Been There Done That

2 Jun 2016

G&T Robinson, Etheridge, Istanbul, de Sade, Fassbinder, Fierstein

Activism, Archives, Books, Gay, History, Icons, Lesbian, Music

LISTEN TO PODCAST NOW

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:36 — 17.2MB)

Subscribe or Follow Us: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

G&T Robinson, Etheridge, Istanbul, de Sade, Fassbinder, Fierstein

This week, we feature some gay icons having birthdays at this time, including retired US Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson – a wonderful gay advocate; boy-band stars Nicky Byrne (seen in 2016 Eurovision SC representing Ireland) and Marcus Feehily a fellow Westlife singer; Melissa Etheridge US gay singer; and Tom Robinson UK gay singer, of “Glad to be Gay” fame.

Events remembered are the conquering of Mount Everest at this time in 1953 by New Zealander (Sir) Edmund Hillary; the falling in 1453 of the Byzantine Empire’s capital city, Constantinople, to the Muslim Ottomans who renamed it Istanbul; & the way that the magnificent Hagia Sophia has been repurposed over the years, starting as a Christian cathedral, then a Muslim mosque, and now a magnificent museum.

The French Marquis de Sade born on 2 June 1740 was an early kinkster who documented his activities and left the words “sadism” & “sadistic” in our vocabulary. Some of these activities were used in the films of provocative German film-maker Rainer Werner Fassbinder born 31 May 1945. Another birthday this week is Harvey Fierstein born 6 June 1954 of Torch Song Trilogy fame and who also wrote the plays Kinky Boots and La Cage Aux Folles.

Plus other bits of trivia and mirth and TWO Simpsons references…