Q4Q: Queer Personals Podcast

Welcome back to Q4Q! In this episode, local Maryland historian and librarian, Ben Egerman, steps behind the mic to flip through the pages of Charm City’s historic gay papers. Listen as we weave through a glimpse of Baltimore’s LGBTQ+ history—where you can dance the night away at The Hippo, enjoy a “unique and wonderful evening” in Fells Point, and play cards with a guilt-ridden pinochle player. Yo...

Hey folks! I'm coming out of the woodwork to wish you a Happy Valentine's Day to all who celebrate. Not only is this a special episode drop, but it's a redo of a previous Valentine's extravaganza with a new twist. Listen and rate us on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your tunes! Find a copy of the adult coloring book, Queer Seeking Queer: A Colorful...

Surprise! We’re back with a new collaborative project– Queer Seeking Queer: A Colorful History. Haley joined forces with Dan of @longlostpersonals and Alexis @Alexis_aquarian to create this cheeky, kinky, one-of-a-kind coloring book featuring personal ads from LGBTQ+ newspapers from the 1920s to 1990s. In this episode, Dan, Alexis, and Haley talk about the long journey to create the book, where yo...

Welcome to a truly itty bitty episode with guest host,  Gabriel—founder, creator, and archivist for @Itty_Bitty_Queer_History. In this episode, Haley takes a page out of Gabriel’s teeny tiny books to pursue some short & sweet personal ads. These authors are very concise yet have a diverse set of needs—from bowling buddies to sugar daddies, water sports to paranormal experiences. You should pro...

Are you ready to source the galaxies of love? Dip your tongue into this new episode, where Haley & Dr. Jack Jen Gieseking (author of the incredible book A Queer New York ) match with some sapphic ads. Whether you’re looking for a good old-fashioned co-dependent, a skateboard bean, a Genteel Daddy pretty boy butch, or a chic Joni Mitchell lookalike—come explore the full spectrum of the sapphic...

Attention all you macaroni boys and genderful twinks! Asho joins Haley for a series of ads written by self-acclaimed androgynous lovers. Do you dream of tossing a salad with a cute “she-boy” or maintaining eye contact all the way “through”? Catch these ads before another 30 years passes! Follow Asho on Instagram at @Asho_Buckingham to view & purchase their incredible art! Listen to us on Spoti...

You think you're sexually frustrated? Try talking to a gal on the lesbian party lines in the '90s! In this truly tiny bite-sized episode, Haley reads from Liz Tracey's article in Outweek: "Hung Up on the Lesbo Line."  Listen to us on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your tunes! Interested in being on the show? Contact us at Q4QPodcast@gmail.com o...

Haley sits down with Dr. Alex Ketchum, a professor at McGill University’s Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies, and author of books such as Engage in Public Scholarship: A Guidebook on Feminist and Accessible Communication & Ingredients for Revolution: A History of American Feminist Restaurants, Cafes, and Coffeehouses . In this episode, we’re playing matchmaker for several Ca...

In this episode, Haley & Lauren Hoffman of the Capital Jewish Museum wander through New York, San Francisco, and Minnesota following these Jewish sapphic lonely hearts. Check your baggage at the door and prepare to meet a Would-Be Cowboy, a“Highly Flawed and Special” artist, and a gal looking for a “New Age thinker with a specific physical discipline….”?  Follow Lauren on Instagram @spicylilsc...

You ignore your voicemail, but have you heard of voice jail? Imagine the world before the internet, before blogs and discord servers and reddit forums or Google reviews. Where did people release their pent up anxieties, how did they share their niche interests, or act out their weird bits? In this bite-sized episode, Haley looks at the fascinating microcosm that sprang up in the 1980s and ‘90s in...

Throw on some sunscreen and grab your mosquito spray, we’re going to Florida! Haley & Kayleigh read ads from Orlando, Cape Canaveral, and Pasco County. Help us choose between a gay nudist tour guide, Xena the Warrior princess, and the vegetarian aesthete. It’s probably one of the most ‘90s centered episodes yet!  Listen to us on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your...

"All my love, Porcupine" was a poetic sign-off for one smitten woodland creature to her mousie lover. Throughout the 1970s and '80s, the personal ads to the Gay Community News in Boston began with an entry addressed to "Mousie Mousie Wildflower." And for once, Haley has found a (vaguely) satisfying conclusion to this classified ad mystery. Tune in to this bite-sized episod...

