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These Old Queers

these old queers

Megan and Thomas are two middle-aged, self-identified queer people. In each episode, they delve into historical events and people who are part of queer history, as well as take a look at aging in the LGBTQIA+ community

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  • 21 episodes
  • monthly
  • Avg 1 hr 33 min
  • English

Episodes 21

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  • S2 · E11
    Wednesday · 1 hr 16 min

    Episode 11: The Chevalier d'Éon

    In a very special, very FRANCH episode, Thomas and Megan are joined by Megan's wife Elise in their first collaboratively written and researched episode on the life and times of The Chevalier d'Éon: a French diplomat and spy, who - assigned male at birth - openly lived as a woman for the latter part of their life. Since this episode deals with some very French words, Megan's very French wife Elise is handling much of the storytelling for this one! Join us as we learn all about this "diplomatic pirate" whose story and variations on it have shaped popular culture all the way from Japanese manga to 80s pop music! Settle in for a tale full of 18th century diplomatic bitchery (pinkies out), French Grudges, and giant wigs with white horror show faces. Check us out across the web! ⁠website⁠ ⁠pixelfed⁠ ⁠bsky⁠ ⁠insta⁠ ⁠patreon Content Warning: This episode discusses transphobia, please take care while listening. Sources: Brown, Mark (6 June 2012). “Portrait mistaken for 18th-century lady is early painting of transvestite”. The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2026. The Chevalier d’Eon and his Worlds: Gender, Espionage and Politics in the Eighteenth Century, Simon Burrows, Jonathan Conlin, Russell Goulbourne and Valerie Mainz, eds. New York: Bloomsbury, 2010. Delaney, Anthony. Queer Georgians: A Hidden History of Lovers, Lawbreakers and HomemakersChapter six on The Chevalier d’Eon. Penguin, 2025. Fressin, Thomas. Convertisseur-monnaie-ancienne.fr. Tfressin.fr. Retrieved 15 August 2026. Gary Kates Monsieur D’Eon Is a Woman: A Tale of Political Intrigue and Sexual Masquerade (BasicBooks, 1995; Johns Hopkins 2001 Homberg, Octave. (1911). D’Eon de Beaumont, his life and times. London, M. Secker. Macabre London. “The Chevalier d’Eon: History’s First Trans Spy and Master of Disguise.” Macabre London podcast. 6.5.2025. Morris, Marilyn (March 2019). “The Chevaliere d’Eon, Transgender Autobiography and Identity”. Gender & History. 31 (1): 78-90. doi:10.111/1468-0424.12405 – via Wiley Online Library. Stoker, Bram. Famous Imposters. Project Gutenberg. Archived from the original on 2 March 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2026 – via gutenberg.org. White, Antonia (trans.), The Memoirs of Chevalier D'Éon, London: Anthony Blond, 1970. (introduction by Robert Baldick) LEGAL NO THESE OLD QUEERS CONTENT MAY BE USED FOR TRAINING, TESTING, OR DEVELOPING MACHINE LEARNING OR AI SYSTEMS WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION - TO SAVE YOU THE TROUBLE OF ASKING: WE WON'T GIVE IT TO YOU ANYWAY.

