Happy Christmas! Queer as Fact is celebrating by bringing you this bonus episode, covering the second half of the life of lesbian diarist and land-owner Anne Lister. Improve your Christmas with first-hand accounts of 19th-century lesbian shenanigans, Anne's struggles to find a suitable wife, and an unfortunate touch of voter fraud that's not truly in the spirit of the holiday.

Transcript available here.

We'll give you a summary, but for the first half of Anne's story, listen to our earlier episode.

This episode focuses on Lesbia Harford, an early 20th century Australian woman poet. Lesbia was one of the first female graduates of Melbourne University, a dedicated political activist, and once had someone drink champagne out of her shoe.

Transcript available here.

Today, on World AIDS Day, we discuss the history of HIV and AIDS in Australia, from its first arrival in 1982 until the present day. In this episode you’ll learn about the infamous Grim Reaper ad campaigns, the tireless battle of queer Australians to help each other in this time, and how the country’s positive response to the epidemic saved the lives of many gay and bisexual men.

Transcript available here.

Today's episode focuses on the Warren Cup, a silver cup from the Roman Empire in the 1st century, which has artistic depictions of male/male sex on it. Expect to learn a lot about ancient Greek and Roman sexuality!

Transcript available here!

In today's episode we're talking about Shelly's Leg, Seattle's first openly gay club, which operated from 1973 until 1978. Get prepared for a two-explosion story, including a confetti canon, eight foot tall nude women, and a possible cameo by David Bowie.

Transcript available here

In today's episode we're talking about Shelly's Leg, Seattle's first openly gay club, which operated from 1973 until 1978. Get prepared for a two-explosion story, including a confetti canon, eight foot tall nude women, and a possible cameo by David Bowie.

Transcript available here

In this episode, we talk about French artist Rosa Bonheur, one of the most famous female artists of the 19th century. Not only was Rosa so well known for her painting that many American children has "Rosa Bonheur" dolls, during her life she kept pet lions, defended her town from invading Prussians, and received a Legion of Honour from the Empress Eugenie.

Transcript available here.

In this episode we talk about bisexual jazz age heiress Henrietta Bingham. Although she struggled with depression, anxiety and addiction, as well as the homophobia typical of the period, Henrietta also led a full and exciting life. Her lovers included a world number one tennis player, and members of the Bloomsbury group; she mingled with artists and writers, supported the African-American jazz scene, and at least once, played the saxophone while standing on top of a piano.

Transcript available here.

The week of Saturday September 23rd is Bisexual Awareness Week and to celebrate, we’re talking about the life of bisexual performer Josephine Baker! Josephine’s life covers much of the 20th century, beginning as a poor child in the slums of St. Louis and becoming the biggest celebrity of her time. Along the way, she was a World War II spy, a civil rights activist, and the lover of many men and women.

Transcript available here!

In today’s episode we talk about Michael Dillon, who in the 1940s became the first trans man to undergo a phalloplasty. Listen to discover how Michael begun his life as a minor British aristocrat, and ended it as the first Englishman to be ordained in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, with interludes as a shipboard doctor, the suitor of a race-car driver, and a suspected spy.

Transcript available here.