Podcast
Cruising | Queer History and Culture
Conversations about lesbian bars, sapphic spaces, and beyond! Not sure where to start? You don’t have to listen in order! Pick your favorite city, space, or LGBTQ+ icon and dive in.
Season 1 follows creators Sarah Gabrielli, Rachel Karp, and Jen McGinity on their 2021 cross-country road trip to every lesbian bar in the U.S., sharing the stories of the humans that run these spaces and the humans that call them a home.
Season 2 features 14 more spaces, chronicling the current lesbian bar resurgence AND taking you back in time to lesbian bars of decades past.
In Season 3, host Sarah Gabrielli sits down with history-making lesbians and LGBTQ+ folks to discuss all kinds of queer spaces - from bookstores, to farms, to peace encampments and more!
New episodes air every other Tuesday.
- Episodes
- 92
- Releases
- Every two weeks
- Typical length
- 58 min
- On air since
- 2021
- Latest episode
- 2 months ago
Episodes
92 episodes, newest first
-
31 min
LIVE: Community Story Share at As You Are (Washington, DC / 05.28.26) Bonus
Show notes
This episode was recorded LIVE at As You Arein Washington, DC! We first covered As You Are in season one of Cruising, back when the community space was just a a dream for the founders, Jo and Coach. Now, five years later, As You Are is a fully actualized queer DC hub, cafe, and bar. Tune in for stories from the AYA community about love, friendship, coming out, and running a bar.
Special thanks to Little District Books for this event!
...
-You can now purchase our book, The Lesbian Bar Chronicles, anywhere books are sold or at cruisingpod.com/book
...
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Check out Cruising's Substack for deep dives and companion pieces to our episodes!
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
39 min
LIVE: Community Story Share at The Lipstick Lounge (Nashville, TN / 06.06.26) Bonus
Show notes
This episode was recorded live at The Lipstick Lounge in Nashville, Tennessee. Lipstick, Nashville's only lesbian bar, was the last stop on our initial road trip back in 2021, and we bring you back for more stories of queer spaces and history. Act 1 features a comprehensive timeline of Nashville lesbian bars, while Act 2 dives into stories of gender identity, a college Rugby team, a first time at a lesbian bar, opening night of Lipstick in 2002, and personal accounts of the owners, Christa and Jonda.
...
-You can now purchase our book, The Lesbian Bar Chronicles, anywhere books are sold or at cruisingpod.com/book
-Buy tickets and browse the schedule for our BOOK TOUR
-Submit a story for our COMMUNITY STORY SHARE
...
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Check out Cruising's Substack for deep dives and companion pieces to our episodes!
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
54 min
LIVE: Community Story Share at Gossip Grill and Diversionary Theatre (San Diego, CA) Bonus
Show notes
We're comin at you live from San Diego, California! Here, we held two different events on our book tour -- both filled with some incredible intergenerational sapphic storytelling! In Act I, we visit Gossip Grill, San Diego's iconic lesbian bar (also featured in season 1 of Cruising and now in The Lesbian Bar Chronicles). Then, Act II finds us at The Clark Cabaret & Bar with Diversionary Theatre, the third oldest LGBTQ+ theater in the country!
Many thanks to the folks at Libélula Books & Co. who also stopped by Diversionary to sell some copies of the book!
...
-You can now purchase our book, The Lesbian Bar Chronicles, anywhere books are sold or at cruisingpod.com/book
-Buy tickets and browse the schedule for our BOOK TOUR
-Submit a story for our COMMUNITY STORY SHARE
...
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Check out Cruising's Substack for deep dives and companion pieces to our episodes!
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
51 min
Making Queer Space in Brooklyn: LIVE Panel at Greenlight Bookstore
Show notes
This episode was taped live at Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn! Alongside the release of our book, The Lesbian Bar Chronicles, Sarah hosts a panel of local business owners to discuss the creation and preservation of their queer spaces.
Nikke Alleyne: Co-owner of The Bush, Bushwick's newest dyke bar
Anna Campbell: Co-founder and Executive Director of Dykes and Dolls, a zine and event calendar connecting the NYC lesbian/trans/queer communities
Tiffany Dockery: Owner of Gladys Books and Wine, a Black lesbian bookstore and wine shop in Bedstuy
Rachel Karp: Co-creator of Cruising, and author of The Lesbian Bar Chronicles
...