  • S2 · E10
    July 30 · 1 hr 25 min

    Episode 10: Elizabeth Carmichael

    In this episode, Thomas regales us with the incredible story of trans woman, mother, and fugitive, Elizabeth Carmichael. Was she a fraudster? Did she get a fair trial? What is the link between her story and the challenges faced by the trans community today? Stay tuned for a discussion of all those questions, as well as The Price is Right and Unsolved Mysteries. Check us out across the web! website pixelfed bsky insta patreon Content Warning: This episode discusses violence against incarcerated trans women, and media fueled transphobia. Sources: Alexander, Jack. "She's our Man! After 8 ½-year Search, Cops Nab Sex-change Swindler!" Weekly World, 27.6.1989. Anon. “A Dale for Sale.” Drag Supplemental, 1975. Anon. “Liz Carmichael’s Dream Buggy Turns into a Nightmare.” People Magazine, 10.3.1975. Anon. "She Really is a He:The Bizarre Liz Carmichael Auto Caper." People Magazine, 28.4.1975. Associated Press, Dallas. “Investors Raced to Buy Car thatNever Got Onto Track.” Lincoln Star, 16.2.1975. Associated Press, Los Angeles. “Dale Verdict Thrown Out.” SanBernardino Sun, 20.1.1977. Associated Press, Los Angeles. “Man gets Probation in Hoax.” North County Times 64, 29.6.1976. Bady-Davis, Precious and Zackary Drucker, Nick Cammilleri, Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass, and Susan Stryker. “HBO’s The Lady and The Dale: Panel Discussion.” NewFestNYC, 29.1.2021. Bush, Michael. “Geraldine Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Carmichael.” Entry on “Find a Grave,” 28.8.2014. Cammilleri, Nick and Zackary Drucker (dirs.) “The Lady andThe Dale.” Four part docudrama, HBO, 2021. Carlson, Elliot. "Investigations: Tale of the Dale." Newsweek, 3.3.1975. Coe, Andrew. “3-Wheelers Are Back!” Popular Mechanics,10.1984. Cosgrove, John and Terry Dunn Meurer (prods.) “Wanted: LizCarmichael.” Unsolved Mysteries, season 1, episode nr. 20,Cosgrove/Meurer Productions, 5.4.1989. [Re-aired 16.8.1989, updated 10.1.1990, re-issued online as season 1, episode nr. 22.] Haynes, Suyin. “How the Creators of HBO’s The Lady andthe Dale Told a Sensitive Story About a Complicated Trans trailblazer.” Time, 3.2.2021. Lauer, Alex. "The Dale was a Car Implosion to Rival DeLorean, with a Founder More Controversial than Elon Musk." Inside Hook, 9.2.2021. Meyers, Robert. "The Dale Tale." Columbia Journalism Review 14, nr. 4 (1975): 24-27. Murray, Rothbard. "Libertarian Ripoff of the MonthDept." Column in The Libertarian Forum, 5.1975. Rudem, Mey. "This Docuseries Could Explain Why TuckerCarlson Hates Trans Women." Out, 8.3.2021. Sinclair, Paula Jordan. “News Queen.” Column in RenaissanceNews 3, nr. 8, 1989. Strangio, Chase, Zackary Drucker, and Precious Brady-Davis."The Lady and the Dale: Culture Closeup." HBO. 12.2.2021. Street, Mikelle. "Tucker Carlson Goes on Vitriolic, Transphobic Rant Over Dr. Levine." The Advocate, 22.10.2021. Twentieth Century Motor Car Corporation, “The Dale.” Salesbrochure. 1975. UPI, Hollywood. “Home Auto Kit May Be Another Rip-Off.” Napa Valley Register 113, nr. 248, 30.5.1975. UPI, Los Angeles. “Transsexual Guilty of Fraud.” Press Democrat 82, 25.1.1977. Woron, Walt. “The Strange Case of the Dale.” The New York Times, 12.10.1975. LEGAL NO THESE OLD QUEERS CONTENT MAY BE USED FOR TRAINING, TESTING, OR DEVELOPING MACHINE LEARNING OR AI SYSTEMS WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION - TO SAVE YOU THE TROUBLE OF ASKING: WE WON'T GIVE IT TO YOU ANYWAY.

  • S2 · E9
    July 4 · 1 hr 12 min

    Episode 9: General von Steuben and the American Revolution

    In this special Fourth of the July episode, Thomas tells us about the larger than life character of General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, who was a key figure in the American War of Independence. The questions are: was he queer, and what kind of evidence should we demand? Thomas takes us through the available evidence, and talks about the double standards in historical research when it comes to queerness. Check us out across the web! website pixelfed bsky insta patreon Content Warning: This episode discusses accusations of pedophilia. Sources: Anon. “Steuben Whitewash of Hitler Stirs Anger of Jewish Members.” Jewish Daily Bulletin. 12.12.1934. Anon. “LGBT History Month: Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben: Gen. Washington’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Case.” Philadelphia Gay News. Online Edition. 25.10.2012. Ausness, Richard C. “Planned Parenthood: Adult Adoption and the Right of Adoptees to Inherit.” ACTEC Law Journal 41, nr. 2 (2015): 241-305. Benemann, William. Male-Male Intimacy in Early America:Beyond Romantic Friendship. New York: Taylor and Francis, 2014. (First edition published by Harrington Park Press in 2006). Delaney, Anthony. Queer Georgians. A Hidden History of Lovers, Lawbreakers and Homemakers. London: Penguin Books, 2026. Gates, Gary J. and Jody L. Herman. “Transgender MilitaryService in the United States.” Report. The Williams Institute, 2014. Gereben Schaefer, Agnes, Radha Iyengar, Srikanth Kadiyala,Jennifer Kavanagh, Charles C. Engel, Kayla M. Williams, and Amil M. Kress. Assessing the Implications of Allowing Transgender Personnel to Serve Openly. Santa Monica: RAND Corporation, 2016. (Study commissioned by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.) Grissom, Andrew. “Transgender Individuals and MilitaryService Bibliography.” Finding aid. The American Library Association, 2019. Kapp, Freidrich. The Life of Frederick William VonSteuben, Major General in the Revolutionary Army. New York: Mason Brothers, 1859. (Second edition). Lockhart, Paul. The Drillmaster of Valley Forge. The Baron de Steuben and the Making of the American Army. New York: Harper Perennial, 2010. Pritchett, Morgan H. and Edith Von Zemenszky. “The ThreeWills of Baron von Steuben.” The Report. A Journal of German-American History 35 (1972): 19-26. Quinn, Michael. Same-Sex Dynamics among Nineteenth-Century Americans: A Mormon Example. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1966. Trujillo, Josh and Levi Hastings (Illustrator), Washington’sGay General. The Legends and Loves of Baron von Steuben. New York: Abrams Books, 2023. Tulchin, Allan A. “Same-Sex Couples Creating Households inOld Regime France: The Uses of the Affrerement.” The Journal of Modern History 79, nr. 3 (2007): 613-647. von Steuben, Frederich to William North. 23.2.1780.Transcribed in Kapp, Freidrich. The Life of Frederick William Von Steuben, Major General in the Revolutionary Army. New York: Mason Brothers, 1859. (Second edition), pp. 616-617. von Steuben, Friedrich to William North. 27.10.1786. HamiltonCollege Library, Digital Collections, Baron Friedrich von Steuben Collection. von Steuben, Friedrich to William North. 18.9.1788. TheGilder Lehrman Institue of American History. Correspondence of the North Family. Inv. nr. GLC02542.12. von Steuben, Friedrich to William North. 10.10.1788.Hamilton College Library, Digital Collections, Baron Friedrich von Steuben Collection. von Steuben, Friedrich to William North. 14.4.1789. HamiltonCollege Library, Digital Collections, Baron Friedrich von Steuben Collection. LEGAL NO THESE OLD QUEERS CONTENT MAY BE USED FOR TRAINING, TESTING, OR DEVELOPING MACHINE LEARNING OR AI SYSTEMS WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION - TO SAVE YOU THE TROUBLE OF ASKING: WE WON'T GIVE IT TO YOU ANYWAY.

