The History of Sex

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Two-Spirit: The Lakota Winkte - Sex on the Great Plains Oct 03, 2022

Show notes

What does it mean to be Two-Spirit? The film The Miseducation of Cameron Post likens it to being a "Native American David Bowie," but that's a far cry. What does it really mean? And what is the Two-Spirit tradition of the Lakota, the winkte?

Episode theme music courtesy of the The Eagle and the Raven Band, featuring Ki' Earth Spirit.

Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review. Support the show on Patreon at www.patreon.com/btnewberg. Research, writing, editing, and production by B. T. Newberg. Logo Design by Rachel Westhoff. Additional credits, references, and more at www.historyofsexpod.com.

Europe’s Third Gender: Byzantine Court Eunuchs - Showcase, Feat. Dead Ideas Sep 05, 2022

Show notes

Did you know that Europe had its own third gender tradition, which arose, flourished, and then disappeared over the span of a few centuries? In the Byzantine Empire, this third gender was called a eunuch. They began as exotic imports from abroad, but quickly became a local tradition both feared and respected, reviled and adored, devilish and angelic.

Were Lakota Women Slaves to their Husbands? - Sex on the Great Plains Aug 01, 2022

Show notes

19th-century writers called Lakota women virtually enslaved to their husbands, but were they? Or were they skilled artisans, valued by the community, and empowered within their marriages? It turns out the working woman of the modern West owes much to the skilled craftswoman of the Great Plains.

Special thanks to Dr. Jon Cleland Host for help in the preparation of this episode. Episode theme music courtesy of the The Eagle and the Raven Band, featuring Ki' Earth Spirit.

To Save the Lakota: An Interview with Dr. Jeff Means - Sex on the Great Plains Jul 04, 2022

Show notes

If you had to choose between giving up your way of life or facing the death of your people, what would you do? What if it meant having to give up ever feeling like a man, a woman, or your authentic self again? Lakota historian Jeff Means is here to helps us understand that question.

How the Lakota Became Cowboys - Sex on the Great Plains Jun 06, 2022

Show notes

After hunting bison for centuries, the Lakota suddenly switched to cattle in the late 19th century. Why did they hunt cattle? Why was it crucial to maintaining the gender norms of Lakota men, women, and those Two-Spirit folk called the winkte? And why was the cattle hunt their last best hope for survival? Special thanks to Dr. Jeff Means, Dr. Jon Cleland Host, and Neil McKay for help in the preparation of this series. Episode theme music courtesy of the Battling Sioux Singers.

When Nip Slips Were Normal - Showcase, Feat. Dead Ideas May 02, 2022

Show notes

Today, female toplessness is taboo in Western culture, but did you know that until quite recently indeed, showing nip was normal? Not only was it normal, but it was often the height of fashion. Noble women and even queens all sported this particular wardrobe choice. So, when did this begin, and how did it come to be taboo? We find out in this showcase episode from Dead Ideas.

This Time For Me: An Interview with Transparent Star Alexandra Billings Apr 04, 2022

Show notes

What would it be like to live through almost the entire recent history of the transgender movement, from near-complete marginalization in the 1960s to glimmers of mainstream acceptance in the present? Alexandra Billings, who plays Davina on the hit TV show Transparent, did just that. We talk to her about her new memoir This Time For Me, which tells one person’s experiences from the 60s through today.

Featuring a rendition of "Over the Rainbow" by pianist Christopher-Joel Carter, IV.

Was the West Gay? - Sex in the Wild West Mar 07, 2022

Show notes

Were there queer folks in the Wild West? We address comments made by actor Sam Elliot about the "evisceration of the American myth" by the new Western film The Power of the Dog, and take a look at the hard evidence for queer folks on the frontier.

No Home on the Range? The Black Cowboy’s Short-lived Glory - Sex in the Wild West Feb 07, 2022

Show notes

Is it just me, or does the image of the cowboy feel Whiter than White? Yet, in actual history, 1 out of 4 cowboys was Black. The Wild West was surprisingly welcoming in some ways to African Americans, except when it came to interracial sex. And sex may be why it now feels like cowboys were all one skin tone. How did fears of miscegenation ultimately lead to the whitewashing of the Western genre?

Cowboy Cross-dressers - Sex in the Wild West Jan 03, 2022

Show notes

Calamity Jane, Little Joe Monahan, and Mrs. Nash... What was life like for those who dared to cross-dress in the Wild West? Why were their stories twisted to fit an emerging American mythos in the 20th century? And what does that say about how we view cross-dressing today?

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