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In this episode, three individuals describe life during and after the Stonewall Uprising, sharing their authentic accounts of the struggles they faced as they participated in the newly formed gay liberation movement. First-hand accounts are given by Perry Brass (NYC Gay Liberation Front), Don Kilhefner (LA Gay Liberation Front), and Rich Wandel (NYC Gay Activists Alliance)—providing a personal, visceral portrait of how people built a movement based on chaos, radicalism, humanity, and energy, even though it happened nearly 60 years ago.

In this episode you'll hear the unedited audio recording of a Zoom webinar called No Intermission, which took place on March 29, 2026, featuring the legendary underground artists, Cherry Vanilla and Tony Zanetta, and their reflections on the powerful convergence of queer liberation, the avant-garde theater scene, and rock and roll that occurred in New York and London during the latter half of the 1960s and into the early 1970s—including the Theatre of the Ridiculous, Andy Warhol's Factory, and the early development of David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust character. The result is a vibrant account of how queerness expressed itself through confrontation, community, and creativity, as well as through art, sexual expression, and the challenge of societal norms, with all of these acts often seen as one radical action.

Tony Zanetta, an influential figure in both the glam rock and Off Broadway scene, helped create a period in which theater, music, and identity came together in spectacular, gender-smashed fashion. He worked as an actor in innovative plays and joined MainMan when David Bowie was at his most popular, one of the major forces behind glam rock. Tony became a part of a performance, persona, and pop culture explosion that created an unforgettable scene. Tony, who starred in Andy Warhol’s Pork in 1971, takes listeners backstage as he reveals the creative chaos, the risks, and the high-creativity environment he and others lived in during the gay liberation revolution. His stories offer insight into the dramatic intersection of art and excess and demonstrate how Off Broadway thrived. Catch Cherry Vanilla, Tony Zanetta, and August Bernadicou in conversation on Zoom on March 29, 2026, at 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT. Register: lgbtqhp.org/intermission.

Cherry Vanilla is a fearless, iconic figure in glam rock, punk, and the experimental underground of New York City. She was also a publicist for David Bowie, contributing significantly to the development of the Ziggy Stardust mystique. In the 1970s, she started performing her poetry as songs and released two albums for RCA in 1978 and 1979, in the early days of punk. Aside from music, Cherry Vanilla collaborated with some of the most provocative and culturally important artists of the time, including her work in Pork (a raucous, surrealistic off-Broadway play by artist Andy Warhol). Cherry has continued to be a defining influence on anyone interested in creating daring, performative art and music during this creative era of New York City in the 1970s. Catch Cherry Vanilla, Tony Zanetta, and August Bernadicou in conversation on Zoom on March 29, 2026, at 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT. Register: lgbtqhp.org/intermission.

The rainbow flag is one of the most well-known symbols in the world. It is celebrated as a representation of LGBTQ pride and liberation. It is widely thought to be the work of Gilbert Baker. However, history is often messier than the story we inherit. In this episode, we are joined by Faerie Argyle Rainbow. What she contributed to the flag's creation has largely been forgotten or misattributed, but we have her back! She takes us through how the idea came to be, how she was involved in making the first flags, and her experience of seeing her work attributed to someone else. This is a discussion about authorship, memory, and the politics of recognition within our community. To honor the queer community, we must examine who is recorded in history and who is not. For more, check out Season 3!

The episode dives into the life and contributions of John Lauritsen, an early member of the New York City Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance, a historian, and an interesting figure. John aided in the recovery of many lost parts of LGBTQ history, but his views on different aspects within the gay movement have made him one of the most controversial figures, especially his contradiction of the mainstream and scientific AIDS narrative and his transphobia. One thing sets John apart from 90% of the people in the late 1960s and early 1970s. What? He was in the room.

A live, one-night-only special podcast episode documenting a famous, rare archived Co*ckette's icon through story, memory, and the contributions of many has been produced. This episode was performed in front of an audience in New York City and featured voices from many different generations and backgrounds. The readings included personal stories, live performance, and select items from his archives; this provided an important insight into a life that greatly influenced the development of underground culture, performance, queer history, and so much more. The readers for this event included August Bernadicou, Hucklefaery, Mike Payne, Will Shellhorn, Shelby Black, Joe E. Jeffreys, Perry Brass, Jane Held, and more. Each reader contributed their unique voice to a collective moment of remembrance and continuation of his legacy. What came from this evening was not nostalgia but the living history of an individual: chaotic, not yet complete, and very present.

