Back when boys, played girls, pretending to be boys
There perhaps isn’t a more British way, to say - gender is a construct - than with Shakespeare is there?So put aside your stack of sonnets, go stick on the kettle, brew a cuppa, and let Shevek Imogen Fodor tell you about the gender foolery that took place in Shakespearean England and ignited and already ember burning flame of gender diversity on stage in the UK's most hallowed theatre institutions.If we acknowledge that gender was performed, messed with and expanded on stage then we can find a glimpse of positive non-binary, genderqueer, genderfluid ways of existing in the past. That's what we'll explore in another episode with Trans+ History Week of the QueerAF podcast.Episode Credits: Produced by Shevek Imogen Fodor. Opening monologue performed by Aryn Jae (they/them). Executive production and mastering by Jamie Wareham. A QueerAF Production. Made with support from Publicis Groupe UK.From Shevek:"Additional thanks to: Dr Will Tosh (he/him); Emma (they/them); Sarah Li (she/they); Stan Doubt (he/him); Vick the Prick (say what you see); Veggie Stripper (he/they); Mack (they/he); and Darkwah (they/them).Thanks to all of the lovely members of the DGA Collective who helped me feel so at home rediscovering drag performance in the North East, sharing all of their experiences of queer discovery and self-acceptance to inspire my thinking for this project. Find out more about Edward's Boys here. Find out more about the history of male impersonation and principal boys with the virtual exhibition of Opening the Closet Doors, the project Sarah did with the Darlington Hippodrome. All of my knowledge and fascination with Shakespeare is a direct result of my parents - I'm indebted to them and to my queer extended found family for encouraging, supporting and inspiring me always (and especially while making this)."Music:“Enlightened”; “Pondering”; “It Doesn’t Have to End”; “Timeless Master” - Medieval Lofi - licensed under a CCSA4.0. Vintage Piano - Piano_Music (Pixabay)Sign up as a QueerAF member to listen along ad-free and support our not-for-profit work, investing in a new generation of queer audio professionals:https://www.wearequeeraf.com/membership/If you like our podcast, you'll love our free weekly newsletter that thousands of readers use to understand the LGBTQIA+ 🏳️🌈 headlines, learn new perspectives and stay on top of the latest queer content. Try it now:https://www.wearequeeraf.com/subscribe/Make sure to sign up for updates about Trans+ History Week, a QueerAF launchpad project:https://www.wearequeeraf.com/transhistoryweek/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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29:11
Without this trans woman, you couldn't to listen to podcasts
Lynn Conway pioneered the technology that makes it possible to use the device you're about to listen to this podcast on now.She even coined a term for why her story has been forgotten, ignored and erased. With a contribution to computer science in almost parallel importance to Alan Turing, producer Chuck Copenspire explains the Connway Effect of why her story is only just beginning to be celebrated as well as the legacy that should be.In this episode of the QueerAF podcast, producer Chuck Copenspire digs through precious archive material of Lynn, telling her story in her own words, mixed with interviews with her contemporaries and historians to ask: what is her legacy, and why has it so rare for people to know her work? Like Alan Turing, her work in computer science was pivotal to how the world works today.Dig deeper into Lynn's work on the Successful Trans Men's Archive in the Trans+ History Week 2025 workbook:https://www.wearequeeraf.com/trans-computing-pioneer-lynn-conway-knew-that-were-stronger-together/Episode Credits: Produced by Chuck Copenspire. Executive production and mastering by Jamie Wareham. A QueerAF Production. Made with support from Publicis Groupe UK. With thanks to all of our guest's valuable time and archive material from: LGBTQ Digital Collaboratory, Trans Activism Oral History Project, Michigan Engineering, University of Victoria, PBS Origins and the Greater Victoria Public Library. Sign up as a QueerAF member to listen along ad-free and support our not-for-profit work, investing in a new generation of queer audio professionals:https://www.wearequeeraf.com/membership/If you like our podcast, you'll love our free weekly newsletter that thousands of readers use to understand the LGBTQIA+ 🏳️🌈 headlines, learn new perspectives and stay on top of the latest queer content. Try it now:https://www.wearequeeraf.com/subscribe/Make sure to sign up for updates about Trans+ History Week, a QueerAF launchpad project:https://www.wearequeeraf.com/transhistoryweek/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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35:37
Live Episode: Star War's Abigail Thorn and Sex Education's Anthony Lexa
Abigail Thorn is currently filming a new role as a trans femme action star, she revealed at the Trans+ History Week community event on a live recording of the QueerAF podcast. The actor, who is known for her roles in the Game Of Thrones (House Of The Dragon, Sharako Lohar) and Star Wars (The Acolyte, Ensign Eurus) universes, said: “I can't say what it is, but I am about to start filming a big action thing this summer. I'm having boxing lessons and sword fighting lessons like three times a week and like learning to dive across things.” Although there has been a transgender superhero before, notably Dreamer, played by Nicole Maines in the CW series Supergirl - Thorn says this is the first time a trans femme person has been cast as an action star in a production of this kind. “I said to the producers when I got it, was like, thank you for giving me this. Because they didn't write it with a trans woman in mind, they just wrote it. And I said to the producers, thank you for giving me this because the idea that a trans woman can be an action star has not yet occurred to anyone outside of this project. And when it does, it's going to blow their minds.”Check out the full interview with special guest Abigail Thorn and guest host Anthony Lexa out now.And if you missed last year's interview with Anthony LExa and co-star Felix Mufti, listen back here. Sign up as a QueerAF member to listen along ad-free and support our not-for-profit work, investing in a new generation of queer audio professionals:https://www.wearequeeraf.com/membership/If you like our podcast, you'll love our free weekly newsletter that thousands of readers use to understand the LGBTQIA+ 🏳️🌈 headlines, learn new perspectives and stay on top of the latest queer content. Try it now:https://www.wearequeeraf.com/subscribe/Make sure to sign up for updates about Trans+ History Week, a QueerAF launchpad project:https://www.wearequeeraf.com/transhistoryweek/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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41:04
