Queer as Fact

This Queer as Fiction episode is on Kenyan director Wanuri Kahiu’s 2018 lesbian romance film, Rafiki.

Join us for a rich exploration of Kenyan culture through the lens of the director’s self-titled “Afrobubblegum” genre, the real-world ramifications of releasing a lesbian film with a happy ending in a country where homosexuality is criminalised, and a DJ named after an Australian cartoon character.

Check out our website, where you can find our sources, as well as everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.

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[Image: A poster for the film Rafiki, featuring the two leads, Samantha Mugatsia and Shiela Munyiva. It specifies that the film was an Official Selection “un certain regard” at Cannes Film Festival.]

Today's episode is on Hwarang, a group of elite youth in first millenium Korea who have come to simultaneously represent nationalism, masculinity, and gay love. Join us to learn about the most talented and beautiful men in the Korean Peninsula, enjoy some historical song lyrics about gay love, and hear us discuss about the challenges of approaching queer history across cultures and centuries.

Check out our website, where you can find our sources, as well as everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.

If you enjoy our content, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Instagram, Tumblr and Bluesky.

 

(Photo: statue of Hwarang at Hamyang Middle School, taken by HappyMidnight CC BY-SA 3.0, )

Today's episode is a nice light-hearted look at something near and dear to many sapphic hearts - Subaru! 

We take a look at WHY lesbians loving Subarus is such a stereotype, what the car company did to encourage this, and laugh at some pretty saucy innuendos. 

This episode was originally released on our Patreon in 2024.

Check out our website, where you can find our sources, as well as everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.

If you enjoy our content, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Instagram, Tumblr and Bluesky.

[Image: A black and white Subaru ad featuring the caption "Loves Camping, dogs and long-term commitment. Too bad it's only a car"]

Today’s episode is on the South African performer and hairdresser, Kewpie! Join us to learn about queer life in Cape Town’s coloured community under apartheid, find out how you can get your hair done at 3am, and hear about a prize-winning Marie-Antoinette costume.

Check out our website, where you can find our sources, as well as everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.

If you enjoy our content, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Instagram, Tumblr and Bluesky.

Today's episode is on the Catterick skeleton, the excavated remains of person buried in 4th century CE Roman Britain, identified by archaeologists and the press as a 'transvestite'. Join us to hear about what a bead found in the ground can tell us about gender in local jewellery trends, how press reactions to the skeleton have changed over time, and a bonus ancient Roman board game interlude.

This episode was originally released on our Patreon in early 2024. Some statements, such as those about Eli's thesis progress and the current state of the scholarship, may be outdated.

Check out our website, where you can find our sources, as well as everything there is to know about Queer as Fact.

If you enjoy our content, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Instagram, Tumblr and Bluesky.