Not Past It

In the summer of 1973, Playgirl Magazine printed its first photos of full frontal male nudity. In a bold acknowledgment of female sexuality, the revolutionary magazine offered male nudity to straight women for almost half a century. Today, we are flipping through Playgirl’s fabled pages and examining just what it was about “The Magazine for Women,” that made it such a surprisingly...hard (we had to)...sell.

*This episode contains explicit language and graphic sexual references*

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On June 24th, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The court ruled that the right to an abortion does not exist in the Constitution, effectively overturning 1973’s Roe v. Wade decision. 

So we're bringing back an episode we aired earlier this year about one fearless woman, Mary Calderone, who assembled a group of doctors, public health experts, and psychologists, 67 years ago to talk about abortion at a time when it was really, really dangerous to do so.

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In this episode, Simone and producer Remoy Philip venture out into the streets of NYC in search of different Black and brown queer historical sites. By train, foot and ferry they travel the boroughs and explore queer histories--some hidden in plain sight. And along the way, they begin to see and hear the past washing into the present.

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Buffalos, horses, wagons and trains: These are all icons of the U.S. expansion west. But a camel? This Pride Month, Simone tells comedian and culture writer Ashley Ray the story of the U.S. Army’s little-known Camel Corps and reveals its surprising link to the creation of a queer city.

Show notes:

Shout out to Jon Ponder from the West Hollywood History Center. His work helped us put this very special show together. You can learn more at westhollywoodhistory.org.

And for more of Ashley Ray’s work, you can find her on Twitter @theeashleyray or on her website theashleyray.com

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Did you ever hear the one about the drag kings? Well, here's your chance. We are digging in the Not Past It, crates to bring you the story of Mo B Dick and the lesser known gender bending performance art surged at Club Cassanova in the 90's. But on December 28, 1997, Club Casanova, home of the drag king show was forced to shut down. Mayor Rudy Giuliani, invoked the Cabaret Law from Prohibition Era -- from the 1920s, ending an era for New York that will likely never return.

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This week we revisit one of our most poignant episodes. Did you know there was almost an AIDS vaccine? On June 3, 1998: AIDSVAX VAX004 reached the final stage of trials before widespread approval. Simone gets the facts on the vax and why it never made it to the masses.

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On May 25th, 1925, 97 years ago this week, the state of Tennessee indicted a science teacher for teaching evolution. The case against John Scopes became known as Scopes the “monkey trial,” and it got the whole country talking. What should be taught to children and what does that say about who we are as nation? Scholars say this trial drove a wedge between Americans -- a wedge that stands to this day.

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On June 2nd, 2021, we dropped our first episode. HBD to we! 🥳 🎂🎈 To celebrate, we’re looking back at some of Simone’s favorite shows, playing some never-before-aired tape and diving into the lessons she’s learned trying to make sense of history’s tangled web.

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Ever wondered… how do you kidnap a middle-aged Nazi in Argentina, and transport him across the world with no one knowing? Well, this is what secret agents were wondering when they captured Holocaust architect Adolf Eichmann in Argentina on May 11th, 1960. It’d take a hell of a lot of Bond-like international spy-craft to pull it off. But they’d still be left with questions.

If you missed the the juicy backstory, check out the first Nazi Hunter episode from back in February.

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What comes to mind when we say “Cinco de Mayo?” Cheesy beer ads? Themed nights at the local bar? Well, in this episode, we smash through 160 years of history, tracing El Cinco from the Battle of Puebla on May 5th 1862, to the holiday’s commercial takeover in the 1980s. Plus, we explore the surprising origins of this holiday, that’s a lot more American than you may think.

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