Queer as Fact

On today's Queer as Fiction, we discuss the 1961 British noir film Victim.

Join us for some dramatic performances, heavy-handed messaging and a surprising result from a government inquiry. 

A link to the film's trailer: https://youtu.be/Ems3u2ZA9SA

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[Image Description: The poster for the movie Victim, starring Dirk Bogarde and Sylvia Syms. It features the face of a man wearing a pained expression, and the silhouette of another man. Text on the poster reads "A scorching drama of the most un-talked about subject of our time!"]

Today's episode is on Elke Mackenzie, British lichenologist, Antarctic explorer and trans woman. We'll tell you about Elke's incredible devotion to her research, as well as penguin egg facts and one of the coolest landscapes known to humankind.

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Queer as Fact is back from hiatus! Today we're talking about relationships between women in ancient Rome. Join us to hear a queer creation myth, read some ancient love poetry, and find out which whether your star sign made you gay.

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[Image: Relief of two Roman women holding hands]

This week's episode is on the West African soldiers known as the Agojie, sometimes called the Dahomey Amazons. Join us to hear about how women became the backbone of the Dahomean army, a very dubious cocktail recipe, and not one but two kinds of same-sex marriage!

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[Image: drawing of Agojie Seh-Dong-Hong-Be by Frederick Forbes, 1851]

Welcome to Season 10 of Queer as Fact! This week’s episode we're talking about a 1971 article from the Village Voice memorably titled ‘Asexuals Have Problems Too’. Join us to hear about being invited to orgies to pour the wine, why 101 Dalmatians is a piece of ace cinema, and how this satirical article became a surprising source of ace visibility.

This episode was originally released on our Patreon as a bonus episode.

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[Image description: a cropped image of the Village Voice article entitled Asexuals Have Problems Too]

In today's episode we discuss Qiu Miaojin, a well-known Taiwanese lesbian writer. We've got details about Taiwanese lesbian gender identities, an experimental queer literary movement, and a very lovable crocodile.

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[Image description: a photo of Qiu Miaojin, an ethnically Chinese person in thin-rimmed glasses, a dark blue coat, and a short, masculine hairstyle.]

On this week's podcast, we're talking about the queer micronation, the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands. Join us to hear about the joys and tribulations of founding a country, the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom's war with Australia, and of course, the Royal Dog.

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[Image description: A sign on a beach which reads “Welcome to Heaven, Cato Island Post Code 0000, Capital of the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom, www.gayandlesbiankingdom.com” draped with a rainbow flag, next to a post box labelled “Royal Gay Mail”]

This week's episode is on the 5th-century Irish abbess Saint Brigid. Join us to hear about a miraculous abortion, powerful women in the Catholic Church, and a flying priest.

Transcript available here

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[Image: stained glass window of St Brigid holding a lamp]

In today's Queer as Fiction episode, we follow up our previous episode on historical piracy with a discussion about David Jenkins' 2022 pirate comedy Our Flag Means Death.

Join us as we explore the historical figures of Major Stede Bonnet and Captain Edward "Blackbeard" Teach, discuss the evolution of pirate tropes and how they became associated with queerness, and revel in the multifaceted ways OFMD depicts its predominately queer characters.

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[Image Description: The poster for Season 1 of Our Flag Means Death, featuring the main cast of rough looking pirates with Rhys Darby as Stede Bonnet in the centre, saluting and dressed fancily].

Avast me hearties! This week's episode is about queerness during the Golden Age of Piracy. Join us to hear about the raging party culture of pirate ships, Eli and Jason getting gay pirate married, and our treasure hunt for evidence on the stormy seas of historical documents.

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[Image description: a engraving of pirate captain Bartholomew Roberts holding a sword aloft in front of a pirate ship in a bay]

Today we'll be talking about a recently discovered and possibly fraudulent archive of Frida's paintings, letters and possessions. Join us to hear about how to authenticate an artwork, Chavela Vargas' smoking gun, and 200 entire dogs.

This episode was originally released on our Patreon as a bonus episode. The episode we intended to release today, on queerness in the Golden Age of Piracy has been delayed and will hopefully be released on August 15th. 

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[Image description: one of the cases allegedly owned by Frida Kahlo, containing various papers, with two small portraits of Frida in front of it.] 

This week on Queer as Fact, we're talking about the 8th-century Arabic poet Abu Nuwas. Join us to hear about wine poetry, sexuality in the Abbasid caliphate, and fun facts about cheetahs.

Transcript available here

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[Image: sketch of Abu Nuwas drawn by Khalil Gibran in 1916]

Today’s episode of Queer as Fiction, as chosen by our patrons, is on the 1926 play “The Captive”. Join us as we discuss the sale of violets, the padlocking of theatres and the diverse ways a story can be interpreted by audiences and critics.

Thank you to our Patrons for voting on this episode!

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[Image description: A black and white photo of a theatre production of the Captive. Basil Rathbone and Helen Menken as Irene and Jacques face each other on lounge furniture.]

This week we're talking about the early 20th century American cook, socialite and transgender woman Lucy Hicks Anderson. Join us to hear about Lucy's determination to live authentically in the face of repeated court cases, the enduring love and respect shown to her by her community, and the greatest dinner rolls ever made.

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[Image description: Black and white photo of Lucy Hicks Anderson, a middle-aged African American woman. She is facing the camera and wearing a large hat and a pale jacket.]

Join us for the first episode of Season 9 as we discuss the life and trial of 20th century Scottish aristocrat and farmer Dr Ewan Forbes. We'll be talking about how to transition in rural mid-20th century Scotland, an impressively bold legal defense strategy, and the perils of keeping lion cubs in your family home.

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[Image: Photo of Ewan Forbes from 1952; he is a middle-aged man in a checked three-piece suit, smiling and talking to someone out of frame.]

