This episode takes a look at the life of Rumi Missabu, a founding member of the late 1960s and early 1970s Cockettes, a radical drag performer, and a counterculture visionary who spent years reshaping what art and identity were during his time. After the dissolution of the Cockettes, Rumi spent over 35 years off the grid, living in almost complete anonymity; however, his contributions to drag, performance, and queer culture continued to resonate long after his departure.

This episode highlights not only the effects of renouncing one's notoriety but also how an individual can choose to remain anonymous while having a legacy that continues to grow in his absence. Rumi Missabu truly made the greatest comeback since Lazarus.

In this episode, we have Dr. Rick Huskey, a physician and theologian who was instrumental in the creation of Affirmation: United Methodists for LGBTQ Concerns. As a college student in 1971, Rick was one of the first to help create the Northfield, MN, Gay Liberation Front. He later took the fight for LGBTQ inclusion in the United Methodist Church head-on and challenged the church from within. Doing so cost him nearly 30 years of being able to be ordained. Rick lived his life in faith, quietly resisting the church to the best of his ability until he was finally ordained as a United Methodist Elder, just one day before he passed away.

In 1962, seven years before Stonewall, Robbie Robinson co-founded the Tavern Guild, which was America’s first association of gay bars. A true pioneer for LGBTQ+ rights, he played an integral role in creating the organization that systematized San Francisco's gay nightlife and worked toward visibility and safety for the LGBTQ+ community. In this episode, Robbie talks about his trailblazing work with the Tavern Guild, whose impact on queer history we continue to experience today. Hear the incredible story of courage, solidarity, and rebellion in today’s world of LGBTQ+ individuals from someone who was there in the early days!

Part One was so juicy, we are bringing you Part Two. It's all about Reverend Robert Mary Clement, a pioneer in the LGBTQ religious movement. This is Your Church delves deeper into the life of Reverend Clement, spotlighting his groundbreaking ministry in New York City during the earliest years of gay liberation. We explore how the Church of the Beloved Disciple became a spiritual home for queer people at a time when few institutions offered safety or affirmation. This episode also traces Clement’s close collaboration with the Gay Activists Alliance, where his theology and activism intersected to challenge both church and state.

In this episode, you will be introduced to Reverend Robert Mary Clement, one of the very first openly gay bishops in the U.S. Before marriage equality was even on the radar, Clement marched in the original Pride parades wearing his clerical collar and conducted some of the first public "Holy Unions" for same-sex couples. You will hear about how he founded the Church of the Beloved Disciple and the queer-affirming radical faith he practiced in his ministry for multiple decades. There will be time for you to sit in the sanctuary carved out of protest and to hear Clement tell his story in his own words.

This episode focuses on Dave Hayward, a passionate advocate on the front lines of the gay liberation revolution. From calling the pre-gay liberation homophile organization, the Mattachine Society, from his college dorm in Washington, D.C., to organizing the first Pride march in Atlanta, Georgia, his experiences navigate the space between buttoned-up activism and radical revolution. He shares his joyful chaos and courage of coming out when "gay" was still a whisper, and how the struggles for liberation in the 1970s shaped the movement as we currently understand it. It's history told with grit, humor, and heart—by someone who has been a part of that history from the start.

The revolution gets personal. In this episode, three pioneers from the Gay Liberation Front in Washington D.C., New York, and Berkeley share their experiences from the early years of the gay liberation revolution. Gay liberation swept the world, and many actions occurred that are largely unknown to history. Now that changes! This panel discusses the raw and chaotic moments that transformed the movement. From bold protests in Times Square to underground groups meeting to discuss actions, their stories highlight the anger, brilliance, and hope that drove change.

Listeners will hear about blood and ink on the streets of New York, experiments in identity and power in Berkeley, and the struggle to redefine what it means to be “us.” This isn’t just history; it’s the heartfelt rhythm of change. Tune in to see how saying “we exist” turned into saying “we will be free."

The rabbit hole gets wilder. You wanted gay lib and magik? We teased in the last episode—now get ready to dive in! In Part Two, Llee Heflin of the Los Angeles Gay Liberation Front shares insights: magik, magik babies, and the surreal, psychedelic queer experiments that pushed the limits of reality. There are outrageous rituals and mind-melting actions. Llee takes us on a journey where activism, art, and enchantment collide; nothing is ever what it seems. Get ready to peek behind the curtain of LA’s wildest queer underground and listen to the magik for yourself.