QueerCore Podcast

Part One was so juicy, we are bringing you Part Two. It's all about Reverend Robert Mary Clement, a pioneer in the LGBTQ religious movement. This is Your Church delves deeper into the life of Reverend Clement, spotlighting his groundbreaking ministry in New York City during the earliest years of gay liberation. We explore how the Church of the Beloved Disciple became a spiritual home for queer people at a time when few institutions offered safety or affirmation. This episode also traces Clement’s close collaboration with the Gay Activists Alliance, where his theology and activism intersected to challenge bo...

In this episode, you will be introduced to Reverend Robert Mary Clement, one of the very first openly gay bishops in the U.S. Before marriage equality was even on the radar, Clement marched in the original Pride parades wearing his clerical collar and conducted some of the first public "Holy Unions" for same-sex couples. You will hear about how he founded the Church of the Beloved Disciple and the queer-affirming radical faith he practiced in his ministry for multiple decades. There will be time for you to sit in the sanctuary carved out of protest and to hear...

This episode focuses on Dave Hayward, a passionate advocate on the front lines of the gay liberation revolution. From calling the pre-gay liberation homophile organization, the Mattachine Society, from his college dorm in Washington, D.C., to organizing the first Pride march in Atlanta, Georgia, his experiences navigate the space between buttoned-up activism and radical revolution. He shares his joyful chaos and courage of coming out when "gay" was still a whisper, and how the struggles for liberation in the 1970s shaped the movement as we currently understand it. It's history told with grit, humor, and heart—by someone wh...

The revolution gets personal. In this episode, three pioneers from the Gay Liberation Front in Washington D.C., New York, and Berkeley share their experiences from the early years of the gay liberation revolution. Gay liberation swept the world, and many actions occurred that are largely unknown to history. Now that changes! This panel discusses the raw and chaotic moments that transformed the movement. From bold protests in Times Square to underground groups meeting to discuss actions, their stories highlight the anger, brilliance, and hope that drove change.

Listeners will hear about blood and ink on the...

The rabbit hole gets wilder. You wanted gay lib and magik? We teased in the last episode—now get ready to dive in! In Part Two, Llee Heflin of the Los Angeles Gay Liberation Front shares insights: magik, magik babies, and the surreal, psychedelic queer experiments that pushed the limits of reality. There are outrageous rituals and mind-melting actions. Llee takes us on a journey where activism, art, and enchantment collide; nothing is ever what it seems. Get ready to peek behind the curtain of LA’s wildest queer underground and listen to the magik for yourself.

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He’s back! In this episode, Llee Heflin, an early member of the Los Angeles Gay Liberation Front and author of the occult book The Island Dialogues, takes us deep into the intersections of radical activism, queer imagination, and literary exploration. From organizing on the frontlines of Los Angeles' gay liberation movement to crafting visionary works that challenge norms, Llee shares stories of courage, creativity, and community that helped shape a generation of queer thought and action. It’s a whacky and wonderful acid trip that will change your life! Guaranteed!

The QueerCore Podcast returns with an earth-shattering new season. Hear archival interviews with the LGBTQ+ pioneers who sparked the Gay Liberation Revolution after Stonewall—and discover how their lessons shape the fight for equality today.

The QueerCore Podcast returns with an earth-shattering new season. Hear archival interviews with the LGBTQ+ pioneers who sparked the Gay Liberation Revolution after Stonewall—and discover how their lessons shape the fight for equality today.

In this episode, Peter Taylor—once president of the Lexington, Kentucky Gay Liberation Front—revisits the raw, radical beginnings of queer organizing in Appalachia. From attempting to gain official recognition on a conservative college campus to being arrested under the pretext of solicitation, Peter doesn’t shy away from the shame, the fear, and the fierce resistance.

You’ll hear how a simple act—offering someone a couch—was twisted into a legal weapon against him. His reflections reveal the nightmarish absurdities of entrapment laws, the weight of public outing, and the resolve it takes to push back against...

He’s preaching revolution! In this episode, Reverend Troy Perry, founder of the Metropolitan Community Church, joins us to chart his unlikely journey from Southern Baptist roots to gay‐affirming ministry and queer liberation. He recalls founding MCC in his living room in 1968, officiating groundbreaking same-sex marriages, and fighting for dignity when society told him faith and queerness could never co-exist.

There were fires—literal and metaphorical—that threatened his church, courtroom battles, and protests in the street. Through it all, he held onto something radical: that God loves us all, fully and without apology. Tune in to witne...

He’s back in the story: Keith St Clare, the trailblazing mind behind Vanguard magazine—“gay liberation pre-gay liberation”—returns to share how he gave voice to the untouchables at a time when many in the movement wanted conformity over difference. From serving in the U.S. Air Force underage, to publishing Vanguard under his own name and address, to producing a youth TV show and fostering hundreds of children, Keith’s life is a testament to radical care and uncompromised visibility.

In this episode, you’ll hear about his fear, his courage, and how he chose writing joy, i...

He’s here and he’s taking us back. In this episode, Adrian Ravarour, founder of one of America’s earliest gay youth liberation groups, Vanguard, returns to share raw, unfiltered stories from the frontlines of queer rebellion in 1960s San Francisco. From organizing the now-legendary Street Sweep protests to quietly igniting the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot, Adrian reveals how grassroots action and street-level leadership changed the movement forever.

Adrian’s voice is hopeful, defiant, and deeply personal—equal parts spiritual artist, former Mormon priest, and radical educator. He’ll challenge what you thought you knew about LGBTQ+ history...

She’s back in our hearts: Ruby Lynn Reyner, the dazzling force behind the 1960s Play-House of the Ridiculous and frontwoman of glam-punk band Ruby and the Rednecks, joins us as we dive into her wild, glitter-drenched world. From being plucked off the street and thrust into a leading role in a John Vaccaro play to commanding the Downtown New York club circuit at Max’s Kansas City and CBGB’s, Ruby’s story is pure off-off-Broadway legend with a rebellious sparkle.

We explore her fearless theatrical sprawl—from absurdist extravaganzas featuring surreal props (ever heard of a 12-foot...

He’s back! In this episode, Don Kilhefner—an early member of the Los Angeles Gay Liberation Front, co-founder of the Los Angeles LGBT Center, and co-founder of the Radical Faeries—returns to share unflinching stories from the front lines of queer revolution. With sharp wit and unapologetic honesty, Don revisits the battles, the breakthroughs, and the vision that fueled a movement determined to change the world.

From the tumult of the 1970s to the urgent challenges facing LGBTQ+ communities today, Don’s reflections remind us why liberation is never finished—and why queer love, rage, and imaginatio...

Glitter, rebellion, and radical joy take center stage in this episode as we sit down with Scrumbly, Sweet Pam, and Tahara, legendary members of the Cockettes and their free-theater offshoot, the Angels of Light. From San Francisco’s wild countercultural nights to community stages where anything was possible, they share how outrageous costumes, psychedelic music, and unapologetic queerness redefined performance and politics in the early 1970s.

More than camp and glitter, their stories reveal a revolution in art and identity—where theater was free, gender was fluid, and every show was an act of defiance and love. Step...

Dive into the fiery heart of early gay liberation as Kathy Kozachenko, the first openly gay candidate elected to public office in the U.S., Hiram Ruiz, who organized in the Tallahassee Gay Liberation Front, and Peter Taylor, a leader in the Lexington, Kentucky Gay Liberation Front, trace the movement’s roots beyond the coasts. Early 1970s Gay Liberation. Their stories prove that gay liberation was never confined to New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles—it was taking root in communities across the country.

From underground meetings to brave public declarations, these trailblazers recall the risks, raw...

Step into the heart of the LGBTQ+ revolution with this raw and riveting podcast episode that unearths the power and passion behind the Los Angeles Gay Liberation Front. Join Llee Heflin and Don Kilhefner, two trailblazers who fought for the rights we sometimes take for granted today. From fiery protests to breaking down barriers, their stories are a testament to the fierce spirit that sparked a movement. Tune in for a glimpse of queer resistance in its purest form—raw, real, and unapologetic.

2024 is the year for women who have been pushed aside. Did you know that a woman was the catalyst behind creating the LGBTQ+ Rainbow Flag? No? Well, here we go, go go. 

Many enduring symbols that establish an instant understanding and define a diverse community are intrinsically linked with controversy, confusion, and ill-informed backstories dictated by vested interests and those who tell the story loudest. The LGBTQ+ Rainbow Flag is no different. 

While it was the work of many, the people who deserve credit the most have been minimized, if not erased. A woman named Fa...

2024 is the year for women who have been pushed aside. Did you know that a woman was the catalyst behind creating the LGBTQ+ Rainbow Flag? No? Well, here we go, go go. 

Many enduring symbols that establish an instant understanding and define a diverse community are intrinsically linked with controversy, confusion, and ill-informed backstories dictated by vested interests and those who tell the story loudest. The LGBTQ+ Rainbow Flag is no different. 