  • S2 · E8
    June 23 · 1 hr 13 min

    Episode 8: Interview with Michael Rashid - Development Manager of the Gerber/Hart Library and Archives

    In the last episode, Megan shared the lives of Pearl M. Hart and Henry Gerber - two pioneers of queer rights in the US, both with local ties to Chicago, Illinois. Now, in their very*first*interview, Megan and Thomas meet up with Michael Rashid, the Development Manager for the Gerber/Hart Library and Archives as it celebrates its 45th year to learn about the Midwest's largest circulating library of LGBTQIA2S+ titles, and one of the largest archives of its kind. In this episode, we'll hear all about some of the fascinating lives chronicled in the many boxes of the archive, intergenerational community building, the necessity for BIPOC voices, the importance of preserving physical copy, their amazing podcast, what it means to be a non-governmentally funded queer library and archive under the current political regime and that, as Michael says, "everybody's life is worth remembering." Follow Gerber/Hart Library & Archives: website Facebook Instagram Youtube Unboxing Queer History Check us out across the web! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pixelfed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bsky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠insta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon LEGAL NO THESE OLD QUEERS CONTENT MAY BE USED FOR TRAINING, TESTING, OR DEVELOPING MACHINE LEARNING OR AI SYSTEMS WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION - TO SAVE YOU THE TROUBLE OF ASKING: WE WON'T GIVE IT TO YOU ANYWAY.

  • S2 · E7
    May 26 · 1 hr 8 min

    Episode 7: Henry Gerber & Pearl M. Hart

    In this episode, Megan shares the stories of Henry Gerber and Pearl M. Hart - two queer Chicagoans from immigrant, working class backgrounds whose work shaped not just queer rights in the Midwest, but throughout the country. also mentioned, "seances and other strange behavior"... Check us out across the web! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pixelfed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bsky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠insta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon Sources: “Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame”. Glhalloffame.org. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015. “Pearl M. Hart: Defender of the Oppressed and Vulnerable”. Chicagohistory.org. 24 Jun 2020. https://www.chicagohistory.org/pearl-m-hart/ Riemer, Matthew; Brown, Leighton (2019). We Are Everywhere: Protest, Power, and Pride in the History of Queer Liberation. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press. Rupp, Leila (2011). “The Persistence of Transnational Organizing: The Case of the Homophile Movement.”The American Historical Review 116:4 (Oct.2011): 1014-1039 Sendziak, Karen C. “Pearl M. Hart.” In Before Stonewall: Activists for Gay and Lesbian Rights in Historical Context. Edited by Vern L. Bullough. New York: Haworth, 2002. Sienna, Noam. “Pearl Hart.” jwa.org. https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/hart-pearl. 23 June 2021. Stein, Marc (2012). Rethinking the Gay and Lesbian Movement. Routledge. Holly Frey and Tracy V. Wilson. “Henry Gerber”. Stuff You Missed in History Class podcast. 29.6.2024. LEGAL NO THESE OLD QUEERS CONTENT MAY BE USED FOR TRAINING, TESTING, OR DEVELOPING MACHINE LEARNING OR AI SYSTEMS WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION - TO SAVE YOU THE TROUBLE OF ASKING: WE WON'T GIVE IT TO YOU ANYWAY.