This week on Queer as Fact, we're talking about the 12th-century German nun and polymath Hildegard of Bingen. Join us for thorny theological questions, savage letters to the Pope and a medieval description of the female orgasm.

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[Image: Medieval illustration of Hildegard in a nun's habit, writing. Red tendrils reach down towards her face. A monk is watching on.]

In today's episode of Queer as Fiction we delve into James Baldwin's 1956 novel, Giovanni's Room.

Join us as we discuss 1950s gender roles, the French gay bar scene and the concept of a Manic Pixie Dream Gay.

Thank you to our Patrons for voting on this episode! 

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[Image: Front Cover of the Penguin Modern Classics edition of Giovanni's Room, the 1956 novel by James Baldwin. It features the silhouettes of two men and the legs of a woman]

Today's episode is on the life and trial of early 20th century Australian transgender man Harry Crawford. Join us to learn what court records, newspaper articles and modern biographies can tell us about a century of Australian attitudes to transgender experiences.

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[Image: Mugshot of Harry Crawford, taken by the New South Wales Police Department in 1920. It is a black and white photo Harry Crawford, a white man in a three piece suit looking at the camera with a serious expression.]

This week, Queer as Fact is talking about the Asexual Manifesto, published in New York in 1972. Join us for our first deep dive into ace history, a discussion of the place of asexuality in 1970s feminism, and one of the first ever mentions of ace pride.

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[Image: 'Lesbian activists at Barnard provide labels', Off Our Backs vol. 3 no. 6 Feb/Mar 1973 - a young woman sits in front of a sign featuring various sexuality labels, including asexual]

Today's episode is on beloved 19th century author Louisa May Alcott. Irene, Alice and Jason, who between them have read the 1868 novel Little Women, watched the 2017 movie Little Women, and read a good number of Louisa May Alcott's letters, diaries and papers, discuss the times when fiction might be more honest than autobiography, the ways that gender identity and gendered social roles interact, and the appeal (or lack thereof) of cold baths.

Thank you to our Patreons for voting on this episode! It was fun to research and record.

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[Image: Portrait of Louisa May Alcott; Wikimedia Commons]

Today marks our first Queer as Fiction episode for the season, as we discuss the 1999 film, directed by Lilly and Lana Wachowski, The Matrix.

Join us as we explore the red pill, the blue pill, and everything in between. 

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[Image: The movie poster for 1999 film The Matrix, featuring the characters of Neo, Trinity, Morpheus and Cypher]

This week on Queer as Fact we're talking about the Crow warrior and leader, Bíawacheeitchish, or Woman Chief. Join us to hear about Crow gender, fighting grizzly bears, and Bíawacheeitchish's four wives.

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[Image: Illustration of Barcheeampe (Pine Leaf) from The Life and Adventures of James P Beckwourth (1856)]

Today, we're discussing 6th century Chinese general Han Zigao! Join us as we talk about his life, and various fictionalised adaptations of it. Learn a little about media censorship in modern day China, gender in Ming Dynasty theatre, and whether or not you can be too beautiful to be an enemy spy.

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(Image: the promotion poster for the 2016 movie Han Zigao. It depicts two men in period costume in a tent, underneath the text 韩子高 in gold lettering.)

Today we bring you our second episode on the 19th-century British military doctor Dr James Barry. Join us to learn about Florence Nightingale's desperate need for sunscreen, how to dress stylishly as a trans man in the 1800s and a mysterious black box. 

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This week, Queer as Fact is talking about the 19th-century British military surgeon, Dr James Barry. Join us to hear about anatomy classes in the 1800s, James' scandalous relationship with the governor of Cape Town, and two bonus James Barrys!

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Today's episode is on Mexican nun, writer and polymath Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. Join Irene and Alice to hear about the realities of life in a 17th century convent, poetry ranging from sweet to filthy, and one weird tip for teaching yourself Latin.

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Today's episode is Beki, the queer language of the Philippines. Join us for some new queer vocab, a surprise cameo from a past episode, and to discover how a queer language went mainstream.

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Queer as Fiction is back, and greener than ever, as we discuss the 14th century poem, recently adapted into a film by David Lowery starring Dev Patel, commonly referred to as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Join us for a discussion of colour theory, kissing games, gendered napping and yet more colour theory. 

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We're back this week with the latest in our Roman emperor series! Today we're talking about the emperor Hadrian and his lover Antinous. Join us to learn about one of the most famous male-male couples of all time, the mystery of Antinous' death, and how to make your boyfriend into a god.

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This bonus episode is a recording of a live session from the Storytelling Podcast Week live program. Alice, Irene and Jason bring queer history to life, dive into behind the scenes of their favourite Queer As Fact episodes and answer your questions!

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In today's episode, Eli and Alice review James Romm's new book, the Sacred Band, and we talk more generally about the Sacred Band of Thebes, an ancient Greek military unit made up of gay lovers. Featuring: Plato's Symposium, the power of gay love, and yet another instance of Queer As Fact coming up with an imaginary queer movie.

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Following on from last week's episode on the 1980s UK activist group Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, today's Queer as Fiction episode delves into the 2014 film adaptation of the historical events that led to LGSM. 

Join us for a discussion of the film's presentation of politics, (more) hatred of Thatcher, and why Pride feels about three seconds away from being a musical at all times.

Check out "All Out! Dancing in Dulais", a documentary made by LGSM and mentioned throughout the episode, here.

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If you'd like to support a queer-owned business, check out Proud Geek, an online specialist retailer of LGBT+ entertainment and media, offering a wide range of titles from the past 25 years.

