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    Cruising Craiglist with Alexis Macaluso

    en-usJanuary 20, 2022
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    About this Episode

    Welcome to another episode of Q4Q, where Haley meets with Alexis Macaluso, author and artist of the new book Deeply Personal: A Journey into Earth’s most curious classified ads—to cruise through some Craigslist ads and newspapers from the ‘60s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. Will you sign up for the “Gay” cruise, find an old Army buddy from ‘Nam, or maybe hook up with the Dirty Old Man from Maine? The sky's the limit at Q4Q!

    Music written and strummed by Omar Nassar. Graphics by Bekah Rich. 

    You can find Alexis’s book Deeply Personal: A Journey into Earth’s most curious classified ads (Printed by Spooky House Press) on Bookshop.org and at select local bookstores. Find them both on Instagram at @Alexis_aquarian and @spookyhousepress

    Don’t forget to rate, subscribe, and share the show amongst your friends! 

    Do you like queer personal ads? Maybe you or someone you know met through a personal ad–or you just love LGBTQ history. Maybe you like rambling? Reach out to Haley at Q4QPodcast@gmail.com,  on instagram at Queerpersonalspodcast, or on Twitter at Queerpersonals to be on the show!

    Sources: 

    Empty Closet, no. 269 (May 1995), University of Rochester The Empty Closet (1971-Current) | Digital Collections

    GAY newspaper (NYC) 15 Dec 1969Houston LGBT History

    Our Paper: Serving the Alternative Community | Newspapers | University of Southern Maine April 1992

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    Recent Episodes from Q4Q: Queer Personals Podcast

    Itty Bitty Ads

    Itty Bitty Ads

    Welcome to a truly itty bitty episode with guest host,  Gabriel—founder, creator, and archivist for @Itty_Bitty_Queer_History. In this episode, Haley takes a page out of Gabriel’s teeny tiny books to pursue some short & sweet personal ads. These authors are very concise yet have a diverse set of needs—from bowling buddies to sugar daddies, water sports to paranormal experiences. You should probably leave them a voicemail to learn more. 

    Listen to us on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your tunes!

    Interested in being on the show? Contact us at Q4QPodcast@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @Queerpersonals and Instagram @Queerpersonalspodcast.

    Cover art by Bekah Rich. Music by Kaz Zabala.

    Sources:

    The New Works (Indianapolis, IN) - April 1987
    BLK (Los Angeles, CA)- April 1990
    BLK (Los Angeles, CA)  - January 1994
    Washington Blade (Washington, DC)-  November 20, 1981
    Gay Community News (Boston, MA) -  February 15, 1986
    Kick! (Detroit, MI)- October 1996
    OUT FRONT (Denver, CO)- March 11, 1988
    OUT FRONT (Denver, CO)- April 18, 1980 
    The San Francisco Bay times (San Francisco, CA) Sep 1989

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    Heavenly Bodies Looking for Venus: Sapphic Ads with Jack Jen Gieseking

    Heavenly Bodies Looking for Venus: Sapphic Ads with Jack Jen Gieseking

    Are you ready to source the galaxies of love? Dip your tongue into this new episode, where Haley & Dr. Jack Jen Gieseking (author of the incredible book A Queer New York) match with some sapphic ads. Whether you’re looking for a good old-fashioned co-dependent, a skateboard bean, a Genteel Daddy pretty boy butch, or a chic Joni Mitchell lookalike—come explore the full spectrum of the sapphic longing. 

    Listen to us on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your tunes!

    Interested in being on the show? Contact us at Q4QPodcast@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @Queerpersonals and Instagram @Queerpersonalspodcast.

    Cover art by Bekah Rich. Music by Kaz Zabala.

