Restful Rainbow

Ducky Media
  • 0.0 (0)
  • MENTAL HEALTH

LGBTQ+ History bedtime and relaxation stories, aiming to offer comfort, representation, and a touch of magic to listeners drifting off to sleep.

  1. 13 HR AGO

    Colette and Missy: Unconventional Love in Belle Époque Paris | LGBTQ+ Bedtime Story

    Drift off to sleep with the story of Colette and Missy, a French writer and an aristocrat in a three-piece suit who built an unconventional life together in early 1900s Paris, whose love inspired art and defied every social boundary. In this soothing LGBTQ+ history bedtime story, discover the passionate relationship between Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, who would become one of France's greatest authors, and Mathilde de Morny "Missy," an aristocrat who wore men's suits, smoked cigars, and answered to "Uncle Max." Learn how they met in 1905 and built a life together at Villa Belle Plage by the sea, where Colette wrote with a bracelet engraved "I belong to Missy" on her wrist. Experience the scandal of January 3, 1907, when their onstage kiss at the Moulin Rouge caused a riot and forced them into hiding. Understand how their domestic partnership influenced Colette's groundbreaking novels about female desire and independence, and explore the complex question of Missy's gender identity, was Missy a butch lesbian or a transgender man? Witness how their love, though it eventually transformed into devoted friendship, shaped both their artistic lives. This episode features our two-telling format: the story told once at a comfortable pace, then repeated slower with longer pauses to guide you gently into sleep. 🌙 Perfect for: Lesbian history, gender nonconforming history, Belle Époque Paris, French literature, artistic partnerships, unconventional relationships, bedtime relaxation 📚 What you'll learn in this bedtime story: Colette's life (1873-1954) and escape from her fraudulent husband WillyMathilde de Morny "Missy" (1863-1944) and aristocratic backgroundMissy's masculine presentation—three-piece suits, short hair, cigarsKnown as "Uncle Max" and "Monsieur le Marquis"Meeting around 1905 in Paris lesbian circlesLiving together at Villa Belle Plage in Le Crotoy (1906)Colette's bracelet: "I belong to Missy"Artistic collaboration and domestic partnershipJanuary 3, 1907: "Rêve d'Égypte" scandal at Moulin RougeThe kiss that caused a riot and police shutdownForced separation after the scandalBuying Manor of Rozven in Brittany (June 21, 1910)Same day as Colette's divorce from WillyRelationship ending 1911-1912Reconciliation as friends in the 1920sHow Missy influenced Colette's novels about female desireThe debate over Missy's gender identityMissy's death in 1944 during WWIITheir lasting impact on LGBTQ+ history 💜 Subscribe...

    43 min

  2. 4 DAYS AGO

    The Two Katharines: "America the Beautiful" Written by a Woman Who Loved a Woman | LGBTQ+ Bedtime Story

    TITLE: The Two Katharines: "America the Beautiful" Written by a Woman Who Loved a Woman | LGBTQ+ Bedtime Story DESCRIPTION: Drift off to sleep with the story of Katharine Lee Bates and Katharine Coman—two brilliant women who shared 25 years of life, love, and partnership at a Victorian house called "The Scarab," and whose love inspired America's most beloved patriotic song. In this soothing LGBTQ+ history bedtime story, discover how the woman who wrote "America the Beautiful" built her life around another woman. Learn about Katharine Lee Bates, the Wellesley College English professor, and Katharine Coman, the pioneering economist who founded Wellesley's Economics Department. Explore their decades-long partnership in what was called a "Boston marriage", two women living together, supporting each other's careers, traveling together, and expressing profound devotion through passionate letters and pressed yellow clover flowers. Experience the 1893 journey to Pikes Peak that inspired "purple mountain majesties," understand how Coman's encouragement led to the poem's creation, and witness Bates's grief after Coman's death from breast cancer in 1915, expressed in "Yellow Clover: A Book of Remembrance", some of the most beautiful love poetry ever written between women. This episode features our two-telling format: the story told once at a comfortable pace, then repeated slower with longer pauses to guide you gently into sleep. 🌙 Perfect for: Lesbian history, women's history, American history, Victorian era LGBTQ+, Boston marriages, romantic friendships, bedtime relaxation, insomnia relief 📚 What you'll learn in this bedtime story: Katharine Lee Bates's life (1859-1929) as author of "America the Beautiful"Katharine Coman's pioneering work in economics and environmental scienceHow they met at Wellesley College in the 1880sTheir 25-year partnership living at "The Scarab"Passionate letters: "I want to come to you, very much as I want to come to Heaven"Yellow clover flowers pressed into their lettersThe 1893 journey west that inspired "America the Beautiful"Both Katharines in Colorado together that summerThe climb up Pikes Peak (July 1893)Writing "O beautiful for spacious skies" after seeing "purple mountain majesties"Their social reform work at Denison House settlement houseHelping establish Wellesley's first kindergartenComan's death from breast cancer (1915)Bates nursing Coman through two mastectomiesBates's private memorial—first American breast cancer narrative"Yellow Clover: A Book of Remembrance" (1922)—love poems to Coman"If You Could Come"...