While it was the work of many, the people who deserve credit the most have been minimized, if not erased. A woman named Fa...

2024 is the year for women who have been pushed aside. Did you know that a woman was the catalyst behind creating the LGBTQ+ Rainbow Flag? No? Well, here we go, go go. 

Many enduring symbols that establish an instant understanding and define a diverse community are intrinsically linked with controversy, confusion, and ill-informed backstories dictated by vested interests and those who tell the story loudest. The LGBTQ+ Rainbow Flag is no different. 

While it was the work of many, the people who deserve credit the most have been minimized, if not erased. A woman named Fa...

Rumi Missabu was born in Hollywood, took a bus to San Francisco, made a wrong turn, got lost, and was too stubborn to ask for directions. The first place he lived after he ran away was in a water tower with a lesbian poet. 

Rumi was an original member of the late 1960s San Francisco hippie performance troupe, the Cockettes. The Cockettes were high-action, out-front, out-of-the-closet entertainers, and the satiric cutting edge of the first wave of the Gay Liberation. Rumi left the Cockettes after a year and a half, traveled to Canada, moved to New York, a...

Michela Griffo ran away from home when she was 16 years old. In 1969, her planned heterosexual marriage ended due to religious differences. Her life was changed! Following this, she embraced her true lesbian identity and fell in love with an Eileen Ford model.

After her friend nearly died from a botched abortion attempt, Michela threw herself into activism by joining The Redstockings, a group that was fighting to legalize abortion in New York State. She became an early member of the Gay Liberation Front, the pioneering activist group that kickstarted a mass movement after the Stonewall Rebellion. During h...

Do not call Perry Brass “daddy” unless you are at a leather bar! 

Perry is an author, editor, and OGL (Original Gay Liberationist) known for his contributions to queer literature, including editing and publishing the Gay Liberation Front’s magazine, Come Out. In 1972, he co-founded the Gay Men’s Health Project, which evolved into the Community Health Project, and then, through the AIDS epidemic, into Callen-Lorde, one of the largest healthcare providers for LGBTQ people in medical need. Through his numerous books, essays, and articles, Perry explores themes of identity, sexuality, and social justice. In addition to his liter...

Martha Shelley was born in New York City to grandparents who escaped Eastern Europe pre-Holocaust, and she attributes much of her good fortune to luck, willpower, intelligence, and, most importantly, keeping both eyes on the prize. 

Inspired by the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War movements, Martha found herself in the heart of feminist fervor in New York City, actively participating in feminism’s Second Wave and helping create Gay Liberation. In 1967, Martha joined the New York City chapter of the lesbian homophile organization, the Daughters of Bilitis, of which she later became president. However, things quickly changed! She...

The QueerCore Podcast is coming at you hot and better than ever! Join us in Season 2, where we feature pioneering members of the New York City Gay Liberation Front. Oh yes, we will also have a multi-series, massive exposé on the hidden origins of the LGBTQ Rainbow Flag! 

In 1967, ex-military man Keith St Clare became editor of "Vanguard," a radical pre-Stonewall queer magazine that fearlessly explored taboo areas of queer culture and adamantly rejected the idea of "assimilation."

A quick bite of Jayne County, America's first openly-transgender rock star whose foul-mouthed, unapologetic music inspired artists like David Bowie, Patti Smith and the Ramones. Jayne has always bucked convention to be herself.

In 1977, Jack Fritscher, an ex-seminarian, became editor-in-chief of Drummer magazine, and helped spread the once underground cultures of leather, cigar fetish, and BDSM to the wider world. This is the first of our new mini episodes called Quickies.

From the mid-1960s through the early 80s, a shocking, unapologetic new genre turned the art form of theater on its head. Three original performers of the "theater of the ridiculous"- Agosto Machado, Tony Zanetta, and Ruby Lynn Reyner, recount their wild, glitter-coated days in the spotlight.

In 1973, Jewel Thais-Williams opened The Catch One, the longest-running Black queer discotheque in America and the seed for a strong community she has nurtured through the past five decades.

From his work with the Gay Liberation Front to co-founding the Los Angeles LGBT Center and the Radical Faeries, Dr. Donald Kilhefner is a true pioneer in LGBTQ liberation.

The spiritual journey of Reverend Troy Perry, founder of the Metropolitan Community Church, the first LGBTQ church in America, and a lifelong fighter for same-sex marriage and equal rights.

An original member of the psychedelic drag performance troupe, The Cockettes, Rumi Missabu spent most of his life lost in obscurity until a long and winding road led him back to the spotlight.