In this episode of History is Gay Leigh and guest host Amanda Helton discuss Mary Edmonia “Wildfire” Lewis, the first internationally recognized African American and indigenous artist in the United States. Join us while we ponder how exactly a

21. The Real Housewife of Rome

Jan 23rd, 2019 1h 21m

What better way to celebrate the New Year than with a new episode of History is Gay? This time, Gretchen and Leigh dive into the brief, controversial, and totally extra reign of Emperor Elagabalus of Rome. Or rather, Empress Elagabalus! Whether

18. Girls Gone Wilde

Nov 6th, 2018 1h 32m

What would an exploration of the Wilde family be without taking a closer look at Oscar Wilde’s ‘virulently lesbian’ niece Dolly Wilde? Gretchen and Leigh take you on a journey to learn more about this elusive personality. Unlike her uncle, Doll

9. Nazi Punks Fuck Off, Pt 2: Claude Cahun

Jun 4th, 2018 1h 27m

As you know, we're not a fan of Nazis. In part two of our (what will very likely be ongoing) series on badass Nazi-fighting queer anti-fascists we discuss the genderqueer, surrealist artist and Nazi resistance fighter Claude Cahun! Teen love to

5. Stars from a Bi-Gone Era

Mar 5th, 2018 49m 55s

In this very special episode, hosts Leigh & Gretchen travel to the red carpet and the silver screen to hear stories about queer actors from the golden age of Hollywood. Along for the ride is a room full of queer people who came to listen to the

2. Cloistered Queers

Jan 15th, 2018 1h 28m

In this episode, your hosts Gretchen and Leigh continue to examine the overlooked and underappreciated queer ladies, gents, and gentle-enbies in the unexplored corners of history by traveling to the cloisters of Medieval Europe. They’ll uncover

1. Were Some Pirates Poofters?

Jan 1st, 2018 1h 4m

In our first episode, your hosts Gretchen & Leigh begin their series examining the overlooked and underappreciated queer ladies, gents, and gentle-enbies from the unexplored corners of history with a discussion of the high seas. Meet Anne Bonny

Bonus

0.20. Dialing in to Gender: Tracing Trans Internet History with Avery Dame-Griff

Dec 4th, 2023 1h 2m

In this interview episode, Leigh sits down with scholar and creator of the Queer Digital History Project Avery Dame-Griff to discuss his book The Two Revolutions: A History of the Transgender Internet and all it contains about the magic of the

46. A Husband is Unnecessary: Yoshiya Nobuko & Japanese Girls' Culture

Nov 6th, 2023 1h 42m

This episode has EVERYTHING: gay haircuts, yearning, rage against the patriarchy, they were *roommates*....let’s talk about the magical world of Yoshiya Nobuko, girls’ culture, and lesbian fiction in Taishō era Japan! Leigh is joined by guest h

Bonus

History is Gay Presents: LGBTQ+ History Trivia Night!

Aug 28th, 2023 1m 17s

Hello queerlings! Leigh here with an exciting announcement! | Join us on Sunday, October 1 at 5:00 pm Pacific Time / 8:00 pm Eastern for our first-ever virtual LGBTQ+ History Trivia Night, presented by History is Gay! All listeners and friends

Bonus

0.19. Classical Myths, Monsters, and Ancient Gays: A Conversation with Liz Gloyn

Aug 4th, 2023 55m 3s

In this interview episode, Leigh talks with Dr. Elizabeth Gloyn, Reader in Latin Language and Literature at Royal Holloway, the University of London, and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her research focuses on the intersection

45. There's No Crying in Baseball, But There Are Lesbians! Queer History of the AAGPBL

May 29th, 2023 1h 45m

An episode Leigh has been dreaming of since the start of the pod is finally here! In this ep, Leigh is joined by guest host Frankie de la Cretaz, sports journalist, queer history buff, and certified Gaylor Swiftie, to discuss the queer history

