Jonathan the gay giant tortoise, a night at a trans punk show, and more podcasts for Pride
If you had a starter pack of anti-gay slogans, there's one phrase you'd be guaranteed to find. It's a classic line passed down through generations of homophobes:
It's just not natural.
But, it turns out science has found that same-sex relationships are extremely natural, occurring across all kinds of different animal species.
The oldest living animal in the world is a Seychelles giant tortoise named Jonathan. He's estimated to be 191 years old...and yes, he's gay. The new podcast A Field Guide To Gay Animals tells us all about it.
Then: the podcast Sounds Gay tells stories about the intersection of queerness and music. We follow host Sarah Esocoff and producer Cass Adair as they explore Brooklyn's underground trans punk scene.
Finally, when HIV/AIDS first started to appear in the 1980s, it was pigeonholed as a gay disease. It got nicknames like the "gay plague" and "gay cancer."
For a lot of people, it was also assumed to be a white gay disease. It took time for people of colour in the 2SLGBTQ+ community to realize and accept that they were at risk as well. The podcast Blindspot has that story.
All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist.
A Field Guide to Gay Animals: "Owen and Laine are your intrepid guides to investigate this variety of animal behaviours, exploring the depths of the ocean, the heart of the forest, and the bushes in your backyard, to dive deep into nuanced conversations about queerness in the animal world."
Secret Life of Canada: "For decades, Canada attempted to purge queer people out of the public service and the military. We look into why it all started during the Cold War, what the fear of the Soviet Union had to do with it and how the invention of a homosexuality test nicknamed "The Fruit Machine" was supposed to aid in the RCMP's investigations. Spoiler alert—it didn't work."
Sounds Gay: "At this trans punk show, The Dilators frontwoman Saoirse is turning 29. Her "gay mom" Renée is 74. One of the bands, Hardly Fits, is still in high school. But age can mean something different when you're trans. Come with us on a journey through trans time—all in one night."
Blindspot: "Valerie Reyes-Jimenez called it 'The Monster.' That's how some people described HIV and AIDS in the 1980s. Valerie thinks as many as 75 people from her block on New York City's Lower East Side died. They were succumbing to an illness that was not recognized as the same virus that was killing young, white, gay men just across town in the West Village."
Handsome: "The hilarious Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad) asks Handsome a surprisingly deep question about... colours!"
Gender Reveal: "Tuck tackles more advice questions with BFF of the show Mckenzee Griffler (she/her). Topics include: What if my partner doesn't want me to come out to their parents? Should I live the plot of Boys Weekend by Mattie Lubchansky?"
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