'Oh, So You're A Lockdown Queen?' - with Jens Radda

'Oh, So You're A Lockdown Queen?' - with Jens Radda

Author: lost queer spaces December 4, 2024 Duration: 46:37

Sometimes when I'm putting this show together I like to imagine that someone has somehow found this show in 50 years time and are having a good ol' giggle at how quaint and ol'timey the things we are talking about are.

And if you are one of these people from the future it's probably worth me telling you about a little thing called the Covid-19 pandemic. This was (hopefully) a once-in-a-lifetime event where a highly contagious disease was sweeping the globe and, so, we were all made to stay in our houses for a good chunk of time to slow down the spread - like, around two years.

It was especially tough because we didn't know when it was going to end, and we kept having these false starts where we were told we were allowed out and then our governments were like 'oh, whoops, no, spoke too soon - get back in your houses!'.


Anyway, I tell you all of this because this week's guest, actor/singer/cabaret artist Jens Radda, had just moved to the city of Melbourne, Australia, from Sydney when the pandemic broke out, and so it had a significant influence on how he settled in to the city, how he made friends, and how he filled his days.


And the periods of 'freedom' (for want of a better word) that he got in between lockdowns were precious and exciting to him because he got to go to queer spaces like the Rainbow House Club.


Other episodes about Melbourne

"Drag And Gayness Requires Delusion" - with Lazy Susan from Death to Everyone Podcast


"Drag Can Be Different Things For Different People" - with Zelda Moon from Death to Everyone Podcast


The Market, Commercial Road, Melbourne, Australia (with Katie Underwood)


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Website: https://www.jensradda.com/


Lost Spaces: Memories from Gay Bars, Lesbian Clubs, and LGBTQ+ Parties is a series of intimate conversations about the venues and parties that have served as crucial backdrops for queer life. Host K Anderson guides each episode with a gentle curiosity, focusing on a single guest’s personal connection to a place that no longer exists in the same way. These are not dry historical accounts, but vivid, emotional recollections. You’ll hear about the specific bar where someone first felt seen, the underground club that provided a sanctuary, or the party where a community solidified. The discussions naturally delve into how these environments fostered identity, provided safety, and built the networks that define so many LGBTQ+ lives. This podcast operates on the understanding that a physical space is often the container for our most formative experiences-first kisses, political awakenings, chosen families. By documenting these lost spaces through personal narrative, the show archives a living history of queer culture that exists beyond official records. The tone is reflective and often poignant, as guests explore not just what these places were, but what their absence means. It’s about the lingering impact of a closed door, and how the memories forged in those rooms continue to resonate. Listening feels like being part of a necessary preservation project, one story at a time, highlighting why these communal hubs were, and remain, vital to health and well-being. Each episode is a specific journey into a memory, making the broader point about collective loss and resilience without ever needing to state it outright.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Lost Spaces: Memories from Gay Bars, Lesbian Clubs, and LGBTQ+ Parties
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