    46 min

  3. 4 FEB

    Billy Strayhorn: The Openly Gay Genius Behind "Take the A Train" | LGBTQ+ Bedtime Story

    Drift off to sleep with the story of Billy Strayhorn, the quiet, openly gay Black composer who wrote some of the most beautiful jazz in history, and was erased from credit for decades because the world wasn't ready for who he was. In this soothing LGBTQ+ history bedtime story, discover the man behind "Take the A Train," "Lush Life," and countless other jazz standards that most people attributed to Duke Ellington. Learn how Billy lived openly as a gay man in 1940s and 50s Harlem, an extraordinary act of courage in an era when homosexuality could get you arrested, fired, or blacklisted. Explore his nearly decade-long relationship with fellow jazz pianist Aaron Bridgers, his deep involvement in the Civil Rights Movement alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and his attendance at the 1963 March on Washington. Understand how his identity as a "triple minority", Black, gay, and unwilling to hide, shaped both his art and his erasure, and how his genius is finally being recognized decades after his death. This episode features our two-telling format: the story told once at a comfortable pace, then repeated slower with longer pauses to guide you gently into sleep. 🌙 Perfect for: Jazz history, Black LGBTQ+ history, gay male history, 20th century music, civil rights era, bedtime relaxation, insomnia relief 📚 What you'll learn in this bedtime story: Billy Strayhorn's life (1915-1967) and early musical geniusGrowing up in Pittsburgh, finding music through his grandmotherWriting "Lush Life" as a teenager in Jim Crow AmericaThe famous 1938 backstage meeting with Duke EllingtonHow "Take the A Train" was inspired by subway directions to HarlemHis relationship with jazz pianist Aaron BridgersLiving openly as gay in 1940s-50s New York—and why it matteredThe "triple minority" dynamic: Black, gay, and refusing to hideWriting up to 40% of the Ellington Orchestra's material uncreditedEllington's complex relationship with Billy's contributionsCivil Rights activism and friendship with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.The 1963 March on Washington"Jump for Joy"—the groundbreaking anti-racist musicalHis final partner Bill Grove at his side when he diedDavid Hajdu's 1996 biography finally bringing recognitionHis 2015 induction into the Legacy WalkWhy his quiet courage changed LGBTQ+ history 💜 Subscribe for LGBTQ+ history bedtime stories! Like, share, and comment about which jazz musician or Black LGBTQ+ figure you'd like to hear about next. 🎵 "Take the A Train" has been played millions of times around the world. Now you know who really wrote it—and why his story...

    40 min

  4. 1 FEB

    Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Who Refused Marriage and Chose Herself | LGBTQ+ Bedtime Story

    Drift off to sleep with the story of Louisa May Alcott, the beloved author of "Little Women" whose own life was far more unconventional than her famous novel reveals. She refused marriage, centered her life around women she loved, and quietly proved a woman could thrive on her own terms. In this soothing LGBTQ+ history bedtime story, discover the real Louisa May Alcott, not just the author, but the woman who turned down marriage proposals, declared herself "a literary spinster, with her pen for a spouse," and built a life devoted to her writing, her family of women, and her own independence. Learn how she grew up in the unconventional Transcendentalist world of 19th century Massachusetts, how her deepest emotional bonds were with women, and how she secretly resisted the marriage conventions she felt pressured to include in her own fiction. Understand why her choices matter for LGBTQ+ history and what her quiet refusal of heterosexual norms meant for generations of women who followed. This episode features our unique two-telling format: the story told once at a comfortable pace, then repeated slower with longer pauses to guide you gently into sleep. 🌙 Perfect for: Lesbian history, women's history, 19th century literature, unconventional lives, chosen family, female friendships, bedtime relaxation, insomnia relief 📚 What you'll learn in this bedtime story: Louisa May Alcott's life (1832-1888) and unconventional upbringingHer Transcendentalist family and experimental lifestyleRefusing at least two marriage proposals"A literary spinster, with her pen for a spouse"Passionate friendships with women including Alf WhitmanHer sisters as the emotional center of her lifeWriting "Little Women" and reluctantly marrying off Jo MarchHow she secretly undermined marriage in her own fictionSupporting herself financially through writing aloneAdopting her late sister May's daughterCreating a female-centered family structureVictorian "romantic friendships" and what they meantWhy her choices matter for LGBTQ+ historyQuiet refusal as a form of resistanceHer legacy for women who chose themselves 💜 Subscribe for LGBTQ+ history bedtime stories! Like, share, and comment about which unconventional historical woman you'd like to hear about next. 🏳️‍🌈 Related LGBTQ+ History Stories: Radclyffe Hall: The Banned Lesbian Novel That Changed HistoryRosa Bonheur: The French Painter Who Lived as HerselfGertrude Stein: The Writer Who Loved Women Openlyspan class="ql-ui"...

