In honor of Women’s History Month, we are revisiting one of our most popular episodes: Prostitution in the Wild West!   Please see the original episode for a full list of sources: Ep20 – Prostitution in the Wild West

Today we will be discussing one of the most controversial women in Chinese history: Empress Wu Zetian, the only woman to ever rule China. Historians have depicted her as a ruthless monster and an ineffective ruler, but was this really the case? When it comes to Wu Zetian, it is often difficult to separate fact from myth. Are all the extreme stories about her true? Was she a ruthless monster, or was her legacy tarnished by a long-lasting smear campaign?   Suggested Episodes: Ep15 –...

 In honor of Black History Month, we are taking a look back at some of the amazing African American groundbreakers we have covered on the podcast. We will also learn more about the origins of Black History Month! We will recount the life stories of four amazing groundbreakers from the 20th century: Bayard Rustin, Audre Lorde, and Mildred & Richard Loving.   Suggested Episodes: Ep34 – Sex & Marriage: Apartheid Ep29 – The Stonewall...

Juan and Eva Peron are some of Argentina’s biggest cultural and political icons of the past century. Eva (AKA “Evita”) captured the heart of the nation as a First Lady of the people and President Juan Peron brought prosperity to the working class. In this week’s episode, we learn how this couple’s love for each other and their country propelled them to new heights.   Sources: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Juan-Perón https://www.britannica.com/biography/Eva-Perón Evita: Her...

Apartheid was a system that legally separated the various racial groups in South Africa and kept the white minority in power. Learn how apartheid impacted sex and marriage in SA both during and after apartheid. This episode is sponsored by:   Recommended Episodes: Ep14 – Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera Ep27 – Bayard Rustin   Sources: * https://www.history.com/topics/africa/apartheid#:~:text=Under%20apartheid%2C%20nonwhite%20South%20Africans,two%20groups%20would%20be%20limited. *...

No matter if you are pro-life or pro-choice, it’s important to understand the history of abortion rights and what events have shaped our current perceptions. How have different societies addressed abortion in the past, and why is it such a divisive issue in the modern era?  This episode is sponsored by:   Suggested Episodes: Ep26 – Christine Jorgensen: The First Trans Celebrity Ep03 – Gloria Steinem Goes Undercover   Sources: *...

Nell Donnelly (Reed) was a famous Kansas City resident and business owner who was taken for ransom during the Great Depression. Nell was a badass business woman, but she had a few scandalous secrets that came to light following her kidnapping. This episode is sponsored by: Suggested Episodes: Ep20 – Prostitution in the Wild West Ep16 – History of Damsels in Distress Sources: * Blodgett, Betsy. “Nelly Don: Self Made in America.” Seamwork, Colette Media, LLC, 2021,...

Today we will be learning about one of the darkest influential figures of European culture: the Marquis de Sade, the man who literally inspired the term “sadism.” He was a French aristocrat, philosopher, and writer of graphic sexual works. His writing pushed the envelope with descriptions of intense sexual violence and blasphemy against the Catholic Church.   Recommended Episodes: Ep01 – JFK’s Sexual Exploits Ep08 – Alfred Kinsey (Part...

ACT UP was founded to fight for the rights of AIDS patients. They demanded better drug testing, they altered public perceptions of the illness and safe sex, and refused to back down until they won. If you missed Part I of our coverage of the AIDS Epidemic, I encourage you to go back and listen to that episode first. Click here to listen!   Suggested Episodes: Ep13 – Loving v. Virginia Ep16 – History of Damsels in Distress   Sources: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Kramer *...

Between 1981 and 1987, over 40,000 people died of AIDS in the United States. But despite the obvious health crisis, no one in power was doing anything about it. The U.S. government did not care about AIDS for one simple reason: the majority of the early cases were among gay men, who the government deemed expendable. This episode will be the first of two parts on the AIDS Epidemic. Today, we will learn how the AIDS epidemic began, which communities were impacted, and how the general public...

Around 1:20am on June 28, 1969, a small police force raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in NYC. Little did the officers or patrons known that this raid would spark a series of riots that would inspire people to fight for LGBTQ rights all over the world.   Suggested Episodes: Ep23 – Transgender History Ep21 – LGBTQ History   Sources: Before Stonewall:...

I need to take an extra week to prepare for our last two episodes of Season 3. In the meantime, checkout our previous episodes and merch at salacioushistory.com and bonus episodes at Patreon.com/salacioushistory!

Audre Lorde was a self-described “Black, lesbian, feminist, mother, poet warrior.” She became known for her passionate writings on lesbian feminism and racial issues. As a black, gay woman, Audre identified with multiple minority groups, but she refused to be defined by any single aspect of her identity.   Suggested Episodes: Ep27 – Bayard Rustin Ep14 – Frida Kahlo & Diego...