  • S2 · E6
    May 13 · 1 hr

    Episode 6: Gender Bending in Ancient Rome: The Special Case of Elagabalus

    In the second of this two-part special on Ancient Rome, Thomas takes us through the current state of research on gender bending in the Ancient Roman world. We then quickly dive into the controversial case of the young Emperor Elagabalus. What do the primary sources actually say, and what might they actually tell us about Roman attitudes towards gender boundaries and boundary crossers? Check us out across the web! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pixelfed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bsky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠insta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon Content Warning: This episode mentions castration and human sacrifice. Sources: Addley, Esther. “Was Roman Emperor Elagabalus Really Trans – and Does it Really Matter?” The Guardian, 24.11.2023. Anon. The Scriptores Historiae Augustae Historia. Susan H. Ballou and Hermann Peter, eds. David Magie, trans. London/New York: William Heinemann/G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1921-1932.(Loeb Classical Library edition.) Available here. Beard, Mary. “Imperial Transgressions: Satire and Subversion in the Life of Elagabalus.” Second Sather Lecture. University of California, Berkeley. 27.2.2021. Available on YouTube. Cassius Dio. Dio’s Roman History. Earnest Cary, trans. London/New York: William Heinemann/The MacMillan Co., 1914-1927. (Loeb Classical Library edition.) Available here. Gibbon, Edward. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.London: Frederick Warne and Co., 1893, 4 vols. (Orig. published 1776-1789.) Herodian. Herodian of Antioch’s History of the Roman Empire. Edward C. Echols, trans. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1961. Available here. Icks, Martijn. The Crimes of Elagabalus. The Life and Legacy of Rome’s Decadent Boy Empereor. London: Bloomsbury, 2011. Icks, Martijn. “Cross-dressers in Control: Transvestism, Power and the Balance between the Sexes in the Literary Discourse of the Roman Empire,” in Domitilla Campanile, Filippo Carlà-Uhink, and Margherita Facella (eds.), Trans Antiquity: Cross-Dressing and Transgender Dynamics in the Ancient World (New York: Routledge, 2017), 65-82. Available here. Icks, Martijn. “Empire of the Sun? Civic Responses to the Rise and Fall of Sol Elagabal in the Roman Empire.” In O. Hekster, Sebastian Schmidt-Hofner, and Christian Witschel (eds.), Ritual Dynamics and Religious Change in the Roman Empire (Leiden: Brill, 2009), 111-20. Osgod, Josh. “Casius Dio’s Secret History of Elagabalus.” In: Carsten Hjort Lange and Jesper Majborn Madsen (eds.), Cassius Dio: Greek Intellectual and Roman Politician (Leiden: Brill, 2016), 177-90. Rantala, Jussi. “Ruling in Purple ... and Wearing Make-up: Gendered Adventures of Emperor Elagabalus as Seen by Cassius Dio and Herodian.” In Allison Surtees and Jennifer Dyer (eds.), Exploring Gender Diversity in the Ancient World (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2020), 118-28. Williams, Craig. Roman Homosexuality: Ideologies of Masculinity in Classical Antiquity. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. (Expanded and updated edition. Orig. published 1999). LEGAL NO THESE OLD QUEERS CONTENT MAY BE USED FOR TRAINING, TESTING, OR DEVELOPING MACHINE LEARNING OR AI SYSTEMS WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION - TO SAVE YOU THE TROUBLE OF ASKING: WE WON'T GIVE IT TO YOU ANYWAY.

  • S2 · E5
    April 30 · 1 hr 31 min

    Episode 5: "Homosexuality” in Ancient Rome: The Special Case of Hadrian and Antinous

    In the first of this two-part episode, Thomas takes us through how “homosexuality” – or rather, same sex erotic experiences – were conceptualized in the weird world of Ancient Rome. We then discuss the particular case of the relationship between the Emperor Hadrian and his purported lover, Antinous. What do the primary sources actually say, what is implied, and what might it mean to us now? Content Warning This episode includes discussion of sexual violence and pederasty, and mentions pedophilia. Check us out across the web! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pixelfed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bsky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠insta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon Sources: Anon. The Scriptores Historiae Augustae Historia. Susan H. Ballou and Hermann Peter, eds. David Magie, trans. London/New York: William Heinemann/G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1921-1932. (Loeb Classical Library edition.) Available here. Beard, Mary. “Misleading Lives: The Perils of Ancient Biography.” Annual Leon Levy Biography Lecture. 11.3.20205. CUNY Graduate Center. Available on YouTube. Campman, Lotte. “Greek Love and Love for All Things Greek: Gay subtext and Greek Intertext in Works by Oscar Wilde.” (Unpublished MA Thesis, Utrecht University, 2015.) Cassius Dio. Dio’s Roman History. Earnest Cary, trans. London New York: William Heinemann/The MacMillan Co., 1914-1927. (Loeb Classical Library edition.) Available here. Lambert, Royston. Beloved and God: The Story of Hadrian and Antinous. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1984. Levin Richardson, Sarah and Deborah Kamen. “Revisiting Roman Sexuality: Agency and the Conceptualization of Penetrated Males,” in Sex in Antiquity: Exploring Gender and Sexuality in the Ancient World, M. Masterson, N. Rabinowitz, and J. Robson (eds.), (New York: Routledge, 2015), 449–60. Waters, Sarah. “The Most Famous Fairy in History: Antinous and Homosexual Fantasy,” Journal of the History of Sexuality 6, nr. 2 (1995): 194 -230. Williams, Craig. Roman Homosexuality: Ideologies of Masculinity in Classical Antiquity. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. (Expanded and updated edition. Orig. published 1999). LEGAL NO THESE OLD QUEERS CONTENT MAY BE USED FOR TRAINING, TESTING, OR DEVELOPING MACHINE LEARNING OR AI SYSTEMS WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION - TO SAVE YOU THE TROUBLE OF ASKING: WE WON'T GIVE IT TO YOU ANYWAY.