In today's (COVID-delayed) pride special, we're talking about the 1980s UK activist group Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, and their work with the Neath, Delais and Swansea Valley miners support groups in South Wales. Join us to hear the true story of the events of the movie Pride (2014), featuring our hatred of Thatcher, a 27-person (and 2-dog) queer sleepover, and an inspiring story of solidarity.

Check out our website, where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact. 

If you enjoy our content, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

If you'd like to support a queer-owned business, check out Proud Geek, an online specialist retailer of LGBT+ entertainment and media, offering a wide range of titles from the past 25 years.

Today we're talking about queerness in video games. We'll be starting in the 80s with one of the first queer video games, Caper in the Castro, before moving on to Nintendo's controversial trans character Birdo, and ending with what may be the world's first online pride parade, which took place in World of Warcraft. Join us for a noir detective story, trans dinosaurs and our dubious knowledge of how the internet works.

Play Caper in the Castro online here, and if you do, please donate to an HIV/AIDS charity of your choice such as UNAIDS or our local Thorne Harbour Health.

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Happy Pride! We're starting off our Pride content by talking about the South African activist Simon Nkoli. Join us to hear about Simon's gay rights and anti-apartheid work, Africa's first Pride, and a lot of wholesome personal growth.

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Today we're talking about the life of trans activist Maryam Khatoon Molkara. Join us to hear about Tehran's 1970s queer scene, an amazing velvet suit, and almost 40 years spent advocating for trans people in Iran.

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Join Irene and Alice in this bonus episode for an interview with Roland Betancourt Professor of Art History at the University of California, Irvine, about his new book, Byzantine Intersectionality: Sexuality, Gender & Race in the Middle Ages.

Amongst other things, we discuss transgender Byzantine saints, the future of queer scholarship, and how to sneak queer history into everything you write.

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Today's episode of Queer as Fiction takes us back...to the future! Join us for a brief, light-hearted romp through Theodore Sturgeon's 1953 science fiction short story, The World Well Lost. Look out for appearances from gay aliens, Kurt Vonnegut and Kirk/Spock shipping! 

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Today we're bringing you part 2 of our discussion on the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Join us as we figure out exactly what surrealism is, discuss Frida's relationships with women, and provide a thorough list of her pets.

Note: If you're really just here for our discussion of Frida's sexuality, that begins at 1:03:23.

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Today's long-awaited episode is on the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Join us for the first of two episodes on Frida, while we discuss pyrotechnic pranks, the first of many self-portraits, and the complicated politics behind Frida's famous style of dress.

Note: We are aware of and apologise for the audio issue at 41:23. It continues only until 41:31.

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Today we're looking at sexuality in Pompeii through the lens of the so called "Two Maidens", found embracing in their final moments. Join us as we discuss how toxic masculinity skews our views of the past, read some sexy graffiti, and discover what may be the only surviving piece of female-female love poetry in ancient Rome. 

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Welcome back to our two-part mini-series on the 19th-century Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. In this episode, we'll be talking about how to score yourself a wealthy patron, the rumours surrounding Pyotr's death, and understanding sexuality through the metaphor of asparagus.

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Today's episode is the first of our two-part series on Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, 19th century Russian composer and the most handsome boy at his high school. Join us to learn about abandoning your public service job for a career in the arts, and scolding your dog through song.

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It's back to back episodes featuring recent Netflix films as we discuss Mart Crowley's 1968 play, twice adapted into film, The Boys in the Band.

Join us for a discussion of "turning on" and other 60s language, mining the death of your parents for dialogue and the controversial place the play has held in gay culture throughout the 52 years of its existence. 

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Happy New Year! 2021's first Queer as Fact is on the Mother of the Blues, Ma Rainey. We'll be talking about the blues and Black identity in the Great Migration, the new Netflix film Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and a possible lesbian orgy.

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Today's episode is on the 1985 slasher film A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge. Join us as we discuss the slasher genre's complicated depictions of gender, finger knife fellatio, and what a better, gayer draft of the script might have looked like.

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Welcome to the first episode of Queer As Fact season 6!

Today’s episode is on Yoshiko Kawashima, a queer Chinese-Japanese spy and public figure. Join us for rituals to commemorate queer life milestones, smuggling an ex-Empress in the boot of a car, and no less than four pet monkeys.

NOTE: This episode contains a brief discussion of sexual assault from 24:30 - 27:10.

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In today's bonus episode, Alice and Irene interview author emily m danforth, the author of queer YA novel The Miseducation of Cameron Post about her new book, Plain Bad Heroines. Tune in to hear us discuss uncovering our hidden histories, Emily's experiences researching and writing queer historical fiction, and openly bisexual early 20th century writer Mary MacLane.

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To celebrate 100 episodes of Queer as Fact, we asked our listeners to submit questions, and now we have answers! 

Join the whole Queer as Fact Qrew for answers to questions like how we got started as a podcast, our thought process when dealing with the pronouns of historical figures and, perhaps most importantly, whether Patroclus was a pineapple on pizza kinda guy. 

Look out for another bonus episode coming soon, and Season 6 starting on December 1st!

Please note the following content warnings for this Q&A: Discussions of homophobia and transphobia including misgendering and deadnaming, as well as mentions of alcohol and intoxication. 

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Check out our website, where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact, including source posts for each episode of our current season.

If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

In today's episode, we discuss Kapaemahu, a Hawai'ian sacred site commemorating four non-binary individuals. Join us to learn about gender in Kānaka Maoli culture, how the story of these stones has survived four centuries, and the logistical difficulties of moving large rocks.

Check out our website, where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact, including source posts for each episode of our current season.

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Note: We apologise for the sound quality issues on Eli's microphone in this episode.

Today's episode is on transgender pioneer, Roberta Cowell. We'll be covering everything from her career as a race-car driver and her time flying Spitfires in WWII, to her battle to access medical transition in the 1950s and the complexities on how she presented her story to the public.

