PODCAST · history
Forgotten Queers
by Gary M Thoren Jr
This is Forgotten Queers, a show about the queer figures history pushed aside. They were once stars, leaders, icons — but time, shame, and prejudice buried their names. We’re here to remember them, to honor them, and to say: you don’t get to forget us. Cover art photo provided by Alexander Grey on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/@sharonmccutcheon?utm_source=spreaker&utm_medium=referral Cover art photo provided by Shannia Christanty on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/@shanniacy?utm_source=spreaker&utm_medium=referral Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/forgotten-queers--6719466/support.
Episodes
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Richard Chamberlain
Richard Chamberlain was famous famous. For decades, he was one of those actors almost everybody recognized, even if different generations knew him for completely different reasons. To some, he was the impossibly handsome young Dr. Kildare. To others, he was the romantic hero of The Thorn Birds…
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BobMackie
Forgotten Queers: Bob Mackie — Sequins, Camp, Cher, and a Curtain Rod This week on Forgotten Queers, Gary is joined once again by guest cohost Sion to celebrate the life, career, and absolutely fabulous legacy of Bob Mackie—the legendary costume designer who understood that sometimes more really…
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GeorgeNader 2
What happens when one of Hollywood’s most handsome leading men is gay in an era when being honest about it could destroy everything? This week on Forgotten Queers, Uncle Gary takes us back to 1950s Hollywood for the story of actor, writer, and certified heartthrob George Nader. And honestly, this...
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The Lord Won’t Mind
What if I told you that decades before Brokeback Mountain, before Heated Rivalry, and long before queer love stories became something publishers actively went looking for, one gay author proved that a love story between two men could sell? Hey, queers and weirdos! This week on Forgotten Queers,...
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Loving Allies and why we love them
On this special episode of Forgotten Queers, we're celebrating the allies who have helped make the world a safer, more welcoming place for LGBTQ+ people.I begin by exploring the lives and allyship of Norman Lear, Leonard Nimoy, and Paul McCartney—three people who used their influence, compassion,...
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Elton John
Sir Elton John is one of the most influential musicians in history, selling more than 300 million records and creating timeless hits like Rocket Man, Tiny Dancer, and Your Song. After years of keeping parts of his personal life private, he came out publicly in the late 1980s and has since become…
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Queer Horror Chat with Serenity Scarecrow
Ryan Murphy is not a Forgotten Queer but a prolific queer. Sitcoms, to drama to docudrama to horror and let's throw in a musical or two. What is your favorite? We also talk about The Bride! because you know it's cool!! Become a supporter of this podcast:...
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Grant Wood Wanted to be a Forgotten Queer
Grant Wood best known for the painting American Gothic. While never coming out as gay and several times denying it there is enough proof that I felt he should be profiled. I wish there was more to talk about the guared artist Become a supporter of this podcast:...
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Elvira AKA Cassandra Peterson - The Mistress of the Dark
Cassandra Peterson — better known to generations of horror fans as Elvira — is a horror icon, actress, writer, and savvy businesswoman who turned a campy late-night horror host into a decades-long entertainment empire. After early work in music, performance, and comedy (including time with The...
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John Schlesinger
John Schlesinger was a groundbreaking British director whose work helped bring queer stories and complicated outsiders into mainstream cinema. Born in 1926, he began as an actor before moving behind the camera, where he directed acclaimed films like Midnight Cowboy, Sunday Bloody Sunday, and...
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DanLevy
Dan Levy This week on Forgotten Queers, we’re talking about the endlessly charming, brilliantly funny, and quietly groundbreaking Dan Levy. From growing up as the son of comedy legend Eugene Levy to becoming one of the most recognizable queer creators on television, Dan carved out a space where...
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Jody Dallas
Jody Dallas, played by Billy Crystal, was one of the first openly gay characters on American television—and not just a sidekick or a punchline, but a fully realized, messy, lovable human being.When Soap premiered in 1977, Jody wasn’t just groundbreaking—he was controversial. A gay man in a...
