5 Queer History Podcasts for Pride Month (and All Year Round)
June is Pride Month, where we globally celebrate the diversity and visibility of the queer community. We honour and bring awareness to the past and present struggles of LGBTQIA+ folx and the queer civil rights movement. We’ve listed five podcasts below (only five of many) that explore and discuss queer history, historical figures, activists and existing barriers – for Pride Month and beyond.
One From the Vaults is a podcast that covers trans history, from the dirt to the glamour. It is written and presented by Morgan M. Page, a Canadian writer, performance and video artist based in the U.K. It explores the lives of trans men and women throughout history, their struggles and their accomplishments.
Vintage Lesbians is hosted by two friends, Shan and Alison, who discuss queer history with particular focus on (but not limited to) historical lesbians. From midcentiry authors, to pop culture icons, all the way back to Sappho of Lesbos. They also have an excellent episode featuring information for allies and families or queer kids and adults.
Hoodrat to Headwrap is hosted by Ericka Hart, sexuality educator and black queer femme activist, and their partner Ebony Donnley, writer, performance artist and audio engineer. The podcast explores a variety of topics that effect Black queer folx, with specific focus on dismantling white supremacy and oppressive ideology.
Making Gay History brings to light the little-heard stories of the LGBTQIA+ civil rights movement through interviews and conversations with activists. This podcast was created and is hosted by Eric Marcus, a journalist who has devoted much of his career to documenting queer history. Each episode has accompanying episode notes, photographs and transcripts on the website.
Queer America, with Leila Rupp and John D’Emilio, specifically addresses the evolution of gender identity and sexual identity in the United States. Not only does it examine queer history in Frontier times and the AIDS epidemic, it provides valuable resources about incorporating LGBTQIA+ history in classrooms and creating an inclusive enviroment for queer students.
Do you have any other queer podcast recommendations? Let us know in the comments!