LGBT Cliffnotes

Was excited to tune into the episode on Edward Carpenter but could only listen for a few minutes. Enormously disappointing podcast. Carpenter gave lectures to working men’s groups, and the hosts make the breathtaking claim that laborers could not possibly have been interested in such a rarefied subject as astronomy. True, the hosts say the working men would want wage improvements instead, but—of course—the men could want both, better working conditions *and* education. In fact, working men’s educational institutes and reading and debate clubs proliferated in that era. Lecture circuits were enormously popular—yes, even educational lectures (though the hosts claim only people attending college would be interested in educational lectures). Such lectures drew audience from all classes, even (though the hosts seem unable to imagine such a thing) the working classes. For a podcast that addresses histories of marginalized peoples, I am enormously disappointed to hear the classism here. One would expect a more nuanced—and historically accurate—approach. On this episode, at least, neither was offered, only a cursory Wikipedia-level discussion based on classism and inaccuracy. Not recommended.