    39 min

  5. 28 JAN

    Radclyffe Hall: The Banned Lesbian Novel That Changed History | LGBTQ+ Bedtime Story

    Drift off to sleep with the inspiring story of Radclyffe Hall, who wore men's clothing in the 1920s, loved women openly, and wrote "The Well of Loneliness", the banned lesbian novel that became a beacon for generations. In this soothing LGBTQ+ history bedtime story, discover how Radclyffe Hall lived authentically as a masculine-presenting lesbian in early 20th century England. Learn about her enduring partnership with Una Troubridge, her courage to write "The Well of Loneliness" (1928) knowing it would bring persecution, and the infamous obscenity trial that banned the book in Britain. Understand how the controversy made the novel famous worldwide, how lesbian women found themselves in its pages for the first time, and why Radclyffe's quiet determination to choose truth over safety changed LGBTQ+ literature forever. This episode features our unique two-telling format: the story told once at a comfortable pace, then repeated slower with longer pauses to guide you gently into sleep. 🌙 Perfect for: Lesbian history, LGBTQ+ literature, 1920s England, banned books, butch/masculine presentation, bedtime relaxation, insomnia relief 📚 What you'll learn in this bedtime story: Radclyffe Hall's life (1880-1943) as masculine-presenting lesbianGoing by "John" in her personal lifeRelationship with Mabel "Ladye" Batten30-year partnership with Una TroubridgeWriting "The Well of Loneliness" (1928)November 1928 obscenity trial in BritainBook banned and destroyed in UKJames Douglas's attack calling it obscene1929 US trial finding it NOT obsceneWorldwide publication despite British banImpact on generations of lesbian readersHow imperfect representation still saved livesRadclyffe's masculine clothing and presentationLiving openly as a lesbian couple in the 1920sThe book finally published legally in UK (1949)Legacy for lesbian literature and LGBTQ+ visibility 💜 Subscribe for LGBTQ+ history bedtime stories! Like, share, and comment about which banned book or censored LGBTQ+ story you want to hear next. ⏰ Story Format: Told twice—first at normal pace, then slower for sleep 📚 "The Well of Loneliness" was banned, burned, and condemned—but it survived and became one of the most important lesbian novels in history. #RadclyffeHall #WellOfLoneliness #LesbianHistory #BannedBooks #LGBTQLiterature #1920sLGBTQ #ButchHistory #ObscenityTrial

    40 min

  6. 25 JAN

    Kestral Gaian: Non-Binary Trans Artist Preserving LGBTQ+ Stories

    Drift off to sleep with the inspiring story of Kestral Gaian (they/them), a non-binary trans artist who is documenting LGBTQ+ history right now, preserving Section 28 survivors' stories and creating queer poetry for future generations. In this unique contemporary LGBTQ+ history bedtime story, discover how Kestral Gaian is building the archives of tomorrow. Learn about their groundbreaking work editing "Twenty-Eight: Stories from the Section 28 Generation," documenting the UK's original "don't say gay" law. Explore their newest poetry collection "Tubelines: The Poetry of Motion," which transforms London Underground journeys into gorgeous queer verse about identity, transition, and everyday beauty. Understand how they survived Section 28 themselves and now ensure those stories aren't lost. This is LGBTQ+ history in the making, a non-binary trans writer with autism creating the representation they never had, preserving queer stories, and building bridges across generations. Learn more about Kestral - https://kestr.al/ 🌙 Perfect for: Contemporary LGBTQ+ history, non-binary representation, trans artists, Section 28 history, queer poetry, autism advocacy, bedtime relaxation 📚 What you'll learn in this bedtime story: Kestral Gaian's work as non-binary trans artist and archivistEditing "Twenty-Eight: Stories from Section 28 Generation""Tubelines: The Poetry of Motion" - queer poetry about London UndergroundOther works: "Counterweights," "Hidden Lives"How they survived Section 28 era and now preserve those storiesTheir interdisciplinary work: psychotherapy, technology, activism, artLiving as non-binary trans person with autismPhilosophy: "stories help us practice being better humans"Why documenting contemporary queer life creates future historyThe "soft and furious" voice of queer activism and artHow they integrate all aspects of identity in their workBuilding archives that future LGBTQ+ people will need 💜 Subscribe for LGBTQ+ history, past AND present! Like, share, and comment about contemporary queer artists you admire.

