Historical Homos

• It's A Sin: The Ancient Origins of Homophobia (feat. Harry Tanner)

  To access the full version of this episode, join our Patreon at the link below. Our community awaits you with legs open, heart full, and mouth slightly ajar 🤤www.patreon.com/historicalhomos–Welcome to the wild and infuriating world of ancient homophobia!You know how everyone thinks ancient Greece and Rome were queer free-for-alls, where all holes were goals (as long as you were a male, bisexual top) and pederasty was the only acceptable form of same-sex love between men?Yeah, well that's not quite the full story.We're thrilled to introduce to the podcast Harry Tanner, the author of The Queer Thing About Sin: Why the West Came to Hate Queer Love. Harry joins us to discuss his fascinating research into the Greek, Hebrew, Roman, and Christian origins of homophobia.We cover:The story of two gay lovers overthrowing Athens' last tyrantAncient Greece's porn pot industry (Onlyfans, but make it ceramic!)The real meaning of Leviticus and the story of Sodom & Gomorrah in the ancient Hebrew TorahThe surprisingly homophobic writings of small-time philosophers like friggin' PLATO and ARISTOTLEAnd, for our Patreon subscribers, a deeper dive into the STRAIGHT historian who bequeathed us our current, warped view of ancient Greek homosexualityIf you were ever told that homosexuality or queerness is "unnatural," this episode is required listening for you.Because we show how homophobia, like homosexuality, is simply a social and cultural construction. As Harry Tanner explains, it is a response to political and economic instability. A desire for control. That's the only human thing about it.Same-sex desire occurs naturally in every society and culture in history. But condemning it only seems to happen when there is profound economic inequality in those societies.Get ready to dive into this fascinating story of homophobia's ancient history.The chastity cages are mandatory and the water is a preposterously inviting...human temperature.–🎧 Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you pod. Semen-stained tunics sold separately.🤑 Please support the burgeoning Historical Homos empire on our ⁠Patreon⁠, if you have the means – or the madness – to do so.📱 Follow Historical Homos on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up to our monthly ⁠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 or Spotify.–Episode CreditsWritten and hosted by BashEdited by Alex ToskasProduced by Dani HenionGuest: Dr. Harry James Tanner

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• Disney's Hercules: A Very Gay Close Reading (feat. Liv Albert)

  Why is Disney's Hercules one of the greatest LGBTQ+ films ever made?This episode attempts to answer that fraught and necessary question.As you may know, Hercules (1997) is a story about a small-town girl who goes to the big city to discover himself, become famous, land a few sponsorship deals, and build a chosen family in an imperfect world.It's like All About Eve but with much, much better music. (Though Hades and Bette Davis look uncannily alike, I'll admit.)Hercules was the first anatomically male Disney princess to grace the silver screen – and this innovation changed the lives of every gay boy and girl born between 1987 and 1997.The fact that it has some of the sharpest writing of the Disney Renaissance – and deeply layered mythological references – did not escape our notice either.Which is why Bash and his honoured guest, Liv Albert (Let's Talk About Myths, Baby!) have embarked on a heroic quest to explore:🏺 the queer origins of the original Greek hero, Herakles🏺 a VERY close queer reading of the Disney film🏺 Hades' camp, power-hungry effeminacy🏺 Meg's BFH (Big Fag Hag) energy🏺 Hercules' NYC twink to WeHo twunk story arcBy the end of it all you will find out that, honey, we did indeed mean HUNKULES.So come on in and don't be shy! The water is...human temperature.–🎧 Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you pod. Pain and Panic sold separately.🤑 Please consider supporting the podcast on our Patreon, if you have the means – or the madness – to do so.📱 Follow Historical Homos on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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.–Episode CreditsWritten and hosted by BashEdited by Alex ToskasProduced by Dani HenionGuest: Liv Albert

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• A Queer History of Witchcraft (feat. Marion Gibson)

