Where did the phrase “coming out of the closet” come from? Is history gay? And if it is, why is gay history a secret? This week’s podcast episode looks at famous gay people in history. Including gay Kings of England and America’s first gay president, at least potentially. Grant and Maia also take on the controversy of learning gay history. Explore the perks of being a spinster. Before ending with a tour of modern gay history in the United States. They say he was never married, a confirmed bachelor, and famous for his dinner parties. A queer history, now out!
From weekend bar mishaps to the hidden layers of “coming out,” Grant and Maia take you on a lively ride through queer history’s best-kept secrets. They trade banter on bookstore obsessions, hyperfixation at work, and late-night escapades—then pivot to “never married” monarchs, a bachelor president, and the many ways LGBTQ+ stories slipped into the shadows. Equal parts hilarious and eye-opening, it’s a whirlwind look at how “out and about” has always meant so much more. They dig into the coded language of early gay communities, the unexpected role of spinster neighbors, and reveal how a mid-century “Lavender Scare” still echoes in today’s battles for representation. Expect comedic tangents, historical aha-moments, and fresh insight into why these hidden narratives matter.
00:00:00 Catch-Up
00:21:38 Out & About
00:34:03 Royals Rumors
00:45:10 The Only Bachelor President
01:00:00 Lavender Scare & Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
01:14:45 A Search for Gay History
01:28:00 Wrapping It Up
Connect with Us
Love a good laugh? Stay in the loop with the Well, I Laughed Podcast! Hit up wellilaughed.com for all the fun, throw some love our way on Patreon at https://patreon.com/WellILaughedPodcast, and send us your wildest listener stories at wellilaughedpod@gmail.com—because let’s be real, we know you’ve got some!
Listener stories, topic ideas, or anything else you think belongs on the show—drop it all at wellilaughed.com/contact. We’re all ears—and laughs!
Follow Us On Social Media
Instagram: @wellilaughed
Tiktok: @wellilaughed
Facebook: Well, I Laughed Podcast
YouTube: Well, I laughed
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Popular Podcasts
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com