-You can now purchase our book, The Lesbian Bar Chronicles, anywhere books are sold or at cruisingpod.com/book
-Buy tickets and browse the schedule for our BOOK TOUR
-Submit a story for a COMMUNITY STORY SHARE
...
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Check out Cruising's Substack for deep dives and companion pieces to our episodes!
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
43 min
LIVE: Community Story Share and Book Launch (Ginger's Bar, Brooklyn / 05.26.26) Bonus
Show notes
This episode was taped live at Brooklyn's oldest lesbian bar, Ginger's! The community came out to celebrate the official release of our book, The Lesbian Bar Chronicles, and share stories about the queer/lesbian spaces that matter to them. Tune in for a whole new set of tales of queer bookstores, online dating, identity, and (of course) lesbian bars!
...
-You can now purchase our book, The Lesbian Bar Chronicles, anywhere books are sold or at cruisingpod.com/book
-Buy tickets and browse the schedule for our BOOK TOUR
-Submit a story for our COMMUNITY STORY SHARE
...
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Check out Cruising's Substack for deep dives and companion pieces to our episodes!
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
1 hr 11 min
LIVE: Community Story Share (Northampton, MA / 06.01.26) Bonus
Show notes
This episode was taped live at Sub Rosa: a queer bar and event space in Northampton, MA. We asked the local queer community to come out to celebrate the release of our book, The Lesbian Bar Chronicles, and share stories about the queer/lesbian spaces that matter to them. And boy, did they! Tune in for stories across generations, including:
- how Northampton became a hub for lesbians
- first hand accounts of the lesbian bars of our past
- queer sexuality and the spaces that nourish this
- sapphic love stories
- encounters with lesbian icons like Charlene and Holly Near
- finding home in unlikely places
- a live reading of the book's preface
...
-You can now purchase our book, The Lesbian Bar Chronicles, anywhere books are sold or at cruisingpod.com/book
-Buy tickets and browse the schedule for our BOOK TOUR
-Submit a story for our COMMUNITY STORY SHARE
...
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Check out Cruising's Substack for deep dives and companion pieces to our episodes!
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
1 hr 25 min
Highlights From Our Lesbian Bar Road Trip
Season 3, Episode 30
Show notes
We're looking back on the past five years of Cruising with some of our favorite stories from lesbian bars across the country. This episode airs simultaneously with the release of The Lesbian Bar Chronicles, a book adaptation of the first two seasons of the podcast. So let's celebrate with a reflection on some of the stories that are now available for the very first time in print!
Tune in for selections from:
• Wild Side West | San Francisco, CA - "Thank you for the planters, but I'm not leaving"
• Pearl Bar | Houston, TX - "The first time I saw my sister really come out of her shell"
• Lipstick Lounge | Nashville, TN - " All the people that touched my mom's life"
• Nancy Valverde | Los Angeles, CA - " Sh*t come, sh*t go, I'm gonna be myself"
• Charlene's | New Orleans, LA - " I came in the front door and I'm damn well going out that way"
• Les Pierres | New Orleans, LA - "We needed a place of our own"
• The Sports Bra | Portland, OR - "Ask for what you need"
• Hershee Bar | Norfolk, VA - " This place means something, and you need to know what it means"
• Femme Bar | Worcester, MA - "The biggest hype man I've ever known"...
-You can now purchase our book, The Lesbian Bar Chronicles, anywhere books are sold or at http://cruisingpod.com/book
-Buy tickets and browse the schedule for our BOOK TOUR
-Submit a story for our COMMUNITY STORY SHARE
...
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Check out Cruising's Substack for deep dives and companion pieces to our episodes!
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
1 hr 28 min
Organizer Meg Riley on living in a lesbian co-op, the history of radical resistance in Minneapolis, and the ICE surge
Season 3, Episode 29
Show notes
This week, we're digging into the rich history activism and resistance in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our guest, Meg Riley, is a political organizer, advocate, and Unitarian Universalist Minister. Meg first moved to the twin cities in 1976, where she very quickly started living in cooperative community housing and immersing herself in local lesbian activism. In 1981, Meg moved into what would become Sweet Willa - a cooperatively owned, lesbian home. Today, she still lives in Minneapolis, where she's settling into her new role as movement elder. Meg joins the podcast to discuss:
-the ins and outs of community living with a bunch of lesbians
-the local lesbian coffeehouse, bookstore, lez brunch, and more queer infrastructure
-why so many sober people come to Minneapolis
-the struggle to pass down leadership and knowledge to the next generation of queers
-her experience with ICE and local mutual aid networks
...
