Drag Balls and Hidden Havens: Maryland's LGBTQ+ History

LGBTQ+ people have long been part of Maryland's story, but their histories have often gone untold. In this episode of Maryland Unfolded, host Dr. Kalima Young speaks with public librarian and historian Ben Egerman about his research into Maryland's LGBTQ+ past and his book, A Gay Little History of Maryland: Volume 1. Together, they discuss a 19th-century trans horse thief, Black drag balls during the Jazz Age, the surprising consequences of a 1955 police raid on a Baltimore gay bar, and how a drag club in a small Southern Maryland town became a safe haven during the 1960s. They also explore what makes Maryland's LGBTQ+ history unique and why preserving local queer and trans history through archives, libraries, zines, and public storytelling matters today.