  • S2 · E4
    March 25 · 1 hr 50 min

    Episode 4: The Life and Times of Anita Berber

    Megan takes us on a ride through the life of Anita Berber: Weimar Germany's Priestess of Depravity. Dancer and legendary bisexual bad girl, Anita was the first true star of her era and her short life was shocking even for hedonistic Berlin of the 1920s. Content Warning: MAJOR warning for underage grooming, inappropriate adult/child relationships, animal mistreatment, drug use, violence. Please take care while listening. Check us out across the web! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pixelfed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bsky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠insta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon Sources: Appignanesi, Lisa. The Cabaret. London: Yale University Press. 2004 Lauren Butterworth and Alicia Carter. "Anita Berber" Deviant Women podcast.19.9.2019. Gordon, Mel. The Seven Addictions and Five Professions of Anita Berber: Weimar Berlin's Priestess of Depravity. Port Townsend, Washington: Feral House. 2006 Gordon, Mel. Voluptuous Panic: The Erotic World of Weimar Berlin. Port Townsend Washington: Feral House. 2000 Willett, John. The Weimar Years: A Culture Cut Short. New York City: Abbeville PR. 1984 LEGAL NO THESE OLD QUEERS CONTENT MAY BE USED FOR TRAINING, TESTING, OR DEVELOPING MACHINE LEARNING OR AI SYSTEMS WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION - TO SAVE YOU THE TROUBLE OF ASKING: WE WON'T GIVE IT TO YOU ANYWAY.

  • S2 · E3
    February 25 · 1 hr 41 min

    Episode 3: Gladys Bentley

    In this episode, Thomas tells us about the life of Black, lesbian blues singer, pianist and entertainer: Gladys Bentley. A star of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s, Bentley seemed in every way someone living their life on their terms. Until, that is, her star power began to dim and Bentley began to doubt her identity. Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of medical abuse and fatphobia. Listeners are strongly encouraged to consider to exercise caution. Check us out across the web! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pixelfed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bsky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠insta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon⁠ Sources: Bentley, Gladys. "I am a Woman Again." Ebony Magazine, August of 1952, pp. 93-98. Available courtesy of Queer Music Heritage, at https://www.queermusicheritage.com. Bentley, Gladys. "Worried Blues/Ground Hog Blues." Lyrics attributed to Bentley, Bentley/J.C. Johnson on piano. Okeh Records,1928. Available courtesy of NYFOS: New York Festival of Song, at https://nyfos.org. Delaney, Anthony and Maddy Pelling."Who was the 'Man-Monster' of New York?" After Dark Classics from the After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds and the Paranormal podcast. 29.12.2025. Hurwitt, Elliott. "Gladys Bentley: Worried Blues." Song of Day blog post. NYFOS: New York Festival of Song. Originally published on 26.10.2015. Available at https://nyfos.org. Jones, Regina. "How does a Bulldagger Get Out of the Footnote? Or Gladys Bentley's Blues." Ninepatch: A Creative Journal for Women and Gender Studies 1, nr. 1 (2012). Torres, Bianki. Lay it on the Line: The Life and Music of Gladys Bentley. (PhD dissertation, University of Massachusetts, 2024.) Available via https://scholarworks.umass.edu. Wilson, James. Bulldaggers, Pansies, and Chocolate Babies. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2010. LEGAL NO THESE OLD QUEERS CONTENT MAY BE USED FOR TRAINING, TESTING, OR DEVELOPING MACHINE LEARNING OR AI SYSTEMS WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION - TO SAVE YOU THE TROUBLE OF ASKING: WE WON'T GIVE IT TO YOU ANYWAY.

  • S2 · E2
    February 17 · 1 hr 21 min

    Episode 2: Fanny and Stella Part 2

    In this second part of our two part story about the lives of AMAB femmes, Fanny and Stella, we dive into the trial that shocked Victorian England, its outcome, and what became of the bold Stella and Fanny in the remainder of their lives. Check us out across the web! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pixelfed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bsky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠insta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon Sources: Boyd, Jason. Who’s Who in Gay and Lesbian History: From Antiquity to World War II. London: Psychology Press. 2002 McKenna, Neil. Fanny and Stella: The Young Men Who Shocked Victorian England. London: Faber & Faber. 2014 Joyce, Simon. “Two Women Walk into a Theatre Bathroom: The Fanny and Stella Trials as Trans Narrative”. Victorian Review. 44, nr. 1 (2018): 83-98. Kaplan, Morris. “Who’s Afraid of John Saul?: Urban Culture and the Politics of Desire in Late Victorian London”. GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies. 5, nr. 3 (1999): 267-314 Rowbotham, Judith. “A Deception on the Public: The Real Scandal of Boulton and Park”. Liverpool Law Review. 36, nr. 2 (27 March 2015): 123-145 LEGAL NO THESE OLD QUEERS CONTENT MAY BE USED FOR TRAINING, TESTING, OR DEVELOPING MACHINE LEARNING OR AI SYSTEMS WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION - TO SAVE YOU THE TROUBLE OF ASKING: WE WON'T GIVE IT TO YOU ANYWAY.

  • S2 · E1
    January 28 · 1 hr 26 min

    Episode 1: Fanny and Stella Part 1

    In the first episode of our second season, Megan shares the story of Fanny and Stella: two gender non-conforming young people from Victorian England who presented female (and sometimes male) while carousing the exciting streets of 1860s/70s London. That is, until their antics got them in hot water with the law in what would be one of the most significant trials in British queer history. In this first part of our two part episode we learn about their lives leading up to their arrest. Check us out across the web! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pixelfed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bsky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠insta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon⁠ Sources: Boyd, Jason. Who’s Who in Gay and Lesbian History: From Antiquity to World War II. London: Psychology Press. 2002 McKenna, Neil. Fanny and Stella: The Young Men Who Shocked Victorian England. London: Faber & Faber. 2014 Joyce, Simon. “Two Women Walk into a Theatre Bathroom: The Fanny and Stella Trials as Trans Narrative”. Victorian Review. 44, nr. 1 (2018): 83-98. Kaplan, Morris. “Who’s Afraid of John Saul?: Urban Culture and the Politics of Desire in Late Victorian London”. GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies. 5, nr. 3 (1999): 267-314 Rowbotham, Judith. “A Deception on the Public: The Real Scandal of Boulton and Park”. Liverpool Law Review. 36, nr. 2 (27 March 2015): 123-145