Check out our website, where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact, including source posts for each episode of our current season.

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Today's episode is on American blues singer Gladys Bentley. Join us for our first venture into the Harlem Renaissance, where you'll find eight hour piano marathons, explicitly queer lyrics, and legally recognised weddings between women.

Check out our website, where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact, including source posts for each episode of our current season.

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Today's Queer as Fiction episode is a follow-up to our episode from earlier this season talking about the mythological figures, Achilles and Patroclus. 

This time, we're here to talk about modern depictions of the pairing. Join us as we compare and contrast Wolfgang Petersen's 2004 film Troy, Madeline Miller's 2011 novel The Song of Achilles, and the 2018 BBC mini-series Troy: Fall of a City. 

Check out our website, where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact, including source posts for each episode of our current season.

If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

Today's Queer as Fiction episode is not on modern adaptations of the Iliad, but it does still feature a character named Andromache!

Join us as we discuss the recently released Netflix film, The Old Guard, from its refreshingly upfront gay representation to the promise of an even gayer sequel.

Check out our website, where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact, including source posts for each episode of our current season.

If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

Today’s episode is about Audre Lorde, in her own words, “black, lesbian, mother, warrior poet”. Learn about Audre's travels from Mexico to Benin, how she navigated her multifaceted identity over her lifetime, and the names of not one but two queer pets!

Check out our new website, where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact, including source posts for each episode of our current season.

If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

Note: We apologise for the sound quality issues on Eli's microphone in this episode.

Today's episode deals with the Ancient Greek mythological figures Achilles and Patroclus.

Join us as we unravel two and a half thousand years of scholarship, compare the Trojan War with the Vietnam War and discuss whether one word can change the whole meaning of a text. 

Check out our new website, where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact, including source posts for each episode of our current season.

If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

Welcome to the first Queer as Fiction episode for Season 5! 

Today we'll be talking about the DC comics superhero, Wonder Woman. 

Join us for a wide-ranging discussion covering everything from the suffragist movement to kinky sorority party rituals and find out exactly how a disgraced Harvard professor came to be writing a comic book that he described as "psychological propaganda for the new type of woman who, I believe, should rule the world.”

This episode includes references to a series of images from the Wonder Woman comics. You can find the source post for this episode, which contains these images, on our new website.

Please note there are a couple of content warnings we failed to include in our recording:

This episode includes period-typical misogyny and descriptions of a hunger strike. 

If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

Image Source: Ms. Magazine, 1972.

This audio is a message for a listener who recently emailed us and is not an episode. We will be releasing an episode tomorrow as per our regular schedule.

The following hotlines are available to help LGBTQ+ young people in need of support. Please reach out to them if needed and know that you are valuable and loved. 

• The Trevor Project 
  • Phone 1-866-488-7386
  • Online chat and other resources at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
  • Text START to 678-678
• LGBT National help Centre
  • Phone their Youth Talkline on 800-246-7743
  • Online chat and other resources at https://www.glbthotline.org/

We're kicking off Season 5 of Queer as Fact with our most-requested episode topic - 18th-century Prussian monarch Frederick the Great. Tune in to hear about Frederick's relationship with the philosopher Voltaire, more queer art than you can possibly have bargained for, and plenty of dogs.

We're also very excited to be launching our new website today!

If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

We all need some entertainment right now, so here's snapshot of what goes on behind-the-scenes on Queer as Fact, featuring hairy babies, impromptu singalongs, and live bees.

If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

Content warnings: this podcast includes swearing, and mentions of race riots, cannibalism, and harm to infants.

Today's episode is on Sufi poet Shah Hussayn! Join us to hear a poetic description of sex, discover how to memorise the Quran effortlessly, and meet the most beautiful man in the Mughal Empire.

If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

In today's episode, we're talking about lesbian centenarian Ruth Ellis! Ruth's life spanned three centuries, and features loud sex, dating at 99, and 101 years of proud lesbianism.

Sources

If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

Today's episode is on Samuel Steward, the English professor turned tattoo artist and sex researcher. Join us to learn about Sam's collaborations with sexologist Alfred Kinsey, what it's like to tattoo the Hells Angels, and a questionable substitute for egg.  

If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

Today's episode is on Alice Anderson, the owner of the first all-female garage in Australia. Join us for cross-country adventures, daring cliff-top driving, and an ingenious way of keeping your soup hot.

Sources

Today's episode of Queer as Fiction dives into the 1931 German film, Madchen in Uniform. Join us for a discussion of young women getting drunk off one cup of punch, performing male roles in plays and dealing with the looming threat of authoritarianism. 

This week's Queer as Fiction episode talks about the 2019 film and 2009 novel Tell It To The Bees. Tune in for discussions of lesbian romance in post-World War II Scotland, bee-wrangling and the realism of attack bees, and unreliable narrators. 

If you've enjoyed this episode, please follow us on Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook as Queer as Fact, and if you'd like to support us financially you can do so via our Redbubble store or our Patreon.

Note: There is a bit more background noise than normal in this episode, for which we apologise.

In today's episode, we will be talking about Albanian sworn virgins, a traditional Albanian custom that allowed someone assigned female at birth to assume a male gender role by taking a vow of chastity. Tune in to learn how sworn virgins live as men with the respect of their communities, as well as meeting a few rogue Franciscan missionaries and nuns with guns.

We also have an announcement at the start of the episode featuring a special guest! Alexandra Amerides is an operatic contralto & androgyne working with Gertrude Opera to bring acclaimed modern trans opera As One to life right here in our home city of Melbourne. Listen in for not only discounted tickets but also an opportunity to participate in a video call with the creators of the most produced modern opera in America. 

Please follow us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook as Queer as Fact! If you'd like to support the podcast financially, check out our Patreon or our Redbubble store if you'd like merchandise with our logo on it! 

