Queer as Fact

On this week's podcast, we're talking about the queer micronation, the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands. Join us to hear about the joys and tribulations of founding a country, the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom's war with Australia, and of course, the Royal Dog. Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.  If you enjoy our content, cons...

This week's episode is on the 5th-century Irish abbess Saint Brigid. Join us to hear about a miraculous abortion, powerful women in the Catholic Church, and a flying priest. Transcript available here Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.  If you enjoy our content, consider  supporting us on Patreon ,  checking out our merch , and following...

In today's Queer as Fiction episode, we follow up our previous episode on historical piracy with a discussion about David Jenkins' 2022 pirate comedy Our Flag Means Death. Join us as we explore the historical figures of Major Stede Bonnet and Captain Edward "Blackbeard" Teach, discuss the evolution of pirate tropes and how they became associated with queerness, and revel in the multifaceted ways O...

Avast me hearties! This week's episode is about queerness during the Golden Age of Piracy. Join us to hear about the raging party culture of pirate ships, Eli and Jason getting gay pirate married, and our treasure hunt for evidence on the stormy seas of historical documents. Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.  If you enjoy our content,...

Today we'll be talking about a recently discovered and possibly fraudulent archive of Frida's paintings, letters and possessions. Join us to hear about how to authenticate an artwork, Chavela Vargas' smoking gun, and 200 entire dogs. This episode was originally released on our Patreon as a bonus episode. The episode we intended to release today, on queerness in the Golden Age of Piracy has been de...

This week on Queer as Fact, we're talking about the 8th-century Arabic poet Abu Nuwas. Join us to hear about wine poetry, sexuality in the Abbasid caliphate, and fun facts about cheetahs. Transcript available here Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.  If you enjoy our content, consider  supporting us on Patreon ,  checking out our merch ,...

Today’s episode of Queer as Fiction, as chosen by our patrons, is on the 1926 play “The Captive”. Join us as we discuss the sale of violets, the padlocking of theatres and the diverse ways a story can be interpreted by audiences and critics. Thank you to our Patrons for voting on this episode! Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.  If you...

This week we're talking about the early 20th century American cook, socialite and transgender woman Lucy Hicks Anderson. Join us to hear about Lucy's determination to live authentically in the face of repeated court cases, the enduring love and respect shown to her by her community, and the greatest dinner rolls ever made. Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is to know...

Join us for the first episode of Season 9 as we discuss the life and trial of 20th century Scottish aristocrat and farmer Dr Ewan Forbes. We'll be talking about how to transition in rural mid-20th century Scotland, an impressively bold legal defense strategy, and the perils of keeping lion cubs in your family home. Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is to know about Q...

This week on Queer as Fact, we're talking about the 12th-century German nun and polymath Hildegard of Bingen. Join us for thorny theological questions, savage letters to the Pope and a medieval description of the female orgasm. Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.  If you enjoy our content, consider  supporting us on Patreon ,  checking o...

In today's episode of Queer as Fiction we delve into James Baldwin's 1956 novel, Giovanni's Room. Join us as we discuss 1950s gender roles, the French gay bar scene and the concept of a Manic Pixie Dream Gay. Thank you to our Patrons for voting on this episode!  Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.  If you enjoy our content, consider  sup...

Today's episode is on the life and trial of early 20th century Australian transgender man Harry Crawford. Join us to learn what court records, newspaper articles and modern biographies can tell us about a century of Australian attitudes to transgender experiences. Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.  If you enjoy our content, consider  s...

This week, Queer as Fact is talking about the Asexual Manifesto, published in New York in 1972. Join us for our first deep dive into ace history, a discussion of the place of asexuality in 1970s feminism, and one of the first ever mentions of ace pride. Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.  If you enjoy our content, consider  supporting u...

Today's episode is on beloved 19th century author Louisa May Alcott. Irene, Alice and Jason, who between them have read the 1868 novel Little Women, watched the 2017 movie Little Women, and read a good number of Louisa May Alcott's letters, diaries and papers, discuss the times when fiction might be more honest than autobiography, the ways that gender identity and gendered social roles interact, a...

Today marks our first Queer as Fiction episode for the season, as we discuss the 1999 film, directed by Lilly and Lana Wachowski, The Matrix. Join us as we explore the red pill, the blue pill, and everything in between.  Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.  If you enjoy our content, consider  supporting us on Patreon ,  checking out our...

This week on Queer as Fact we're talking about the Crow warrior and leader, Bíawacheeitchish, or Woman Chief. Join us to hear about Crow gender, fighting grizzly bears, and Bíawacheeitchish's four wives. Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.  If you enjoy our content, consider  supporting us on Patreon ,  checking out our merch , and follo...

Today, we're discussing 6th century Chinese general Han Zigao! Join us as we talk about his life, and various fictionalised adaptations of it. Learn a little about media censorship in modern day China, gender in Ming Dynasty theatre, and whether or not you can be too beautiful to be an enemy spy. Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.  If y...

Today we bring you our second episode on the 19th-century British military doctor Dr James Barry. Join us to learn about Florence Nightingale's desperate need for sunscreen, how to dress stylishly as a trans man in the 1800s and a mysterious black box.  Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.  If you enjoy our content, consider  supporting u...

This week, Queer as Fact is talking about the 19th-century British military surgeon, Dr James Barry. Join us to hear about anatomy classes in the 1800s, James' scandalous relationship with the governor of Cape Town, and two bonus James Barrys! Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.  If you enjoy our content, consider  supporting us on Patre...

Today's episode is on Mexican nun, writer and polymath Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. Join Irene and Alice to hear about the realities of life in a 17th century convent, poetry ranging from sweet to filthy, and one weird tip for teaching yourself Latin. Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.  If you enjoy our content, consider  supporting us on...

Today's episode is Beki, the queer language of the Philippines. Join us for some new queer vocab, a surprise cameo from a past episode, and to discover how a queer language went mainstream. Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.  If you enjoy our content, consider  supporting us on Patreon ,  checking out our merch , and following us on  Tw...

Queer as Fiction is back, and greener than ever, as we discuss the 14th century poem, recently adapted into a film by David Lowery starring Dev Patel, commonly referred to as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Join us for a discussion of colour theory, kissing games, gendered napping and yet more colour theory.  Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer...

We're back this week with the latest in our Roman emperor series! Today we're talking about the emperor Hadrian and his lover Antinous. Join us to learn about one of the most famous male-male couples of all time, the mystery of Antinous' death, and how to make your boyfriend into a god. Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.  If you enjoy o...

This bonus episode is a recording of a live session from the Storytelling Podcast Week live program. Alice, Irene and Jason bring queer history to life, dive into behind the scenes of their favourite Queer As Fact episodes and answer your questions! Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.  If you enjoy our content, consider  supporting us on...

In today's episode, Eli and Alice review James Romm's new book, the Sacred Band, and we talk more generally about the Sacred Band of Thebes, an ancient Greek military unit made up of gay lovers. Featuring: Plato's Symposium, the power of gay love, and yet another instance of Queer As Fact coming up with an imaginary queer movie. Check out  our website , where you can find out everything there is t...