  • S1 · E20
    Dec 17, 2025 · 1 hr 52 min

    Episode 20: Colonel Barker

    In this episode, Thomas takes us through the life and times of convicted swindler, Victor Barker. From his time in Holloway Prison to the sideshows of Blackpool and beyond, Barker insisted on maintaining a male identity throughout his adultlife despite often being described as a cross-dresser. This early-twentieth century trans-man was not an admirable character, but he was definitely an interesting one. CW: This episode contains a brief mention of SA and domestic violence. Check us out across the web! ⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠pixelfed⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠bsky⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠insta⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon If you're into what we do, please share/like/subscribe/contact us and share! It really helps us out. Sources: Collis, Rose. Colonel Barker's Monstrous Regiment. A Tale of Female Husbandry. London: Virago, 2001. Gottlieb, Julie V. Feminine Fascism: Women in Britain's Fascist Movement, 1923- 1945. London: Tauris Publishers, 2000. Lemmey, Huw and Juliette Jacks. "Christmas Special: Colonel Victor Barker.” Bad Gays podcast. 25.12.2019. Manion, Jen. "Female Husbands.A Trans History." Presentation for Cary Memorial Library. 2.9.21. Available on YouTube. Pavda, Gilad. "Joseph/Josephine's Angst: Sensational Hermaphroditism in Tod Browning's Freaks." Social Semiotics 28, nr. 1 (2017): 1-17. Portnoy, Edward A. "Freaks, Geeks, and Strongmen: Warsaw Jews and Popular Performance, 1912-1930." TDR: The Drama Review 50, nr. 2 (2006): 117-135. Pugh,Vicki. “Problem Bodies and Sideshow Space: A Study of the Twentieth Century Sideshow in Blackpool. 1930-1940.” (PhD. diss., University of Sheffield, 2020). Szoradova, P.E. “LGBTQ+ History: The Red Rose of Colonel Barker.” Blog post from The National Archives. 2.25.2029.

  • S1 · E19
    Nov 20, 2025 · 1 hr 24 min

    Episode 19: The Pansy Craze

    In this episode, Megan talks about The Pansy Craze - a period of increased LGBT visibility in popular culture from the late 1920s until the mid-1930s, that came to an end following the Great Depression, The Hays Code and the rise of World War Two. During the "craze," drag queens, drag kings, masculine women and femme queer men — known as "pansy performers" — experienced a surge in underground popularity, especially in US cities such as New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Check us out across the web! ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠pixelfed⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠bsky⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠insta⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠patreon If you're into what we do, please share/like/subscribe/contact us and share! It really helps us out. Sources: Music: Harry Macdonough and the Orpheus Quartet, “Pretty Baby,” written by Egbert Van Alstyne, Tony Jackson and Gus Kahn. 1916. The Library of Congress. Bunyon, Patrick (1999). All Around the Town: The Amazing Manhattan Facts and Curiosities. Fordham University Press. Wilson, James (June 16, 2010). Bulldaggers, Pansies, and Chocolate Babies. University of Michigan Press. Starr, Kevin (2002). The Dream Endures: California Enters the 1940s. Oxford University Press. Ames, Jack. “Remembering Ray.”RaeBourbon.com. https://raebourbon.com/remembering-ray/ Bullock, Darryl W. “Pansy Craze: the wild 1930s drag parties that kickstarted gay nightlife.” The Guardian, Thu 14 Sep 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/sep/14/pansy-craze-the-wild-1930s-drag-parties-that-kickstarted-gay-nightlife Doyle, Dave. “The ‘Pansy Craze’ Pioneered LGBT Acceptance in America.” The Syncopated Times, 30 Dec 2023.https://syncopatedtimes.com/the-pansy-craze-pioneered-lgbt-acceptance-in-america/ Vandenburg, Margaret. “Rise and Fall of the ‘Pansy Craze.’” The Gay & Lesbian Review, January – February 2025 issue,https://glreview.org/article/rise-and-fall-of-the-pansy-craze/

  • S1 · E18
    Oct 22, 2025 · 1 hr 53 min

    Episode 18: Bog Bodies

    In this episode, Thomas talks about the discovery, investigation, and historiography of the “Weerdinge Couple” bog bodies. Check us out across the web! ⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠pixelfed⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠bsky⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠insta⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon Sources: Music: Harry Macdonough and the Orpheus Quartet, “Pretty Baby,” written by Egbert Van Alstyne, Tony Jackson and Gus Kahn. 1916. The Library of Congress. Aerts-Bijma, A.T., Wijnand Sanden, Johannes Plicht, and H.J. Streurman. “Dating bog bodies by means of 14C-AMS.” Journal of Archaeological Science. 2004. Nr. 31. Bianucci, Raffaella, Wijnand Sanden, Grazia Mattutino, Andreas Nerlich, and Bob Loynes. “Unravelling the Weerdinge Couple.” Presentation for the Drents Museum, The Netherlands. 2003. Black, Sue. All that Remains. A Life in Death. New York City: Doubleday Press, 2018. Miller, Kristyn. J. “Displaying the Lindow Man. A Case Study.”Blog Post. 1.11.2023. Available at BogBodyResource.com. National Geographic. "Mysterius Double Murder." Ancent Bodies, Secrets Revealed. 2024. Season 1, Episode 3. Sanders, Karin. Bodies in the Bog and the Archaeological Imagination. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2009.

