel Waters (& Ethel Williams), Alberta Hunter, & Lucille Bogan39:13  – What Do You Mean They're Not Straight? 39:28  – Evidence from Historical/Cultural Context: Queer subculture & performance in Harlem nightlife44:06  – Word(s) of the Week: Rent Party & Buffet Flat 48:56  – Evidence from Their Personal Lives & Music 1:04:41  – Pop Culture Tie-In: Bessie (2015) 1:05:29  – Takeaways 1:07:55  – How Gay Were They? 1:08:31  – Closing and Where to Find Us Online

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!

As your hosts return to examine the unexplored corners of history to highlight overlooked queer ladies, gents, and gentle-enbies, they bring a conversation about homosexuality in Imperial China. They will discuss the unique tradition of male homosexuality present for over 2500 years, what made it possible, and how tragic it’s loss is for modern China. And don’t worry, even though female homosexuality doesn’t have the same strong literary tradition, there are plenty of delightful stories, and a new ‘word of the week’ related to queer lady experience!

Outline

0:00 – Introduction 3:55 – Main Topic: Homosexuality in Imperial China       13:38 – Social Context: Confucianism, Daoism, and Conceptions of Sex       22:46 – Social Context: Different Kinds of Sexual Relationships Between Men       23:41-24:36 - CONTENT WARNING: pederasty mention       30:23– Examples!       1:10:30 - CONTENT WARNING: pederasty mention 1:11:50 – Word of the Week: dui shi (“shared eating”) 1:17:33 – Takeaways 1:20:14 – How gay were they? 1:23:06 – Where to find us online

Links to 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!

In this episode, your hosts Gretchen and Leigh continue to examine the overlooked and underappreciated queer ladies, gents, and gentle-enbies in the unexplored corners of history by traveling to the cloisters of Medieval Europe. They’ll uncover unique views of sex and sexuality that made the practice of ‘brother making’ possible both within and outside the monastic community but also made it hard for medieval theologians to understand sex between women. Come slake your thirst for queer poems and love letters because guess what? There are lots of monks and nuns with a strong desire for “special friendship” with each other. Notables include: Alcuin, Two Bavarian Nuns, St. Anselm of Canterbury, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Baudri of Bourgeuil, Aelred of Rievaulx, Benedetta Carlini, and many more!

Outline0:00 – Introduction1:31 – Word of the Week: Adelphopoiesis and Affrerement6:30 – What do you mean they’re not straight?      6:40 – Social Context: Medieval Views of Sex & Sodomy      10:15 – Social Context: Sex Between Women in the Middle Ages      26:00 – Social Context: Escaping Heteronormativity through Monastacism      33:35 – Homoeroticism Among Female Mystics40:40  – The Lives and Love Letters/Poems of Gay Monks and   Lesbian Nuns      1:10:00-1:19:21 – CONTENT WARNING for discussions of sexual violence1:23:17 – How gay were they?1:26:40 – Where to find us online

Special Links: Humon's Tumblr comic about monastic views of sex and sexuality

Find our full list 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!

In our first episode, your hosts Gretchen & Leigh begin their series examining the overlooked and underappreciated queer ladies, gents, and gentle-enbies from the unexplored corners of history with a discussion of the high seas. Meet Anne Bonny, Mary Read, John “Calico Jack” Rackham, and Pierre “the pansy pirate” Bouspet, a quartet of pirates from the golden age of piracy with a flair for the dramatic and some very interesting lifestyle choices. Anne kicking Jack out of his quarters and sharing them with Mary instead? Oh my! Or should we say, ‘arrrghhh’? These pirates may not have been as straight as people think.

Outline

0:00 – Introduction2:55 – The Golden Age of Piracy5:33 – Brief Bio: Anne Bonny, Calico Jack Rackham, Pierre Bouspet, and Mary Read28:09 – What Do You Mean They're Not Straight?28:52  – Evidence from Historical/Cultural Context: Gender Code Switching, Situational Gayness, and Piracy vs. the British Royal Navy 43:08 – Evidence from Their Personal Lives53:52 – How Gay Were They?1:02:34  – Closing and Where to Find Us Online

Links to 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!

Introducing History is Gay, a new podcast where your hosts Gretchen & Leigh examine the overlooked and underappreciated queer ladies, gents, and gentle-enbies from the unexplored corners of history. Whether shining a light on queer pirate adventures, emo lesbian Sappho, or your other faves from the pages of textbooks you never knew were queer, it’s time to bring our stories out of the shadows. Because history has never been as straight as you think.

Get at us on twitter @historyisgaypod, tumblr at historyisgaypodcast, and subscribe to the show, launching January 1! New episodes every other week. www.historyisgaypodcast.com

Outline

0:00 – Introduction

0:50 – What are we doing and why?

4:19 – Discussion of sources, historical context, and projected schedule

6:50 – Sneak peek of Episode 1: “Were Some Pirates Poofters?”

9:10 – Where to find us online