Bonus

0.18. Take Me Out to the Ball Gayme: Will Graham Talks "A League of Their Own"

Feb 21st, 2023 41m 10s

Have you, like our dear host Leigh, gotten totally sucked into the amazing new Amazon Prime adaptation of A League of Their Own? Do you want to hear all about the show, its meticulous research into queer life of the 1940s and how the writers, p

Bonus

0.17. Dip Me in Honey & Throw Me To the Lesbians: Queer Feminist Restaurant History

Feb 6th, 2023 48m 22s

Anyone remember that pin & bumper sticker with the slogan that serves as the title for this episode? Well, I hope you’re hungry, because we’re talking lesbians and food in this interview with Dr. Alex Ketchum, Director of the Just Feminist Tech

44. Can We Just Title An Episode "F*ck Colonialism"?: Reclaiming Two-Spirit Histories

Jan 23rd, 2023 1h 36m

For this episode, Leigh is joined by guest host Sam Campbell for the pod’s first episode focusing on Indigenous North America, discussing the history behind various Two-Spirit identities and Indigenous cultural norms around gender and sexualit

0.16. Undoing Silence: Hugh Ryan & The Women's House of Detention

Jan 9th, 2023 50m 2s

In this interview episode, Leigh sits down for a conversation with historian and writer Hugh Ryan about his landmark book The Women's House of Detention: A Queer History of a Forgotten Prison. The Women's House of Detention is the story of one

Bonus

0.15. Malinda Lo and Queer YA Historical Fiction

Oct 24th, 2022 28m 48s

Another interview episode for you all in the feed today, this time Leigh sat down with author Malinda Lo about her writing, her interest and research into queer history, and the trajectory of queer literature since her first published book in 2

Bonus

0.14. A Pod Meets BROS Love Story: Making Queer (Romcom) History!

Oct 3rd, 2022 18m 57s

While Leigh is working on putting together the next regular History is Gay episode for you, we've got a special treat in the form of a minisode, all about the new film BROS, making history as the first romantic comedy from a major film studio a

Bonus

0.13. Before We Were Trans: A Convo with Kit Heyam

Sep 13th, 2022 35m 44s

For this bonus episode, Leigh sat down with Dr. Kit Heyam, university lecturer, queer history activist, and trans awareness trainer, about their new book, Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender. We talked about gender diversity throughou

43. Rainbow Rising: Homo-Feels About Homophiles, Part 2

Aug 16th, 2022 1h 25m

For this episode, Leigh is joined again by guest host Tyler Albertario, as we continue diving into the history of the Homophile movement. In this second and final part of this discussion, Leigh and Tyler cover the rise of East Coast Homophile O

42. Rainbow Rising: Homo-Feels about Homophiles, Part 1

Jul 15th, 2022 1h 34m

Bonus

0.12. Florine Stettheimer's Gay Salon (An Interview with Barbara Bloemink)

May 16th, 2022 53m 22s

For this bonus episode, we're bringing you an interview with esteemed art historian, art director, and curator Barbara Bloemink about her recently published comprehensive biography of turn-of-the-century Modernist painter Florine Stettheimer. S

41. Send in the Clowns: Anita Bryant, the Briggs Initiative, and the Rise of the Anti-Gay Right

Apr 15th, 2022 1h 36m

Buckle up, folks – this episode contains your hosts doing a lot of swears and yelling at the general AAAAAAAAAHHHHH of the world right now. For this episode, Leigh is joined once again by guest host Aubree Calvin, for a crossover episode with S

40. Real-Life Xenas: Warrior Women Across the World

Feb 22nd, 2022 1h 42m

Happy 2022 and welcome to another episode of History is Gay! This time, we’re picking up where we left off with Meghan Rose and S.C. Lucier in our discussion of Amazons and real-life warrior women in history! It’s not just the Greco-Roman world

39. The Amazons: Stoner Horse Girl Warriors of Antiquity

Dec 31st, 2021 1h 50m

Today’s episode brings you not one, but two, wonderful guest hosts – Meghan Rose and S.C. Lucier, (known collectively as Lucier&Rose), the creators of Xena: Warrior Musical - The Lost Scroll, joining Leigh to talk about everyone’s favorite bada