Licence To Queer

LicenceToQueer
  • 5.0 (6)
  • SEXUALITY

On a mission to uncover why James Bond appeals so much to LGBTQ+ people and our allies. Why not see 007 from a different angle?

  1. On Our Minds Only? Episode 0011: LICENCE TO... CHILL?

    11/08/2025

    On Our Minds Only? Episode 0011: LICENCE TO... CHILL?

    When someone says they meditate, what do you imagine them doing? Many of us picture someone in a lotus position listening to 'chillout' music. Not the sort of thing we associate with James Bond. However, there's both more - and less! - to meditation than this...Quite simply, David had the wrong idea about meditation until a mental health crisis a couple of years ago forced him to learn. Alex has been practising meditation for years. Here, he helps David unpick his remaining misconceptions.Alex brings the meditation expertise, David brings the Bond links. This is a fun one, which is also quite practical: Alex guides David through some meditation exercises live. Why not have a go at joining in?You can watch episodes of On Our Minds Only? in any order. After this, you may also want to check out Alex's earlier appearances in episodes 002: COMBATTING ANXIETY and 008: WHAT'S KEEPING YOU AWAKE?

    54 min
  2. GoldenEye: The queer re-view

    09/28/2025

    GoldenEye: The queer re-view

    How queer is GoldenEye? David Lowbridge-Ellis reads his original essay exploring the queer qualities of the films' villains, the girls, the allies and, of course, Bond himself. "Brosnan’s opening mission ends with the death of his best buddy. But unbeknowst to him, the object of his bromantic affections isn’t really deceased: he’s just watching from the shadows. Will Bond manage to stay Onatopp of things? Will he leave it up to a Russian computer programmer to save the day while he runs off to have a messy break up with his best mate? And will we ever get to the bottom of why 007 spends so much time hanging around in men’s bathrooms?"

    46 min
  3. No time to be discussing politics

    09/14/2025

    No time to be discussing politics

    Bond and politics don’t mix. So why, when Bond himself resists being drawn far along either end of the political spectrum, do both sides persist in wielding poor 007 like a blunt instrument? Original article: https://www.licencetoqueer.com/blog/no-time-to-be-discussing-politics

    15 min
  4. 'To be Bond or to bed him?' (AKA The quote that irks me!)

    07/24/2025

    'To be Bond or to bed him?' (AKA The quote that irks me!)

    ‘James Bond is what every man would like to be and what every woman would like between her sheets’. Over six decades, this assertion has become received wisdom. But it turns out we’ve been lied to the whole time… David Lowbridge-Ellis MBE reads his article, which you can read the original of here: https://www.licencetoqueer.com/blog/to-be-bond-or-to-bed-him

    14 min
  5. On Our Minds Only? Episode 0010 BOND THE OUTSIDER with Craig Gent, Author of 'Cyberboss'

    04/06/2025

    On Our Minds Only? Episode 0010 BOND THE OUTSIDER with Craig Gent, Author of 'Cyberboss'

