124 episodes
Making Gay History | LGBTQ Oral Histories from the Archive Eric Marcus
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- History
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4.7 • 1.2K Ratings
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Intimate, personal portraits of both known and long-forgotten champions, heroes, and witnesses to history brought to you from rare archival interviews.
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Guest Episode: Sidedoor: Lucy Hicks Anderson
Known for her smashing parties, lighter-than-air soufflés, and comedic wit, Lucy Hicks Anderson never let anyone tell her how to live her life—not even the courts. When her gender was put on trial in the 1940s, the publicity around her case made her one the first documented Black transgender figures in American history.
Find more Sidedoor episodes at si.edu/sidedoor or wherever you get your podcasts. For additional resources about Lucy Hicks Anderson, go here.
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A Complicated Love Story
Wait, THAT Harvey? When activist Craig Rodwell told Eric in 1989 who his first serious boyfriend had been, Eric was stunned. In our special Valentine’s Day episode, hear how love unfolded—and unraveled—for two of our movement’s titans.
This episode discusses a suicide attempt. If you’re having thoughts of suicide, please contact your country’s suicide prevention hotline. In the U.S., that’s the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which you can call or text toll-free at 988.
Visit our episode webpage for the episode transcript and for links to background information, archival photos, and other resources.
For exclusive Making Gay History bonus content, join our Patreon community.
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Kathleen Boatwright
When Kathleen Boatwright fell in love with a woman at church, she fell hard. But this was no carefree romance. The church was staunchly anti-gay. Kathleen was married to a man and had four children. She’d never had a relationship with a woman. As she told Eric in 1989, it was “Pentecostal hysteria.”
Visit our episode webpage for background information, archival photos, and other resources, as well as a transcript of the episode.
For exclusive Making Gay History bonus content, join our Patreon community.
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Robert Bauman
In 1980, conservative congressman Robert Bauman was caught soliciting sex from a 16-year-old boy. The scandal landed the married father of four on the front page of newspapers across the country. It spelled the end of his political career—and the start of a years-long journey toward self-acceptance.
Visit our episode webpage for background information, archival photos, and other resources, as well as a transcript of the episode.
For exclusive Making Gay History bonus content, join our Patreon community.
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To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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Urvashi Vaid
Indian-born activist and lawyer Urvashi Vaid was fiercely attuned to injustice from an early age. Adamant that the fight for LGBTQ equality cannot be separated from other progressive struggles, she became one of the most influential, outspoken, and inspiring movement leaders in recent history.
Visit our episode webpage for background information, archival photos, and other resources, as well as a transcript of the episode.
For exclusive Making Gay History bonus content, join our Patreon community.
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To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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Faygele Ben-Miriam
In 1972, Faygele Ben-Miriam’s penchant for wearing dresses to the office got him fired from his government job in Seattle. The fact that he had recently brought one of the very first same-sex marriage lawsuits was another strike against him. Undeterred, he went back to court and sued his employer.
Heads-up: The interview featured in this episode was conducted in 1989. You’ll hear Faygele Ben-Miriam refer to intellectually disabled people using an outdated and now offensive term.
Visit our episode webpage for background information, archival photos, and other resources, as well as a transcript of the episode.
For exclusive Making Gay History bonus content, join our Patreon community.
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To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Customer Reviews
I love this podcast
I often finish listening to Eric’s episodes partly in tears. I am so inspired by the courage his subjects showed over the course of their lives. As someone who dodged accepting his own sexuality until mid-40s, I often look back sadly on how much I missed by waiting so long. And his interviewees have done so much to try to make life and society better for us in both big and small ways. I have learned about so many sometimes well-known and oftentimes little known individuals who played a part in our civil rights movement. There is not a single episode that I don’t find gripping, and Eric is a masterful interviewer. I utterly love this show.
Such a Great Podcast!
A truly great podcasts. I absolutely love all of the interviews I have listened to so far. It really makes me appreciate all of the activists that came before us in the LGBTQ+ community. I also recommend visiting the website, which has photos and more info about each of the interviewees.
Wonderful
This podcast is a rich and vivid portrait of gay life and people of 20th century America. It is fascinating and vitally important. It’s still astounds me that a person had the foresight to collect these personal histories way back then. Bravo!