Mark Segal moved to New York City in May of 1969 and a month later found himself at The Stonewall Inn as the now-infamous police raid began. "The police came in, pretended that they were doing their duty, got their pay off," he says. "The difference here was they barged in, they threw people up against the wall, they extorted money from some of the…

Laverne Cox talks about being on the cover of Time magazine ten years ago, the pressure she's faced as one of the most visible members of the trans community, and how the Bostock v. Clayton County Supreme Court case with Aimee Stephens impacts all LGBTQ+ people. LGBTQ&A is an independent, listener-supported podcast. Please consider joining our ⁠Sub…

Rep. Barney Frank served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 to 2013. He talks about being one of the first members of Congress to come out, how the AIDS crisis forced Congress to act, and the current state of the LGBTQ+ Rights Movement. Plus, his "Trophy Husband", Jim Ready, drops by to say hello. LGBTQ&A is an independent, listener-sup…

(This interview contains explicit sexual content.) Gigi Raven Wilbur talks about learning that they were intersex in college, the transformational power of BDSM in their life, and how they're feeling living in Texas right now among the current onslaught of anti-trans legislation. LGBTQ&A is an independent, listener-supported podcast. Please conside…

Martha Shelley talks to poet Audre Lorde in an episode of her radio show, Lesbian Nation. This was originally recorded in 1972 and is a part of Martha's archive at the Lesbian Herstory Archive. Martha is a pre-Stonewall activist who got her start in the 1960s with the Daughters of Bilitis. Click here to listen to our new sit-down interview with Mar…

Martha Shelley began her life as a gay activist before the Stonewall uprising. She talks about joining the Daughters of Bilitis, co-founding the Gay Liberation Front, the first pride march, and her memoir, "We Set The Night On Fire". LGBTQ&A is an independent, listener-supported podcast. Please consider joining our Substack as a paid Subscriber to …

Mia Yamamoto talks about her work as a criminal defense attorney, the racism she faced growing up as a Japanese-American after World War II, and coming out as trans later in life. LGBTQ&A is an independent, listener-supported podcast. Please consider subscribing to our Substack in order to help support our work. This is a part of our special series…

Bob "Rose" Levine talks about his first trip to Cherry Grove in 1955, being a part of the original drag "Invasion of the Pines" in 1976, and how the AIDS crisis changed Fire Island in the 1980s. LGBTQ&A is an independent, listener-supported podcast. Please consider joining our Substack to help support our work. This is a part of our special series,…

Ma-Nee Chacaby talks about learning that she was Two-Spirit as a kid, her rural upbringing, and the challenges of being an out indigenous lesbian in Thunder Bay, Canada in the 1980s. Ma-Nee is the author of A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder. (Note: This episode discusses domestic violence.) "Put love in front of…

Sandy Stone talks about working with the lesbian separatists of Olivia Records, why the attacks on the trans community today mirror the attacks from the 1970s, and the moment that led her to write "The Empire Strikes Back: A Posttranssexual Manifesto"—an essay that became a founding document of trans studies. You can learn more about Girl Island, t…

Joan Jett Blakk (a.k.a. Terence Alan Smith) talks about her historic 1992 presidential campaign, why the AIDS crisis influenced her run, and what it was like to be an out gay teenager in the '70s. "They still ask the same questions that they asked in the '90s. 'Drag queens run for president in America?' I'm like, 'Well, they told us anybody could r…

Duane Michals has never followed the rules. The pioneering photographer, now 92 years old, says, "Because I didn't learn the photo rules it was very easy for me to abandon them. You're either defined by the medium...well, I redefined the medium." Duane talks about discovering his love for photography in the 1950s, not looking down on commercial wor…

Hi! We're coming back! On February 27th! And we're continuing our special series, The LGBTQ+ Elders Project. I can't wait for you to hear it. For more info, come check out our Substack. Do you know an amazing elder and want to hear from them on the show? Come find me on Substack or social media (@jeffmasters1) and let me know. I'd love to hear all …