Season 6 | Always Been Here, Always Will Be
Do you know who Lynn Conway is? Without her work on the microchip - you wouldn’t be listening to this podcast. Did you know that there are genderqueer ballroom voguing scenes in both India and Wales? How much do you know about the eccentric Reed Erikson, who funded research into dolphin telepathy and pioneering gender-affirming surgeries when no one else would? This season on the award-winning QueerAF podcast, we’re back for more of the history lesson we never had - with Trans+ History Week.Six Trans+ budding audio producers are here with stories from Trans+ history to help us understand the queer world we live in now - plus how we can march for our future.Knowledge of our past, is fundamental for our liberation. So we’re back with our trademark stamp, investing in Queer and Trans+ creative talent, buying them equipment to keep forever, supporting them to change the media, and yes - telling you beautiful stories. Season 6 of QueerAF, is for the millennia-old history of Trans+ communities all over the world. Look out in your podcast app for a special live recording with Philsophy Tube and House of Dragon’s Abaigial Thorn with Netflix’s Sex Education’s Anthony Lexa May 7th, and the whole series comign out in June, and all the way through Pride season. We are QueerAF, and so are you.Sign up as a QueerAF member to listen along ad-free and support our not-for-profit work, investing in a new generation of queer audio professionals:https://www.wearequeeraf.com/membership/If you like our podcast, you'll love our free weekly newsletter that thousands of readers use to understand the LGBTQIA+ 🏳️🌈 headlines, learn new perspectives and stay on top of the latest queer content. Try it now:https://www.wearequeeraf.com/subscribe/Make sure to sign up for updates about Trans+ History Week, a QueerAF launchpad project:https://www.wearequeeraf.com/transhistoryweek/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:20
What healthcare and disability challenges do the queer community face?
To celebrate 20 years of National Student Pride - in 2025, we were back on stage as a media sponsor, for a special live recording for a panel about disability and healthcare in the queer community. It was particularly special because the last time we covered the topic in this way, it was also at Student Pride - check back for the Access All Rainbows episode in season four for that. National Student Pride is an incredible event, and as well as giving QueerAF an incredible launchpad - it's been helping students get graduate jobs, and driving critical conversations in our community, and to mark 20 years of it this year is quite something. The panel is hosted by @char_bailey_, with guests:💜 @iamsteffilynn💙 @jessicaoutofthecloset💚 @_ali.bromley💛 @hausofasadSign up as a QueerAF member to listen along ad-free and support our not-for-profit work, investing in a new generation of queer audio professionals:https://www.wearequeeraf.com/membership/If you like our podcast, you'll love our free weekly newsletter that thousands of readers use to understand the LGBTQIA+ 🏳️🌈 headlines, learn new perspectives and stay on top of the latest queer content. Try it now:https://www.wearequeeraf.com/subscribe/Make sure to sign up for updates about Trans+ History Week, a QueerAF launchpad project:https://www.wearequeeraf.com/transhistoryweek/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
About QueerAF | Inspiring LGBTQIA+ stories told by emerging queer creatives
QueerAF is the award-winning (more than a) podcast with beyond-the-binary stories about queerness, history, sexuality, gender and identity from the UK's only press-regulated not-for-profit LGBTQIA+ publisher with a new episode out every Monday this Pride season. QueerAF helps you understand the LGBTQIA+ world and support queer creatives to change the media. All our shows are created by a different budding LGBTQIA+ audio producer who we mentor and support to create an inspiring queer story. As well as a mix of mini-documentaries and limited series, look out for our live podcast specials, with celebrities, activists and inspiring speakers.The podcast, with its roots and first four seasons in collaboration with National Student Pride, and later seasons with Trans+ History Week gives young queer creatives a crucial leg up on the career ladder. For many, it is their first paid audio commission. Our alumni have gone on to work at some of the UK's biggest media outlets including the BBC, PinkNews and Gaydio.British Podcast Awards 'Moment Of The Year' winner (Bronze)Four British Podcast Awards nominationsARIAS 2021 'Impact Award' shortlistedDownload and take the UK's best LGBTQIA+ inspiring stories podcast with you. Get the show in all the places podcasts exist.https://www.wearequeeraf.com/podcast/Or sign up as a QueerAF member to listen along ad-free:https://www.wearequeeraf.com/membership/If you like our podcast, you'll love our free weekly newsletter that thousands of readers use to understand the LGBTQIA+ 🏳️🌈 headlines, learn new perspectives and stay on top of the latest queer content. Try it now:https://www.wearequeeraf.com/subscribe/Make sure to sign up for updates about Trans+ History Week, a QueerAF launchpad project:https://www.wearequeeraf.com/transhistoryweek/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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