*Ring ring* Hello? Did you know that you could call a phone number to leave a voicemail personal ad? “Talking” personal ads became popular around the 1980s and ‘90s as a quick way to hook up or meet someone cute! This week, mystery fiction author and host of Queer We Are podcast, Brad Shreve, joins Haley to recount his own encounters via the voicemail ads.  Check out Brad Shreve’s work at his webs...

In this episode, Haley sits down with Robbi Sommers Bryant–author, editor, watercolor artist, and the Queen of Lesbian Erotica. A well-earned title, as Sommers Bryant published nine erotica books–one of which, Personal Ads , follows several stories after lesbians place newspaper ads looking for something sexy. Find out the inspiration behind the stories and other fun tidbits!  Check out Robbi’s ot...

Sleigh bells ring, are you listening…to this new episode? Santa is single and looking for someone to jingle his bells. This week, Haley ropes their friends EJ, Tabitha, and Bekah into a Christmas-New Year’s Eve special, where folks set up their New Year's Eve dates, snuggle bunnies, and winter survival coaches. Happy 2023!  Listen to us on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, or wherever you lis...

Are you sick of mind-numbing, capitalist, consumer dating life? You’re not alone! Queers have been plotting their escape from society for decades–and they’re posting personal ads looking for just the right person to share it with. So, throw on your prairie dress, get back to the land, and throw open those cottage windows (stained glass, of course) –because Haley of Q4Q meets Abbey of Sweet Baby Ga...

Welcome back to Q4Q! This week, queer historian Tyler Albertario & Haley wade through the history of the correspondence club, Contact. The penpal club served as a clandestine way for homosexual correspondents to connect during the 1920s & ‘30s. Learn about notable members like Henry Gerber, Manuel boyFrank, and Frank McCourt–who’s letters form the foundation of the present knowledge of the...

Jump on into the Wayback Machine, we’re talking to Steve about Asynchronous Communication. Not to be confused with simultaneous communication, or face to face conversation. So what is it like to date asynchronously? Many of us know! How frustrating is it to send a chat to someone in an app and they leave you on read? But sometimes, just sometimes, you hit up someone who has the same communication...

Lace up your boots or slip on your platform heels, because it’s Q4Q’s 25th episode! To mark the occasion, Haley invited their good friend and femme fatale, Caillean, to gasp their way through personal ads written by butch and femme lesbians. Whether you’re into lace or leather, chapstick or lip gloss, pants or skirts–some other nonsensical binary, you’ll enjoy these ads.  Listen to us on Spotify,...

This episode, Haley teamed up with Kai of @Rotten_Treasure for one of the kinkiest episodes of the entire show. Sometimes it’s difficult to find a partner into the same things, in the same general geographic area--before Grindr, Craigslist, or  KinkD, there were personal ads in the local LGBTQ magazine. Listen as we match with voyeurs, foot worshippers,  Gumdrop Danglers, and more! (Personal ads b...

We're talking about casual sex,  baby! Haley and their housemate Ari hand-selected several personal ads looking for something sexy, passionate, and hedonistic--hold the emotion. The queers who wrote these ads are looking for a good time, not a long time.  Listen to us on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your tunes! Interested in being on the show? Contact us at Q4QP...

This week, Haley geeks out with fellow personal ad aficionado and collector, Dan of @LongLostPersonals. His Instagram account contains hundreds of unique, sexy, and sometimes bizarre personal ads across the decades. Learn about the coded language men used to meet other men in the 1940s, and experience the dirtiest ad Dan has ever seen (so far).  Listen to us on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, or...

Have you ever stared at a hottie from across the room, just to let the moment slip away without grabbing their number? Did you compliment someone’s floral button-up, just to trip over your words and forget to ask for their name? Don’t worry, you‘re not alone! Queers have been awkwardly interacting with each other for decades! Join Haley and their guest Ken as they dig up some missed connections th...

Oh boy, it’s poem night at Q4Q. Join the party for some of the most mournful, raunchy, and yearning iambic pentameter pieces this show has ever seen. Haley and their special guest, Ash, set out to ask some important questions–When did “snowflake” become a thing? Did Emily Dickinson date women? Will men EVER stop quoting Neitzche?  Listen to us on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, or wherever you l...

Happy birthday to Q4Q! One year ago, the podcast launched with our premier episode “Seeking a Buff Danny Devito in Indianapolis.” And what a year it’s been! Check out the newest mini-sode, where Haley reflects on some of the best moments of the year and shared some “odds & ends” personal ads that didn’t make the first few episodes. Listen to us on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, or wherever...