  • S1 · E17
    Sep 25, 2025 · 1 hr 59 min

    Episode 17: Queer Kansas City

    In this episode, Megan shares the secret-not-so-secret queer history of their hometown, Kansas City. Whether on the Missouri or the Kansas side, you might be quite surprised at just how much queer history can be found in this mid-size Midwestern city in what a lot of people consider a "flyover state." Check us out across the web! ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ ⁠⁠pixelfed⁠⁠ ⁠⁠bsky⁠⁠ ⁠⁠insta⁠⁠ ⁠⁠patreon If you're into what we do, please share/like/subscribe/contact us and share! It really helps us out. Sources: Bailey, Hannah. March 8, 2022. Womontown: How 12 city blocks in Kansas City became a radical enclave by and for women. ⁠www.kcur.org⁠. ⁠https://www.kcur.org/history/2022-03-08/womontown-how-12-city-blocks-in-kansas-city-became-a-radical-enclave-by-and-for-women⁠ Curators: Cantwell, Christopher D. Carpenter, Kathryn B., Hinds, Stuart. Making History: Kansas City and the Rise of Gay Rights. https://info.umkc.edu/makinghistory/ Hawley-Bates, Savannah. April 2, 2023. Kansas City has a long history of drag shows, drawing performers from around the U.S. ⁠www.kcur.org⁠. ⁠https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2023-04-02/kansas-city-drag-shows-gay-history-queer-performance-prohibition-bans⁠ Our Community Roots. July 30, 2015. InLoving Memory of Edye Gregory. https://ourcommunityroots.com/?p=379 Mid-America Regional Council. March 2, 2023. The history of racial discrimination in housing still impacts the Kansas City region today. www.marc.org. https://www.marc.org/news/economy/history-racial-discrimination-housing-still-impacts-kansas-city-region-today Montalvo, Nasir. May 17, 2022. Remembering Edye and Ray: The First (Well-Documented) Black Drag Queens of Kansas City. www.kansascitydefender.com. https://kansascitydefender.com/lgbtqia2/black-drag-queens-kansas-city/ Szczepanski, Carolyn. June 3, 2010. KC’s new Gay and Lesbian Archive of Mid-America remembers a pioneer town. www.thepitch.com. https://www.thepitchkc.com/kcs-new-gay-and-lesbian-archive-of-midamerica-remembers-a-pioneer-town/ A People’s History of Kansas City. How Kansas City blazed a path for gay liberation. May 30, 2022.https://open.spotify.com/episode/0aeHC3zZ85Z0R7OBVZtuGU?si=EZyX9RpVS2SeqEegNB5lQw

  • S1 · E16
    Aug 20, 2025 · 1 hr 51 min

    Episode 16: Two-Spirit Identities

    In this episode, Thomas discusses the history and complexity of Two-Spirit identities. Check us out across the web! ⁠website⁠ ⁠pixelfed⁠ ⁠bsky⁠ ⁠insta⁠ ⁠patreon If you're into what we do, please share/like/subscribe/contact us and share! It really helps us out. Sources: Chrystos. Not Vanishing. Vancouver: Press Gang Publishing, 1988. Driskill, Qwo-Li. Asegi Stories. Cherokee Queer and Two Spirit Memory. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2016. Driskill, Qwo-Li, Chris Finley, Brian JosephGilley, and Scott Lauria Morgensen, eds. Queer Indigenous Studies. Critical Interventions in Theory, Politics, and Literature. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2011. Driskill, Qwo-Li, Daniel Heath Justice, Deborah Miranda, and Lisa Tatonetti, eds. Sovereign Erotics. A collection of Two-Spirit Literature. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2011. Jacobs, Sue-Ellen, Wesley Thomas, and Sabine Lang, eds. Two-Spirit People. Native American Gender Identity, Sexuality, and Spirituality. Champaign: University of IllinoisPress, 1997. Roscoe, Will. Changing Ones: Third and Fourth Genders in Native North America. London: Macmillan, 1998. Sigal, Pete, ed. Infamous Desire. Male Homosexuality in Colonial Latin America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003. Smith, Merril, ed. Sex and Sexuality in Early America. NewYork: New York University Press, 1998. image: A widely used Two-Spirit flag

