The Altern: Recent Episodes
The Altern
In this episode, cohost Julian gets interviewed by marketing & outreach strategist Raye Maguire from Frostburg University. We discuss the "Don't Say Gay" bills, the increase in violence towards the queer community, and the history of the current "groomer" rhetoric. It's a great conversation, and we're thrilled to be able to share it with you. Thanks again to Raye!
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Email us at altern@camprehoboth.com
Want more LGBTQ history than our catalogue? We have a guide for that. In this guide are sources for podcasts, non-fiction books, biographies, movies and documentaries, and websites, databases, and archives. All sources are rated by age demographic, and it includes LGBTQ history for ages 10 all the way to adults. You can find the guide here:
Youth LGBTQ History Guide
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Email us at altern@camprehoboth.com
On April 25th, 1993, 800,00 queer people took over Washington D.C. for the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation. Today we have a special guest, Dr. Scout of the National LGBT Cancer Network, to talk with us about being one of the co-chairs of the March. We discuss the difficulty of putting on a march this big, the euphoria of the attendees, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the drama of queer organizing.
Email: altern@camprehoboth.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealternde/
In this TMQH, Wes debriefs us on the 1993 March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation. On April 25th, 1993, an estimated 800,000 people took over the streets in Washington D.C. to protest for LGBTQ+ rights. In our next episode, we'll hear from special guest and March co-chair Dr. Scout, one of the people who helped make the March happen.
Email: altern@camprehoboth.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealternde/
Sources and Suggested Reading:
MOW Steering Committee. (n.d.). Platform of the 1993 March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation. Queer Resources Directory. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from http://www.qrd.org/qrd/events/mow/mow-full.platform
Rathjen, R. (2014, October 16). Reflections on the 1993 March on Washington. National LGBTQ Task Force. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.thetaskforce.org/reflections-on-the-1993-march-on-washington/
Reza, H.G. (January 9, 1993). "Homosexual Sailor Beaten to Death, Navy Confirms", Los Angeles Times. Retrieved via Wayack Machine April 25, 2022.
Smith, N. (2016, February 2). The 20th Anniversary of the LGBT March on Washington: How Far Have We Come? HuffPost. Retrieved April 26, 2022, from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-20th-anniversary-of-the-lgbt-march-on-washington_b_3149185
Curious about how the Lavender Scare ended? In the second part of our Lavender Scare series, Julian discusses the lack of a conclusive end to the Lavender Scare and how courageous queer activists and citizens fought to chip away at the discriminatory practices of the federal government piece by piece.
Email: altern@camprehoboth.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealternde/
Sources and Suggested Reading:
Executive Orders. (2016, August 15). National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/10450.html
Haynes, S., & Aneja, V. B. A. (2020, December 22). You’ve Probably Heard of the Red Scare, but the Lesser-Known, Anti-Gay “Lavender Scare” Is Rarely Taught in Schools. Time. https://time.com/5922679/lavender-scare-history/
Johnson, D. K. (2006). The Lavender Scare: The Cold War Persecution of Gays and Lesbians in the Federal Government. University of Chicago Press.
Lewis, G. B. (1997). Lifting the Ban on Gays in the Civil Service: Federal Policy toward Gay and Lesbian Employees since the Cold War. Public Administration Review, 57(5), 387–395. https://doi.org/10.2307/3109985
Out.com Editors. (2015, February 6). 9 Things To Know About “The Lavender Scare.” Out. https://www.out.com/entertainment/popnography/2013/04/26/9-things-to%C2%A0know-about-lavender-scare
In our first discussion episode, Wes and Julian discuss the start of the Lavender Scare, and in particular, Roy Cohn, one of its executors, and how divisions in self-identity can allow for intra-community violence. This is part 1 of a two-part series on the Lavender Scare - part 2 will discuss the formal end to the Lavender Scare and how effective it was in actually ending employment discrimination against queer people in the Civil Service.
Email: altern@camprehoboth.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealternde/
Sources:
Executive Orders. (2016, August 15). National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/10450.html
Haynes, S., & Aneja, V. B. A. (2020, December 22). You’ve Probably Heard of the Red Scare, but the Lesser-Known, Anti-Gay “Lavender Scare” Is Rarely Taught in Schools. Time. Retrieved February 11, 2022, from https://time.com/5922679/lavender-scare-history/
Lemmey, H., & Miller, B. (2019, May 21). Episode 10: Roy Cohn. Bad Gays. Retrieved February 11, 2022, from https://badgayspod.com/listen/
Listener discretion advised for Bad Gays: adult language and frank discussions of sexuality.