    39 min

  7. 22 JAN

    Queerest Space in Nairobi: Kenya's 10-Year Fight for LGBTQ+ Rights | African Activism History

    Drift off to sleep with the inspiring story of NGLHRC Kenya, a sanctuary for LGBTQ+ Kenyans that fought for 10 years just for the legal right to exist, and won. In this contemporary LGBTQ+ history bedtime story, discover how activists in Nairobi founded the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission in 2012 to defend LGBTQ+ rights in a country that criminalizes homosexuality. Learn about their decade-long legal battle (2013-2023) after the government denied their registration, claiming advocating for LGBTQ+ rights was "against the law." Experience their historic 2023 Court of Appeal victory affirming freedom of association. Understand the 7,000+ legal cases they've handled, evictions, firings, police harassment, discrimination, providing hope to Kenya's LGBTQ+ community. Behind a garden gate in leafy Nairobi sits a colorful office with rainbow flags and Pride decorations "the queerest space in Nairobi" where joy and resistance flourish together. 🌙 Perfect for: African LGBTQ+ history, contemporary activism, East African history, legal victories, sanctuary spaces, Kenya history, bedtime relaxation 📚 What you'll learn in this bedtime story: NGLHRC Kenya founded 2012 in NairobiKenya's criminalization of homosexuality (Sections 162-165 Penal Code)2013: Government rejected their NGO registration10-year legal battle for right to exist as organization7,000+ legal cases handled during the fightCreating "the queerest space in Nairobi" - sanctuary office2023: Court of Appeal victory - landmark rulingContemporary East African LGBTQ+ activismCommunity gatherings, Pride celebrations, legal aidJoy as resistance in hostile environmentColonial legacy of anti-sodomy laws in AfricaAfrican-led LGBTQ+ movements and strategies 💜 Subscribe for global LGBTQ+ activism stories! Like, share, and comment about contemporary activists you admire.

    41 min

  8. 19 JAN

    Magnus Hirschfeld: The Gay Jewish Doctor Who Built the World's First LGBTQ+ Institute | Berlin History

    Drift off to sleep with the inspiring yet tragic story of Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, who created the world's first LGBTQ+ rights organization and research center, before the Nazis burned it all. In this powerful LGBTQ+ history bedtime story, discover how Magnus Hirschfeld founded the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee in 1897, the first organization advocating for gay rights. Learn about his revolutionary petition to decriminalize homosexuality, signed by 6,000+ people including Einstein and Tolstoy. Experience his greatest achievement: the Institute for Sexual Science (1919-1933) in Berlin, with its 20,000-book library, transgender healthcare, affirming counseling, and elegant scholarly atmosphere. Understand the tragedy of May 6, 1933, when Nazis destroyed the Institute and burned decades of irreplaceable research. This is the story of justice pursued through science, a dream destroyed but never extinguished, and how seeds planted in 1920s Berlin grew into worldwide movements. 🌙 Perfect for: Weimar Berlin history, early LGBTQ+ activism, trans healthcare history, Nazi persecution, book burning history, scientific advocacy, bedtime relaxation 📚 What you'll learn in this bedtime story: Magnus Hirschfeld's founding of first LGBTQ+ rights org (1897)Scientific-Humanitarian Committee's groundbreaking activismPetition with 6,000+ signatures (Einstein, Tolstoy, Hesse)Paragraph 175 - German law criminalizing homosexualityInstitute for Sexual Science (1919-1933) in BerlinRevolutionary trans healthcare: hormones, surgeries, "transvestite passes"20,000-book library and LGBTQ+ archivesWeimar Berlin as 1920s LGBTQ+ havenNazi destruction: May 6, 1933 book burningMagnus's death in exile (1935)How his ideas survived and influenced later movementsLegacy: foundations named for him today 💜 Subscribe for LGBTQ+ history! Like, share, and comment about pioneering activists you want to hear about.

    44 min
See All (110)

About

LGBTQ+ History bedtime and relaxation stories, aiming to offer comfort, representation, and a touch of magic to listeners drifting off to sleep.

Information

  • Creator
    Ducky Media
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    110
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Ducky Media
  • Show Website
    Restful Rainbow