Buy tickets and browse the schedule for our BOOK TOUR
Submit a story for our COMMUNITY STORY SHARE
...
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Check out Cruising's Substack for deep dives and companion pieces to our episodes!
-Preorder our book, THE LESBIAN BAR CHRONICLES
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
1 hr 2 min
Activist Mandy Carter on war resistance, the Quaker tradition, and the search for her long lost siblings
Season 3, Episode 28
Show notes
Mandy Carter is a long-time Black lesbian activist and community organizer. Born in 1948, Mandy spent her childhood bouncing between New York state children's homes. While that came with exceptional challenges for a young person, it also allowed her the freedom to grow into exactly who she wanted to be, without the binds of familial pressures and expectations. For Mandy, that meant being a lesbian, a quaker, and a radical agitator (at one point in jail for 90 days).
In this episode, Mandy shares stories of:
-discovering the Quaker tradition as a teen
-sleeping in central park and hitchhiking all the way to San Francisco
-finding a home at Maud's Study
-protesting the war in Vietnam
-the impact of Harvey Milk's assassination
-reconnecting with her brother after 50 years, and continuing to search for her sister to this day
**Help us find Delores!!! It's been six decades and Mandy is still looking for her sister. Please share any leads with us at cruisingpod@gmail.com and help us spread the word by sharing our related posts on social media (@cruisingpod)
...
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Check out Cruising's Substack for deep dives and companion pieces to our episodes!
-Preorder our book, THE LESBIAN BAR CHRONICLES
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
58 min
Franco Stevens on the history of Curve Magazine, lesbian visibility, and extremely creative fundraising
Season 3, Episode 27
Show notes
Franco Stevens first made her mark on lesbian history in 1990, with the creation of Curve Magazine (at the time known as Deneuve, but we'll get into that later). Curve would soon become the most successful lesbian magazine in the world, committed to lesbian visibility, community-building, and documenting our history. Its pages have featured change-makers and celebrities from Melissa Etheridge to Jenny Shimizu to the cast of the L Word and everyone in-between. But it was, by no means, easy for Franco to get there.
She joins the pod to detail:
-coming out to her (then) husband as a teenage bride
-raising money for the project when no one else believed in it
-her controversial decision to display the word "lesbian" on the cover
-bouncing back from a devastating lawsuit
-the real reason Franco had to sell the magazine, and how she eventually bought it back
...
Follow Franco on Instagram and Facebook
Follow Curve Magazine on Instagram and Facebook
Browse Curve's digital archive
Watch Ahead of the Curve, the 2020 documentary about Franco and the magazine
Browse the schedule for 2026 Lesbian Visibility Week (April 20-26)
Learn more about the Curve Foundation
...
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Check out Cruising's Substack for deep dives and companion pieces to our episodes!
-Preorder our book, THE LESBIAN BAR CHRONICLES
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
38 min
Angeli Luz on creating the Lesbian Masterdoc and the backlash
Season 3, Episode 26
Show notes
Angeli Luz was 18 years old when she sat down to research, pen, and post the “Am I A Lesbian?” Masterdoc. Over a decade later, her work has withstood the test of time having reached millions of readers worldwide. The Lesbian Master Doc, for those that don’t already know, is a 30 page research paper asking the question that Angeli herself was parsing out at the time: How do I know if I'm a lesbian? What is the difference between actual attraction and compulsory heterosexuality (comphet) fostered by the world around us?
In conversation, Angeli discusses:
-the story behind the creation of the doc
-going viral and the backlash that comes with that
-what she would change about her writing if approaching it today
-attention from celebrities like Reneé Rapp and Kehlani
-discovering her own sexual identity and coming out, for a second time, as bisexual
Read the full “Am I A Lesbian?” Masterdoc
Follow Angeli on Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, or visit her website!
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Check out Cruising's Substack for deep dives and companion pieces to our episodes!
