Experts say 20-30% of the LGBTQ community abuses substances. Donald Flowers Jr. is a gay man who was addicted to alcohol, cocaine, crystal meth, and sex. He reflects on his struggles with addiction and his journey to sob See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get your ticket to our free live show here, this Sunday, September 29th at 2:30pm in NYC! Stewart Butler shaped much of the vibrant queer culture in New Orleans, through his political activism. He was driven by the loss of 32 queer people in the Upstairs Lounge Fire in 1972 — a fire that he witnessed with his own eyes. Frank Perez is an LGBTQ+ historian who recounts Stewart’s story for us. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sherry Vine is a legendary drag queen that came up in the 90s, in NYC. She's aware of drag's super power: helping queer people escape from the pain of their lives. She was at the center of that during the AIDS crisis. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2009, Annise Parker became the first openly gay mayor of a major American city. As mayor, her signature piece of equal rights legislation famously failed — but it drove her to help elect more LGBTQ+ Americans into office than ever before. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lori Branch was one of the pioneering DJs of house music in the 80s. She reflects on the queer origins of the genre, how this history was erased, and why house music still resonates with so many queer people today. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alex Espinoza is the author of the only official history on gay cruising: Cruising: An Intimate History of a Radical Pastime. He reflects on how cruising helped him find self confidence and led him to the love he had always been searching for. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Studio 54 was much more than a club. It was the embodiment of disco — a movement that empowered LGBTQ+ Americans and prepared them for a fight they never saw coming. Hal Rubenstein, a fashion icon, was a regular there. He remembers how the highs of the 70s sustained him through the lows of the 80s. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Part 2 of our episode with Tabytha Gonzalez, she details the consequences of her sex work: a harrowing drug addiction followed by 16 years of incarceration. And she reflects on how years later, she’d return to The Stroll with a new purpose. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tabytha Gonzalez is a trans woman who worked on The Stroll in the 90s, a historic area of NYC known for sex work. She recounts the freedom that sex work gave her — and the costs that came with it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Danny Ingram was a gay soldier who had to stay closeted during the military’s ban on gay people in the 80s. But when his partner began to die of AIDS, he realized he couldn't stay silent any longer. He decided to fight to end the ban — and 17 years later, he would win. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brandon Wolf survived the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016. Hailing from rural Oregon, Brandon reflects on how the club — and the people in it — changed his life forever. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jim Obergefell was the plaintiff in the case that legalized gay marriage for all of America in 2015 (Obergefell v. Hodges). Behind that case was a story of love and loss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lawsuit meant Zoe Dunning was the only LGBTQ+ person allowed in the miltiary for 13 years. Compliant at first, she would tranform into one of the most vocal opponents against the military's ban on gays. She would eventually stand next to President Obama as he abolished the ban for good. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Prefontaine's father died from AIDS related complications. Decades later, he reunited with him in an unexpected way. Special thank you to Trent Straube for originally writing about Chris & Jason in POZ magazine in 2021. You can read his article here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Pimentel lost his first love to AIDS in 1991. But 30 years later, that love story got an unexpected new chapter. Part 2 of this love story drops next week. Special thank you to Trent Straube for originally writing about Chris & Jason in POZ magazine in 2021. You can read his article here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coming out on YouTube has defined a generation of young queer people. In 2015, Ingrid Nilsen posted one of the most viewed coming out videos of all time. She reflects on the positive and negative impact it’s had on her life and millions of others. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Evan Wolfson was a major figure in the fight for gay marriage in America. He shares how - ironically - he never thought he'd get married, what changed his mind, and how his 32 year fight for marriage equality changed America. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jean Carlomusto is an Emmy-nominated documentarian. But in the 1980s, she was a scrappy filmmaker documenting the AIDS crisis for ACT UP. She reflects on the impact that lesbians like her had in responding to the deadly epidemic that was mostly affecting gay men.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special episode, we learn more about our host, Jordan Gonsalves, in an interview with Eric Marcus from Making Gay History. Jordan shares his coming out story, the inspiration behind But We Loved, and what listeners can expect from future episodes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Boyce was part of the historic Stonewall Riots in June 1969. He recounts the events of that night in detail and reflects on how his actions changed America for generations to come. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a gay kid growing up Catholic, in conservative Texas, Jordan Gonsalves knew nothing about queer history. Now, as a journalist, he’s searching for the stories he craved when he was coming of age. Through intimate interviews with LGBTQ+ elders, Jordan uncovers the untold stories of queer history. And in the process, he discovers the role models he always needed and the wisdom they’ve been waiting to pass down. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.