When Amy Ray first started playing music with her Indigo Girls bandmate, Emily Saliers, her "head felt like it was going to explode". She remembers thinking, "This is amazing. Not, we sound amazing. But this feels amazing. It was always about, This feels amazing." They've been playing together for over 35 years now and it's their music that the que…

Darcelle XV (Walter Cole), the world's oldest drag queen, died on March 23, 2023. She was 92. Since 1967, Darcelle has been performing and running the Portland drag venue, Darcelle XV Showplace, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. I had the opportunity to speak with Darcelle and her friend and collaborator, Poison W…

Dr. Charles Silverstein died this week at the age of 87. Best known for making the 1973 presentation before the American Psychiatric Association that led to the removal of homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual’s list of mental illnesses, he was also a co-author of the landmark book The Joy of Gay Sex. More than simply a sex manua…

Shatzi Weisberger died this week at the age of 92. A lifelong activist, Shatzi was a fixture at marches and protests here in NYC and was affectionately known as The People’s Bubbie. "I was a political lesbian for many years. I just loved being around lesbians...one of my earlier demonstrations was here in New York City and we did a die-in along wit…

"I totally support the politics of coming out, but at the same time, I'm critical of the assumption that one's identity has to be the major driving force that determines one's politics." For the final episode of our season, Angela Davis joins us to talk about how to keep pushing movements forward, why her incarceration was crucial in shaping her po…

"Prior to Hadestown, I played The Magical Negro. I have no regrets about that. But all the while...and this is going to sound corny, but it's true. All the while I was saying, 'Why doesn't someone cast me for my mind? For my intellect? Am I really just another pretty face?' And it came together in Hadestown." André De Shields talks about the five d…

Please welcome to the stage, Miss Memory Lane! Colton Haynes talks about the barriers that queer actors still face in Hollywood, why he went back into the closet while acting on hit shows like Teen Wolf and Arrow, and his new memoir, Miss Memory Lane. LGBTQ&A is hosted by Jeffrey Masters and produced by The Advocate magazine, in partnership with GL…

Gloria Allen is a legendary figure in Chicago's trans community. The 76-year-old joins us to talk about coming out as trans in the 1960s, why her family's support was so transformational, and the extraordinary impact that her charm school had on LGBTQ+ youth in Chicago. Mama Gloria, a new documentary by Luchina Fisher, is now streaming on PBS. LGBT…

The history-making politician shares every inspiring, heartbreaking, and drunken moment that led her to become the first openly trans person to serve in a state legislature in the United States. Danica Roem's new memoir, Burn The Page, is out now. Kate Kelly (who you also hear from in the episode) and Danica co-authored this recent piece in Teen Vo…

Janelle Monáe (!!!) joins us to talk about her journey to becoming a queer icon, new music, and her debut book, The Memory Librarian. “One of the main points that’s super important is about the threat of censorship, memory censorship. Because as we know, memories are essentially our stories that we tell ourselves to survive.” LGBTQ&A is hosted by J…

Grab your best friend and give them the tightest possible hug: this episode is a celebration of platonic queer intimacy. R. Eric Thomas joins us to talk about being married to a pastor (it's fun!), the importance of queer community (also fun!), and his new YA novel, Kings of B'more. LGBTQ&A is hosted by Jeffrey Masters and produced by The Advocate …

As of today, a Black lesbian is now the voice and face of the United States government. Karine Jean-Pierre, the newest White House press secretary, joins us to talk about why there is a place for all of us in politics, no matter what you might think of as the typical background or narrative for a politician. If a queer woman of color who immigrated…

With his crucial new book, historian Hugh Ryan restores The Women's House of Detention to its rightful place in LGBTQ+ history. "It was one of the Village’s most famous landmarks: a meeting place for locals and a must-see site for adventurous tourists. And for tens of thousands of arrested women and transmasculine people from every corner of the ci…

