Been There Done That

9 Apr 2019

Show Number 850 … give us a break !

Diversity, Gay, History, HIV, Pop Culture

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Yes – Show number 850 – a good reason to have a bit of a break – for four months at least. In the meantime checkout our back catalogue of podcasts.

In this show, Gordon tells us of his royal travels and having a man-servant. We envy the life-style he enjoyed while away at sea and we welcome him back to reality.

In honouring some ‘gay-sters’ from the past, we talk of Doris Day born 3/04/1924 and still alive and kickin’. She was often portrayed in film in the squeaky-clean image of ‘an ideal wife to-be’ but noting that she played a rootin’ tootin’ not-so maidenly woman of the Wild West in the film Calamity Jane – much to the delight of some gay women. She was also teamed with Rock Hudson which helped him hide his preferred identity (gay).

The Dane Hans Christian Anderson (born 2/04/1805) wrote some twisted fairy stories, often revealing his own tortured life as a closeted gay man.

Also having a birthday around this time was Rudolph Nureyev – Russian Ballet star – born 17/03/1938, who shone with vigour and masculinity in ballet, but succumbed to HIV/AIDS on 6/01/1993. Both he and Rock Hudson humanised the face of AIDS in America, both reluctantly coming out of the closet in doing so.
Liza Minelli born 12/3/1946 (daughter of Judy Garland) was at one time married to Australian Peter ‘boy from Oz’ Allen. Liza created the illusion that Peter was possibly not gay (?). He too died from AIDS.

Teenage Ryan White (USA) received HIV-tainted blood in a transfusion for his haemophilia and he died on 6/04/1990. His innocence as a straight boy, was no barrier to being hounded out of town and ostracised by his community. He was an example of the hysteria around HIV at that time.

In our anniversaries, we mention the birthday of Marlon Brando (b 3/04/1924) – USA film-star and director. Brando was a charismatic actor, baby-faced but with a mature presence – a sex-symbol for both women and men.
From international sources, we are reminded that ‘poppers’ once had a medicinal use in the management of angina pains – and film-star comedian Lucille Ball is said to have been a user.
In a lighter vein, we note that on 6/04/1644, the English Parliament ordered the removal of all Maypoles as part of the Reformation and ‘banned anything happy’. Maypoles were part of spring-time pagan traditions in Europe, being sexually explicit and therefore not to be celebrated.

Listen to these stories, opinions and more – presented with some merriment (where appropriate) by Chris, Gordon and Phil.

Show #850 First broadcast on 2 April 2019