Chances are very high that your history education skipped over a lot of queer history. Probably all of it. I’ve blogged extensively about my passion for history and podcasts for which I’m not sorry. To add to the list, here’s a collection of podcasts sharing tales about LGBTQ history.
Bad Gays
You’re not gay if you don’t love the villains in your favorite Disney movies. That’s because most villains have been queer coded but you might be fascinated to learn that many of history’s actual villains have complicated sexual identities. Bad Gays tells the stories of evil and complicated queers. But unlike your favorite Disney villains, you might not be dressing in drag as these bad guys.
Gay History 101
One of the things I love about history podcasts is hearing honest reactions to the hosts’ research. I’ve only listened to a few episodes of Gay History 101, but I loved hearing John and Conor learn along with their listeners and offer hot takes. It’s fun commentary to go along with the lesson.
Queer as Fact
Queer as Fact features a panel of history buffs taking a more international look at historical events and more of a queer discussion. You can also follow their social accounts to dive deeper into their research.
History is Gay
History is Gay features fun conversations between hosts Gretchen and Leigh, self identified queer nerds. Every episode includes a segment where the two rate how gay notable people in history were, which is one of my favorite parts of this show.
One From the Vaults
While most of the other podcasts look at events and people from throughout the LGBTQ spectrum, One From the Vaults takes a look specifically at trans individuals. The host Morgan M Page does a great job uncovering little known stories from even very recent history. I loved diving into stories about Andy Warhol’s muses, Lou Reed, and Marsha P. Washington and Sylvia Rivera.
Gay of the Day
If you’re looking for some bite size history lessons, Gay of the Day is perfect. Each episode focuses on one queer person in history and tells their life story in under 20 minutes. I especially love the host Frank Howard’s dramatic storytelling style.
Got any favorite history podcasts to share? Let me know!
