Roberta Cowell, or Betty might have been born into a strict, religious family - but her history, is one with many lessons.

She shows us that Trans+ people are more than just their identity. That Trans+ people deserve to tell their own stories. That, as Sabah Choudrey wrote in this year’s Trans+ History Week workbook lesson about her - “while positive trans representation matters, you don’t need to see yourself represented to know that you can live authentically, and be trans, happy and celebrated.”

It’s time for the final episode of Season 6 of the QueerAF podcast, once again with Trans+ History Week.

Episode Credits: Hosted and produced by Amber Deveraux and Tin Can Audio. Voiceover from Ashleigh Talbot. With thanks to guests Charlie Martin and Victoria Scott. Executive production by Jamie Wareham. This episode was supported by Publicis Groupe UK.

Sign up as a QueerAF member to listen along ad-free and support our not-for-profit work, investing in a new generation of queer audio professionals:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/membership/

If you like our podcast, you'll love our free weekly newsletter that thousands of readers use to understand the LGBTQIA+ 🏳️‍🌈 headlines, learn new perspectives and stay on top of the latest queer content. Try it now:

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Make sure to sign up for updates about Trans+ History Week, a QueerAF launchpad project:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/transhistoryweek/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reed Erickson was an eccentric trans multimillionaire who transitioned in the US in the 1950s. Erickson’s access to wealth and relationship to trans healthcare went on to greatly shape how Western gender clinics developed from the 1960s onwards. In this episode, Vic Parsons explores that link, and unpacks what we can learn from the story of a vastly influencial figure in gender affirming care models.

Read our history stories about Magnus Hirschfield:

• https://www.wearequeeraf.com/i-just-learned-the-nazis-first-book-burning-happened-at-worlds-first-trans-clinic/
• https://www.wearequeeraf.com/its-time-for-the-trans-history-lesson-we-never-had/

Check out Vic's first exclusive investigation for the QueerAF newsletter:

• https://www.wearequeeraf.com/conversion-therapy-groups-spend-2m-on-lobbying-and-promoting-practice-in-soaring-costs-since-promise-to-ban-the-abusive-practice/

Episode Credits: Hosted and produced by Vic Parsons, with thanks to guests Morgan M Page host of One From The Vaults and Cal Horton. Executive production by Jamie Wareham. This episode was supported by Publicis Groupe UK.

Sign up as a QueerAF member to listen along ad-free and support our not-for-profit work, investing in a new generation of queer audio professionals:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/membership/

If you like our podcast, you'll love our free weekly newsletter that thousands of readers use to understand the LGBTQIA+ 🏳️‍🌈 headlines, learn new perspectives and stay on top of the latest queer content. Try it now:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/subscribe/

Make sure to sign up for updates about Trans+ History Week, a QueerAF launchpad project:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/transhistoryweek/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This year, for the first time since tracking of it began - Trans+ rights in Europe retracted, instead of grew. In the UK, hate crimes towards trans people are up nearly 1400% in the last decade. Meanwhile, as hate plays out on the streets - the addiction in some parts of the media to hateful, clickbait headlines that drive attention to news providers, but division in communities all over the world has continued.

This week on QueerAF, in an episode supported by Publicis Media Groupe UK - we’re going to ask: What is the media's role in rising transphobia? How can the advertising industry change the media? What can we, as individuals, do about this - can we play a role at work to advocate for better responsibility from businesses?

Episode Credits: Hosted and produced by Jamie Wareham. This episode was supported by Publicis Groupe UK. With thanks to Transgender Europe, JP, Julia Franks and Kate Williams.