  Wait, what’s so gay about witches, you ask?First of all — sit down.When I was a young f/hag in the late ’90s, Wicca was having a moment. The Halliwell sisters ruled the WB, Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock were burying men in their back gardens, and I gobbled the GAGathon down with glee.Only later did I realize what made these witchy bitchies so alluring: it wasn’t (just) that they were different — it was that they were powerful.Outsiders who could fight back. Like the X-men...or democratic socialists.But were they always outsiders? No! In the ancient world, everyone dabbled in magic. Pagans love a hag with a herb garden.Then Christianity came along and ruined everything. AS ALWAYS.By the 20th century, witchcraft was beginning to mean "freedom" to a lot of repressed Westerners. Which might explain why nearly half of Wiccans today identify as queer.Join us for this Halloween special as we trace The Craft™ from ancient love spells to Victorian occultists, with brilliant guest Professor Marion Gibson.Together we ask:🧙‍♀️ When did “wise women” in the woods become “evil hags”?🔥 Why did we burn so many witches?🌍 How did colonialism export Europe’s hag-phobia worldwide?💅 And how did queer people turn witchcraft into a symbol of defiance, glamour, and spiritual fulfilment?So come on in, the cauldron-water is human temperature.–🎧 Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you pod. Beard and severed thumb sold separately.📱 Follow Historical Homos on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, 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.Episode CreditsWritten and hosted by BashEdited by Alex ToskasProduced by Dani HenionGuest: Professor Marion Gibson

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• A Short History of Queer Parenting (feat. Kirsty Loehr)

  Remember when you found out you were gay (iconic of you btw) and you thought:"Oh this is fine – I'll just have a regular heterosexual wife, a couple of kids, and a very elaborate sex life on the side."Just me? OK, fine.But the question remains: why do little gay children like me grow up assuming a straight nuclear family is our only option?Has family always been one man, one woman, and a couple of snot-nosed heirs to the milkman?This week, we’re talking to writer and educator Kirsty Loehr, author of A Short History of Queer Parenting, as we uncover:What family looked like before “heterosexuality”Matriarchal hunter-gatherers for whom all holes were goals, plus Amazons and Jesus' 2 dadsVictorian respectability politics vs. Oscar WildeDIY lesbian turkey-baster chicAnd why men are obsessed with spreading their seed.It’s a fluid-filled romp through the history of chosen families, accidental babies, and deliberate love.JOIN THE CULT🎧 Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you pod. Turkey baster sold separately.📱 Follow Historical Homos on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, 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.Episode CreditsWritten and hosted by Bash.Guest Kirsty Loehr.Edited by Alex Toskas.Produced by Dani Henion.

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• Hollywood's Gay Golden Age (feat. Michael Koresky)

  "Hollywood was swarming with gay people."You know how Pedro Pascal hasn't come out yet? Well: this episode will explain why.Between the 1930s and 1960s, the Hays Code banned “sexual perversion” of all kinds from the silver screen, which (spoiler alert) meant queers.That has bequeathed us a predominantly homophobic industry in Hollywood, even if the stars and culture have always been decidedly – how do you say? – VERY GAY.This week we dive into the queerness of Hollywood’s first Golden Age.We cover:The pre-Code era archetypes of pansies, sissies, butches, and sapphics, oh my!The Code's first filmic victim: a 1936 adaptation of Lillian Hellman's thesbian stage classic The Children’s HourHitchcock’s Rope, featuring two fascist dandy murderers whose day jobs included playing the piano and being fantastically richThe legacy of homophobia and queer desire in post-Code films up to the presentThis week, Bash is joined by film critic and filmmaker, Michael Koresky, who is the recent author of Sick and Dirty: Hollywood’s Gay Golden Age and the Making of Modern Queerness — a love letter to the sly, coded, and deeply horny films that the uptight, antisemitic, racist, homophobic, Catholic censors forced out of the era's greatest artists.Hollywood was always swarming with queers, as Michael puts it, but people weren't naïve or stupid. We saw the signs – and we shot each other furtive glances as we hid our brain-boners...🎧 Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you pod. Wigs and cigarettes sold separately.📱 Follow Historical Homos on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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 or Spotify.Episode CreditsWritten and hosted by Bash.Edited by Alex Toskas.Produced by Dani Henion.Guest host: Michael Koresky.

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