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

Outline

0:00 – Introduction

2:30 – Corrections Corner: On Egyptian Lettuce

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

7:54 – Socio-Historical and Religious Context

27:48 – Who were they? Bio Time.

48:42 – Why do we think they're gay?

1:05:08 – Analysis from Queer Historians

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

1:20:40 – How Gay were They?

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

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