Based on the podcast of the same name, this collective biography argues against the tendency to curate a historical narrative of queer saints. Instead, Huw Lemmey and Ben Miller examine the lives of "bad" men—including villains, colonizers, and fascists—to reveal how modern homosexuality was shaped by power and prejudice. Through profiles of figures like the Roman Emperor Hadrian, Frederick the Great, and the notorious lawyer Roy Cohn, the authors demonstrate how same-sex desire often intersected with white supremacy, class elitism, and imperial violence. They reject the idea of a universal gay identity, showing instead how specific social hierarchies produced the categories used today.
Readers interested in revisionist history and leftist political theory will find this an antidote to sanitized corporate pride narratives. It appeals to those who want to understand the complicity of marginalized individuals in oppressive systems rather than just their resistance. The reader walks away with a framework for analyzing how sexual identity functions as a product of material history. By studying the wreckage left by these men, the audience gains a clearer view of the political structures that continue to govern contemporary queer life.
- Published
- 2022
- Language
- EN
Readers also enjoyed