Photo: Jill Peters, 2013.

Today's episode is on Sally Ride, the first American woman in space! Join us for the space race, catching jellybeans in zero gravity, and how Sally's lifelong partner Tam is carrying on her legacy.

Extra thanks to Eli for putting this together at the last minute while Jason was unwell.

Today, we bring you Queer As Fact's first African episode! Njinga ruled the nations of Ndongo and Matamba during the 17th century; was described by Portuguese colonists as "the most powerful adversary that has ever existed in Africa"; and is viewed as hero in modern-day Angola.

Source list available here

Welcome back to Season 4 of Queer as Fact! Today we're talking about Harry Allen, a trans man who was the subject of a sensational newspaper campaign in early 20th century Seattle. Join us to hear about biting cops, flaming neckties, and the parallels between Harry's life and issues faced by modern trans youth.

If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

In celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day, today's episode is on the 19th-century Zuni craftsperson and ambassador, We'wha. Join us as we discuss We'wha's lhamana gender, their meeting with President Grover Cleveland, and how they single-handedly forced 27 US soldiers into retreat.

If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

Today we bring you the second half of our discussion on the 18th century French spy, the Chevalière d'Éon. Join us to hear about a narrow escape from the French Revolution, queer takes on Christian theology, and how to do better trans history. 

If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

Today's episode is the first part of our discussion on the 18th century French spy the Chevalière d'Éon. Join us as we discuss their complicated relationship with gender, how not to invade England, and the absolute limit of how much wine the French government will pay for.

If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

Today we have our final Queer as Fiction episode for the season, as Jason and Eli talk about Stephan Elliott's 1994 roadtrip comedy 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'. Join us for a discussion about magic buses, friends of varying quality and depictions of race in Australian cinema. 

If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

Today's episode is on Golden Orchid Societies in southern China. Listen to learn about how mulberries led to female independence, marriage resistance in the Pearl River Delta, and how to propose to your girlfriend using peanut candy.

Image: Liang Jieyun, 85, and Huang Li-e, 90, two of the last surviving Golden Orchid sisters 

Today Queer as Fiction dives deep into the past as we discuss the Mesopotamian poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh. Join us for a riveting discussion featuring ancient gods, axe-based sexual metaphors and research findings so good they make you take your clothes off.

Image Source: http://tiny.cc/qy6iaz

In today's episode, we're continuing our Roman emperors series with Nero. Get five emperors for the price of one as we come to the end of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and start the tumultuous Year of the Four Emperors! Featuring a suspicious fire, terrible jam sessions, and at least two same sex weddings.

17th-century monarch Christina of Sweden's sexuality and gender has been a topic of debate for close to four centuries. Tune in to learn more, along with coded love letters, political intrigue, and what to put on your CV to become a European king.

Sources

If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

Today's episode is on depictions of the 1969 Stonewall Riots in the media. Join us as we discuss Roland Emmerich's 2015 film, Crissle West's 2016 Drunk History segment, and how we choose to frame our stories. 

If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook. 

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras began as a commemoration of the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, and has blossomed into the biggest queer festival in Australia. This episode will discuss the origins of the event, and some of the issues which have coloured its history. Tune in to learn about the Australian Dykes on Bikes, what may be the world's most in-demand archive, and host Eli's favourite ever Mardi Gras parade float!

(NOTE: There is a graphic description of police violence in this episode which goes from 14:00 to 17:35, with the worst part from 16:00-16:40.)

The rainbow flag is the most recognisable symbol of queer pride and community. Listen to the second of our Pride Month episodes to learn about the origins of the flag and the life of its designer, self-described “gay Betsy Ross”, Gilbert Baker.

If you enjoy this episode, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook. 

In honour of the 50th anniversary this month, we're covering New York's 1969 Stonewall Riots. Tune in for a story of queer resistance, featuring chorus lines, Molotov cocktails, and the birth of the modern gay rights movement.

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Season 3 of Queer as Fact will be starting on June 1st! Listen to this announcement episode to learn about the special content we'll be bringing out to celebrate Pride Month, new and exciting ways to support the podcast, and the winner of our book giveaway!

Visit our Patreon to learn about the rewards we're offering or visit our Redbubble to check out new Queer as Fact merch!

Today's episode is on Mexican singer Chavela Vargas. Listen to learn about her influence over the traditional Mexican music scene, her relationship with the famous artist Frida Kahlo and how it's never too late to start an international music career.

Sources

Today's episode is on George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire and its TV adaptation Game of Thrones. Listen in as we discuss how queer representation changed from page to screen, the ways medieval fantasy interprets historical reality, and what the deal is with that shaving scene anyway...

Please note that this episode contains swearing, mentions of sex, sex work, sexual violence and rape, slavery, incest, pedophilia, and suicide. Future episodes will contain recorded content warnings as per usual.

Today, we're talking about the life of Marsha P Johnson, a trans activist most famous for her involvement in the Stonewall Riots. We touch on topics including STAR, an organisation supporting homeless queer youth which Marsha co-founded, the possibility that Marsha was asexual, and what queer fashion looked like in the 1960s!

Sources

Today we are talking about Fanny Park and Stella Boulton, two transfeminine people who were the subject of a sensational trial in Victorian England. Tune in to hear about drag balls, whether pornography counts as an academic source, and the intersection of trans and gay history.

Today's episode of Queer as Fiction covers the 2002 novel Fingersmith, written by famed queer author Sarah Waters (three time nominee for the Man Booker prize), as well as its 2016 film adaptation The Handmaiden, directed by South Korean mastermind Park Chan-wook. Join us as we discuss the differences and similarities between 1930s Japanese-occupied Korea and Victorian England, depictions of lesbian sex and problematic cephalopods. 

