Today's episode is the first of Queer as Fiction, a series in which we talk to you about the intersection of the historical and the queer in the media. We'll kick things off with J. Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872 lesbian vampire novella Carmilla, and talk about just how gay it actually is, the pop culture it has influenced and, apparently, 300 years of Anglo-Irish conflict. 

Today's episode is on Pauli Murray, the activist, lawyer, poet and priest who did so much with his life that it's going to take us two episodes to fit it all. In this first half we're covering the period from 1910 to 1965, including Pauli's time at university, and his work as a lawyer and activist fighting segregation and sexism in the USA. We'll be talking about everything from his ground-breaking theories on intersectionality to his cross-country adventures dressed as a boy-scout, and featuring cameos from Eleanor Roosevelt, James Baldwin, and Langston Hughes.

Transcript available here

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Listen to Part 2 here

Today we're bringing you the first of our mini episodes which will come out on the 8th of every month! In them, we'll explore shorter stories as well as either confirming or debunking myths from queer history. Today's episode examines whether Swedish people called in gay to work as protest when homosexuality was classified as an illness in Sweden. 

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In today's episode we're talking about Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein. Tune in for adventures in gothic horror, the truth behind whether Mary really lost her virginity on her mother's grave, and of course her rarely-discussed relationships with women.

Transcript available here.

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We have a special episode today, featuring an exciting announcement about what's coming up for Queer as Fact in the future! We're also talking about the phrase "friends of Dorothy", how it baffled the US navy, and what it really means.

Transcript available here.

We have a special guest this episode - Jessie has just completed her thesis on queer film in Australia, and talks with us about its birth, its development, and the role it has played in Australian gay rights movements. Featuring gay film festivals, censors embarrassing themselves, and the first Australian Pride.

Transcript available here.

Image: Still from the film Adam (1975)

In this episode we are talking about Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay politicians elected in the USA. Tune in for incredibly theatrical political campaigns, an even more dramatic love letter, and recordings of speeches from the man himself.

Transcript available here

Today's episode is on Tove Jansson, a Finnish author and illustrator, and creator of the world-famous Moomins. Tune in for queer women living on a remote island, adorable chubby anti-fascists, and the best euphemism for same-gender love that we've heard in a while.

Transcript available here!

Today we're talking about Baron von Steuben, who served in the American army during the Revolutionary War, and over the winter of 1777-1778 turned them from a mismatched bunch of volunteers into a group of professional soldiers. Join us for flaming shots, daring escapes from the British, and an important discussion of Steuben's role as Alexander Hamilton's gay dad.

Transcript available here.

In this episode we're talking about Edward II, 14th-century king of England, who almost ruined a country by being too gay. Featuring pirates, several nasty executions, and your hosts' ancestral Scottish rage. Happy New Year!

Transcript available here