-Preorder our book, THE LESBIAN BAR CHRONICLES
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
53 min
Bernie Stark on women's softball, Title IX, and trans inclusion in sports
Season 3, Episode 25
Show notes
The Mary Vazquez Women's Softball League was founded in 1976 in Northampton, Massachusetts. A collection of lesbian feminists (Eileen Stewart, Jean Grossholtz, Susan Tracy, and Maryann Jennings) formed the league around their values of equity, inclusion, and community. Today, Sarah sits down with long-time player, and former league commissioner, Bernie Stark to discuss:
-The league's history and origin story
-Unique traditions, rules, and culture
-The impact of Title IX on different generations of players
-How the league decided to define "women's" softball and include trans athletes
-Growing up in a traditional home as a girl in sports
Explore the leagues website!
Follow the league on Instagram!
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Check out Cruising's Substack for deep dives and companion pieces to our episodes!
-Preorder our book, THE LESBIAN BAR CHRONICLES
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
1 hr 4 min
Activists Heather Booth and Martha Scott on their historic underground abortion network
Season 3, Episode 24
Show notes
They called it "The Service," the world has called them "The Janes" - this episode follows the story of Chicago's underground abortion network. From its 1965 inception, through their devastating police bust, and the eventual legalization of abortion on the federal level in 1973. Act I features Heather Booth, a Civil Rights activist who first founded the service and trained other women in her procedures and philosophies. In Act II we meet Martha Scott, a stay-at-home mom who decides to dedicate a bit of her time to a worthy cause, and ends up a central figure in the collective. Both women help paint a chilling picture of the time: including women's oppression, treatment in the medical industry, access to birth control, and the impact of "Our Bodies Ourselves."
-Stream "The Janes" documentary on HBO
-Order the book "The Story of Jane" by collective member Laura Kaplan
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Check out Cruising's Substack for deep dives and companion pieces to our episodes!
-Preorder our book, THE LESBIAN BAR CHRONICLES
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
49 min
Margaret Cho on her parents’ gay bookstore, BDSM during HIV/AIDS, and why Ellen hates her
Season 3, Episode 23
Show notes
Iconic comedian Margaret Cho joins us on the podcast to discuss the ups and downs of her career, and all of the ways queerness has always been part of her life. We cover topics like:
• discovering gay people at her parents' gay bookstore
• working at a lesbian BDSM leather shop
• the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS in her communities
• being a self-proclaimed life-long *** hag
• starring in the first Asian-American family sitcom on television, and the eating disorder that came from that
• racism and fatphobia in Hollywood
• why Ellen Degeneres hates her-You can find out more about Margaret Cho and her current "Choligarchy" stand-up tour at http://margaretcho.com
-Follow her on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Check out Cruising's Substack for deep dives and companion pieces to our episodes!
-Preorder our book, THE LESBIAN BAR CHRONICLES
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
1 hr
Diane on coming out at 77, going viral, and life as a nun
Season 3, Episode 22
Show notes
Our friend Diane took the internet by storm this winter, when she started to tell her story of coming out and falling in love as a late-in-life lesbian. With over 5 million views, and thousands of adoring commenters, we figured it was time Sarah sat down with Diane to discuss her life in more detail. They unpack everything about Diane's 77 years of compulsive heteronormativity (she is, understandably, very excited to learn the word for that). From growing up in an abusive household, to seeking refuge at the convent (where she discovers alcoholism), and finally finding love (both romantically, and on the internet), Diane brings the same vulnerability and charm we have come to know on social media.
-If you want to contribute to Diane's vacation fund, her venmo is Diane-Markel-1 (if there is no photo, or visible transactions, you're in the right place!)
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Check out Cruising's Substack for deep dives and companion pieces to our episodes!
-Preorder our book, THE LESBIAN BAR CHRONICLES
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
1 hr 16 min
Carmen Maria Machado on writing 'In the Dream House,' tops/bottoms, and the forgotten history of queer DV
Season 3, Episode 21
Show notes
Guest Carmen Maria Machado is a writer of queer horror, essays, and short stories. She is most well-known for her memoir, In the Dream House, which came out in 2019, and really took the queer lit world by storm. In it, she brings light to a concept often shied away from - domestic violence and abuse within queer relationships.