    “The films were my therapeutic outlet. Even now, if I’m having a bad day, or gearing up for a bad day, I’ll wear that Bond t-shirt under my shirt, or Bond socks. A little bit of something that reminds me of who I am or who I want to be. Bond connects you to something.” We often think of Bond as someone who can move through the world effortlessly, fitting in wherever he goes. But the more we look, the more we find he’s someone who - like many of us - feels a disconnect with the world around him. And yet, Bond is also someone who can help us feel like we belong. David first got to know Craig he was seeking to find a home for his emotionally raw article about the divisive reaction to No Time To Die - and what it meant for him personally.  https://www.licencetoqueer.com/blog/no-crying-shame This article touched on elements of his childhood, which he unpacks in detail for the first time here… When he was nine years old, Craig Gent found himself living in a refuge for families experiencing domestic violence. Out of necessity, he had to grow up pretty quickly. Cut off from his previous life, he formed a deep connection with Bond through watching the films over and over again on VHS tapes. As an adult, Craig’s love for Bond has not abated, although it’s faced some challenges over the years. Craig hates it when people attempt to apply reductive labels to Bond - ‘sexist’ ‘nationalistic’ ‘heterosexist’. Bond is simply more complex than that - and more interesting. David and Craig debate the extent to which Bond can be considered an insider or an outsider; a figure of the Establishment or someone who is anti-Establishment. Ultimately, Craig argues, Bond works best when he’s irreverent, showing a comforting lack of respect for people in authority and the institutions they represent. Craig Gent is the co-host of the Heart Reacts podcast: https://shows.acast.com/heart-reacts He is the author of the book Cyberboss: The Rise of Algorithmic Management and the New Struggle for Control at Work (Versio Books, 2024) Craig has also authored another brilliant piece for Licence to Queer about the toys and the formative effects they have on us: https://www.licencetoqueer.com/blog/made-for-action

    1h 14m
  6. On Our Minds Only? Episode 009 SOME KIND OF ROLE MODEL with Timothy Russenberger @timothystylesactor

    03/23/2025

    On Our Minds Only? Episode 009 SOME KIND OF ROLE MODEL with Timothy Russenberger @timothystylesactor

    “James Bond was always something I could escape to. If I was feeling down, I would put on a Bond, and that would sort me out mentally. No Time To Die is the only time Bond has negatively affected my mental health.” - Timothy Russenberger How much of an influence do the fictional characters we admire have on our mental wellbeing? Stories can be particularly powerful - positively or negatively - when we’re feeling emotional vulnerable. Upfront, Tim - who is an actor by profession - shares his own experiences of depression and self-harm. Tim connects this with how Fleming was invested in Bond’s mental health and how this has sometimes been translated into the films, including an interesting presentation of self-harm in Skyfall. For many of us, Bond is such a relatable hero - this can be both a positive and negative thing. Tim is a big film buff and 2006’s Casino Royale is the film out of all the thousands he admires which has had the very positive impact on him, encouraging him to be a more outgoing person. Conversely, No Time To Die had a negative impact on his own mental health. And what about the Bonds beyond Craig? Can they help us eliminate problems in our own life? Find Timothy on Instagram: timothystyleactor and X: TimStylesActor

    41 min
  7. "What's keeping you awake?" James Bond's battles with sleep

    02/21/2025

    "What's keeping you awake?" James Bond's battles with sleep

    What if we reframed the whole of the Bond franchise as the story of a man just trying to get a good night’s rest? For some reason, no one has ever looked in any detail at Bond and sleep. So let's get under the covers with 007 to explore when he sleeps, if he’s really the early riser he claims to be (!) and why we should be concerned about his dreams. Read the original article here: https://www.licencetoqueer.com/blog/whats-keeping-you-awake-james-bonds-battles-with-sleep

    41 min
  8. Uncovering the Bond art of Michael Gillette

    10/10/2024

    Uncovering the Bond art of Michael Gillette

    Michael Gillette’s art is nothing short of beloved by Bond fans. In 2008, he created a set of 15 instantly iconic covers for the Fleming centenary editions of the novels. Since then, he has also produced covers for continuation books. In October 2024, he releases his highly conceptual and utterly gorgeous covers for the new hardback editions of the Fleming originals. The project has been gestating for six years! Michael tells the full story here for the first time. Michael also shares how it feels to be such an integral part of what he calls 'the Bondiverse', relates his own Bond beginnings (including his experiences of reading Fleming for the first time) and how his work has been influenced by the places he’s lived, the music he loves and the Bond cover artists who came before him.

    43 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

On a mission to uncover why James Bond appeals so much to LGBTQ+ people and our allies. Why not see 007 from a different angle?

Information

  • Creator
    LicenceToQueer
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    122
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © LicenceToQueer
  • Show Website
    Licence To Queer