Womanica

Mary Peters (1939-present) is a former athlete from Northern Ireland who won a gold medal for the pentathlon at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. This marked the bloodiest year of The Troubles. Peters went on to champion other athletes from Northern Ireland. For Further Readings:  Olympics: Memory Lane - 72, A Gathering of Champions The Irish Times: Mary Peters: ‘Northern Ireland was going through terr...

Lisa Lane (1933-2024) was an American chess player and 1959 U. S. Women’s Chess Champion. She was also the first chess player to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. For Further Reading: Lisa Lane, Chess Champion Whose Reign Was Meteoric, Dies at 90 QUEEN OF KNIGHTS AND PAWNS More Than Five Decades After Lisa Lane's Success, Equality Still Eludes Women in Chess   All Eyes Are on the...

Cathy Freeman (1974-present) is an Australian Aboriginal runner. She won the gold medal for the 400 meter race at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, at a tense time in reconciliation between the Australian government and Aboriginal people.  For Further Reading: Born To Run , by Cathy Freeman Cathy Freeman’s Sydney 2000 gold was a moment of ecstasy at a time of national reckoning National Museum of Aus...

Sunny Choi was climbing the corporate ladder when she heard that breaking would be an event at the world’s biggest stage in sports. After years of upholding society’s standards of what a successful life looks like, Sunny is going for the gold. Tune in to hear how breaking encouraged her to break the mold and be a more liberated version of herself.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...

Tatyana McFadden has 20 Paralympic medals in wheelchair racing. She’s won four New York City Marathons. When she’s racing downhill, her arms push her to speeds of 40 miles an hour. This episode, tune in to learn how Tatyana went from an orphanage in Russia to one of the most decorated athletes in the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kathleen Stanford Grant (1921-2010) was a professional dancer turned Pilates pioneer. After a serious knee injury, she trained with founder Joseph Pilates to recover and discovered a lifelong love of the exercise program. Kathy became one of only two people he ever certified directly to teach Pilates and helped bolster its popularity in the late 20th century.  For Further Reading:  The Story Of My...

Kerri Strug (1977-present) is a two-time Olympian and gold medalist. In 1992, she was the youngest American Olympian. In 1996, she helped the US team win the gold by competing in vault on an injured ankle.   For Further Reading:  Kerri Strug's Unforgettable Determination to Win Gymnastics Olympic Gold | Strangest Moments Happy Landing   Archdeacon: The ‘magnificent’ life of Kerri Strug This month...

Stamata Revithi (1860s-unknown) was a Greek woman who made history as the first woman to run the marathon race at the Olympics. In 1896, during the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Stamata ran the marathon course the day after the official men's race. Although her run was not recognized by the Olympic committee, her determination and effort paved the way for future women athletes. For Further...

Vicki Draves (1924-2010) was an American diver who won Olympic gold medals in springboard and platform diving at the 1948 Olympic Games in London — the first woman and Asian American to accomplish this feat. For Further reading:  The Olympic triumph of Vicki Manalo Draves Victoria Manalo Draves, Olympic Champion Diver, Dies at 85 An Olympian’s Oral History: Vicki Draves This month we're celebratin...

Madge Syers (1881-1917) was the first female figure skater to compete against men and women. She often competed in pairs with her husband. She was the first woman to win two Olympic gold medals in one Olympic games.  For Further Reading:  Figure Skating Has Always Blurred The Lines Of Gender Segregation  A Brief History of Women’s Figure Skating Look to the past: Madge Syers, the first woman to co...

Welcome to a series of conversations featuring some of the world’s greatest athletes. Over the course of two weekends, hear from the world’s fastest woman Tatyana McFadden, breaking star Sunny Choi, basketball legends Dawn Staley and A’ja Wilson, fencing icon Ibtihaj Muhammad, and hammer thrower extraordinaire Janee’ Kassanavoid. Listen only on the Womanica Feed.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pr...

Masako Togawa (1931-2016) was a crime novelist, singer, and club owner. She created a chanson salon called the Blue Room, which catered to LGBTQIA+ artists and music enthusiasts during a time of legal discrimination, violence, and prejudice against queer people in Japan.  For Further Reading: “ Memories of Masako Togawa ” The Master Key by Masako Togawa The Lady Killer by Masako Togawa This Pride...

Maria Irene Fornés (1930-2018) was one of the leading figures in the Off-Broadway movement in New York, often called the one of the “greatest and least acknowledged” playwrights of her generation. As a talented playwright and director, she wrote over 50 works for the stage. As a teacher, she created space for other members of the theater community to experiment with the form.  For Further Reading:...

