Historical Homos

Sebastian Hendra

The world's only no-f***s-given guide to LGBTQ+ history. Join Bash and his brilliant guests each week as they wrench The Gayest Stories Never Told from history's deepest, darkest closets. Sign up on our website, and follow us on Instagram @historical.homos and TikTok @historicalhomos

  1. Jul 16

    Michelangelo: Gay, Annoying, Genius (feat. Catherine Fletcher)

    "What if the gayest thing about me is how annoying I am?" – Michelangelo, unverified – For early access to episodes and bonus content, join our Patreon. Our community awaits with legs open and lips parted 🤤 www.patreon.com/historicalhomos – OK we all know Michelangelo. The David. The Sistine Chapel. Blah blah blah. But did you know he was also 100% a homosexual, according to basically every source we have? Of course you don't! Because the straight agenda has kept it under wraps for centuries – and because Mike's version of gay tends to make us all a little bit uncomfortable these days. Instead of settling down and marrying a woman like a good Italian Catholic, Michelangelo spent his life obsessing over his work, himself, male bodies, and the teenaged apprentices he liked to flop around with behind the scenes. Because yes, like so many Historical Homos before him, Mike's taste in men skewed uncomfortably young. He was, like all his Florentine compatriots, obsessed with sodomy – and in Renaissance Florence, that usually meant pederasty, which back then meant men in their 20s and 30s (or older) pursuing teenage boys. Perhaps this is why when we talk Michelangelo today, we don't talk gay. Instead, we focus on the sculptures and paintings that made his name, changed Western art, and still attract the wonder and awe of all who gaze upon them. Well, this episode believes we can talk about BOTH. Who was Michelangelo before he was Michelangelo? Was he always gay, or did the Medici court turn him? Did he sculpt the David because of pederasty, or just to prove a point to Leonardo da Vinci? And did he ever find love in his incredibly long life? Hark! The answers to all these questions and more begin to trickle into your tight little earholes, from the genius brain of Professor Catherine Fletcher, who joins once again to walk us through the gayest Renaissance in history. So strap your inflatable marble dildos on and let's get dive in! The water is, of course, human temperature. 🎧 Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you pod. Sistine Chapel and marble cum gutters sold separately. 📱 Follow Historical Homos on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and do ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ if you care about gay people, like, at all. ⭐ Most importantly, if you like what you hear, please leave us a ⭐ FIVE STAR ONLY ⭐ review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify. Episode CreditsWritten and hosted by BashEdited by Alex ToskasProduced by Dani HenionGuest: Catherine Fletcher © Sebastian Hendra 2026 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

  2. Jul 2

    How Lesbians Invented Fashion (And Monocles), feat. Ellie Medhurst

    For early access to episodes and bonus content, join our Patreon. Our community awaits with legs open and lips parted 🤤 www.patreon.com/historicalhomos– HAVE YOU HEARD OF FASHION?HAVE YOU HEARD OF LESBIANS?Well then, this might be the episode for you. Now, we all know lesbians can chop wood and bring order to almost any situation – that is why they are so highly paid, and why I, personally, feel subservient to them. #GayRights And yet, despite their near-total domination of the world order (and my life), fashion is not one of the accomplishments we typically associate with our lesbian overlords. This is bigoted and historically wrong, because many lesbian women helped invent Fashion. Some of the most notorious lesbian and bisexual women over the last 500 years were known for their bold fashion choices, from King Christina's equestrian menswear to Anne Lister's combinations of lace bonnets and lordly overcoats. (If one is going to extract coal from one's lands, one must always serve c**t.) In the last two centuries, in particular, lesbians got even more experimental. The Sapphic revival in the Victorian Era brought Grecian fabrics to prewar England and France, while the Post-WWI Gender Revolution brought monocles and tailored suits to Berlin, Paris, and Harlem. These advances in sartorial lesbian technology didn't just allow women to experiment with fashion. They allowed lesbians to do what they do best: find one another, fall in love, move in together, break up, and then fall in love with each other's exes. AND THEY LOOKED FIERCE WHILE DOING IT. Join Bash and his lesbian fashionista expert guest this week, Eleanor Medhurst, as they uncover and recover the story of what lesbians wore and why we're still talking about it today. Florals for spring may be groundbreaking – but lesbian fashion has always been herstory-making. (I'll workshop it...)🎧 Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you pod. Monocle and pantsuit sold separately. 📱 Follow Historical Homos on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and do ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ if you care about gay people, like, at all. ⭐ Most importantly, if you like what you hear, please leave us a ⭐ FIVE STAR ONLY ⭐ review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify. Episode CreditsWritten and hosted by BashEdited by Alex ToskasProduced by Dani HenionGuest: Eleanor Medhurst © Sebastian Hendra 2026 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

  3. Jun 18

    Toxic Boyfriends of Ancient Democracy: Harmodius & Aristogeiton (feat. Harry Tanner)

