In this interview episode, Leigh sits down with scholar and creator of the Queer Digital History Project Avery Dame-Griff to discuss his book The Two Revolutions: A History of the Transgender Internet and all it contains about the magic of the evolution of trans folks on the internet. From BBSes (bulletin board system) to Twitter, we discuss how trans people have always existed on and created their own unique spaces on the World Wide Web, tapping into Avery’s extensive research, interviews, and media archaeology.

Where to find more from Avery Dame-Griff online:

• AveryDame.net

• Mastodon: apdamegriff@aoir.social

• Queer Digital History Project

Also, some additional awesome news about internet trans history!

As listeners may know, Leigh works at the GLBT Historical Society for their day job. And recently, a volunteer archivist, Cara Esten Hurtle, discovered an amazing CD-ROM containing the entirety of Transgender Forum, (TGForum.com) from 1995 to 1998, one of the largest trans communities online at that time, that Avery Dame-Griff also covers in his book! Hurtle uploaded the CD-rom online for anyone to peruse and it’s absolutely amazing to see the 90s trans community right there before your very eyes!

The discovery has been covered by them online in a fantastic article which you can read here: This Archive Offers an Incredible Window Into the Early Trans Internet.

And you can peruse the CD-Rom of TGForum.com here, where Cara uploaded the archive! Just click the “START.HTM” file in the tgfcd window, and browse to your heart’s content! Want Leigh to do an interview with Cara about her discovery? Let us know!

Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! We have a Discord server for everyone to hang out in, exclusive O.G. Lesbian Sappho t-shirts, Pop-Culture Tie-In movie watches, and some really fun extras coming your way! You can also get merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, mugs, magnets, and other neat things!

If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard of hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

This episode has EVERYTHING: gay haircuts, yearning, rage against the patriarchy, they were *roommates*....let’s talk about the magical world of Yoshiya Nobuko, girls’ culture, and lesbian fiction in Taishō era Japan! Leigh is joined by guest host Erica Friedman, speaker, editor, researcher and an expert on all things Yuri. Yoshiya Nobuko was an extremely popular writer in 20th century Japan who lived with her beloved female partner for 50 years and her legacy continues today as “the Grandmother of Yuri.”. The tropes and storylines established in her writing can still be seen today in queer girls stories in and outside of Japan– get ready to learn all about modern Japan’s very own Sappho. After all, it’s all in the yearning. 

 Erica Friedman writes about Yuri anime, manga and related media on her blog Okazu, and can be found on Twitter as @okazuyuri, Bluesky as Okazu and @EricaFriedman@mastodon.social 

 Erica’s book By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga is the first in-depth study of Yuri in English.

Outline

0:00 Introduction
7:29 Socio-Historical Context
24:00 Who Were They? Bio Time
41:36 - 43:42 Content Note: discussion of WWII 
48:37 Why Do We Think They’re Gay?: Some More Socio-Historical Context
50:12 - 55:30 Content Note: discussion of pathologizing of homosexuality
55:30 - 58:00 Content Note: discussion of suicides in the news at the time
58:34 Word of The Week: “S Class”
1:06:56 Why Do We Think They’re Gay?: Yoshiya’s Life
1:17:47 Queer Themes in Yoshiya’s Fiction
1:21:30 -1:22:39 Content Note: brief reference to suicide
1:30:07 Pop Culture Tie-Ins
1:36:00 How Gay Were They?
1:37:15 Conclusion and Sign off

 Want to help us continue to make the show? Support us on Patreon and get awesome goodies, behind-the-scenes access, special minisodes, and more! We have a Discord server for everyone to hang out in, exclusive O.G. Lesbian Sappho t-shirts, Pop-Culture Tie-In movie watches, and some really fun extras coming your way! You can also get merch in our store! Shirts, hoodies, totes, mugs, magnets, and other neat things!

 If you’d like to help us transcribe the show for our d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing fans, please head on over to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/transcribe to join the team of volunteers!

 Find our full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. Find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Don't forget to rate and review so more folks can see the show!

Hello queerlings! Leigh here with an exciting announcement! |

Join us on Sunday, October 1 at 5:00 pm Pacific Time / 8:00 pm Eastern for our first-ever virtual LGBTQ+ History Trivia Night, presented by History is Gay! All listeners and friends are invited to come join the fun, make a team (or get to know new friends), and flex your queer history and trivia knowledge, with a mix of questions about general queer history and some memories from History is Gay episodes past!

Tickets are $10 for the general public, $5 for History is Gay Patrons at any level, and FREE for patrons at the Lavender Menace tier and above. Check out our Patreon for promo codes that were sent out to patrons. 

Go to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/trivia to see details and get your tickets! We can't wait to see you :D