What’s The History Of Gay Cruising?
“Everybody's doing it, but nobody's talking about it because it's so secretive.”Alrighty, curious people, we’re getting spicy & kicking off Queer History Month with a smash (not a pass) - it’s all about gay cruising this week with professor & author, Alex Espinoza. We’re asking hard hitting questions like: Where was the first gloryhole? Were gays cruising during the Renaissance? Can U host? JK - but we do also talk about what apps like Grindr have done to this age old practice, and why the taboo of a sexual gathering space has been “a thing” all throughout history.Alex Espinoza is a queer writer born in Tijuana, Mexico and raised in Southern California. He is the author of “Cruising: An Intimate History of a Radical Pastime” and has written essays, reviews, and stories for the New York Times Sunday Magazine, Virginia Quarterly Review, the Los Angeles Times, LitHub, and NPR. He is also the recipient of awards and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Macdowell Foundation. Alex is the chair of the Creative Writing department at the University of California. His latest novel, “The Sons of El Rey” came out earlier this year.You can follow Alex on Instagram @ae_espinoza and on his website.Follow us on Instagram @CuriousWithJVN to join the conversation. Jonathan is on Instagram @JVN.Find books from Getting Curious and Pretty Curious guests at bookshop.org/shop/curiouswithjvn.Our senior producer is Chris McClure. Our editor & engineer is Nathanael McClure. Production support from Julie Carrillo, Anne Currie, and Chad Hall.Our theme music is “Freak” by QUIÑ; for more, head to TheQuinCat.com.Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email [email protected] more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness
Join Jonathan Van Ness (Queer Eye) each week for their next exciting endeavor! “Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness" is here to empower listeners (and also make them laugh) by using curiosity as a tool for personal growth. In a world that often feels overwhelming—where it’s easy to feel stuck, frustrated, or helpless—Getting Better offers a lifeline. Each week, Jonathan Van Ness, alongside experts and thought leaders, guides us through our shared challenges—confidence, productivity, mental health, happiness, relationships, and more—helping us emerge thriving, invigorated, and most importantly - a little bit better.
Join us every Wednesday for brand new episodes, and catch full video episodes on YouTube! And tune in every Monday for brand new episodes of our companion show: The Monday Edit, where JVN and senior producer Chris giving you a behind the scenes look at the creation of Getting Better, hot takes on today’s headlines, and all in all share with you how the sausage gets made!
Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email [email protected]
- No. of episodes: 459
- Latest episode: 2025-05-07
- Society & Culture Education Self-Improvement
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