Making Gay History

Making Gay History is an oral history podcast on the subject of LGBT history, featuring trailblazers, activists, and allies. Most episodes draw on the three-decade-old audio archive of rare interviews that the podcast's founder and host Eric Marcus conducted for the two editions of his oral history book about the LGBT movement, which he was commissioned to write in the late 1980s. In February 2020, Making Gay History was adapted for the stage at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.[1]

Making Gay History
Presentation
Hosted byEric Marcus
GenreLGBTQ oral history
LanguageEnglish
UpdatesWeekly
Production
Audio formatPodcast (via streaming or downloadable MP3)
No. of seasons8
Publication
Original releaseOctober 5, 2016 (2016-10-05) – present
ProviderEric Marcus
Websitemakinggayhistory.com

Background

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]

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.[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]

Seasons and episodes

Season 1 Episode
Episode 1 Sylvia Rivera, Part I
Episode 2 Wendell Sayers (called Paul Phillips in the book Making Gay History)[17]
Episode 3 Edythe Eyde
Episode 4 Dr. Evelyn Hooker
Episode 5 Frank Kameny
Episode 6 Jeanne and Morty Manford
Episode 7 Chuck Rowland
Episode 8 Pauline Phillips (Dear Abby)
Episode 9 Barbara Gittings and Kay Tobin Lahusen
Episode 10 Vito Russo
Season 2 Episode
Episode 1 Marsha P. Johnson and Randy Wicker
Episode 2 Shirley Willer
Episode 3 Hal Call
Episode 4 Jean O'Leary, Part I
Episode 5 Jean O'Leary, Part II
Episode 6 Morris Foote
Episode 7 Herb Selwyn
Episode 8 Barbara Gittings and Kay Tobin Lahusen
Episode 9 Evander Smith and Herb Donaldson
Episode 10 Joyce Hunter
Episode 11 Tom Cassidy
BONUS Love is Love
Season 3 Episode
Episode 1 Sylvia Rivera, Part II
Episode 2 Perry Watkins
Episode 3 Ellen DeGeneres
Episode 4 J.J. Belanger
Episode 5 Deborah Johnson and Zandra Rolón Amato
Episode 6 Larry Kramer
Episode 7 Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin
Episode 8 Morris Kight
Episode 9 Paulette Goodman
Episode 10 Greg Brock
Episode 11 Morty Manford
BONUS Edythe Eyde’s Gay Gal’s Mixtape
BONUS Kay Lahusen’s Gay Table
BONUS Farewell Dick Leitsch
Season 4 Episode
Episode 1 Introduction
Episode 2 Magnus Hirschfeld
Episode 3 Harry Hay
Episode 4 Billye Talmadge
Episode 5 Dorr Legg, Martin Block and Jim Kepner of ONE
Episode 6 Stella Rush (who wrote under the pseudonym Sten Russell)
Episode 7 Reed Erickson
Episode 8 Bayard Rustin
Episode 9 Ernestine Eckstein
Episode 10 Dick Leitsch
Episode 11 Martha Shelley
Season 5 Episode
Episode 1 Prelude to a Riot
Episode 2 "Everything Clicked... And The Riot Was On"
Episode 3 "Say it Loud! Gay and Proud!"
Episode 4 Live from Stonewall
BONUS Stonewall 50 Minisode: Marsha P. Johnson and Randy Wicker
BONUS Stonewall 50 Minisode: Morty Manford
BONUS Stonewall 50 Minisode: Barbara Gittings and Kay Lahusen
BONUS Stonewall 50 Minisode: Craig Rodwell
Season 6 Episode
Episode 1 Ruth Simpson
Episode 2 Vernon E. "Copy" Berg III
Episode 3 Barbara Smith
Episode 4 Nancy Walker
Episode 5 Damien Martin
BONUS From the Vault: Sylvia Rivera & Marsha P. Johnson, 1970
Season 7 (Revisiting the Archive) Episode
Episode 1 Frank Kameny
Episode 2 Edythe Eyde
Episode 3 Wendell Sayers
Episode 4 Shirley Willer
Episode 5 Vito Russo
Episode 6 Kay Lahusen's Gay Table
Episode 7 Ellen DeGeneres
Episode 8 Morris Foote
Episode 9 Joyce Hunter
Episode 10 Perry Watkins
Episode 11 Larry Kramer
Episode 12 Bayard Rustin
Episode 13 Larah Helayne & Jean O'Leary
Season 8 (Studs Terkel Radio Archive) Episode
Episode 1 Christopher Isherwood
Episode 2 Lorraine Hansberry
Episode 3 John Falk Tomkinson ("Less-Lee")
Episode 4 Quentin Crisp
Episode 5 Mattachine Midwest (Valerie Taylor)
Episode 6 Jill Johnston
Episode 7 Leonard Matlovich
Episode 8 Meg Christian

References

  1. "NYU Steinhardt's Educational Theatre Production 'Making Gay History: Before Stonewall' Turns the Popular Podcast into a Play". New York University. February 19, 2020.
  2. Marcus, Eric. (2018). Making history : the struggle for gay and lesbian equal rights, 1945-1990. London: HarperImpulse. ISBN 978-0-06-284826-0. OCLC 1041619749.
  3. "Nonfiction Book Review: Making History: The Struggle for Gay and Lesbian Equal Rights, 1945-1990: An Oral History by Eric Marcus, Author HarperCollins Publishers $25 (532p) ISBN 978-0-06-016708-0". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  4. "About Making Gay History". Making Gay History.
  5. "Three podcasts that explore queer history, identity and intimacy". The Washington Post. 2017-06-12. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
  6. "Episode 01 — Sylvia Rivera". Making Gay History.
  7. "Episode 03 — Edythe Eyde". Making Gay History.
  8. "Ellen DeGeneres". Making Gay History.
  9. "Episode 08 — Dear Abby". Making Gay History.
  10. "Magnus Hirschfeld". Making Gay History.
  11. "Reed Erickson". Making Gay History.
  12. "Earliest Known Recording of Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera Found". www.advocate.com. 2019-12-29. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
  13. "Gay history podcast has new host: Studs Terkel - LGBT News - Windy City Times". www.windycitymediagroup.com. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  14. "11 LGBTQ-Inclusive Podcasts You Should Know". Nbcnews.com. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
  15. "Oral History Association Gives MGH 2017 Award!". Making Gay History. 2017-10-05. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
  16. "The 50 Best Podcasts of 2019". TheAtlantic.com. 27 December 2019. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
  17. "Episode 02 — Wendell Sayers". Making Gay History. Retrieved 2020-01-05.


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