While writing the memoir, Carmen did a lot of research into the history of domestic abuse within the lesbian community - the ways in which it is less visible, and the stories that made it into the archives despite all odds. She speaks candidly (and wittily) about all of this, including her own personal experience, coming out journey, and writing process.
-Find more about Carmen and her work on her website
-Follow Carmen on Instagram
-Subscribe to her Substack, Cup of Stars
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Check out Cruising's Substack for deep dives and companion pieces to our episodes!
-Preorder our book, THE LESBIAN BAR CHRONICLES
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
1 hr 12 min
Elaine Stott on trying dr*gs at 5, getting kicked out of school bathrooms, and her journey to Survivor
Season 3, Episode 20
Show notes
Elaine Stott charmed audiences back in 2019 on the 39th season of CBS's Survivor. She was a shining light on her season and proved that a lesbian could, quite easily, win over the hearts of America, as well as her fellow castaways. This is Elaine's story - one of tomboyishness, and skipping school, and fierce independence. We discuss growing up in small-town Kentucky (where she broke records for the most write-ups in school history), meeting her now-wife working at the factory, and finally achieving her dream of playing Survivor. This episode is for Survivor fans and newbies alike.
-Follow Elaine on Instagram and TikTok
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Check out Cruising's Substack for deep dives and companion pieces to our episodes!
-Preorder our book, THE LESBIAN BAR CHRONICLES
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
54 min
Brooke Webster on Meow Mix, Cattyshack, and being featured in Chasing Amy and Go Fish
Season 3, Episode 19
Show notes
Some of the most beloved lesbian bars of the past few decades have been the creations of our guest, Brooke Webster. This week, Brooke shares the stories behind Meow Mix (1996-2004) and Cattyshack (2005-2009). Her bars quickly became cultural phenomenons - from shoutouts on Ellen's coming out episode to features in Kevin Smith's cult classic lesbian film, Chasing Amy (1997). We also get to know Brooke herself, her rich history of activism, and her decades-long love story (lovers to enemies to wives).
-Learn more about Meow Mix!
-Follow the Instagram page for Meow Mix's 30th anniversary!
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Check out Cruising's Substack for deep dives and companion pieces to our episodes!
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
55 min
Jess Dobkin and Lisa DeBoer on the "Lesbian Time-Out Kiss-In," Lesbian Avengers, and queer visibility in the WNBA
Season 3, Episode 18
Show notes
In 1999, Jess Dobkin and Lisa DeBoer formed the activist group Lesbians for Liberty. Their purpose was to push for visibility in the WNBA and specifically, at the New York Liberty games. In Act I, Jess and Lisa sit down with Sarah to discuss the history of lesbians and the WNBA, the story of the Lesbian Time-Out Kiss-In, and their experiences in activist groups like the Lesbian Avengers. In Act II, Jess remains to talk about some of her most radical pieces of performance art.
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Check out Cruising's Substack for deep dives and companion pieces to our episodes!
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
1 hr 15 min
Oak Chezar on rejecting the patriarchy and more stories from Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp
Season 3, Episode 17
Show notes
Radical lesbian activist Oak Chezar spent three years protesting nuclear war at Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp, and another five living on lesbian women's lands. Some of Oak's stories were aired on our original Greenham Common episode with Sue Say and, due to popular demand, we bring you Sarah's full conversation with her here today. Tune in for never-before-seen tales of creative actions, annoying law enforcement, living outside of the dominant culture, and finding love at the lesbian peace camp.
If you missed our Sue Say episode, or forgot its contents: Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp was an anti-nuke encampment outside of a US military base in England. There, women (and loads of lesbians) occupied from 1981 all the way through 2000. Every day at Greenham was exciting - for better or for worse. The women were evicted from their camps and terrorized by police every morning, they rebuilt every day, and by the end of the night found new creative ways to peacefully disrupt the military base next to them. Tune in for Oak's never-before-seen tales of creative actions, annoying law enforcement, living outside of the dominant culture, and finding love at the lesbian peace camp.
Find out more about Oak and her work at oakchezar.com
Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!
-Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!
-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
-Check out Cruising's Substack for deep dives and companion pieces to our episodes!
-Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you!
-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices
Documentary lists
More Documentary shows picked out from the charts
More in Documentary
Placed highest on Apple Podcasts' Documentary chart right now