Out.com Editors. (2015, February 6). 9 Things To Know About “The Lavender Scare.” Out. https://www.out.com/entertainment/popnography/2013/04/26/9-things-to%C2%A0know-about-lavender-scare
In our newest episode of our bite-sized history episodes, Julian discusses the start of the Lavender Scare, a parallel witch hunt to the Red Scare for queer people in the US government. This is part 1 of a two-part series on the Lavender Scare - part 2 will discuss the formal end to the Lavender Scare and how effective it was in actually ending employment discrimination against queer people in the Civil Service.
Email: altern@camprehoboth.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealternde/
Sources:
Executive Orders. (2016, August 15). National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/10450.html
Haynes, S., & Aneja, V. B. A. (2020, December 22). You’ve Probably Heard of the Red Scare, but the Lesser-Known, Anti-Gay “Lavender Scare” Is Rarely Taught in Schools. Time. Retrieved February 11, 2022, from https://time.com/5922679/lavender-scare-history/
Lemmey, H., & Miller, B. (2019, May 21). Episode 10: Roy Cohn. Bad Gays. Retrieved February 11, 2022, from https://badgayspod.com/listen/
Listener discretion advised for Bad Gays: adult language and frank discussions of sexuality.
Out.com Editors. (2015, February 6). 9 Things To Know About “The Lavender Scare.” Out. https://www.out.com/entertainment/popnography/2013/04/26/9-things-to%C2%A0know-about-lavender-scare
On October 14th, 1977, gay activist Tom Higgins pies anti-gay crusader Anita Bryant during a live press conference in Des Moines, Iowa. In this TMQH, Julian explores Bryant's anti-gay campaigns, why she got pied, and a first for TMQH: a surprise twist ending from this year!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealternde/
Email: thealternde@gmail.com
Special thanks to the HISTORY Channel for select audio of Bryant being pied used under Fair Use for nonprofit educational purposes at the beginning of the episode.
Sources:
A&E Television Networks, LLC. (n.d.). Anita Bryant Hit in the Face With Pie. HISTORY Channel. Retrieved October 8, 2021, from https://www.history.com/speeches/anita-bryant-hit-in-the-face-with-pie
In-text citation
Annetta, M. (2013, October 14). October 14 in LGBTQ History. THE LAVENDER EFFECT. https://thelavendereffect.org/2013/10/14/october-14-in-lgbtq-history/
Lane, S. (2018). No Sanctuary: Teachers and the School Reform That Brought Gay Rights to the Masses (1st ed.). ForeEdge.
LGBT History. (2016, October 14). LGBT History - Anita Bryant, Des Moines, Iowa, October 14, 1977. Facebook. https://m.facebook.com/LGBTHistoryIG/photos/a.786589938139659/918383608293624/?type=3
Marcus, E. (2002). Making Gay History: The Half Century Fight for Lesbian and Gay Equal Rights. Harper Perennial.
Ring, T. (2021, July 28). Another Pie in the Face for Anita Bryant: Her Granddaughter Is Gay. Advocate. https://www.advocate.com/people/2021/7/27/another-pie-face-anita-bryant-her-granddaughter-gay
The History Project, Inc. (n.d.). ANITA SUCKS [ORANGES] · Documented | Digital Collections of The History Project. Retrieved October 8, 2021, from https://historyproject.omeka.net/items/show/67
Mindfulness is an expansive and diverse practice, and in our first ever guest episode Jesse Frechette, Mindfulness Educator, Coach, Facilitator, & Psychotherapist and Founder & Director at Center Mindful, talks with us about practicing mindfulness and guides us through two mindfulness practices.
You can get connected with Jesse at:
jesse@jessefrechette.com
215-680-1944
Website: www.jessefrechette.com
Facebook: Center Mindful
https://www.facebook.com/CenterMindful/
Connect with the Altern:
thealternde@gmail.com
https://www.instagram.com/thealternde/
Notes:
Meditation app Jesse mentioned: Insight Timer
Mindful eating concerns Julian mentioned: https://tinyurl.com/mindfulnessandeating
On September 20, 365 BC, Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia, was born. In this week's TMQH, Wes discusses the straight-washing of Alexander the Great and his relationship with Hephaestion, his childhood sweetheart, and the parallels between their relationship and that of the legendary Greek heroes and lovers Achilles and Patroclus.