Today's episode is on queer activist, drag performer, and gay superhero Stormé DeLarverie. Join us to hear your hosts discuss the history of drag performance, Stormé's short-lived career as a circus performer, and an obituary we can all aspire to.

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Today's episode is on Julius Caesar! Join us for a discussion of Caesar's dress sense, old men yelling at clouds, and our theories on what did happen in that bedroom in Bithynia two thousand years ago.

You can also check out our introduction to male sexuality in ancient Rome.

Sources

Happy New Year! Today we bring you a very special episode of Queer as Fiction, covering not one, but three queer, historical films from 2018. Join us as we discuss depictions of mental illness in Vita & Virginia, trans representation in Colette, and historical accuracy in Bohemian Rhapsody.

Time-stamps for each film:

Vita & Virginia: 00:42

Colette: 20:00

Bohemian Rhapsody: 48:21

Note this episode contains one instance of mild swearing which snuck past our editing and isn't mentioned in the content warnings.

Today we are talking about the frontman of Queen, Freddie Mercury! Tune in to learn about Freddie’s college antics, his rise to fame, and his many, many cats.

December is AIDS Awareness Month, and Freddie lived with HIV for the last years of his life, dying in 1991 of AIDS-related illness. We encourage you check out these links for resources in the ongoing fight against AIDS:

The UN's 2018 World AIDS Day site, Know Your Status

The Mercury Phoenix Trust, founded by members of Queen in honour of Freddie

The International AIDS Society

Back in October, we promised that if our episode on Oscar Wilde reached 2000 downloads, we would try milk punch - the drink Oscar and his fellow queer poet Walt Whitman shared when they met in 1882. Today, we bring you the fulfillment of that promise, as well as an announcement about what's coming up for Queer as Fact!

We are back from our hiatus with an episode on the bisexual Israeli poet, Yona Wallach. Join us as we visit Tel Aviv's 1960s gay scene, learn about gender in Hebrew, and read some of Yona's most controversial poetry.

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This is the second part of our two-part episode on Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde! We're talking about the latter half of Oscar's life, including the wittiest comedy in the English language, the tumultuous relationship between Oscar and Alfred Douglas, and Oscar's trial and imprisonment.

Listen to Part 1 here.

It's time for our much-anticipated episode on Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde! Today we're covering the first half of Oscar's life, from his birth in 1854 to the publication of his homoerotic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray in 1891. Tune in to hear about his rise to notoriety, his scandalous fashion choices, and whether he and Walt Whitman ever had sex.

Today's episode is on the erotic pottery of the Moche people of 1st to 7th century Peru. Tune in for skeleton sex, dragging bad scholarship, and the possibility of a third gender in ancient Peru.

Sources

[Image source: Janusz Z. Wołoszyn and Katarzyna Piwowar's "Sodomites, Siamese Twins, and Scholars: Same-Sex Relationships in Moche Art" in American Anthropologist, Vol. 117, No. 2 (2015), p.288]

Today's episode is on the 19th-century Chinese poet and playwright Wú Zǎo. We'll be reading queer love poetry, talking about gender, and discussing the relatable experience of drinking wine while reading sad books.

Sources

[Image: text from Wú Zǎo's play Qiáo Yǐng]

Today's episode is on Billy Tipton, well-known jazz player and transgender man.  Tune in for a man who could play the piano and the saxophone simultaneously, a nude portrait featuring an erupting volcano, and more dogs than you could possibly wish for! 

Today's Queer as Fiction episode is on the famous 1982 epistolary novel by Alice Walker, The Color Purple. Join us for a discussion about intersectionality, what qualifies as good representation and the critical reaction to the novel since its publication. 

What does it take for a painting to ruin a friendship, initiate a court case, and change the Australian art world forever? Tune in to this episode on the Australian artist William Dobell and his controversial win of the 1943 Archibald Prize for portraiture to find out!

(Image: William Dobell, Self Portrait, 1932.)

This week we have our first ever collaborative episode, where we meet with our fellow queer history podcast History is Gay to compare queer slang in Australia and the USA. Join us as we talk about lavender linguistics, Gilette blades, and our favourite ways to say we're queer.

You can find History is Gay on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter, and check out more of their episodes on their website, or wherever you find your podcasts.

In this episode, we're talking about the early-20th-century Spanish poet and playwright, Federico García Lorca. Join us as we discuss Federico's relationship with Salvador Dalí, 19-year-old Jesus Christ's fights with his parents, and the mystery surrounding Federico's death.

Today's Queer as Fiction episode is on the 2007 novel and 2017 movie Call Me By Your Name. Join us as we chat about Jewish identity, whether or not this is really a gay movie after all and, of course, the controversial age gap.

Please note that this episode contains swearing in a quote - our apologies for not including it in the content warnings!

Sources

Today's episode is on the godmother of rock and roll, gospel singer Rosetta Tharpe. Join us to learn about Rosetta's rise to fame, mad guitar skills, and the invention of everything from the tour bus to stadium rock.

Also, Queer As Fact has a sponsor! Have a listen to pick up a discount code for Sudio Sweden headphones. 

Transcript available here

Sources

Today's episode is on the story of Pope Joan, the 9th-century woman who disguised herself as a man and became pope. Tune in for popes, antipopes, medieval Catholic pageantry, and the truth about Pope Joan.

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(Image: Pope Joan in papal garb holding an infant in her arms. Engraving from Hartman Schedel's Chronica Universalis or Nuremberg Chronicle, published in 1493 by Anton Koberger. Via Wikimedia Commons.)

Today's episode is on Horace Walpole, 18th century man of letters and writer of the world's first gothic novel. This episode features a number of firsts for Queer As Fact, including our first possible asexual person, and the first Queer As Fact Historical Goth-Off!