    Sources:

    Primary Sources:

    Personally, (Kansas City, MO) January 1988 Vol. 4 Issue. 1 Gale Archives of Sexuality and Gender

    On Our Backs– summer and fall 1985 and 1986 (volume 1, issues 1-3, and volume 2, 1-2)- From Brown University Archives 

    Outweek (NYC) Jan 28 1990 

    Outweek Sept 19, 1990 (NYC) 

    The San Francisco Bay times., Dec 1989

    The Lesbian Tide, 1 Nov 1979

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    Androgynous Ads with Asho

    Androgynous Ads with Asho

    Attention all you macaroni boys and genderful twinks! Asho joins Haley for a series of ads written by self-acclaimed androgynous lovers. Do you dream of tossing a salad with a cute “she-boy” or maintaining eye contact all the way “through”? Catch these ads before another 30 years passes!

    Follow Asho on Instagram at @Asho_Buckingham to view & purchase their incredible art!

    Listen to us on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your tunes!

    Interested in being on the show? Contact us at Q4QPodcast@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @Queerpersonals and Instagram @Queerpersonalspodcast.

    Cover art by Bekah Rich. Music by Kaz Zabala.

    Sources: 

    Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed December 2023

    The Her app slang glossary

    LGBTQ fandom Wiki page

    McNeil, Peter (1999-11-01). ""That Doubtful Gender": Macaroni Dress and Male Sexualities". Fashion Theory. 3 (4): 412. doi:10.2752/136270499779476081. ISSN 1362-704X

    Fisher, Harriet (2015-01-19). "The Queen of Androgyny – Marlene Dietrich". Barnebys. Archived from the original on 2016-06-16. Retrieved 2016-05-22.

    Ads: 

    LA Weekly (Los Angeles, CA) 1995 October 10 - Accessed from @LongLostPersonals

    Focus Point (Minneapolis, Minnesota), 1994 November 17 

    Outweek (NYC) 12 Nov 1989

    Outweek (NYC) 11 July 1990

    The San Francisco Bay times., Nov 1989

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    Bitesized Bit: Lesbian Phone Sex

    Bitesized Bit: Lesbian Phone Sex

    You think you're sexually frustrated? Try talking to a gal on the lesbian party lines in the '90s! In this truly tiny bite-sized episode, Haley reads from Liz Tracey's article in Outweek: "Hung Up on the Lesbo Line." 

    Listen to us on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your tunes!

    Interested in being on the show? Contact us at Q4QPodcast@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @Queerpersonals and Instagram @Queerpersonalspodcast.

     Cover art by Bekah Rich. Music by Kaz Zabala.

    Sources:

    Liz Tracey, "Hung Up on the Lesbo Line," Outweek, January 14, 1990.

     Out on the Town: Liz and Sydney in Outweek 1990-1991.



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    Cult... or Commune?

    Cult... or Commune?

    Buckle up queers and prepare for a new episode of Q4Q! In this episode, Haley is joined by Esther Bley of @QueerAnimation to share some stories of cults, queer communes, and personal ads from people searching for a little bit more than a partnership. Will you decide to worship at the shrine of Pussy, or become a husband of Christ in Boston’s gayest monastery? The possibilities are endless.  

    Follow Esther’s work on Instagram @QueerAnimation. 

    Explore the Queer Animation website.

    Buy a Queer Animation button

    Listen to us on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your tunes!

    Interested in being on the show? Contact us at Q4QPodcast@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @Queerpersonals and Instagram @Queerpersonalspodcast.

    Cover art by Bekah Rich. Music by Kaz Zabala.


    Sources: 

    ROBINOU. “QUEER COMMUNAL KINSHIP.” In Queer Communal Kinship Now!, 79–148. Punctum Books, 2023. http://www.jstor.org/stable/jj.2353823.7. Accessed November 2023.

    Mack Moore, “What is the difference between a cult and a commune?” Quora comment, ca. 2019. Accessed November 2023.

    Elizabeth Yuko, Cult or Commune? How Utopian Communities Turn Dangerous, Rolling Stone, November 10, 2016. Accessed November 2023.

    Stephen Vider,  “The Ultimate Extension of Gay Community”: Communal Living and Gay Liberation in the 1970s, Gender & History. Volume 27, Issue 3. November 2015. Accessed November 2023.