In this episode, August returns to Rumi Missabu — Cockette, runaway, and legend — in a raw, intimate conversation recorded less than three months before Rumi’s death on April 2, 2024. Born in Hollywood and self-exiled from official life for decades, Rumi helped found the Cockettes, San Francisco’s glitter-drenched, anarchic performance collective that shattered gender and theatrical norms at the height of gay liberation. What follows isn’t an interview but a phone call: unfiltered, obscene, hilarious, and very much alive. Rumi talks about being a groupie, sex and celebrity, proximity to genius, and life lived entirely on his own terms — including stories that could only come from him. The episode closes with Rumi’s notorious single “White Slavery” and an invitation to keep his legacy moving forward, including Rumipalooza on January 22 at Bureau of General Services–Queer Division in NYC. This is queer history as it actually sounded — unruly, unforgettable, and impossible to sanitize.

This episode takes a look at the life of Rumi Missabu, a founding member of the late 1960s and early 1970s Cockettes, a radical drag performer, and a counterculture visionary who spent years reshaping what art and identity were during his time. After the dissolution of the Cockettes, Rumi spent over 35 years off the grid, living in almost complete anonymity; however, his contributions to drag, performance, and queer culture continued to resonate long after his departure. This episode highlights not only the effects of renouncing one's notoriety but also how an individual can choose to remain anonymous while having a legacy that continues to grow in his absence. Rumi Missabu truly made the greatest comeback since Lazarus.

In this episode, we have Dr. Rick Huskey, a physician and theologian who was instrumental in the creation of Affirmation: United Methodists for LGBTQ Concerns. As a college student in 1971, Rick was one of the first to help create the Northfield, MN, Gay Liberation Front. He later took the fight for LGBTQ inclusion in the United Methodist Church head-on and challenged the church from within. Doing so cost him nearly 30 years of being able to be ordained. Rick lived his life in faith, quietly resisting the church to the best of his ability until he was finally ordained as a United Methodist Elder, just one day before he passed away.

In 1962, seven years before Stonewall, Robbie Robinson co-founded the Tavern Guild, which was America’s first association of gay bars. A true pioneer for LGBTQ+ rights, he played an integral role in creating the organization that systematized San Francisco's gay nightlife and worked toward visibility and safety for the LGBTQ+ community. In this episode, Robbie talks about his trailblazing work with the Tavern Guild, whose impact on queer history we continue to experience today. Hear the incredible story of courage, solidarity, and rebellion in today’s world of LGBTQ+ individuals from someone who was there in the early days!

Part One was so juicy, we are bringing you Part Two. It's all about Reverend Robert Mary Clement, a pioneer in the LGBTQ religious movement. This is Your Church delves deeper into the life of Reverend Clement, spotlighting his groundbreaking ministry in New York City during the earliest years of gay liberation. We explore how the Church of the Beloved Disciple became a spiritual home for queer people at a time when few institutions offered safety or affirmation. This episode also traces Clement’s close collaboration with the Gay Activists Alliance, where his theology and activism intersected to challenge both church and state.

In this episode, you will be introduced to Reverend Robert Mary Clement, one of the very first openly gay bishops in the U.S. Before marriage equality was even on the radar, Clement marched in the original Pride parades wearing his clerical collar and conducted some of the first public "Holy Unions" for same-sex couples. You will hear about how he founded the Church of the Beloved Disciple and the queer-affirming radical faith he practiced in his ministry for multiple decades. There will be time for you to sit in the sanctuary carved out of protest and to hear Clement tell his story in his own words.

This episode focuses on Dave Hayward, a passionate advocate on the front lines of the gay liberation revolution. From calling the pre-gay liberation homophile organization, the Mattachine Society, from his college dorm in Washington, D.C., to organizing the first Pride march in Atlanta, Georgia, his experiences navigate the space between buttoned-up activism and radical revolution. He shares his joyful chaos and courage of coming out when "gay" was still a whisper, and how the struggles for liberation in the 1970s shaped the movement as we currently understand it. It's history told with grit, humor, and heart—by someone who has been a part of that history from the start.

The revolution gets personal. In this episode, three pioneers from the Gay Liberation Front in Washington D.C., New York, and Berkeley share their experiences from the early years of the gay liberation revolution. Gay liberation swept the world, and many actions occurred that are largely unknown to history. Now that changes! This panel discusses the raw and chaotic moments that transformed the movement. From bold protests in Times Square to underground groups meeting to discuss actions, their stories highlight the anger, brilliance, and hope that drove change. Listeners will hear about blood and ink on the streets of New York, experiments in identity and power in Berkeley, and the struggle to redefine what it means to be “us.” This isn’t just history; it’s the heartfelt rhythm of change. Tune in to see how saying “we exist” turned into saying “we will be free."