    To access extended episodes of Historical Homos, join our Patreon. Our community awaits with legs open and lips parted 🤤 www.patreon.com/historicalhomos – 2,500 years ago, two gay guys and an extremely toxic third inadvertently gave birth to Greek democracy. Yes, my proud brethren, long before anyone threw the first brick, we stabbed the first tyrant. In typical straight fashion, over the course of two millennia, the straight world forgot about our sacrifice. But that stops NOW. Harmodius & Aristogeiton are little known to us modern queers, but in antiquity they were notorious. The Ladies Liberty of the ancient world. But were they actually gay lovers? Did their boy-on-boy love usher in the world's first radical democracy? Can one top and one bottom really change the world? The answers await in the warm, milky hot tub that is queer history – so come on in, the water is...human temperature. 🎧 Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you pod. Sandals and olive-scented Gun Oil sold separately. 📱 Follow Historical Homos on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and do ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ if you care about gay people, like, at all. ⭐ Most importantly, if you like what you hear, please leave us a ⭐ FIVE STAR ONLY ⭐ review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify. Episode CreditsWritten and hosted by BashEdited by Alex ToskasProduced by Dani HenionGuest: Harry Tanner © Sebastian Hendra 2026 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

  4. Jun 4

    Edward II: England's Gayest King Ever? (feat. Kit Heyam)

    To access extended episodes of Historical Homos, join our Patreon. Our community awaits with legs open and lips parted 🤤 www.patreon.com/historicalhomos – HI GAY! Happy Pride. In honour of this year's festivities, we're kicking off the month with one of the more obscure Yesterqueers in the Historical Homos canon. Why? Because we can. Don't like it? You're homophobic. King Edward II was not only a massive F-slur, he was also one of the worst kings in English history. AND YEAH YOU CAN BE BOTH. THAT IS EQUALITY. Join Bash and his brilliant host, Kit Heyam, who wrote the book on Edward II and is a bestselling author of trans history, to uncover the truth of Edward's very gay ways. Why was he obsessed with fitness and DIY projects? Who was he shtupping at court? And how should one allocate wealth and privilege to the nobility when hot people technically deserve them more? All will be revealed inside the queer cauldron, so take your filthy peasant slippers off and get ready to dive in. The water is...human temperature. 🎧 Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you pod. Hair shirt and crown sold separately. 📱 Follow Historical Homos on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and do ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ if you care about gay people, like, at all. ⭐ Most importantly, if you like what you hear, please leave us a ⭐ FIVE STAR ONLY ⭐ review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify. Episode CreditsWritten and hosted by BashEdited by Alex ToskasProduced by Dani HenionGuest: Kit Heyam © Sebastian Hendra 2026 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

  5. May 21

    Fanny & Stella: The Victorian Drag Queens Who Shocked England (feat. Neil McKenna)

    To access extended episodes of Historical Homos, join our Patreon. Our community awaits with legs open and lips parted 🤤 www.patreon.com/historicalhomos – Why are gay men so loud? Science may never know. But history offers some clues. Could it be because we were monks and priests for so long?Could it be that the simple joy of discovering anal makes you want to shout?Or maybe it's because straight people have been telling us to shut up for thousands of years? Actual gay people have reacted to straight society's shushing in a number of ways. Many retreated into themselves and hid their desires. But a select few refused to silence themselves. Ernest "Stella" Boulton and Frederick "Fanny" Park were two heroines of this kind. While most Victorian British men kept busy colonising the East and procreating with their stiff-lipped wives, Fanny & Stella took to the streets, stage, and sheets to live their loud, gay lives. They wore silk dresses some nights, tight-fitting suits on others; they wore rouge and wigs; they pearl-powdered their bottoms for their gentlemen sex guests, as every lady did, and they kept a bottle of chloroform on the nightstand to get shy punters in the mood (a trick of the working girl's trade). They were STARS, baby! Of Victorian London's "sizzling underbelly," its increasingly visible queer subculture full of rent boys, pimps, "Mary-Anns," drag queens, and boring old gays like you and me. Fanny & Stella were eventually arrested on a Big Night Out, and later tried in the highest court in the land. Their crime? Interestingly, this time it wasn't sodomy or buggery, but a "conspiracy" to commit the "unnatural vices." Such was their fame in Britain at the time that the real threat the authorities saw in these flouncy young fops was their ability to "turn" the rest of society. Our guest this week wrote the book on Fanny & Stella, and as a self-professed 150-year-old queen, has all the Victorian goss we could possibly guzzle. So get ready to come on in! The cholera water is an absolutely singular...human temperature.🎧 Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you pod. Chloroform and vagina powder sold separately. 📱 Follow Historical Homos on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and do ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ if you care about gay people, like, at all. ⭐ Most importantly, if you like what you hear, please do leave us a ⭐ FIVE STAR ONLY ⭐ review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Episode CreditsWritten and hosted by BashEdited by Alex ToskasProduced by Dani HenionGuest: Neil McKenna © Sebastian Hendra 2026 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

  6. May 8 ·  Bonus

    Mademoiselle D'Éon: France's First Transgender Spy (REPEAT)