Email: thealternde@gmail.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealternde/
Further reading:
https://manchesterhistorian.com/2021/alexander-the-great-lgbt-icon-by-alexandra-birch/
http://www.wiu.edu/cas/history/wihr/pdfs/WIHR%20spring%202020%20Kitchen%20final%20version.pdf
https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1016&context=histfacpub
Brent, Wes, and Julian discuss body image, the prevalence of eating disorders in the LGBTQ+ community, and how LGBTQ+ people, men, and higher weight individuals get blocked from accessing care for eating disorders. CW for eating disorder treatment, anti-fat bias, medical mistreatment, and discussions of weight. All numbers (weight, BMI, etc) have been bleep-ed out.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealternde/
Email: thealternde@gmail.com
NEDA Hotline: 1-800-931-2237
The Eating Disorder Institute: https://edinstitute.org/
Masterlist of EDI Articles: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dTlFeY7DfMj-lQtB1TlGZuIjJ4te-YDphr6fg2X5kO8/edit?usp=sharing
In this episode of TMQH, Brent discusses the Kinsey Reports: how they furthered the study of sexology, why they were so controversial, and how they impacted the LGBTQ+ community.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealternde/
Email: thealternde@gmail.com
Sources:
Bullough, V. L. (1998). Alfred Kinsey and the Kinsey report: Historical overview and lasting contributions. Journal of Sex Research, 35(2), 127–131. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499809551925
Cochran, W. G. (1970). Statistical problems of the Kinsey report on sexual behavior in the human male;: A report of the American Statistical Association, Committee to advise . . . Committee for Research in Problems of Sex, (Reprint ed.). American Statistical Association.
In-text citation
Haeberle, E. J. (1983). The Birth of Sexology: A Brief History in Documents (First Edition). World Association for Sexology.
Kinsey, A. C. (1998). Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (Reprint ed.). Indiana University Press.
Kinsey, A. C., Pomeroy, W. B., Martin, C. E., & Gebhard, P. H. (1998). Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (Reprint ed.). Indiana University Press.
MacRae, A. P. (2018). Hegemonic negotiation and LGBT representation in contemporary teen films (Thesis). University of Western Australia.
The Rockefeller Archive Center. (n.d.). Kinsey Reports. The Rockefeller Foundation: A Digital History. Retrieved September 11, 2021, from https://rockfound.rockarch.org/kinsey-reports
Intercommunity policing is common in the LGBTQ+ community, and in this episode, Wes, Brent, and Julian discuss the way criticism from cisgender and heterosexual people gets absorbed by some queer people and turned on others.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealternde/
Email: thealternde@gmail.com
Further reading:
Bradford, N. J., & Syed, M. (2019). Transnormativity and Transgender Identity Development: A Master Narrative Approach. Sex Roles, 81(5–6), 306–325. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-018-0992-7
Burns, K. (2019, September 5). TERFs: the rise of “trans-exclusionary radical feminists,” explained. Vox. https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/9/5/20840101/terfs-radical-feminists-gender-critical
Duggan, L. (2002). The New Homonormativity: The Sexual Politics of Neoliberalism. In R. Castronovo & D. D. Nelson (Eds.), Materializing Democracy: Toward a Revitalized Cultural Politics (pp. 175–194). Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822383901
Iovannone, J. (2018, September 18). We Need To Talk About Toxic Gay Masculinity. The Establishment. https://theestablishment.co/we-need-to-talk-about-toxic-gay-masculinity-70dbcd13e775/index.html
Iovannone, J. J. (2019, June 18). What is a “Pride Body”? - Think Queerly. Medium. https://thinkqueerly.com/what-is-a-pride-body-3dfd5e901f9e
Johnson, A. H. (2016). Transnormativity: A New Concept and Its Validation through Documentary Film About Transgender Men. Sociological Inquiry, 86(4), 465–491. https://doi.org/10.1111/soin.12127
M., K. (2021, August 27). Why Do Some Transgender People Still Pathologize Themselves? Medium. https://aninjusticemag.com/why-do-some-transgender-people-still-pathologize-themselves-ce7e176e392b?gi=3383e1577a4d
Pearce, R., Erikainen, S., & Vincent, B. (2020). TERF wars: An introduction. The Sociological Review, 68(4), 677–698. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038026120934713
Stehle, D., & Iovannone, J. (2020, October 25). Jeffry Iovannone: Deconstructing the Ideal Gay Male Body – LOP077. Living OUT Leadership Interview Series. https://darrenstehle.com/jeffry-iovannone-deconstructing-ideal-gay-male-body-lop077/
Remember that classic Al Pacino bank heist movie? It has surprisingly queer origins, which Wes discusses in this episode of TMQH. Content warning for mention of suicide attempts, deadnaming, misgendering, and institutionalization.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealternde/
Email us: thealternde@gmail.com
Further reading:
https://rare.us/entertainment-and-culture/john-wojtowicz/
https://allthatsinteresting.com/john-wojtowicz
Hosts Wes, Brent, and Julian discuss school: GSAs, bullying, and who had the hottest teachers. Content warning for very brief mention of homophobic slurs.