Don Bachardy talks about the 33-years he spent with Christopher Isherwood (author of A Single Man and The Berlin Stories, which became the musical, Cabaret) and what it was like being an out gay couple in the 50s and 60s. Born in 1934, Don has gone on to become of the most respected portrait artists of our time. This is part of our new LGBTQ+ Elder…

Spoiler alert: You are going to die. Shatzi Weisberger works with people to dismantle their fears and worries around dying, helping them to approach their deaths with intentionality. A lifelong activist and former nurse, Shatzi was born in 1930. This is part of our new LGBTQ+ Elders Project. Click here to listen to our recent interview with the 87-…

"When I was in the pool, HIV/AIDS didn't exist. That was a sanctuary for me. It was a place that I could go to, really to seek refuge from the stress of the HIV diagnosis." Four-time Olympic gold medal winner, Greg Louganis joins us to talk about his infamous concussion at the Seoul Olympics in 1988, sharing his HIV status with the world in 1995, a…

Alexandra Billings is redefining what is possible for our community. Before making a name for herself in the Chicago theatre scene and landing her breakout role in the TV show, Transparent, Alexandra was a showgirl and sex worker struggling with addiction. "I ate, I breathed oxygen, I had sex, and I did drugs, all with great, reckless abandon." The…

After being discovered at a casting for Italian Vogue, Tracey "Africa" Norman's modeling career skyrocketed. In 1975, she memorably appeared as the face on a box of Clairol hair dye sold in drugstores across the U.S. In the middle of this formidable rise, Tracey was outed while on a shoot for Essence magazine. "And that's the day my career ended," …

Jamison Green has spent his career fighting to make the healthcare world a safer, more accessible place for transgender people. He talks about the seeming invisibility of trans men, gives the best explanation I've ever heard for why people feel threatened by gender nonconformity, and talks about coming into his bisexuality in his 50s. Jamison is th…

Ruthie Berman shares her epic, decades-long love story with her wife, Connie Kurtz. She talks about how they fell in love in the 1970s, successfully sued the New York City Board of Education for domestic partner benefits in 1988, and reflects on how much has and hasn't changed for LGBTQ+ people since she came out 50 years ago. "I deserve better in …

When Torch Song Trilogy opened on Broadway in 1982, Harvey Fierstein became the first and, at the time, only out gay leading man on Broadway. He made further history by winning the Tony Award for Best Play and Best Actor in a Play for Torch Song Trilogy. One year later he won a third Tony Award for La Cage aux Folles and 20 years after that he won …

Tanya Asapansa-Johnson Walker talks about serving in the military in the '80s before Don't Ask, Don't Tell, survival sex work, living with HIV, and the immense barriers she's faced trying to access gender-affirming health care in the U.S.This is part of our new LGBTQ+ Elders Project. You can listen to our interview with the 87-year-old, Barbara Sat…

Our new LGBTQ+ elders project is here! Barbara Satin talks about her "ministry of presence", making sure that trans people are a loud and visible part of the LGBTQ+ community. After coming out in the late '90s, Barbara quickly learned that it was "important for them to have an understanding of who we are and to actually see somebody and interact wi…

This is a time machine!!!!!!! We're launching a new series on the podcast dedicated exclusively to the stories of LGBTQ+ elders. Over the last five years, it's the interviews with the oldest members of our community that have connected the most with our listeners. And that goes for me too. Speaking to people like Miss Major Griffin Gracy, Magora Ke…

"It was a great privilege to be gay. Otherwise, I'd probably be very boring and unhappy and unexamined." John Cameron Mitchell (currently starring as Joe Exotic in Joe vs Carole) talks about the extraordinary legacy of Hedwig And The Angry Inch and how playing Hedwig changed his own experience of gender and sexuality. LGBTQ&A is hosted by Jeffrey M…