     Kaliflower Commune - Wikipedia

     Radical Faeries - Wikipedia

     Faeriefilm by Eugene Salandra that you can watch on Queer Animation

    Lavender Hill: A Love StoryProducer/Writer: Austin Bunn | Cinematographer/Editor: Bob Hazen

    Gorsline, Robin Hawley. “Queering Church, Churching Queers.” CrossCurrents 49, no. 1 (1999): 111–14. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24460524.

    Charles Manson's Hollywood, Part 8: Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski — You Must Remember This

    Ads:

    Outweek (NYC), 26 December 1990

    Gay Community News (Boston, MA) 1974

    GAY (Houston, TX) 19 July 1971 

    The Atlanta Barb (Atlanta, GA) April 1976

    RFD Issue 73 Spring 1993

    Just Out (Eugene, OR) 30 March 1984

    Sentinel USA (San Fran, CA) - 11 Oct 1984

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    The Body Politic with Dr. Alex Ketchum

    The Body Politic with Dr. Alex Ketchum

    Haley sits down with Dr. Alex Ketchum, a professor at McGill University’s Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies, and author of books such as Engage in Public Scholarship: A Guidebook on Feminist and Accessible Communication & Ingredients for Revolution: A History of American Feminist Restaurants, Cafes, and Coffeehouses. In this episode, we’re playing matchmaker for several Canadian hotties who posted personals in a 1984 issue of Toronto’s The Body Politic. Will the shy young woman find a gal to satisfy her fantasies? Can we crack the code to some super spy language? Is it possible to be hedonistic AND unpretentious? Come find out! 

    Follow Dr. Alex Ketchum at: 

    Twitter (X) and Instagram @aketchum22

    https://www.alexketchum.ca/

    Read her latest book, Ingredients for Revolution a History of American Feminist Restaurants, Cafes, and Coffeehouses.

    Listen to us on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your tunes!

    Interested in being on the show? Contact us at Q4QPodcast@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @Queerpersonals and Instagram @Queerpersonalspodcast.

    Cover art by Bekah Rich. Music by Kaz Zabala.



    Further Exploration: 

    The Arquives: Canada’s LGBTQ2+ Archives

    Archives gaies du Québec - Mémoires de nos communautés

    Archives lesbiennes du Québec

    Pussy Palace Audiograms

    Esto no tienne nombre Collection, founded by tatiana de la tierra, housed at UC Santa Barbara

    Sara Youngblood Gregory, “Raging Against Cultural Amnesia: tatiana de la tierra and Latina Lesbian Herstory,” Autostraddle, June 19, 2018. Accessed September 5, 2023. 

    Gordon Richardson, “What’s in the Archives?The Body Politic” The Arquives website, April 17, 2013.  Accessed Sept 5, 2023. 

    History of The Body Politic - A Timeline, Information in the timeline has been taken from Bébout, online and Jackson & Persky, pgs. 224-24, Western University, Canada. 

    Denise Benson, “Then & Now: Voodoo,” Then and Now Toronto, September 20, 2014. Accessed Sept 5, 2023. Article originally published November 16, 2011 by The Grid online (TheGridTO.com).

    The Body Politic Wikipedia page, Accessed Sept 5, 2023. 

    Arshy Mann, “What was The Body Politic, anyway?: A brief explainer on a radical gay and lesbian magazine,” Xtra, June 9, 2016. Accessed Sept 5, 2023.

    Jack Gieseking, A Queer New York

    Find the Ads here: 

    The Body politic (Toronto, Canada), March 1984  Archives.org. 


    Support the show

    Seeking Nice Jewish Girls

    Seeking Nice Jewish Girls

    In this episode, Haley & Lauren Hoffman of the Capital Jewish Museum wander through New York, San Francisco, and Minnesota following these Jewish sapphic lonely hearts. Check your baggage at the door and prepare to meet a Would-Be Cowboy, a“Highly Flawed and Special” artist, and a gal looking for a “New Age thinker with a specific physical discipline….”? 