 Transcript available here

Sources

(Image: Portrait of Horace Walpole by Pierre Subleyras, via Wikimedia Commons)

For our second episode of Queer as Fiction, we'll be talking about Mike Nichols' 1996 comedy film 'The Birdcage'. Join us as we discuss gender performance, gay fatherhood and unnecessary sequels. 

Today's episode is about the life of Sofya Parnok, an early 20th century Russian poet who wrote openly about her relationships with women, owned a pet monkey, and died surrounded by her loving girlfriends.

Transcript available here

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Today's mini-episode is on Dutch World War II resistance fighter Willem Arondeus. Learn about his life as an artist, incredibly brave efforts to combat the Nazi regime and the origins of his famous last words.

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Today we have our first episode on an Indigenous American two-spirit person - Crow warrior and craftsperson Osh-Tisch, whose batée gender was not only recognised but respected and supported by their community. Tune in to learn about the Crow understanding of gender, the best poker player in the region, and the Battle of the Rosebud, in which Osh-Tisch fought alongside the female warrior The Other Magpie and earnt the name Finds-Them-And-Kills-Them.

Transcript available here.

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Today's episode is on the publisher and bookseller Sylvia Beach. Learn about the delightful history of her bookshop, Shakespeare and Company, Sylvia's instrumental role in publishing James Joyce's Ulysses, and her fateful meeting with her long term partner Adrienne Monnier.

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Today's episode is on male sexuality in Ancient Rome! Listen on for ancient same sex marriages, dirty Latin poetry, and the wittiest retort you'll hear all week. Also: some weird facts about hyenas!

(Note: the image above is an 1827 sculpture by French artist Jean-Baptiste Roman on the theme of Ancient Roman sexuality. It's not a genuine Roman work.)

Transcript available here

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Today's surprise episode is an ad we produced with CAMP Magazine, the University of Melbourne's newest autonomous publication for queer people. Listen for some new poetry from the unimelb graduate and bisexual labour activist Lesbia Harford! 

Listen to our other episodes to learn more about Lesbia Harford, or, as mentioned in this episode, writer Mary Shelley, Moomins-creator Tove Jansson, or queer women in medieval Arab literature.

Unlike sex between men, sex between women was never illegal in Britain. Could it have been because Queen Victoria refused to believe that it could happen? Find out in the second of our mini episodes, exploring myths and shorter stories from queer history.

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Today's episode is our second and final look at the life of the activist, lawyer, priest and poet, Pauli Murray. Learn about his involvement with the landmark women's rights case Reed v. Reed, the mischief he got up to as a self-described "pixie priest", and how his transgender identity has been handled (and mishandled) by scholars.

Transcript available here.

Sources

If you haven't heard Part 1 yet, check it out here!

Today's episode is the first of Queer as Fiction, a series in which we talk to you about the intersection of the historical and the queer in the media. We'll kick things off with J. Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872 lesbian vampire novella Carmilla, and talk about just how gay it actually is, the pop culture it has influenced and, apparently, 300 years of Anglo-Irish conflict. 

Today's episode is on Pauli Murray, the activist, lawyer, poet and priest who did so much with his life that it's going to take us two episodes to fit it all. In this first half we're covering the period from 1910 to 1965, including Pauli's time at university, and his work as a lawyer and activist fighting segregation and sexism in the USA. We'll be talking about everything from his ground-breaking theories on intersectionality to his cross-country adventures dressed as a boy-scout, and featuring cameos from Eleanor Roosevelt, James Baldwin, and Langston Hughes.

Transcript available here

Sources

Listen to Part 2 here

Today we're bringing you the first of our mini episodes which will come out on the 8th of every month! In them, we'll explore shorter stories as well as either confirming or debunking myths from queer history. Today's episode examines whether Swedish people called in gay to work as protest when homosexuality was classified as an illness in Sweden. 

Sources

In today's episode we're talking about Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein. Tune in for adventures in gothic horror, the truth behind whether Mary really lost her virginity on her mother's grave, and of course her rarely-discussed relationships with women.

Transcript available here.

Sources

We have a special episode today, featuring an exciting announcement about what's coming up for Queer as Fact in the future! We're also talking about the phrase "friends of Dorothy", how it baffled the US navy, and what it really means.

Transcript available here.

We have a special guest this episode - Jessie has just completed her thesis on queer film in Australia, and talks with us about its birth, its development, and the role it has played in Australian gay rights movements. Featuring gay film festivals, censors embarrassing themselves, and the first Australian Pride.

Transcript available here.

Image: Still from the film Adam (1975)

In this episode we are talking about Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay politicians elected in the USA. Tune in for incredibly theatrical political campaigns, an even more dramatic love letter, and recordings of speeches from the man himself.

Transcript available here

Today's episode is on Tove Jansson, a Finnish author and illustrator, and creator of the world-famous Moomins. Tune in for queer women living on a remote island, adorable chubby anti-fascists, and the best euphemism for same-gender love that we've heard in a while.

Transcript available here!

Today we're talking about Baron von Steuben, who served in the American army during the Revolutionary War, and over the winter of 1777-1778 turned them from a mismatched bunch of volunteers into a group of professional soldiers. Join us for flaming shots, daring escapes from the British, and an important discussion of Steuben's role as Alexander Hamilton's gay dad.

Transcript available here.

In this episode we're talking about Edward II, 14th-century king of England, who almost ruined a country by being too gay. Featuring pirates, several nasty executions, and your hosts' ancestral Scottish rage. Happy New Year!

Transcript available here

Happy Christmas! Queer as Fact is celebrating by bringing you this bonus episode, covering the second half of the life of lesbian diarist and land-owner Anne Lister. Improve your Christmas with first-hand accounts of 19th-century lesbian shenanigans, Anne's struggles to find a suitable wife, and an unfortunate touch of voter fraud that's not truly in the spirit of the holiday.

