''Making Gay History'' is an
oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information from
people, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people who pa ...
podcast on the subject of
LGBT history
LGBTQ history dates back to the first recorded instances of same-sex love, diverse gender identities, and sexualities in ancient civilizations, involving the history of lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexuality, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LG ...
, featuring trailblazers, activists, and allies. Most episodes draw on the three-decade-old audio archive of rare interviews conducted by the podcast's founder and host
Eric Marcus in the late 1980s and 1990s.
Background
Marcus began interviewing notable figures in the
LGBTQ civil rights movement in the late 1980s while writing an oral history of the movement. The first edition of the book, published in 1992 under the title ''Making History: The Struggle for Gay and Lesbian Equal Rights, 1945-1990,'' was a
Stonewall Book Award winner in 1992 and was described by acclaimed oral historian
Studs Terkel
Louis "Studs" Terkel (May 16, 1912 – October 31, 2008) was an American writer, historian, actor, and broadcaster. He received the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1985 for ''The Good War'' and is best remembered for his oral histor ...
as "
e of the definitive works on gay life." In the late 1990s, Marcus undertook another round of interviews for the updated second edition of the book, which was titled ''Making Gay History'' (2002).
In 2016, Marcus revisited the archive of his original recordings, which had since been digitized by the
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...
, along with executive producer Sara Burningham, who suggested that the interviews be used as the basis for a podcast.
Since its launch in October 2016, the podcast has featured interviews with
transgender rights
The legal status of transgender people varies greatly around the world. Some countries have enacted laws protecting the rights of transgender individuals, but others have criminalized their gender identity or expression. In many cases, transg ...
icon
Sylvia Rivera
Sylvia Rivera (July 2, 1951 – February 19, 2002) was an American gay liberation and transgender activism, transgender rights activist September 21, 1995. Accessed July 24, 2015. who was also a noted community worker in LGBT history in New Yo ...
; pioneering lesbian writer Edythe D. Eyde aka
Lisa Ben
Edythe D. Eyde (November 7, 1921 – December 22, 2015) better known by her pen name Lisa Ben, was an American editor, author, active fantasy-fiction fan and fanzine contributor (often using the name Tigrina in these activities), and songwrit ...
; American comedian, talk show host, and actress
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American former comedian, actress, television host, writer, and producer.
She began her career in stand-up comedy in the early 1980s, gaining national attention with a 1986 appearance on '' ...
; popular advice columnist and LGBT advocate
Pauline Phillips
Pauline Esther Phillips (born Friedman; July 4, 1918 – January 16, 2013), also known as Abigail Van Buren, was an American advice columnist and radio show host who began the well-known Dear Abby, ''Dear Abby'' newspaper column in 1956. It beca ...
("Dear Abby"); and others. It has also drawn on other audio archives to highlight the contributions of activists like
Ernestine Eckstein and
Bayard Rustin
Bayard Rustin ( ; March 17, 1912 – August 24, 1987) was an American political activist and prominent leader in social movements for civil rights, socialism, nonviolence, and gay rights. Rustin was the principal organizer of the March on Wash ...
, and has used contemporary interviews to chronicle the life and work of
Magnus Hirschfeld
Magnus Hirschfeld (14 May 1868 – 14 May 1935) was a German physician, Sexology, sexologist and LGBTQ advocate, whose German citizenship was later revoked by the Nazi government.David A. Gerstner, ''Routledge International Encyclopedia of Queer ...
and
Reed Erickson. In December 2019, they released the earliest known recording of Sylvia Rivera and
Marsha P. Johnson.
For the eighth season of the podcast, Marcus partnered with the
Studs Terkel Radio Archive to release interviews conducted by the legendary radio host and oral historian Studs Terkel. Marcus cites Terkel and his work as inspiration for his own.
In February 2020, ''Making Gay History'' was adapted for the stage at
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
's
.
The podcast's ninth season, "Coming of Age During the AIDS Crisis," is an audio memoir exploring Marcus's memories of the
AIDS epidemic
The global pandemic of HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) began in 1981, and is an ongoing worldwide public health issue. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2023, HIV/AIDS ...
in the 1980s.
Awards and honors
*In September 2017, ''
NBC Out'' polled its constituents about their "favorite LGBTQ-inclusive podcasts," and ''Making Gay History'' was voted #2 out of 11 ranked.
*In October 2017, the
Oral History Association
The Oral History Association (OHA) is a professional association for oral historians and others interested in advancing the practice and use of oral history.[The Atlantic
''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.
It was founded in 185 ...]
'' named ''Making Gay Historys Stonewall 50 season one of the best podcasts of 2019.
Seasons and episodes
See also
*
List of LGBT podcasts
References
External links
*{{Official website, http://makinggayhistory.com/
LGBTQ historiography in the United States
LGBTQ-related podcasts
Audio podcasts
LGBTQ-related mass media in the United States
2016 podcast debuts
Independent podcasts