Sign up as a QueerAF member to listen along ad-free and support our not-for-profit work, investing in a new generation of queer audio professionals:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/membership/

If you like our podcast, you'll love our free weekly newsletter that thousands of readers use to understand the LGBTQIA+ 🏳️‍🌈 headlines, learn new perspectives and stay on top of the latest queer content. Try it now:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/subscribe/

Make sure to sign up for updates about Trans+ History Week, a QueerAF launchpad project:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/transhistoryweek/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First produced and published in 2018, in the British Podcast Awards nominated Season Two of QueerAF - Support our work

After Sean Allsop produced this episode, one of his first paid documentary audio commissions, he’s gone on to have an illustrious career making documentaries for the BBC, The World Service, Virgin Radio, Absolute Radio: And a vast number of them about the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Sean’s brought the history of Section 28, The Legacy of Terrance Higgins and investigations into Poland’s LGBT free zones onto National radio. All, in part, because we were able to give him one of his first portfolio pieces, as well as the training and mentoring on how to do queer stories justice. 

That’s what we’re up to here, supporting queer creatives to build media careers so they can change the media - all to change the country.

• https://www.wearequeeraf.com/membership/

Sean suffered from internalised homophobia. He is perfectly OK with his sexuality, but kept asking himself why the LGBTQIA+ community has to be 'so queer.' At the time of recording, Sean Allsop was a recent radio graduate and set out to find if it's possible to overcome your shame of being gay – and learns why he has, until now, projected his own homophobia onto others.

With thanks to Matthew Todd, author of Straight Jacket. To therapist Stephen Hanscomb, and also Switchboard. If you ever want to call them, you can call 10am-10pm every day on 0300 330 0630 or 0800 0119100

Sign up as a QueerAF member to listen along ad-free and support our not-for-profit work, investing in a new generation of queer audio professionals:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/membership/

If you like our podcast, you'll love our free weekly newsletter that thousands of readers use to understand the LGBTQIA+ 🏳️‍🌈 headlines, learn new perspectives and stay on top of the latest queer content. Try it now:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/subscribe/

Make sure to sign up for updates about Trans+ History Week, a QueerAF launchpad project:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/transhistoryweek/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back on our feeds, the collaboration you've missed since 2020. We've loved collaborating with Historical Homos again, who have launched a podcast since we last worked with them to mark the 50th anniversary of Stonewall.

In this episode, we bring you an introductory package, before handing the reigns over to Sebastian Hendra, for the usual Historical Homos format in this collab episode of the QueerAF podcast!

Episode Credits: Hosted by Sebastian Hendra, with intro package produced by Jamie Wareham and interview section edited by Alex Toskas. Thanks to guests Kit Heyam and Marty Davies (Photo: Ciaran Christopher). A QueerAF and Historical Homos Production.

• Historical Homos is on Instagram, and you can listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Sign up as a QueerAF member to listen along ad-free and support our not-for-profit work, investing in a new generation of queer audio professionals:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/membership/

If you like our podcast, you'll love our free weekly newsletter that thousands of readers use to understand the LGBTQIA+ 🏳️‍🌈 headlines, learn new perspectives and stay on top of the latest queer content. Try it now:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/subscribe/

Make sure to sign up for updates about Trans+ History Week, a QueerAF launchpad project:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/transhistoryweek/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we’re sharing the conversation we recorded at the Trans+ History Week community event 2025, with the theme: How do we tell our history,

so we can all learn from it?

It might have taken place back in May but, well lets face it even before this year’s Trans+ History Week, which is held in the first full week in May each year - the UK’s Supreme Court decision on the definition of a woman in the Equality Act has changed the context, urgency and climate for Trans+ and queer rights. 

The recording followed on directly from the first episode of the season, our live podcast recording with guest host Anthony Lexa from Sex Education and special guest Abigail Thorn, of Philosophy Tube and Game of Thrones fame.

To celebrate the second year of creatives we’ve mentored for Trans+ History Week, we brought together one of last years, podcasters Alex Parnham Cope, one of this year’s history writers Nisreen Fox, and the legal researcher who was the only Trans+ journalist commissioned in the UK media to write about the Supreme Court ruling itself during the week, Jess O'Thomson: And yes, that was by us - here on QueerAF. The discussion is hosted by Jamie Wareham.

