Hello everyone! If you are a new listener, welcome, and if you’re a returning listener, you may have noticed that things look a little different. The Altern is now This Month in Queer History, a shortform podcast about LGBTQ history with a focus on the United States and the 20th century. We will be returning with your favorite old episodes, remastered and better than ever, as well as new episodes on topics ranging from the Mattachine Society to Lawrence v. Texas.
By bringing back our podcast, we seek to educate and inform people, in particular youth and young adults, who may not have had access to this information before. We live in the age of information, but a truly staggering amount of that information on queer history is in fact misinformation.
If you’re a new listener, my name is Julian and I work at CAMP Rehoboth Community Center in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. I have a degree in political science and gender studies, and I have published original research on sociocultural historical queer media analysis. I was also a research assistant on a historical sexuality studies podcast before starting this podcast (shout out to Dr. Rebecca Davis and the incredible podcast Sexing History!). I had the privilege of spending four years learning how to read historical documents, search databases, and write critical analysis, and now I want to share that with those who haven’t had that privilege.
No one should need a queer studies degree to learn who the Rockefeller Five were, or what happened at Compton’s Cafeteria in 1966. The younger members of our community, those who weren’t even born during much of the history covered on this podcast, need queer history media that is accessible and accurate.
That is my goal in creating this short-form podcast. Every episode will come with a bibliography of my sources, and other podcasts, books, and documentaries on the subject in which you can learn more. My hope is that these episodes will spark for you the same love I have for the fascinating, chaotic, and profound history of our community.