If you want to start a GSA at your school, check out this guide:
https://www.aclu.org/other/how-start-gay-straight-alliance-gsa
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealternde/
Email: thealternde@gmail.com
If you or someone you know is being bullied or struggling:
Trevor Lifeline: 1-866-488-7386.
Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860
In this episode of This Month in Queer History, Julian discusses the first activists ever arrested at a gay sit-in in New York City in 1970, Rockefeller Five, and the protests which led to their arrest.
Follow The Altern on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealternde/
Email: thealternde@gmail.com
Sources:
Burroway, Jim. “Today In History, 1970: The ‘Rockefeller Five’ Arrested in GAA Zap.” Box Turtle Bulletin, 24 June 2016, www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2016/06/24/73810.
“Gay Activists Alliance Zap at the New York Republican State Committee Headquarters.” NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project, www.nyclgbtsites.org/site/gay-activists-alliance-zap-at-the-new-york-republican-state-committee-headquarters. Accessed 8 Aug. 2021.
Neil Miller, Out of the Past: Gay and Lesbian History from 1869 to the Present (New York: Vintage Books, 1995), 380.
This week, we discuss queer language - how it travels through communities, old vs new slang, and much more. Multiple hosts forget to silence their phones and computers (we won't say who) and Julian, who edits the audio, was having computer issues while recording, so the audio is patchy in some spots and some areas needed to be re-recorded at a later date. Please think of this episode as a quilt we have stitched together for you.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealternde/
Email: thealternde@gmail.com
In this episode of our series, This Month in Queer History, host Wes discusses the riot at Compton's Cafeteria in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco in late summer, 1966, as well as the protests leading up to it and how it reflects the unrest rumbling in urban queer communities that would lead to other riots like the Stonewall Riots. Subscribe for more episodes and follow us on Instagram to get updates and pitch ideas for future episodes.
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/thealternde/
Email: thealternde@gmail.com
References:
Screaming Queens documentary: https://youtu.be/G-WASW9dRBU
Transgender History book: https://transreads.org/transgender-history-the-roots-of-todays-revolution-second-edition/
Join Wesley, Brent, and Julian as they discuss their journeys with gender and sexuality and share their coming out stories.
To stay up to date, you can follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealternde/
Feel free to email us if you have a topic you'd like us to discuss: thealternde@gmail.com
If you or someone you know is considering coming out or struggling:
Trevor Lifeline: 1-866-488-7386.
Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860
In the first installment of our This Month in Queer History, host Julian walks us through the Illinois Sodomy Law Repeal of 1961: what it is, why it happened, and how it was the first of its kind in the US. Subscribe for more episodes and follow us on Instagram to get updates and pitch ideas for future episodes. This episode uses PG-13 language to describe sodomy laws.
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/thealternde/
Email: thealternde@gmail.com
References:
American Civil Liberties Union. “History of Sodomy Laws and the Strategy That Led Up to Today’s.” American Civil Liberties Union, www.aclu.org/other/history-sodomy-laws-and-strategy-led-todays-decision. Accessed 15 July 2021.
American Law Institute, The. "Model Penal Code." American Law Institute. Accessed December 13, 2017. https://www.ali.org/publications/show/model-penal-code/.
Council on Religion and the Homosexual, Daughters of Bilitis, Society for Individual Rights, and Tavern Guild of San Francisco. The challenge and progress of homosexual law reform. San Francisco: Council on Religion and the Homosexual, 1968.
Kohler, Will. “Gay History – July 28, 1961: Illinois Becomes First State to Rescind Sodomy Law Possibly By Mistake.” Back2Stonewall, 28 July 2019, www.back2stonewall.com/2019/07/today-in-gay-history-july-28th-1961-illinois-becomes-first-state-to-rescind-its-sodomy-law.html.
Leonard, Arthur S. Sexuality and the law: an encyclopedia of major legal cases. New York: Garland Publ., 1993.
West's Encyclopedia of American Law, edition 2. S.v. "Model Penal Code." Retrieved July, 2021 from https://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Model+Penal+Code
Welcome to the Altern! In our trailer, our three hosts introduce themselves and talk about the general focus of the show.
Keep up to date with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealternde/