"GAY PANIC! 1955" E1: "Crush the Monster," or, "Groomers"

"GAY PANIC! 1955" E1: "Crush the Monster," or, "Groomers"

Author: Devlyn Camp October 8, 2023 Duration: 35:30
This is the true story of a panic that swept Boise, Idaho in 1955—a panic that continues to spread and damage our communities today. A standalone 9-episode serial podcast about a true scandal in queer history—in a new city with no Mattachine, no Bilitis, & no one to turn to. Find all things Queer Serial here: linktr.ee/queerserial If you’d like to support my many ongoing LGBTQ history projects subscribe to bonus episodes of Queer Serial for $2.99/month here on Apple Podcasts, or $3/month here on Spotify or here on Patreon to also get my queer history archive dives & behind the scenes of my documentary currently in production about preserving Randy Wicker and Marsha P. Johnson’s archive. That’s all of my bonus episodes ever and all of my Patreon posts ever!! Listen to the first 4 seasons of Queer Serial free wherever you’re listening to this episode right now! Hear the story of American queer liberation from its roots in the 1920s all the way through to Stonewall and beyond. Explore the Episode Guide at queerserial.com/episodes.  To support my projects and get some queer merch, visit my new Etsy shop! I have lots of podcast merch from throughout the series, plus new queer history-related postcards, buttons, stickers, and other fun things! etsy.com/shop/queerhistoryuplift. Thank you all so much for your support! Follow the show on Instagram @queerserial for images from the true history, subscribe to periodic email updates here, and find more info & resources for the podcast at queerserial.com. Music comes from Blue Dot Sessions. Theme song “It’s Noisy Out in Boise, Idaho” (1949) by The King’s Jesters. “Radio clips” in this episode feature Marjorie Taylor Greene, Catholic priest James Altman, and “CBS Reports: The Homosexual.” This podcast is entirely supported by subscribers on Patreon and by bonus episode subscribers on Apple Podcasts & Spotify for $2.99 a month. “Queer Serial” is written, hosted, edited, produced, etc. by Devlyn Camp. Thanks for listening!

Devlyn Camp’s Queer Serial: American LGBTQ+ History unfolds like a gripping radio drama, but every story is rooted in fact. This isn't a dry lecture; it's an immersive soundscape that pulls you into the pivotal, often hidden, moments that have shaped queer life in America. Each season focuses on a different true story, weaving together narrative storytelling, historical research, and firsthand accounts to create something that feels both urgent and deeply human. You’ll hear the tensions, the triumphs, and the personal risks that define these chapters of our past, presented with the pacing and depth of a documentary series. The podcast naturally sits at the intersection of history and true crime, exploring systemic injustices, personal bravery, and cultural shifts that textbooks often overlook. By dramatizing these real events, Camp makes the struggles and joys of LGBTQ+ communities resonate on a personal level, reminding us that history is made of individual lives. Tune in for a compelling blend of education and emotion, where the past is given a voice and its lessons echo into the present. This is history told not from a distance, but from the inside.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 82

Queer Serial: American LGBTQ+ History
Podcast Episodes
S1 E9 "I Think That Man Is One of Those" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:07
Do we moderate our queer behavior in an assimilated world? What happens when Mattachine goes public? Or when the culturalists move forward with militant queer identity? "Can Homosexuals Organize?" "How Clean Can A House…
S1 E8 "Silly Letters" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:31
Why do assimilationists reject queer culture? Hear the season from the point of view of the Mattachine's rising leader. Please rate and review the show on iTunes! Or support the show at patreon.com/queerserial. Editorial…
S1 E7 "People Like Other People" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:06
Are you a culturalist or an assimilationist? What are the pros and cons of each side, and what would you do to fight for yours? No one will be the same after this week's Mattachine meeting. Please rate and review the sho…
S1 E6 "Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been A Homosexual?" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:42
When an organization splinters into alliances, will the community they're organizing splinter, too? Welcome to the secret society's first constitutional convention. Please rate and review the show on iTunes! Or support t…
Bonus: Executive Order 10450 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:54
This bonus episode doesn't take place in the past, but it's based in history. How does 1953's anti-gay executive order influence our lives under Trump? Vote.org & Indivisible.orgSources, current events, and more info: ht…
S1 E5 "Diversified Individualists" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:44
How will political pressure from the lavender scare cause cracks in the Mattachine Foundation? If we are "moral risks," then what is our moral code? Please rate and review the show on iTunes! Or support the show at patre…
S1 E4 "The Lavender Scare" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:05
How and when did homophobia begin in the United States? How did the government weaponize it against us? Please rate and review the show on iTunes! Or support the show at patreon.com/queerserial. Editorial advising by Pau…
S1 E3 "To Be Accused: The Trial of Dale Jennings" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:22
Why was Dale Jennings arrested? What purpose does ONE Magazine serve? How is queer culture defined by our community? -Miss Jean Dempsey, Treasurer Please rate and review the show on iTunes! Or support the show at patreon…
S1 E2 "The Call" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:48
Who is the Mattachine Foundation? What do they want? Please rate and review the show on iTunes! Or support the show at patreon.com/queerserial. Editorial advising by Paul Di Ciccio and Albert Williams. Follow us on Faceb…
S1 E1 "Strange Sex Cult Exposed" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:01
What is Mattachine? Why are they anonymous? Our case opens with a postal worker in 1920s Chicago. Please rate and review the show on iTunes! Or support the show at patreon.com/queerserial.Editorial advising by Paul Di Ci…