Hosted by Sebastian ‘Bash’ Hendra and Donal Brophy, Historical Homos is a provocative, informative but often irreverent journey through queer history that celebrates the great queers of yesteryear and re-imagines some of the most fabulous lives ever lived as stories of LGBTQ+ empowerment.
For thousands of years, world historians have kept some of the greatest names in civilization in the closet. Socrates, Virginia Woolf, Michelangelo and Shakespeare – Historical Homos shows they were all members of the rainbow tribe.
Throughout the show, Bash and Donal uncover the secret lives and desires of the monarchs and politicians, writers and artists, scientists and adventures who have shaped our lives in or out of the closet. For example, did you know that Louis XIV’s brother, Philippe, dressed up in drag and that Leonardo da Vinci was arrested for sodomy twice? Or that Eleanor Rykener, a 13th century trans sex worker, claimed in court records that her best clients were monks because they paid more?
“The world is hell-bent on believing that gays, lesbians, trans people and queers of all kinds are the proud innovations of the 20th century,” says Bash. “Donal and I are here to prove that’s utter nonsense. Queer people have been around for eons, challenging society, serving looks, and living out our deepest fantasies. Our actual story stretches far beyond Stonewall all the way to Hadrian’s Wall – and only the gay gods know how far beyond that.”
Directed by Brendan Patrick Hughes, written by Bash, produced by Idylwild Pictures and executive produced by Emrhys Cooper, Brian Sokel and Zachary Quinto, Historical Homos is available on Dekkoo.com, a subscription streaming service dedicated to gay men.
Historical Homos will also be available as an audio podcast on Spotify and all major podcast platforms.