Jared Frieder, the writer/director of Three Months (premiering February 23rd on Paramount+), talks about why it's vital that we let people know that "when you have access to medical care, HIV is no longer a death sentence."You can check out GLAAD's report on The State of HIV Stigma here: glaad.org/endhivstigmaLGBTQ&A is hosted by Jeffrey Masters an…

Rachel Krantz answers all your questions about polyamory, non-monogamy, and open relationships. She's the author of the new book, Open: An Uncensored Memoir of Love, Liberation, and Non-Monogamy. "I found, at least for me, there's probably no limit to the amount of people I could love." LGBTQ&A is hosted by Jeffrey Masters and produced by The Advoc…

LZ Granderson talks about his time at ESPN, the pushback he's received in his career, and the new season of his podcast from ABC Audio, Life Out Loud.LGBTQ&A is hosted by Jeffrey Masters and produced by The Advocate magazine, in partnership with GLAAD. Follow us on Twitter (Do this right now!!!!! Please!!!!!): @lgbtqpod…

This episode will make you bi. Please listen at your own risk. Margaret Cho talks about bisexuality, BDSM, polyamory, and the first time she ever tried Stacy's Pita Chips. "I get polyamory fatigue and I get total BDSM fatigue...It takes so much energy in terms of negotiating and what you want and what you're doing and I just don't have the energy f…

"I'm a woman and I'm queer and I'm Black and I'm fat. I try to inhabit all of these identities in my writing." Roxane Gay, the legendary BICON, joins us to talk about sex, love, and soulmates. LGBTQ&A is hosted by Jeffrey Masters and produced by The Advocate magazine, in partnership with GLAAD. @lgbtqpod [This was originally recorded in April 2019.…

Intersex people make up nearly 2% of the total population, yet have remained sidelined and largely ignored in public discussions about sex and gender. It's a blind spot we have, one that Hida Viloria aims to correct with their memoir, Born Both: An Intersex Life. "I felt like there's a story that we don't hear enough of about intersex people, which…

The "Gay Reverend" Magora Kennedy talks about queer life in the 50s and 60s, being a part of the Black Panthers, and the Stonewall Uprising.Reverend Kennedy can be seen in the new PBS documentary, Cured.LGBTQ&A is hosted by Jeffrey Masters and produced by The Advocate magazine, in partnership with GLAAD. @lgbtqpod…

Jay Toole (a.k.a Super Butch) reflects on being kicked out of her house when she was 13, living in Washington Square Park as a homeless teenager, and the Stonewall uprising. "People have to know of the history because even though I'm talking about my history, there's so many more out there that are my history. It's our history."LGBTQ&A is hosted by…

"You're not broken if you're different." Angela Chen talks about the broad range of experiences that asexuality encompasses, the many myths that exist, and her book, Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex. LGBTQ&A is hosted by Jeffrey Masters and produced by The Advocate magazine, in partnership with GLAAD. @lgbt…

Eric Marcus interviews the legendary activist Larry Kramer (recorded January 26, 1989). Check out the Making Gay History podcast for more interviews with LGBTQ+ history makers.LGBTQ&A is hosted by Jeffrey Masters and produced by The Advocate magazine, in partnership with GLAAD. @lgbtqpodBy Jeffrey Masters / The Advocate

...and this Sunday (11/21), he debuts as Mr. Smithers' new boyfriend on The Simpsons.Victor Garber joins us to talk about his role as the gay billionaire fashion mogul on The Simpsons, going to Stephen Sondheim's house for his Sweeney Todd callback, and why he doesn't want to do any more musicals.LGBTQ&A is hosted by Jeffrey Masters and produced by…

VINCINT's debut album, There Will Be Tears, is one of our favorite albums of the year.LGBTQ&A is hosted by Jeffrey Masters and produced by The Advocate magazine, in partnership with GLAAD. You can find us on Twitter to connect and recommend a guest: @lgbtqpod.[This was originally recorded in February of 2020.]…