Queer as Fact

The Catterick Skeleton

Today's episode is on the Catterick skeleton, the excavated remains of person buried in 4th century CE Roman Britain, identified by archaeologists and the press as a 'transvestite'. Join us to hear about what a bead found in the ground can tell us about gender in local jewellery trends, how press reactions to the skeleton have changed over time, and a bonus ancient Roman board game interlude.

This episode was originally released on our Patreon in early 2024. Some statements, such as those about Eli's thesis progress and the current state of the scholarship, may be outdated.

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

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Interview: Dennis Altman - Righting My World

In today's episode we interview author, academic and political commentator Dennis Altman about his new book - Righting My World: Essays from the Past Half-Century. 

Join us for a discussion that spans 60 years of queer activism, from discussing the differences in public health policy responses to the HIV/AIDS crisis in Australia and the United States to the state of queerness as an inherently revolutionary act in 2026. 

Check out our website, where you can find our sources, as well as 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 Instagram, Tumblr and Bluesky.

[Image: Front cover of Dennis Altman's book, Righting My World: Essays from the past half-century, featuring a black and white photo of a younger Dennis lounging against a fence]

Cú Chulainn

Today's episode is on the Irish mythological figure Cú Chulainn. Join us to experience tragically poetic anal penetration, some universal themes that have compelled humankind of millennia, and the two coolest cows in the universe.

Check out our website, where you can find our sources, as well as 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 Instagram, Tumblr and Bluesky.

Sa Bangji (1988)

Happy New Year! Today we're discussing the 1988 Korean intersex lesbian film Sa Bangji. 

Join us as we learn about the real 15th-century woman behind the film's main character, discover how 1980s government policy inadvertently led to the creation of a queer movie, and admire some historical hats.

Check out our website, where you can find our sources, as well as 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 Instagram, Tumblr and Bluesky.

 

Ötzi the Iceman

Today we're talking about the ancient Italian ice-mummy known as Ötzi the Iceman. Join us to learn about the world's oldest pants, the ethics of archaeology, and and whether there really was sperm in Ötzi's anus.

This episode was originally released on our Patreon in 2023.

There are few points throughout the episode where the sound becomes crackly. It happens three or four times, and none of the instances last more than about 30 seconds.

Check out our website, where you can find our sources, as well as 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 Instagram, Tumblr and Bluesky.

[Image: text reading '"Ötzi" war schwul!"]

The Blue Caftan (2022)

We're back! The first episode of this block of episodes covers Maryam Touzani's 2022 drama film, The Blue Caftan.

Join us for a discussion of queerness in Morocco, the "ostentatious nudity" of the bathhouse, and resolving the tension between differing modes of love with grace and deep affection.

Check out our website, where you can find our sources, as well as 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 Instagram, Tumblr and Bluesky.

[Image: A poster for the film 'The Blue Caftan' featuring the title in a sky blue, as well as the three major characters looking at each other affectionately.]

The Left Hand of Darkness (1969)

Today we are discussing Ursula K. Le Guin's Hugo and Nebula award-winning 1969 science fiction novel, The Left Hand of Darkness.

Join us to hear about ambisexual beings who defy gender norms, the initially sexist man who comes to love them and a sexually charged journey across a glacier. 

Check out our website, where you can find our sources, as well as 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 Instagram, Tumblr and Bluesky.

[Image: A cropped cover of "The Left Hand of Darkness" featuring the author's name, Ursula K. Le Guin, as well as the tagline "A masterpiece from one of the great writers of the 20th Century".]

Tu'er Shen

In today's episode, we discuss the Daoist god Tu'er Shen, who is considered to be a patron god of homosexuality. Join us to learn about intimacy between men in 18th century China, a secret gay statue, and one Daoist priest's desire to create a safe space for queer youth.

Check out our website, where you can find our sources, as well as 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 Instagram, Tumblr and Bluesky.

[Image: cropped from photograph by Han Cheung, Taipei Times]

Sherlock Holmes

Today's episode is on Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic consulting detective! Join us as we talk about aromanticism, turn-of-the-century masculinity,and whether Watson is, in fact, a woman.

Link to the article Watson was a Woman? discussed in the episode

Check out our website, where you can find our sources, as well as 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 Instagram, Tumblr and Bluesky.

[Image: Illustration of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson by Sydney Paget. Source]

Gavin Arthur and the Circle of Sex

In today's episode, we're discussing the Circle of Sex, a 1960s astrological representation of sexuality, and its eccentric creator Gavin Arthur. Join us to hear about how to have sex à la Walt Whitman, how to figure out if you're a Sappho or a Club Woman, and whether there is a faint possibility, just maybe, that the Circle is a tiny bit flawed. 

If you would like to follow along at home, please have a look at the Circle of Sex diagram. We do our best to explain it, but it will hopefully make things a little bit clearer if you have a look yourself!

Check out our website, where you can find our sources, as well as 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 Instagram, Tumblr and Bluesky.

[Image: The Circle of Sex, a diagram of a circle cut into twelve segments, with a Yin-Yang symbol at the centre. Each segment has a label such as 'Hyperheterogenic - Don Juan' or '3/4 homogenic - Lesbian'.]