Canberra’s hidden queer history is given a voice on a brand-new podcast
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Canberra’s Pride will soon be on full display with the launch of a new podcast uncovering the hidden side of the city’s queer history.
Queers Past, a podcast from the talented team behind the She Shapes History walking tours, has officially launched to shine a light on Canberra’s incredible and often overlooked LGBTQIA+ history.
Hosted by Zev Aviv – who you might recognise as one of the She Shapes History tour guides – the eight-episode season will explore everything from the city’s 1930s lesbian hostels to the birthplace of Australia’s first LGBTQIA+ activist group.
Over a year in the making, Queers Past not only supports the She Shapes History mission of building a future where everyone’s stories are respected and celebrated but also acts as a platform to help make the hidden history of Canberra more accessible, sharing the truth behind the unsung heroes who have transformed the city.
Even for Zev – who spent hours reaching and writing the episodes – there were plenty of hidden gems to uncover and they admit that it has completely changed the way they see Canberra.
“Now that I’ve done the podcast, my grounding in Canberra’s history is just so much deeper,” explains Zev.
“As queer people, often we have a vague understanding of what our history is like – the struggles and the tragedies – but to actually have all of the intimate and intricate details, you’re able to humanise the stories.”
“By doing the podcast, I was able to uncover and weave a lot of those smaller, everyday stories together. I think that’s important for us queer people to have those stories as well because often we have stories of great triumphs or tragedies, activities, and change makers. But everywhere are those human stories of people finding and loving each other.”
Diving into details that aren’t covered in the She Shapes History tours, the episodes explore the history of Canberra, from its founding through to the early 2000s. Using the Pride in the Capital tour as a base, from stories of Canberra’s longest-running queer venue to LGBTQIA+ micro-communities, the episodes will be released weekly.
Explaining that Canberra was a place of many firsts when it came to queer rights and laws, Zev says learning about the stories has been a beautiful and eye-opening experience.
“We can learn a lot about history that has been left out or intentionally erased…not just LGBTQIA+ history but any marginalised groups history is important to start learning about. How else are we going to understand each other better? How else are we going to live together more harmoniously? A lot of assumptions are made about our community and about our history – from ourselves as well.”
“If you don’t see yourself in history, how do you imagine or ideate the future for yourself?”
Hoping that listeners gain a new insight into the hidden queer past of Canberra, Zev says that they have plenty of material for several more seasons. And if they can get more funding to continue Queers Past, who knows what the future will hold?
“This podcast is just as joyful as it is confronting and it’s for everyone,” they say.
“My hope is that it gives people a chance to understand each other better, both laterally in the community and also from people outside of it.”
You can listen to Queers Past on all major streaming services.
