Making Gay History

The first edition of the book, published in 1992 under the title Making History[2][3] was a Stonewall Book Award winner in 1992 and was described by acclaimed oral historian Studs Terkel as “[o]ne 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, entitled 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, along with executive producer Sara Burningham, who suggested that the interviews be used as the basis for a podcast.[4][5]

Since its launch in October 2016, the podcast has featured interviews with transgender rights icon Sylvia Rivera;[6] pioneering lesbian writer Edythe D. Eyde aka Lisa Ben;[7] American comedian, talk show host, and actress Ellen DeGeneres;[8] popular advice columnist and LGBT advocate Pauline Phillips ("Dear Abby");[9] and others. It has also drawn on other audio archives to highlight the contributions of activists like Ernestine Eckstein and Bayard Rustin, and has used contemporary interviews to chronicle the life and work of Magnus Hirschfeld and Reed Erickson.[10][11] In December 2019, they released the earliest known recording of Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson.[12]

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 sites Terkel and his work as inspiration for his own saying, "Growing up with lefty parents, I was already familiar with Terkel’s popular radio show and writings. His outspoken support of liberal causes, from unions and the Black civil rights movement to gay rights and women’s rights, inspired me then, and his legacy inspires me to this day. It’s a privilege to be able to share the work of this staunch and early straight ally with our listeners.”[13]

• 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.[14]
• In October 2017, the Oral History Association honored Making Gay History with its Oral History in a Nonprint Format Award.[15]
• On December 27, 2019, The Atlantic named Making Gay History’s Stonewall 50 season one of the best podcasts of 2019.[16]