    Follow Lauren on Instagram @spicylilscorpio and @wanderthrumuseums. 

    Listen to us on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your tunes!

    Interested in being on the show? Contact us at Q4QPodcast@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @Queerpersonals and Instagram @Queerpersonalspodcast.

     Cover art by Bekah Rich. Music by Kaz Zabala.

    Sources:
    Jewish Women’s Archive

    GBLT History Museum and Archive

    2019 Twin Cities Jewish Community Study

    Focus Point (Minneapolis, Minnesota), 1994 November 17

    Focus Point (Minneapolis, Minnesota), 1997 October 8

     J-Pride - TC Jewfolk

    The San Francisco Bay times, December 1989

    The San Francisco Bay times, September 1989

    Outweek (New York City), 1990 July 11


    Additional Websites to Browse:

    Instagram: @dchistory @dchistcon @marenorchard

    Swann Queen: A Short Film GoFundMe

    Marjorie Morgan, "From slavery to voguing: the House of Swann"

    Sha’ar Zahav Archives

    An inside look at the history of Sha’ar Zahav, San Francisco’s LGBTQ synagogue


    Alpert, Rebecca. Like Bread on the Seder Plate: Jewish Lesbians and the Transformation of Tradition. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998.

    Alpert, Rebecca, Sue Levi Elwell and Shirley Idelson, Lesbian Rabbis: The First Generation. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2001.

    Balka, Christie, and Andy Rose, eds. Twice Blessed: On Being Lesbian or Gay and Jewish. Boston: Beacon Press, 1989.

    Beck, Evelyn Torton, ed. Nice Jewish Girls: A Lesbian Anthology. Boston: Beacon Press, 1982; Rev. and updated 1989.

    Biale, Rachel. Women and Jewish Law: An Exploration of Women’s Issues in Halakhic Sources. New York: Schocken, 1984.

    Brettschneider, Marla. The Family Flamboyant: Race Politics, Queer Families, Jewish Lives. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2006.

    Brettschneider, Marla. “Jewish Lesbians: New Work in the Field.” Journal of Lesbian Studies. 2019, 23(1): 2-20 and passim special issue.

    Kaye/Kantrowitz, Melanie, and Irena Klepfisz, eds. Tribe of Dina: A Jewish Women’s Anthology. Boston: Beacon Press, 1986.

    Moore, Tracy, ed. Lesbiot: Israeli Lesbians Talk About Sexuality, Feminism, Judaism and Their Live. New York: Cassell, 1995.

    Rogow, Faith. “Why Is This Decade Different from All Other Decades? A Look at the Rise of Jewish Lesbian Feminism.” Bridges 1 (Spring 1990): 67–79.

    Sarah, Elizabeth. “Judaism and Lesbianism: A Tale of Life on the Margins of the Text.” Jewish Quarterly 40 (1993): 20–23.

    Support the show

    Bitesized Bit: Sentenced to Voicejail

    Bitesized Bit: Sentenced to Voicejail

    You ignore your voicemail, but have you heard of voicejail? Imagine the world before the internet, before blogs and discord servers and reddit forums or Google reviews. Where did people release their pent up anxieties, how did they share their niche interests, or act out their weird bits? In this bite-sized episode, Haley looks at the fascinating microcosm that sprang up in the 1980s and ‘90s in Silicon Valley, and those that called themselves the voicejailers. Clips of the radio show, “Midnight Voicejail,” are sprinkled throughout the episode to highlight how a few voicejailers manipulated and recreated the messages left on their voicemail boxes. 

    Listen to us on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your tunes!

    Interested in being on the show? Contact us at Q4QPodcast@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @Queerpersonals and Instagram @Queerpersonalspodcast.