So let's tuck in, and uncover how we can use history, and the lessons from our past, to march forward, and win the fight ahead.

Sign up as a QueerAF member to listen along ad-free and support our not-for-profit work, investing in a new generation of queer audio professionals:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/membership/

If you like our podcast, you'll love our free weekly newsletter that thousands of readers use to understand the LGBTQIA+ 🏳️‍🌈 headlines, learn new perspectives and stay on top of the latest queer content. Try it now:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/subscribe/

Make sure to sign up for updates about Trans+ History Week, a QueerAF launchpad project:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/transhistoryweek/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 “Ballroom is liberation, it's queer history, it's trans history, it's power, it's fashion, it's sex, it's dance, it's music, it's love, it's hate, it's everything that you need in order to survive as a queer person in this world, especially as a queer person of colour.”

You may know ballroom from the legendary show “Pose” or “Paris is Burning” but this beautiful home curated for and by queer icons is becoming a worldwide community, with queer communities of colour, finding safety and unity in these spaces.

There’s nothing more queer than doing something because no-one else will. That is the story off Ballroom - from it’s New York blossoming, to as Anthony Pius will take us through in this episode of the QueerAF podcast with Trans+ History Week - it’s flourishing international growth from India to Wales.

Episode Credits: Produced by Anthony Pius. Executive production and mastering by Jamie Wareham. A QueerAF Production. Made with support from Publicis Groupe UK. Thanks to guests Muz Ramzan, Alia Ramna, KRISH, Voguing In India

Sign up as a QueerAF member to listen along ad-free and support our not-for-profit work, investing in a new generation of queer audio professionals:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/membership/

If you like our podcast, you'll love our free weekly newsletter that thousands of readers use to understand the LGBTQIA+ 🏳️‍🌈 headlines, learn new perspectives and stay on top of the latest queer content. Try it now:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/subscribe/

Make sure to sign up for updates about Trans+ History Week, a QueerAF launchpad project:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/transhistoryweek/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CW: This episode contains themes of a sexual nature, including references to kink

Who do you think you are? A universal tension exists in an acute way for trans people, our dependency on other people for recognition, part of how identity works is laid bare in the struggle for trans liberation.

Perhaps not better explained by examinig not just any simple piece of cloth, but the very queer and Trans+ history of the handkerchief.

There’s the hanky code (or flagging). There are historical examples (some fictional, others not): phallic handkerchiefs, morality judgments intertwined with the hanky, hankies as tokens passed from lover to lover, and handkerchiefs worn around the neck. But they all rely upon the handkerchief to be read – to be perceived in a certain way. They rely upon dependency.

In this week's QueerAF podcast with Trans+ History Week, Ted Tinkler explores the ontology of the handkerchief and what it tells us about the power dynamics of dependency and intimacy - and what that tells us about being Trans+.

Episode Credits: Produced by Ted Tinkler. Executive production and mastering by Jamie Wareham. A QueerAF Production. Made with support from Publicis Groupe UK.

Thanks yous from Ted: A huge thanks to Olivia Warren, Kylo Thomas, Raul Cornier, Del laGrace Volcano, Hal Fischer, and Nat Reeve for their generosity and time during our conversations. The brilliant song used at different points in the show is “Summertime, Free Palestine” by Gay Skeleton Club.

Sign up as a QueerAF member to listen along ad-free and support our not-for-profit work, investing in a new generation of queer audio professionals:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/membership/

If you like our podcast, you'll love our free weekly newsletter that thousands of readers use to understand the LGBTQIA+ 🏳️‍🌈 headlines, learn new perspectives and stay on top of the latest queer content. Try it now:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/subscribe/

Make sure to sign up for updates about Trans+ History Week, a QueerAF launchpad project:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/transhistoryweek/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How can we use stories as part of the fight back against anti-LGBTQIA+ narratives?

