In this episode an update, stories of intimate partner violence, and folks you should know about. I wanted to bookend the episode with a story of bravery and power. Please stick around til the end, you will want to know about Chris Bearchell. She rocks.

Fanny & Stella: A Wild, Wild Victorian Ride
Ernest Boulton and Frederick Park were "respectable" Victorian gentlemen who found freedom onstage as Fanny and Stella. Their drag performances thrilled audiences across 1860s–70s England—until they brought their show into the streets. Their arrest and scandalous trial exposed the era's hypocrisy and crushed both love and ambition. Fanny, Stella, and their circle lived boldly in a world that punished authenticity, making them pioneers to be celebrated.

2025 Update: Justice for Jimmie 'Jay' Lee in the Ole Miss Murder Case
After an 11–1 mistrial and the later discovery of Jimmie "Jay" Lee's body, Timothy Herrington Jr. took a plea deal for Lee's killing. The judge said Mississippi "got it right this time," yet the state still lacks LGBTQ+ protections or hate crime coverage. Both young men had promising futures ended by homophobia—a reminder that being gay isn't deadly, but hate is.

Her Short, Brilliant Life Was Cut Short by Violence
When Girlalala (LaLa) and her boyfriend, Shanoyd Whyte Jr., fought on November 14, 2025, tragedy struck. Whyte pulled a gun and killed LaLa, leaving the community in shock. Intimate partner violence is alarmingly high in the trans community—but help is available. If you or someone you know is in danger, please seek support.

Timothy Smith Murder Trial Update
Timothy Smith and Herbert Swilley seemed the picture of happiness in Ocala, Florida—until coworkers found Smith dead in March 2023. He'd been drugged, strangled, and left in a staged scene. Months later, Swilley was charged with first-degree premeditated murder.

Warrior Chris Bearchell: "No More Sht"
Christine "Chris" Bearchell was a fearless Canadian lesbian activist who helped reshape LGBTQ+ rights. From challenging sexist dress codes in high school to leading protests after Toronto's 1981 bathhouse raids, she fought back against police harassment and public shaming. A founder of the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives and key voice in securing Ontario's human rights protections, she also championed sex workers' rights and HIV/AIDS outreach. Bearchell died in 2007 at 53—remembered as a visionary warrior who deserves wider recognition.

At first glance, these stories might seem disparate in time, history, and gender—but they aren't at all. From resistance to bar raids, arrests, and harassment long before Stonewall, to hate crime murders and legal defenses ratified in courts across the world, until gay panic could no longer be sustained as a murder rationale.

Each one of these stories of heartbreak and victory adds a vital detail to the larger story of queer folks and their struggle to achieve equality and full protection under the law.

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1. The Homosexual Advance Defense (1993) In 1993, Malcolm Green confessed to killing a man who tried to help him—a case that exposed Australia's "homosexual advance defense" loophole and sparked decades of activism that eventually changed the law.

2. The Black Cat Cafe During WWII, San Francisco police and the liquor board joined forces to shut down queer gathering spaces. The Black Cat Cafe became an early model of resistance, laying groundwork for the activism that would eventually transform law enforcement's relationship with the city's LGBTQ+ community.

3. Colorado's Conversion Therapy Ban at the Supreme Court (2025) On October 7, 2025, a Colorado counselor challenged the state's conversion therapy ban before the Supreme Court. Research consistently shows these practices cause depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation—especially in minors. A ruling against the ban could allow harmful practices to resume nationwide.

4. Cooper Donuts Riot (1959) On a May night in 1959, trans women, lesbians, drag queens, and gay patrons at Cooper Donuts in LA's Skid Row fought back against police harassment—an early act of LGBTQ+ resistance.

5. Pepper Hill Club Raid (1955) Baltimore police arrested 162 people at the Pepper Hill Club, requiring six wagons and 24 trips. A judge condemned the abuse of power, resulting in only a handful of convictions.

6. Justice for Kier Solomon (2021–2025) Kier Solomon, a 21-year-old transgender woman, was found fatally shot in her car at an Arlington, Texas, apartment complex in September 2021—the 38th transgender person killed by violence in the U.S. that year. After nearly four years unsolved, investigators charged Arthur Morris Jr. with her murder in 2025, using digital evidence, app records, and cell phone data to build the case. This episode honors Kier's life and examines what her case means for LGBTQ+ communities safety and justice.

7. The Murder of Julio Rivera (1990) In 1990, 29-year-old Julio Rivera was killed in a brutal act of anti-gay violence in New York City. His murder galvanized the queer community into action, pressuring police to investigate and sending a clear message: they would no longer tolerate being battered, murdered, and ignored.

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On March 16th, 1973, three members of the Schallock family were found dead in their driveway as their home burned behind them.

This episode explores the tragic descent of Brent William Bedayan, a former athlete whose treatment of schizophrenia couldn't prevent the devastating, violent outcome.

Discover how the defense relied on the discredited psychiatric theory "homosexual panic," even though the decade had ushered in advances in the understanding and treatment of paranoia and schizophrenia.

Join me to explore the rarely discussed intersection of mental health, LGBTQ+ history, and the legal system.

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61, Melvin Schallock was a partner in a food brokerage firm. His brother, Art Schallock pitched for the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles. 53, Ruth Derr Schallock attended the University of California, where she was a member of Chi Omega sorority. The Schallocks had three children, all sons, all musically inclined, a talent the inherited from their mother.