Katharine Lee Bates (1859-1929) was a poet, professor, and social reformer. She authored the poem “America the Beautiful,” which was adapted into a song and adopted as an American anthem. Katharine was also at the forefront of the settlement house movement alongside her life companion and fellow professor, Katherine Coman. For Further Reading: Greatness Is Not A Given: 'America The Beautiful' Asks...

Edythe Eyde (1921-2015) was an author, songwriter, and activist. In 1947, she published the first-ever lesbian publication in North America – at a time when doing so was illegal. While she published primarily under pseudonyms, Edythe Eyde has been recognized in recent years as a pioneer in the LGBTQ+ movement for her activism and wide-ranging cultural contributions. For Further Reading: Edythe Eyd...

Etel Adnan (1925-2021) was a poet, novelist and painter, once named “arguably the most celebrated and accomplished Arab American author writing today.” Later in life, she received widespread acclaim for her paintings.  For Further Reading:  Etel Adnan, Lebanese American Author and Artist, Dies at 96 To Write In A Foreign Language  Voyage, War, and Exile This Pride Month, we’re talking about wordsm...

Marguerite Duras (1914-1996) was a pioneer of autofiction and one of the most widely-read French writers in the postwar era. She specialized in blurring the lines between autobiography and imagination, mining her myriad of hardships for narrative gold. Her novel “The Lover” reflected her experiences growing up in French Indochina and became an international bestseller.  For Further Reading: Margue...

Suniti Namjoshi (1941-present) is a poet, fabulist and mythologist born in India. Her short, playful fables and myths challenge sexism, racism and homophobia. She’s written over thirty books, including ten novels, ten books of poetry, and fourteen children’s books.   For Further Reading:  Feminist Fables Academic: An Interview with Suniti Namjoshi GO Magazine: Queer Women History Forgot: Suniti Na...

Paula Gunn Allen (1939-2008) was an American poet, literary critic, activist, professor, and novelist. With works that often explored Indigeneity and feminism, she helped establish a Native American literary presence in the United States.  For Further Reading: Paula Gunn Allen Champion of Native American literature Poet: Paula Gunn Allen This Pride Month, we’re talking about wordsmiths. Women who...

Mae V. Cowdery (1909 - 1953) was a poet in the Harlem Renaissance literary movement. Her brief, but successful career as a writer started when she was just a teenager. She was mentored by some of the brightest stars of the Harlem Renaissance but has been largely overlooked. For Further Reading: Harlem renaissance and beyond : literary biographies of 100 Black women writers, 1900-1945 Aphrodite’s D...

Wu Zao (1799-c.1862) was a poet who wrote homoerotic poems and plays. Despite being married to a wealthy man, she longed for romantic relationships with women and turned those feelings into poetry. During her lifetime, her lyrics were sung throughout China.  For Further Reading: The Legacy Project: Wu Zao The Emerging Lesbian: Female Same-Sex Desire in Modern China Wu Zao 吴藻: “Reading the Dream...

Laudomia (1515-unknown) is thought to be Italy's earliest lesbian writer and may have been one of the first women who had their poetry discussed in an open setting at a lecture. She wrote sonnets dedicated to other high society women. She also helped in the construction of  fortifications during the Siege of Siena. For Further Reading:  Queer Places: Laudomia Forteguerri The Sword and the Pen: Wom...

Sophia Parnok (1885-1933) was one of Russia's first openly lesbian poets. While she's not as known outside of Russia, she's an important figure in the queer community, and is often called “Russia's Sappho.” For Further Reading: Sophia Parnok: The Life and Work of Russia’s Sappho After the Ball is Over: Sophia Parnok’s Creative Relationship with Marina Tsvetaeva Sophia Parnok: from Poems This Pride...

Evelyn Irons (1900-2000) was a Scottish lesbian journalist. Known for her reporting on the frontlines throughout World War II, she became the first female war correspondent to be decorated with the French Croix de Guerre.  For Further Reading: The New York Times: Evelyn Irons, War Reporter, Is Dead at 99   Making Queer History: Evelyn Irons The New Yorker: Virginia Woolf Visits the Daily Mail This...

Tove Jansson (1914-2001) was a Swedish-speaking Finnish author who wrote novels, children’s books, comics, magazine covers, political cartoons, and even greeting cards. She is most known for creating The Moomins universe. For Further Reading: Inside Tove Jansson’s Private Universe Tove Jansson Klovharu What Exactly Is a Moomin? HARU, ISLAND OF THE SOLITARY   This Pride Month, we’re talking about w...