Bayard Rustin was one of the 20th century’s most influential civil rights activists and organizers, and yet many of us have never heard of him. He was the architect of the 1963 March on Washington and a key advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. But despite all his accomplishments, his story has been pushed to the side for one simple reason: he was openly gay.   Suggested Episodes: Ep24 – Activist Karl Heinrich Ulrichs Ep13 – Loving v. Virginia   Sources: *...

This episode celebrates the life of trans icon Christine Jorgensen. Christine was one of the world’s first transgender celebrities, and the story of her 1952 transition sparked many important discussions about sexuality in the medical and scientific fields.   Suggested Episodes: Ep23 – Transgender History Ep16 – History of Damsels in Distress   Sources: Barajas, Stephanie. “Christine Jorgensen · Challenging Gender Boundaries: A Trans Biography Project by Students of Dr. Catherine...

The Holocaust is one of the best-documented episodes of mass genocide in history, but for decades, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans victims of the Holocaust were left out of historical records. Why were LGBTQ individuals persecuted, and why were their stories left out of the Holocaust narrative for so long? That’s what today’s show is all about.   Suggested Episodes: Ep24 – Activist Karl Heinrich Ulrichs Ep21 – LGBTQ History   Sources: * Bradlow, ByJosh. “Remembering the Holocaust.”...

The gay rights movement began in 19th century Germany with a man named Karl Heinrich Ulrichs. Karl Heinrich Ulrichs was the first self-proclaimed gay man to speak out publicly for the rights of homosexuals. In both written and spoken form, he was the first person to demand the decriminalization of homosexuality as well as the complete legal equality of all sexual orientations. Karl Heinrich Ulrichs was, in many ways, the world’s first gay activist.   Recommended Episodes: Ep23 –...

Transgenderism might seem like a relatively recent phenomenon at first. Even the word “transgender” just first appeared in print in English in 1965, and did not become widely used until the 1990s. But there is nothing new about being transgender. People have been crossing the boundaries of their assigned genders for millenia. Recommended Episodes: Ep21 – LGBTQ History EP22 – The Sacred Band of Thebes Sources: * https://www.theproudtrust.org/resources/trans-resources/trans-history/ *...

We continue our season of LGBTQ history with the Sacred Band of Thebes: a legendary military unit that was entirely made up of HOMOSEXUAL MEN! Let’s journey back to ancient Greece to learn who these men were, how this unit came into being, and what they were able to accomplish.   Suggested Episodes: Ep15 – Cleopatra Ep04 – Shah Jahan & Mumtaz Mahal   Sources: * 53, et al. “The Sacred Band of Thebes – the Fierce Warriors Who Were Also Lovers.” Means Happy, Gaydar, 19 Jan. 2020,...

This season, we are devoting all ten episodes to different chapters of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) history. LGBTQ history has not been preserved and respected in the same way that heterosexual history has, which is just another form of discrimination faced by this group throughout the centuries. On today’s episode, Sarah gives a brief overview of gay history, which will provide a framework for the episodes that will be released later this season. Please note: transgender...

While most types of crime have declined during the COVID-19 lockdown, there is one major exception: domestic violence. Why has domestic violence escalated even as the overall crime rate has fallen? What is the government doing to address this problem? And where can survivors turn for help during these unusual circumstances? National Domestic Violence Hotline: https://www.thehotline.org/ Sources: *...

As the coronavirus continues to spread, the CDC continues to recommend social distancing. With married couples and domestic partners spending an unprecedented amount of time together at home, what kind of impact does this have on their relationships? That’s what today’s episode is all about.   Sources: * DeGregory, Priscilla, and Laura Italiano. “Coronavirus Is Making Couples Sick – of Each Other: Lawyers See Divorces Surge.” New York Post, New York Post, 3 Apr. 2020,...

COVID-19 is changing almost all aspects of our lives right now – but what about the romantic lives of single people?In this special minisode, we take a look at how the Coronavirus and social distancing are affecting singles in the dating world.   Sources: * https://www.verywellhealth.com/sex-dating-covid-19-4800097 * https://wtop.com/life-style/2020/04/dating-apps-seeing-big-increase-in-usage-during-pandemic/ *...

I hope everyone is staying safe during this crazy, unpredictable time! Please stay home (if you’re able) and stay safe. I decided to re-air our VERY FIRST EPISODE for anyone who may need a little pick-me-up or distraction from the current situation. ENJOY!     In our pilot episode, Sarah digs into the story behind one of the most beloved, and some would say the sexiest, Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy. She discusses JFK’s unfortunate male role models, the many women he...