S9 Ep. 32 Barry Walters on LGBTQ Music 1969-2000 episode artwork

EPISODE · May 28, 2026 · 48 MIN

S9 Ep. 32 Barry Walters on LGBTQ Music 1969-2000

from fiction/non/fiction

Music critic Barry Walters joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and Christian Barter to discuss his new book, Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music 1969-2000. Walters talks about how he chose the artists that he includes in his book and explains how musicians like David Bowie, Lou Reed, Grace Jones, and Sylvester saved his life. He explores how social repression shaped and complicated work from LGBTQ bands, how queer acts like Queen were pigeonholed by music critics, and how mainstream groups like Nirvana spoke to the LGBTQ experience.  He talks about his personal connection to Madonna’s work and reads from Mighty Real.To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below. Check out video versions of our interviews on the Fiction/Non/Fiction Instagram account, the Fiction/Non/Fiction YouTube Channel, and our show website: https://www.fnfpodcast.net/This podcast is produced by Christian Barter and Whitney Terrell.Barry WaltersMighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music 1969-2000“George Michael’s ‘Father Figure’: When Love Meets Crime”|Billboard, Oct. 26, 2017“Madonna’s ‘Erotica,’ ‘Sex’: Why Musical Masterpiece, Defiant Book Still Matter”| Rolling Stone, Oct. 19, 2017“As Much As I Can, As Black As I Am: The Queer History of Grace Jones”|Pitchfork, August 25, 2015“Sylvester: Staying Alive”|The Village Voice, Nov. 8, 1988OthersCity Boy: My Life in New York During the 1960s and '70s by Edmund WhiteSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Music critic Barry Walters joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and Christian Barter to discuss his new book, Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music 1969-2000.

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S9 Ep. 32 Barry Walters on LGBTQ Music 1969-2000

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This episode is 48 minutes long.

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This episode was published on May 28, 2026.

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Music critic Barry Walters joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and Christian Barter to discuss his new book, Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music 1969-2000. Walters talks about how he chose the artists that he includes in his book and explains how...

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