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Assumption - By AA Sekhon
Assumptions is a character-driven novel that digs into how quickly we judge—and how wrong we can be when we do. The story centers on a group of interconnected characters whose lives overlap in unexpected ways. At first glance, each person seems easy to define: their identities, their…
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George Michael, Gone to Soon
A Brief History of George Michael Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/forgotten-queers--6719466/support. Please follow me on Facebook, BlueSky,TikToc,Twitter at Gary Thoren. We must never forget our Forgotten Queers
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Tig Notaro
Tig Notaro Turning Pain Into Punchlines Tig Notaro is one of the most quietly revolutionary comedians working today. Not because she’s loud or flashy—she’s not—but because she has done something far more difficult: she made raw, uncomfortable truth not only watchable, but deeply, painfully funny....
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Louisa May Alcott
Louisa May Alcott : The Radical Mind Behind Little Women Most people know Louisa May Alcott as the beloved author of Little Women. But behind that classic novel was a fiercely independent woman who resisted the expectations of marriage, challenged gender roles, and lived a life shaped by…
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Forgotten Queer Montgomery Clift
In this episode of Forgotten Queers, your favorite queer history podcast, we revisit one of Hollywood’s most quietly revolutionary leading men — Montgomery Clift. Often remembered for his beauty and tragedy, Clift deserves recognition among our true forgotten icons. With only seventeen films, he...
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ted northe
Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1939, ted stayed in the area to attend school and grow up. His family was unconditional in their support of ted even after coming out as homosexual in a time where it was a criminal act. In 1958 he moved to Vancouver and started protesting homosexuality being…
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Rufus Wainwright
The wonderful Canadian Rufus Wainwright is being profiled this week. A queer who’s not forgotten and lives proudly Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/forgotten-queers--6719466/support. Please follow me on Facebook, BlueSky,TikToc,Twitter at Gary Thoren. We must...
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Revisiting the wonderful Wendy Carlos
This is a revising of Wendy Carlos. I wanted to get a trans women’s perspective on it and Marcia Darling agreed to help me with this. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/forgotten-queers--6719466/support. Please follow me on Facebook, BlueSky,TikToc,Twitter at…
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Elliott Page a warrior
In this week’s episode, Zee & For the next few weeks Negotiate I discuss Elliot Page and what a true warrior he is, and somehow connect this with the atrocities of Trump and Caitlin Jenner. Quite a ride folks. I hope you enjoy. Become a supporter of this podcast:...
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Forgotten Queer Little Richard
Little Richard, the complicated Forgotten Queer! Yeah, that about covers it. I hope you enjoy this episode please rate and review. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/forgotten-queers--6719466/support. Please follow me on Facebook, BlueSky,TikToc,Twitter at Gary...
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Forgotten Queer Clive Barker
Stephen King said Clive Barker was the future of horror. I tend to agree. Whether you know him best from his books, movies, comics or art he’s a Queer Icon who hopefully will never be forgotten 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ Become a supporter of this podcast:...
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Forgotten Queer Chris Kanyon
Chris Kanyon from Physical Therapist to Wrestling Superstar to Wrestling joke 😢. Find out more on this week’s Episode of Forgotten Queers Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/forgotten-queers--6719466/support. Please follow me on Facebook, BlueSky,TikToc,Twitter…
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Forgotten Queer Rob Halford
Rob Halford lead vocalist of Judas Priest. He joined them in 1973. They received a 2010 Grammy award for best metal performance. Learn more in this podcast. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/forgotten-queers--6719466/support. Please follow me on Facebook,...
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Forgotten Queer Keith Haring
Moved to New York City in 1978 to study painting at the School of Visual Arts Started his career as a graffiti artist in subway stations using white chaulk on black, unused advertisement boards. 1980: He used New York lamp posts to post graphic letter messages around the city. “Regan Slain By…
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Danny Lockin
Danny Lockin was born in Hawaii in 1943,Not for any glamorous reasons but because that’s where dad Joseph was an operations manager for Dole Pineapple well anyway the family didn’t stay there long and fairly soon relocated to Omaha, Nebraska. Mom also known as Jean, who had been a dancer in the...