  • S1 · E15
    Jul 24, 2025 · 1 hr 49 min

    Episode 15: Blood Sisters

    In this episode, Megan shares the stories of lesbian action during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, as well as her own experience growing up in the shadow of AIDS. CW: this episode mentions homophobia as well as death and dying of AIDS, please take care while listening Check us out across the web! website pixelfed bsky insta patreon If you're into what we do, please share/like/subscribe/contact us and share! It really helps us out. Sources: Gonsalves, Jordan. “The Lesbians Who Led the AIDS Response.” But We Loved with Jordan Gonsalves. May 22,2024. 46:50. https://open.spotify.com/episode/5qQmFXJSy3rcwLlCiDtIGH?si=Qn7WPRWVRrGms7vtgVlBuw Hansford, Amelia. 28 April 2023.Lesbian icon Lisa Power explains how AIDS crisis healed riftbetween lesbians and gay groups. Pink News. Accessed 31 May 2025.https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/04/28/lesbians-lesbian-visibility-week-lisa-power/ National AIDS Memorial. “Marcy Fraser – Women and AIDS – Surviving Voices.” YouTube. Uploaded by National AIDS Memorial. 5 December, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKY0JfZp6us&t=482s Office of the Mayor. 7 February 2025. Part of Mayor Lurie’s Continued Focus on Keeping San Francisco Safe and Helping Residents Prepare for Emergencies. www.SF.gov. Accessed 4 April 2025. https://www.sf.gov/mayor-lurie-announces-fire-commission-appointments-marcy-fraser-to-remain-on-commission-allan-low-to-join San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library. 1985. “AIDS: An Incredible Epidemic.” YouTube. Uploaded by San Francisco Public Library. 7 December, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjDIoLlOWQo Yale University Library Online Exhibitions. We Are Everywhere: Lesbians in the Archive: Lesbian AIDS Activism. Yale Library Website. Accessed 31 March 2025.https://onlineexhibits.library.yale.edu/s/we-are-everywhere/page/lesbian-aids-activism

  • S1 · E14
    Jun 17, 2025 · 2 hr 29 min

    Episode 14: Ewan Forbes

    Did you know that many of the rules against trans gender markers come from an infamous legal battle involving a trans Scottish nobleman, Sir Ewan Forbes, 11th Baronet , general practitioner and expert in Scottish heritage? Learn all about one of the most significant court cases that led us to where we are today when it comes to changing to a chosen name or legal name change. CW: This episode mentions medicalized transphobia, please take care while listening. Check us out across the web! website pixelfed bsky insta patreon If you're into what we do, please share/like/subscribe/contact us and share! It really helps us out. Sources: Forbes, Ewan. The Aul' Days. Aberdeen: Aberdeen University Press, 1984. Playden, Zoe. (2021). The Hidden Case of Ewan Forbes: And the Unwritten History of the Trans Experience. Scribner/Bloomsbury Publishing. Strudwick, Patrick. "The Secret Court Case 50 Years Ago That Has Robbed Trans People of Their Rights Ever Since." The I Paper. 10.11.21. http://www.inews.o.uk.

  • S1 · E13
    May 19, 2025 · 1 hr 24 min

    Episode 13: Leopold & Loeb Part 3

    In the final episode of our three part deep-dive into thrill killers, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb we learn about their lives in prison and beyond. CW: this series includes mention of violence, murder, rape and other things listeners may find disturbing. Please take care while listening. Sources: Baatz, Simon. For the Thrill of It: Leopold, Loeb and the Murder That Shocked Chicago. HarperCollins. October 13, 2009. Higdon, Hal. The Leopold and Loeb: The Crime of the Century.Chicago. University of Illinois Press. 1995, 1999 & 2010. Fass, Paula S. Kidnapped: Child Abduction in America. OxfordUniversity Press. November 20, 1997. Rebain, Erik. Arrested Adolescence: The Secret Life of NathanLeopold. Rowan & Littlefield Publishers. April 15, 2023. and: Crimes of the Centuries with Amber Hunt. S1Ep2: Leopold & Loeb: Jazz Age Killers. Bad Gays. Episode 9: Leopold and Loeb. May 14, 2019. “Deadly Alliance: Leopold & Loeb – A Chicago Stories Documentary.” YouTube, uploaded by WTTW Chicago. November 1, 1924, https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=i6Og58n8tbNYh32x&v=OCn98CGD-3A&feature=youtu.be

  • S1 · E12
    Apr 8, 2025 · 1 hr 7 min

    Episode 12: Leopold & Loeb Part 2

    In Part Two of our 3 part episode about teenage thrill killers, Leopold and Loeb, Megan and Thomas discuss the bonkers trial for what would become known as the "crime of the century." CW: this series includes mention of violence, murder, rape, child molestation, child murder and other things listeners may find disturbing. Please take care while listening. Sources: Baatz, Simon. For the Thrill of It: Leopold, Loeb and the Murder That Shocked Chicago. HarperCollins. October 13, 2009. Higdon, Hal. The Leopold and Loeb: The Crime of the Century.Chicago. University of Illinois Press. 1995, 1999 & 2010. Fass, Paula S. Kidnapped: Child Abduction in America. OxfordUniversity Press. November 20, 1997. Rebain, Erik. Arrested Adolescence: The Secret Life of NathanLeopold. Rowan & Littlefield Publishers. April 15, 2023. and: ⁠https://loebandleopold.wordpress.com/⁠⁠ Crimes of the Centuries with Amber Hunt. S1Ep2: Leopold & Loeb: Jazz Age Killers. Bad Gays. Episode 9: Leopold and Loeb. May 14, 2019. “Deadly Alliance: Leopold & Loeb – A Chicago Stories Documentary.” YouTube, uploaded by WTTW Chicago. November 1, 1924, https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=i6Og58n8tbNYh32x&v=OCn98CGD-3A&feature=youtu.be

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