Menowercogitatus; A Month of Thursdays Thinking

Number three in my month of Thursdays podcast offerings. This one may prove a little much for some; I acknowledge that upfront. While not, myself, anything other than 'plain ordinary' (whatever that may be), living in Sydney for most of thirty years meant that I had several acquaintances from the LGBTQ+ community. As with matters of colour or any other ridiculous boundary that so many are willing to put up, I ignore them. I do not advocate licentiousness and a total free-for-all, however, I do advocate every individual's right to be exactly that - individual.

Having opened thus, I will now also tell you that this podcast would not have entered my list had it not got scholarly and intellectual merit. It is here because it offers waaaaaaay more than just 'gay interest.' Seriously, I got hooked on the historical contexts, the political effects, the social ripples, and the philosophical fallout of it all. It was difficult to decide which episode would intrigue most of you, so I am starting you at the very beginning - recorded in May 2019. As the series progresses, several episodes draw analogies with what was shaping up politically in both the US and the UK. You could, if you wish, go through their list and select only those characters of interest to yourself... but I have found great value in listening in order, as there are often back-references and an overall arc - a progression, if you will. The general premise of the show is to demonstrate how many prominent personalities, whether or not they were openly gay, tended to have sadistic, Fascistic and 'ethnistic' (think eugenic) views. Even before those terms were coined. This also brings up some historical placement of terminology around gender assignment, which is interesting. The format is the first half spent narrating the character and their misdemeanours, then the second half is discussion and debate about the effects and issues of that character between the hosts.

Anyway, I do think this to be one of the most intriguing podcasts around. If you prefer not to use Spotify - this is the link for you. You will need to scroll on the episode listings bar at the lower end of the page to get to this first episode. 

NB, please be forewarned that there is occasional strong language and natural innuendo.