Queer as Fact

Latest Episodes:

Queerness in Video Games Jun 15, 2021

Show notes

Today we're talking about queerness in video games. We'll be starting in the 80s with one of the first queer video games, Caper in the Castro, before moving on to Nintendo's controversial trans character Birdo, and ending with what may be the world's first online pride parade, which took place in World of Warcraft. Join us for a noir detective story, trans dinosaurs and our dubious knowledge of how the internet works.

Play Caper in the Castro online here, and if you do, please donate to an HIV/AIDS charity of your choice such as UNAIDS or our local Thorne Harbour Health.

Check out our website, where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.

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Simon Nkoli Jun 01, 2021

Show notes

Happy Pride! We're starting off our Pride content by talking about the South African activist Simon Nkoli. Join us to hear about Simon's gay rights and anti-apartheid work, Africa's first Pride, and a lot of wholesome personal growth.

Check out our website, where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.

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Maryam Khatoon Molkara Apr 15, 2021

Show notes

Today we're talking about the life of trans activist Maryam Khatoon Molkara. Join us to hear about Tehran's 1970s queer scene, an amazing velvet suit, and almost 40 years spent advocating for trans people in Iran.

Check out our website, where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.

If you enjoy our content, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

Interview with Roland Betancourt Apr 08, 2021

Show notes

Join Irene and Alice in this bonus episode for an interview with Roland Betancourt Professor of Art History at the University of California, Irvine, about his new book, Byzantine Intersectionality: Sexuality, Gender & Race in the Middle Ages.
Amongst other things, we discuss transgender Byzantine saints, the future of queer scholarship, and how to sneak queer history into everything you write.
Check out our website, where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.

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The World Well Lost (1953) Apr 01, 2021

Show notes

Today's episode of Queer as Fiction takes us back...to the future! Join us for a brief, light-hearted romp through Theodore Sturgeon's 1953 science fiction short story, The World Well Lost. Look out for appearances from gay aliens, Kurt Vonnegut and Kirk/Spock shipping!

Check out our website, where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.

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Frida Kahlo: Part 2 Mar 23, 2021

Show notes

Today we're bringing you part 2 of our discussion on the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Join us as we figure out exactly what surrealism is, discuss Frida's relationships with women, and provide a thorough list of her pets.

Note: If you're really just here for our discussion of Frida's sexuality, that begins at 1:03:23.

Check out our website, where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.

If you enjoy our content, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

Frida Kahlo: Part 1 Mar 15, 2021

Show notes

Today's long-awaited episode is on the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Join us for the first of two episodes on Frida, while we discuss pyrotechnic pranks, the first of many self-portraits, and the complicated politics behind Frida's famous style of dress.

Note: We are aware of and apologise for the audio issue at 41:23. It continues only until 41:31.

Check out our website, where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.

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Sexuality in Pompeii Mar 01, 2021

Show notes

Today we're looking at sexuality in Pompeii through the lens of the so called "Two Maidens", found embracing in their final moments. Join us as we discuss how toxic masculinity skews our views of the past, read some sexy graffiti, and discover what may be the only surviving piece of female-female love poetry in ancient Rome.

Check out our website, where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.

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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Part 2 Feb 15, 2021

Show notes

Welcome back to our two-part mini-series on the 19th-century Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. In this episode, we'll be talking about how to score yourself a wealthy patron, the rumours surrounding Pyotr's death, and understanding sexuality through the metaphor of asparagus.

Check out our website, where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.

If you enjoy our content, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Part 1 Feb 01, 2021

Show notes

Today's episode is the first of our two-part series on Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, 19th century Russian composer and the most handsome boy at his high school. Join us to learn about abandoning your public service job for a career in the arts, and scolding your dog through song.

Check out our website, where you can find out everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.

If you enjoy our content, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.