Making Gay History

Marcus began interviewing notable figures in the LGBTQ civil rights movement in the late 1980s while writing an oral history of the movement. The first edition of the book, published in 1992 under the title Making History: The Struggle for Gay and Lesbian Equal Rights, 1945-1990,{{Cite book|title=Making history : the struggle for gay and lesbian equal rights, 1945–1990|last=Marcus, Eric.|date=2018|publisher=HarperImpulse|isbn=978-0-06-284826-0|location=London|oclc=1041619749}}{{cite web|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-06-016708-0|title=Nonfiction Book Review: Making History: The Struggle for Gay and Lesbian Equal Rights, 1945-1990: An Oral History by Eric Marcus, Author HarperCollins Publishers $25 (532p) ISBN 978-0-06-016708-0|website=PublishersWeekly.com|language=en|access-date=December 20, 2019}} was a Stonewall Book Award winner in 1992 and was described by acclaimed oral historian Studs Terkel as "[o]ne of the definitive works on gay life." In the late 1990s, Marcus undertook another round of interviews for the updated second edition of the book, which was titled Making Gay History (2002).

In 2016, Marcus revisited the archive of his original recordings, which had since been digitized by the New York Public Library, along with executive producer Sara Burningham, who suggested that the interviews be used as the basis for a podcast.{{cite web|url=https://makinggayhistory.com/about/|title=About Making Gay History|website=Making Gay History}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/soloish/wp/2017/06/12/three-podcasts-that-explore-queer-history-identity-and-intimacy/ |title=Three podcasts that explore queer history, identity and intimacy |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=June 12, 2017 |access-date=January 5, 2020}}

Since its launch in October 2016, the podcast has featured interviews with transgender rights icon Sylvia Rivera;{{cite web|url=https://makinggayhistory.com/podcast/episode-1-1/|title=Episode 01 — Sylvia Rivera|website=Making Gay History}} pioneering lesbian writer Edythe D. Eyde aka Lisa Ben;{{cite web |title=Episode 03 — Edythe Eyde |url=https://makinggayhistory.com/podcast/episode-1-3/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520075551/https://makinggayhistory.org/podcast/episode-1-3/ |archive-date=May 20, 2024 |website=Making Gay History}} American comedian, talk show host, and actress Ellen DeGeneres;{{cite web |title=Ellen DeGeneres |url=https://makinggayhistory.com/podcast/ellen-degeneres/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520075520/https://makinggayhistory.org/podcast/ellen-degeneres/ |archive-date=May 20, 2024 |website=Making Gay History}} popular advice columnist and LGBT advocate Pauline Phillips ("Dear Abby");{{cite web |title=Episode 08 — Dear Abby |url=https://makinggayhistory.com/podcast/episode-01-08/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520075758/https://makinggayhistory.org/podcast/episode-01-08/ |archive-date=May 20, 2024 |website=Making Gay History}} and others. It has also drawn on other audio archives to highlight the contributions of activists like Ernestine Eckstein and Bayard Rustin, and has used contemporary interviews to chronicle the life and work of Magnus Hirschfeld and Reed Erickson.{{cite web|url=https://makinggayhistory.com/podcast/magnus-hirschfeld/|title=Magnus Hirschfeld|website=Making Gay History}}{{cite web|url=https://makinggayhistory.com/podcast/reed-erickson/|title=Reed Erickson|website=Making Gay History}} In December 2019, they released the earliest known recording of Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson.{{Cite web |date=December 29, 2019 |title=Earliest Known Recording of Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera Found |url=https://www.advocate.com/transgender/2019/12/29/earliest-known-recording-marsha-p-johnson-sylvia-rivera-found |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229214142/https://www.advocate.com/transgender/2019/12/29/earliest-known-recording-marsha-p-johnson-sylvia-rivera-found |archive-date=December 29, 2019 |access-date=September 19, 2020 |website=www.advocate.com |language=en}}

For the eighth season of the podcast, Marcus partnered with the Studs Terkel Radio Archive to release interviews conducted by the legendary radio host and oral historian Studs Terkel. Marcus cites Terkel and his work as inspiration for his own.{{Cite web |date=September 29, 2020 |title=Gay history podcast has new host: Studs Terkel – LGBT News – Windy City Times |url=http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Gay-history-podcast-has-new-host-Studs-Terkel/69298.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240804204225/https://windycitytimes.com/2020/09/29/gay-history-podcast-has-new-host-studs-terkel/ |archive-date=August 4, 2024 |access-date=October 23, 2020 |website=www.windycitymediagroup.com}}

In February 2020, Making Gay History was adapted for the stage at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.{{cite web |date=February 19, 2020 |title=NYU Steinhardt's Educational Theatre Production 'Making Gay History: Before Stonewall' Turns the Popular Podcast into a Play |url=https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2020/february/educational-theatre-making-gay-history.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226173758/https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2020/february/educational-theatre-making-gay-history.html |archive-date=February 26, 2020 |publisher=New York University}}

The podcast's ninth season, "Coming of Age During the AIDS Crisis," is an audio memoir exploring Marcus's memories of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.{{Cite news |last1=Shapiro |first1=Ari |author-link1=Ari Shapiro |last2=Brown |first2=Ashley |last3=Caldwell |first3=Noah |date=October 7, 2021 |title=Host of 'Making Gay History' reflects on coming of age during the AIDS crisis |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/10/07/1044132482/host-of-making-gay-history-reflects-on-coming-of-age-during-the-aids-crisis |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722022217/https://www.npr.org/2021/10/07/1044132482/host-of-making-gay-history-reflects-on-coming-of-age-during-the-aids-crisis |archive-date=July 22, 2024 |access-date=September 9, 2023 |work=NPR}}

• In September 2017, NBC Out polled its constituents about their "favorite LGBTQ-inclusive podcasts," and Making Gay History was voted #2 out of 11 ranked.{{cite web |date=September 2017 |title=11 LGBTQ-Inclusive Podcasts You Should Know |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/11-lgbtq-inclusive-podcasts-you-should-know-n798166 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901210729/https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/11-lgbtq-inclusive-podcasts-you-should-know-n798166 |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |access-date=January 5, 2020 |publisher=Nbcnews.com}}
• In October 2017, the Oral History Association honored Making Gay History with its Oral History in a Nonprint Format Award.{{cite web |date=October 5, 2017 |title=Oral History Association Gives MGH 2017 Award! |url=https://makinggayhistory.com/oral-history-association-gives-mgh-2017-award/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240804204644/https://makinggayhistory.org/oral-history-association-gives-mgh-2017-award/ |archive-date=August 4, 2024 |access-date=January 5, 2020 |publisher=Making Gay History}}
• On December 27, 2019, The Atlantic named Making Gay History's Stonewall 50 season one of the best podcasts of 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/12/50-best-podcasts-2019/604165/|title=The 50 Best Podcasts of 2019|publisher=TheAtlantic.com |date= December 27, 2019|access-date=January 23, 2020}}

• List of LGBT podcasts

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://makinggayhistory.com/}}

Category:LGBTQ historiography in the United States

Category:LGBTQ-related podcasts

Category:Audio podcasts

Category:LGBTQ-related mass media in the United States

Category:2016 podcast debuts

Category:Independent podcasts