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Wendy Carlos: Caterpillar to Butterfly
Good morning, queers and weirdos! Today we remember Wendy Carlos — the electronic genius who helped invent the sound of the future. In the 1960s, she took Robert Moog’s early synthesizer and turned it into an instrument of emotion. Her album Switched-On Bach blew minds and won Grammys, proving…
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Charles Nelson Reilly — To Fabulous to Forget
Today we remember a man who could out-quipp anyone on television and still go home alone because America wasn’t ready for his truth. Charles Nelson Reilly was more than the wise-cracking guest on Match Game—he was a Tony-winning actor, a master director, and a pioneer of coded queer visibility in...
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Peter Allen: The Boy from Tenterfield to Broadway
Peter Richard Woolnough Allen, born in Tenterfield, Australia, lived a life that swung between dazzling fame and deep heartbreak. Discovered in Hong Kong by Judy Garland’s husband, he later married her daughter, Liza Minnelli—a glamorous but short-lived union. Peter’s flamboyant stage presence…
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Dirk Bogarde - The Gentleman Rebel
Dirk Bogarde was Britain’s matinee idol turned quiet revolutionary. From his charming Doctor in the House films to the daring Victim (1961)—the first British movie to say “homosexual” aloud—Bogarde risked his career to bring empathy and truth to queer lives on screen. A war veteran, writer, and...
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Coco - The Forgotten Golden Girl
What happened to Coco on the Golden Girls? One Episode there the next gone. Just like he never existed? Cover up? Or just 80’s conservatism poking through! Enjoy Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/forgotten-queers--6719466/support. Please follow me on Facebook,...
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Sal Mineo
Sal Mineo’s life was as dazzling as it was tragic—a story of talent, struggle, and queerness in a Hollywood that wasn’t ready for him. Born in the Bronx in 1939 to Italian immigrant parents, Mineo grew up tough but artistic, finding early success on Broadway as the young Prince Chulalongkorn...
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Ella Nazimova
Alla Nazimova was one of the brightest, boldest, and most complicated figures of early Hollywood — a woman who refused to live small. Born in 1879 in Yalta, on the Crimean coast, she survived a lonely childhood and strict Russian schooling before finding her calling on the stage. Trained at the...
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William “Billy” Haines
illiam “Billy” Haines was born in 1900 in Staunton, Virginia, the child of a working-class family in a town too small to hold him. At just 14, he ran away with another boy choosing freedom over the small-town suffocation of staying. He eventually landed in New York, where his good looks carried…
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Dorothy Arzner
Dorothy Arzner may not be a household name today, but in the 1920s through the 1940s she was a rare force in Hollywood: the only woman directing features inside the studio system, a technical innovator, a champion of actresses, and a queer woman who lived openly with her partner for over four...
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Ramon Navarro
amón Novarro was a Mexican-American actor who rose to fame in the silent era, becoming one of Hollywood’s first Latin heartthrobs. Best known for his role in Ben-Hur (1925), he rivaled Rudolph Valentino in star power. Behind the glamour, Novarro was a gay man navigating an industry and a culture...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
This is Forgotten Queers, a show about the queer figures history pushed aside. They were once stars, leaders, icons — but time, shame, and prejudice buried their names. We’re here to remember them, to honor them, and to say: you don’t get to forget us.
Cover art photo provided by Alexander Grey on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/@sharonmccutcheon?utm_source=spreaker&utm_medium=referral
Cover art photo provided by Shannia Christanty on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/@shanniacy?utm_source=spreaker&utm_medium=referral
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/forgotten-queers--6719466/support.
HOSTED BY
Gary M Thoren Jr
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Forgotten Queers have?
Forgotten Queers currently has 37 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Forgotten Queers about?
This is Forgotten Queers, a show about the queer figures history pushed aside. They were once stars, leaders, icons — but time, shame, and prejudice buried their names. We’re here to remember them, to honor them, and to say: you don’t get to forget us. Cover art photo provided by Alexander Grey on...
How often does Forgotten Queers release new episodes?
Forgotten Queers has 37 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Forgotten Queers?
You can listen to Forgotten Queers on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Forgotten Queers?
Forgotten Queers is created and hosted by Gary M Thoren Jr.
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