The late 1920s birthed what would become a defining cultural phenomenon—the “pansy craze”—when LGBTQ+ culture burst into mainstream American entertainment from the late 1920s through the early 1930s. The smoky haze of Prohibition-era speakeasies provided the perfect backdrop for drag queens, called “pansy performers,” to be catapulted into underground stardom, Read more
In the late 1940s and 1950s, alongside the better known “Red Scare” that targeted alleged internal political enemies – American Communists – the US government led a crusade against gay men and women in the military and civil service. During the “Lavender Scare,” thousands of people were fired or forced Read more
In the late 1940s and 1950s, alongside the better known “Red Scare” that targeted alleged internal political enemies – American Communists – the US government led a crusade against gay men and women in the military and civil service. During the “Lavender Scare,” thousands of people were fired or forced Read more
In spring 1931, Li Shui Tong met Magnus Hirschfeld when the latter was giving a public lecture in Shanghai. Li was a medical student with a deep–and vested–interest in the exciting new field of sexology. Hirschfeld’s work and ideas would go on to shape modern ideas about “homosexuality” in clear Read more
While police investigations have adapted to new technologies, the basic premises of investigative police work have been pretty consistent since the 1880s in the UK, Ireland, and the US. But that does not mean that the philosophical and procedural organization of modern policing have not or cannot undergo revision or Read more
On May 24, 2015, Ireland became the first country in the world to codify marriage equality through a popular vote. Significantly, the popular vote enacted a constitutional amendment, adding protection for two adult’s right to marry regardless of sex or gender. In a country that only just decriminalized same-sex sex Read more
The 1884 Dublin Castle Scandal took the United Kingdom by storm when two British administrators governing in Ireland were accused of having sex with other men. Like most crimes, sodomy was usually a case of men caught in the act by patrolling policemen, or was otherwise uncovered by normal police Read more
In 19th century New York City, sex was for sale and it wasn’t hard to find it. Commodified sex was everywhere and available for any price. The years between roughly 1850 to about 1910 were the years that commercialized sex and vice in New York City were the most visible, the most prolific, and Read more
For hundreds of years, governments have been drawing a line in the sand between the wanted citizenry and the unwanted potential citizenry.
Averill and Dan take a look at Sir Roger Casement’s role in the 1916 Easter Rising in Ireland, and the legacy of the man – as humanitarian, nationalist, and homosexual.