    It's Trans History Week in the UK, so we're taking you back to one of our first and favourite episodes ever from Season 1. This is the unbelievably wild life story of the Chevalier d'Éon: transgender spy, soldier, and sleuth of the French Enlightenment. Assigned male at birth, Charles eventually transitioned to become Charlotte, before discovering the humiliating constraints of life as an 18th century woman. She later escaped the French Revolution and lived out her final days in London, writing her memoirs (CHIC) and fighting master swordsmen on stage – in a dress! – for extra cash. 🎧 Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you pod. Fencing foil and lace bonnet sold separately. 📱 Follow Historical Homos on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and do ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ if you care about gay people, like, at all. ⭐ Most importantly, if you like what you hear, please do leave us a ⭐ FIVE STAR ONLY ⭐ review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. This episode was researched and written by Bash.Originally hosted by Donal Brophy and Bash.Executive Produced by Zachary Quinto.Edited by Alex Toskas. And check out all the trans history your heart can take at https://www.transhistoryweek.com/ TRANS HISTORY IS HUMAN HISTORY, HONEY. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

  7. Apr 23

    A 12" History of the Penis (feat. R. Eric Thomas)

    To access extended episodes of Historical Homos, join our Patreon. Our community awaits with legs open and lips parted 🤤 www.patreon.com/historicalhomos Why oh why are men so obsessed with our penises? Join us today as we embark on a dick-scented odyssey to answer one of the 21st century's most urgent questions. 5,000 years ago, the Mesopotamians said their gods' divine jizz created the world. The Egyptians agreed, worshipping the power of giant, divine cocks.Which is also why they cut their enemies' dicks off after a battle to present to Pharaoh.The Greeks then argued for a tiny, cropped penis...which is a lot BETTER for procreation, actually, thank you Aristotle for saying that!The Romans made everything about horse cocks and sexual domination. Shocker.And the Christians – well, the Christians would prefer you stop talking such FILTH, you disgusting sinner!It's been a distressingly complex couple of millennia for humanity, full of all this penis pandemonium. We've sent shuttles to the moon, but we still can't figure out our own shafts. Is the dick really divine? Or is the penis a spiritual problem? Will we ever master our members? Or do we have to accept that our schlongs belong to another side of ourselves? Join Bash and his brilliant, hilarious guest – author and playwright R. Eric Thomas (https://rericthomas.com) – as they try desperately to answer all these penile questions. Now, come on in! The water is...human temperature.🎧 Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you pod. Penis weights and hung garden gnomes sold separately. 📱 Follow Historical Homos on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and do ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ if you care about gay people, like, at all. ⭐ Most importantly, if you like what you hear, please do leave us a ⭐ FIVE STAR ONLY ⭐ review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Episode CreditsWritten and hosted by BashEdited by Alex ToskasProduced by Dani HenionGuest: R. Eric Thomas © Sebastian Hendra 2026 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

  8. Apr 16 ·  Bonus

    FEED DROP: Spirits Podcast – Jewish Lesbian Vampires

    We've got a special treat for you this week, my little Hormones! Historical Homos is proud to present this episode of the Spirits Podcast, a history and comedy pod devoted to mythology, folklore, and the occult. Every episode of the Spirits Podcast features co-hosts Julia and Amanda mixing a drink and discovering a new story or character from a wide range of places, eras, and cultures. Learn brand-new stories and enjoy retellings of your favorite myths, served over ice every week, on Spirits. They're fun, they're clever, they are effectively our spiritual sister podcast (get it? cuz SPIRITS). So please enjoy this episode and we'll be back in your earholes next week with more OG Historical Homos content! *** Spirits Podcast: "Jewish Lesbian Vampires" Author Samara Breger is here to reclaim vampires as queer, feminist, and Jewish figures. Let's find out how!  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of antisemitism, The Holocaust, eugenics, blood, homophobia/lesbophobia, misogyny, stalking, predatory relationships, animal death, sex, and death. GuestSamara Breger writes books about women in improbable circumstances falling in love. Before she started writing books, she worked in public radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. She is a proud News and Documentary Emmy loser. If you peek into her work history, you'll find a lot of stuff about sex, reproductive health, and queer people. Her new book, A Long Time Dead, is now available. Find Us Online- Website & Transcripts: spiritspodcast.com- Patreon: patreon.com/spiritspodcast- Merch: spiritspodcast.com/merch- Instagram: instagram.com/spiritspodcast- Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/spiritspodcast.com- Twitter: twitter.com/spiritspodcast- Tumblr: spiritspodcast.tumblr.com Cast & Crew- Co-Hosts: Julia Schifini and Amanda McLoughlin- Editor: Bren Frederick- Music: Brandon Grugle, based on "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod- Artwork: Allyson Wakeman- Multitude: multitude.productions ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

4.8
out of 5
104 Ratings

About

The world's only no-f***s-given guide to LGBTQ+ history. Join Bash and his brilliant guests each week as they wrench The Gayest Stories Never Told from history's deepest, darkest closets. Sign up on our website, and follow us on Instagram @historical.homos and TikTok @historicalhomos

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