Lavender Ranks cover art

Lavender Ranks

Lavender Ranks

Written by: Knockabout Media
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When you picture the First World War, you probably think of barbed wire, artillery fire, and mud. What you probably don’t think of: drag shows, love letters passed between soldiers, and queer lives hiding in plain sight.


Hosted by The Queer Collective’s Emily and Karbon, Lavender Ranks explores the stories that didn’t make it into the official record because they were too tender, too queer, or too dangerous to preserve. From Canadian soldiers performing in drag at the front, to forbidden love in the trenches, to nurses whose lifelong relationship was dismissed as mere “friendship,” the series uncovers a hidden history buried beneath the mythology of war.


If you’re interested in queer history, Canadian history, the First World War, or military history, follow Lavender Ranks now and discover the stories history tried to leave behind.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Knockabout Media
Episodes
  • Coming Soon! Lavender Ranks

    Coming Soon! Lavender Ranks
    May 1 2026

    lavender

    (noun) /ˈlæv.ən.dər/

    A symbolic colour associated with LGBTQ+ identity, queer culture, and queer resistance, particularly in North American contexts.


    ranks

    noun / ræŋks /

    The members of a military force considered collectively.


    Hosted by The Queer Collective’s Emily and Karbon, Lavender Ranks explores the stories that didn’t make it into the official record because they were too tender, too queer, or too dangerous to preserve. From Canadian soldiers performing in drag at the front, to forbidden love in the trenches, to nurses whose lifelong relationship was dismissed as mere “friendship,” the series uncovers a hidden history buried beneath the mythology of war.

    If you’re interested in queer history, Canadian history, the First World War, or military history, follow Lavender Ranks now and discover the stories history tried to leave behind.



    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 min
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