Transcript available here.

We'll give you a summary, but for the first half of Anne's story, listen to our earlier episode.

This episode focuses on Lesbia Harford, an early 20th century Australian woman poet. Lesbia was one of the first female graduates of Melbourne University, a dedicated political activist, and once had someone drink champagne out of her shoe.

Transcript available here.

Today, on World AIDS Day, we discuss the history of HIV and AIDS in Australia, from its first arrival in 1982 until the present day. In this episode you’ll learn about the infamous Grim Reaper ad campaigns, the tireless battle of queer Australians to help each other in this time, and how the country’s positive response to the epidemic saved the lives of many gay and bisexual men.

Transcript available here.

Today's episode focuses on the Warren Cup, a silver cup from the Roman Empire in the 1st century, which has artistic depictions of male/male sex on it. Expect to learn a lot about ancient Greek and Roman sexuality!

Transcript available here!

In today's episode we're talking about Shelly's Leg, Seattle's first openly gay club, which operated from 1973 until 1978. Get prepared for a two-explosion story, including a confetti canon, eight foot tall nude women, and a possible cameo by David Bowie.

Transcript available here

In this episode, we talk about French artist Rosa Bonheur, one of the most famous female artists of the 19th century. Not only was Rosa so well known for her painting that many American children has "Rosa Bonheur" dolls, during her life she kept pet lions, defended her town from invading Prussians, and received a Legion of Honour from the Empress Eugenie.

Transcript available here.

In this episode we talk about bisexual jazz age heiress Henrietta Bingham. Although she struggled with depression, anxiety and addiction, as well as the homophobia typical of the period, Henrietta also led a full and exciting life. Her lovers included a world number one tennis player, and members of the Bloomsbury group; she mingled with artists and writers, supported the African-American jazz scene, and at least once, played the saxophone while standing on top of a piano.

Transcript available here.

The week of Saturday September 23rd is Bisexual Awareness Week and to celebrate, we’re talking about the life of bisexual performer Josephine Baker! Josephine’s life covers much of the 20th century, beginning as a poor child in the slums of St. Louis and becoming the biggest celebrity of her time. Along the way, she was a World War II spy, a civil rights activist, and the lover of many men and women.

Transcript available here!

In today’s episode we talk about Michael Dillon, who in the 1940s became the first trans man to undergo a phalloplasty. Listen to discover how Michael begun his life as a minor British aristocrat, and ended it as the first Englishman to be ordained in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, with interludes as a shipboard doctor, the suitor of a race-car driver, and a suspected spy.

Transcript available here.

In this episode, we look at the Quran, 1001 Nights and medieval sex manuals to explore attitudes to queer women in the Middle East, Spain and North Africa from the 9th century to the 14th century. Find out about the first lesbians, the correct sounds to make during sex, and how eating celery will turn your children gay.

Transcript available here

Today's episode is a romp through the Bloomsbury Group guided by John Maynard Keynes, one of the great economists of the 20th century, and his meticulous table of sexual partners from 1901 to 1915. Expect polyamory, top secret telegrams and Russian spies.

Content warnings: This podcast includes discussions of sex, including between adults and minors; and mentions of suicide and murder.

Transcript available here

This episode details the life and times of Yoshiya Nobuko, a prolific and extremely successful Japanese author of the 20th century and possibly the first Japanese woman to own a racehorse. Listen on for flower metaphors, fifteen page love letters and '20s flappers from all over the globe.

Transcript is now available here

Today's episode is on educator and activist Gad Beck (1923-2012). A member of the Jewish underground resistance in Berlin during WWII, Gad was the last known living gay survivor of the Holocaust.

Transcript available here.

In this episode we look into three important stories from early Chinese history that were used to discuss male-male queer romance and sexuality for hundreds of years to come. Expect romance, intrigue, poison and daring midnight carriage rides.

Transcript available here.

Today's episode is about Vaslav Nijinsky, a Polish-Russian ballet dancer of the early twentieth century. Considered both the best and most controversial dancer of his era, Nijinsky changed the course of ballet history.

Transcript available here.

“…this heart to her inclin’d by every gentle tie that binds the tender heart…” -Charity Bryant, 1808

In today’s episode we’re talking about Charity Bryant and Sylvia Drake. Charity and Sylvia were a same-sex couple who lived together in 19th century Weybridge, Vermont for over 40 years, recognised by members of their community as a married couple.

Transcript available here!

Today's episode is on Anne Lister, a landowner, prolific diarist, and same-sex attracted woman who lived in Yorkshire during the 19th century and journalled her life and her innumerable love affairs in intimate detail. Featuring: Secret Lesbian Code! Transcript available here.

If you enjoy this episode, also check out our follow-up Christmas special, covering the second half of Anne's life in more detail.

In our second episode, we talk about the life of Julie D'Aubigny (1670/1673-1707), opera singer and duellist in seventeenth century France.

Transcript available here.

Part two of our first full length episode. Part one is also out now, so listen to that first. In this episode, we discuss the life of the Australian bushranger Captain Moonlite (1845-1880). Starting as a respected man of the church, he is convicted of bank robbery, meets the love of his life, James Nesbitt, and breaks out of prison, becoming one of Australia's most famous bushrangers.

Transcript available here.

Part one of our first full length episode. In this episode, we discuss the life of the Australian bushranger Captain Moonlite (1845-1880). Starting as a respected man of the church, he is convicted of bank robbery, meets the love of his life, James Nesbitt, and breaks out of prison, becoming one of Australia's most famous bushrangers.

Part two is also out now. Transcript available here.

A quick introduction on who we are and what our podcast is about. Our first episode, on the Australian bushranger Captain Moonlite, is also out.