At an acute time for our community, stories are a powerful tool to unpack prejudice and set a better narrative for queer communities.

But what can the media industry do differently, and how can we do this in the audio and podcast space? Join us for an insider goss look at what it's like to tackle this question as a media professional. By sharing this to our audience, we hope you can better understand the way the media works. The more we understand how it works, the better we can advocate for its change.

In this 30-minute panel, with a short Q&A we ask our expert guests what we can do to ensure the stories we tell about LGBTQIA+ lives do justice to the community in engaging, entertaining and high-impact ways.

Episode Credits: Hosted and chaired by QueerAF's Jamie Wareham and joined by Ki Griffin (Hollyoaks actor, producer of a QueerAF podcast for Trans+ History Week), Phil Samba (Host of The Other Blue Pill documentary podcast, Love Tank and PrEPster) and Holly Newson (Executive producer, most recently of the British Podcast Award's 'Gold Podcast Of The Year' Press, Play, Turn On). Recorded at Acast Studios London, and held during Indie News Week.

Sign up as a QueerAF member to listen along ad-free and support our not-for-profit work, investing in a new generation of queer audio professionals:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/membership/

If you like our podcast, you'll love our free weekly newsletter that thousands of readers use to understand the LGBTQIA+ 🏳️‍🌈 headlines, learn new perspectives and stay on top of the latest queer content. Try it now:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/subscribe/

Make sure to sign up for updates about Trans+ History Week, a QueerAF launchpad project:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/transhistoryweek/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There perhaps isn’t a more British way, to say - gender is a construct - than with Shakespeare is there?

So put aside your stack of sonnets, go stick on the kettle, brew a cuppa, and let Shevek Imogen Fodor tell you about the gender foolery that took place in Shakespearean England and ignited and already ember burning flame of gender diversity on stage in the UK's most hallowed theatre institutions.

If we acknowledge that gender was performed, messed with and expanded on stage then we can find a glimpse of positive non-binary, genderqueer, genderfluid ways of existing in the past. That's what we'll explore in another episode with Trans+ History Week of the QueerAF podcast.

Episode Credits: Produced by Shevek Imogen Fodor. Opening monologue performed by Aryn Jae (they/them). Executive production and mastering by Jamie Wareham. A QueerAF Production. Made with support from Publicis Groupe UK.

From Shevek:

"Additional thanks to: Dr Will Tosh (he/him); Emma (they/them); Sarah Li (she/they); Stan Doubt (he/him); Vick the Prick (say what you see); Veggie Stripper (he/they); Mack (they/he); and Darkwah (they/them).Thanks to all of the lovely members of the DGA Collective who helped me feel so at home rediscovering drag performance in the North East, sharing all of their experiences of queer discovery and self-acceptance to inspire my thinking for this project. Find out more about Edward's Boys here. Find out more about the history of male impersonation and principal boys with the virtual exhibition of Opening the Closet Doors, the project Sarah did with the Darlington Hippodrome. All of my knowledge and fascination with Shakespeare is a direct result of my parents - I'm indebted to them and to my queer extended found family for encouraging, supporting and inspiring me always (and especially while making this)."

Music:

“Enlightened”; “Pondering”; “It Doesn’t Have to End”; “Timeless Master” -  Medieval Lofi - licensed under a CCSA4.0. Vintage Piano - Piano_Music (Pixabay)

Sign up as a QueerAF member to listen along ad-free and support our not-for-profit work, investing in a new generation of queer audio professionals:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/membership/

If you like our podcast, you'll love our free weekly newsletter that thousands of readers use to understand the LGBTQIA+ 🏳️‍🌈 headlines, learn new perspectives and stay on top of the latest queer content. Try it now:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/subscribe/

Make sure to sign up for updates about Trans+ History Week, a QueerAF launchpad project:

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/transhistoryweek/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.