     Cover art by Bekah Rich. Music by Kaz Zabala


    Sources: 

    Midnight Voicejail - Episode 01 - What is Voicejail? | NCN | The National Cynical Network

    The sonic geeks of KFJC's 'Midnight Voicejail' bring you 'that Sept. 11 show'

    By Richard von Busack - Metroactive Music | 'Midnight Voicejail'

    Midnight Voicejail FAQ

    Phineas Narco’s Livejournal

    National Cynical Network: NCN FAQ - What We're All About

    Midnight VoicejailRecordings used, from Bandcamp : 

    Full List of Midnight Voicejail’s episodes: National Cynical Network: Midnight Voicejail Episode Guide

    Support the show

    Bad, Bold, and Wiser Ads from Florida

    Bad, Bold, and Wiser Ads from Florida

    Throw on some sunscreen and grab your mosquito spray, we’re going to Florida! Haley & Kayleigh read ads from Orlando, Cape Canaveral, and Pasco County. Help us choose between a gay nudist tour guide, Xena the Warrior princess, and the vegetarian aesthete. It’s probably one of the most ‘90s centered episodes yet! 

    Listen to us on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your tunes!

    Interested in being on the show? Contact us at Q4QPodcast@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @Queerpersonals and Instagram @Queerpersonalspodcast.

     Cover art by Bekah Rich. Music by Kaz Zabala.

    Sources:

    The Center Fold (Orlando, FL) January 1992. LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida.

    Watermark, (Orlando, FL) September 20, 1995. University of Florida’s George A Smathers Library and Special Collections in Gainseville, Florida

    Watermark, (Orlando, FL) October 2, 1995. University of Florida’s George A Smathers Library and Special Collections in Gainseville, Florida

    LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida Timeline

    "'Queer Miami' shows often-erased LGBTQ history of South Florida" Tampa Bay Times, April 5, 2019. Accessed May 24, 2023. 

    Jerry T. Watkins III, Queering the Redneck Riviera: Sexuality and the Rise of Florida Tourism, University Press of Florida, 2018. 

    Jodi Mailander Farrell, "Florida’s Stonewall Reigns as Nation’s Largest LGBTQ Museum," Visit Florida, Accessed May 24, 2023. 

    Nadege Green, "The Queer Stories in Florida's Black History," Harper's Bazaar, February 24, 2023. Accessed May 24, 2023.

    Support the show

    Bitesized Bit: Mousie Mousie Wildflower

    Bitesized Bit: Mousie Mousie Wildflower

    "All my love, Porcupine" was a poetic sign-off for one smitten woodland creature to her mousie lover. Throughout the 1970s and '80s, the personal ads to the Gay Community News in Boston began with an entry addressed to "Mousie Mousie Wildflower." And for once, Haley has found a (vaguely) satisfying conclusion to this classified ad mystery. Tune in to this bite-sized episode to get your daily dose of sweet gay love! 

    Listen to us on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your tunes!

    Interested in being on the show? Contact us at Q4QPodcast@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @Queerpersonals and Instagram @Queerpersonalspodcast.

     Cover art by Bekah Rich. Music by Kaz Zabala

    Thank you to the staff at Northeastern University Libraries, Boston Public Library (for sponsoring digitization), and the Internet Archive for making this freely accessible by anyone who has an interest!

    Sources:

    Gay Community News (Boston, MA) 25 December 1982

    Gay Community News (Boston, MA) 1 April 1983

    Gay Community News (Boston, MA) 1977 March 25

    Gay Community News (Boston, MA) 10 March 1979

    Gay Community News (Boston, MA) 12 April 1980

    Gay Community News (Boston, MA) 9 June 1980

    Gay Community News (Boston, MA) 20 September 1980

    Gay Community News (Boston, MA) 30 April 1983

    Gay Community News (Boston, MA) 5 November 1983

    "Nancy Walker" Making Gay History Interview, 1989. Accessed https://makinggayhistory.com/podcast/nancy-walker/

    Eric Marcus, "Love is Love," Making Gay History, https://makinggayhistory.com/podcast/bonus-episode-love-is-love/

    “Nancy Walker: March 17, 1935 - May 20, 1996 [memorial book],” Documented | Digital Collections of The History Project, accessed April 14, 2023, https://historyproject.omeka.net/items/show/459

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