Shows
The Log BooksSwitchboard’s first night | Episode 1Adam and Tash’s first guest is John Lindsay, one of the founders of Switchboard, the national LGBTQIA+ helpline. John takes us back to the first night in the phoneroom in 1974, when a ragtag gang of queers listened out for that first phone call.Buy our book or see our events listings: The Log Books: Voices of Queer Britain and the Helpline that Listened.Hosted and produced by Tash Walker and Adam ZmithThe voice of the log books: Serena JamesAssistant producer: Marnie Woodmeade Engi...
2026-01-0128 minThe Log BooksAll-new season, all-new interviewsThe UK’s best LGBTQ+ history podcast is BACK. After three groundbreaking seasons from 2019-22, featuring the unique archives at Switchboard, winning a string of awards, we’re returning with a new season.We are Adam Zmith and Tash Walker, hosts and producers, and your guides into queer memories and countless, essential stories.The all-new season of The Log Books will feature intimate interviews we’ve done as research for our book, which will be published by Faber on January 29th 2026.We thought: we can’t fit everything into the book, so...
2025-12-1800 min
Free Sex054 - Affordable homes - Alva GotbyHow would housing justice help our sex lives?My guest in this episode is Alva Gotby, a writer and housing organiser. She is also the author of the new book Feeling at Home, which is all about housing politics. Alva’s idea is we can’t talk about free sex without talking about housing — the spaces where we live have a huge impact on the kind of sex we’re able to have.I talked with Alva about the horrifying housing crisis we’re living through, the progress (and backsliding) of women’s rights with r...
2025-06-0940 minFree Sex053 - Prioritise pleasure - Prishita Maheshwari-AplinHow can we prioritise pleasure?My guest in this episode is Prishita Maheshwari-Aplin, a writer and queer community organiser. Having just written a book about the politics of pleasure, called Roses for Hedone, Prishita has a lot of deep thoughts about how we could structure our societies so we can pursue pleasure. You can see why I wanted to speak to them!It might be self-evident that a world of free sex includes the pursuit of pleasure, but I found talking about this with Prishita to be immensely illuminating. Once we started, I...
2025-06-0249 minFree Sex052 - Better flirting! - Alice McKeeWhat’s stopping us from flirting?My guest in this episode is Alice McKee, a playwright and documentary maker. Alice thinks we can build a world where people can have the sex they want if only we were all better at flirting. Are we too full of nerves and anxieties that we can’t even make a goofy joke?In our conversation Alice drew on her work as the writer of a play called Perverts. It’s set in a queer sex club and has played at three theatres over the past few years...
2025-05-2645 minFree Sex051 - AI girlfriends - Georgi DimitrovCan men use AI to learn how to seduce women?My guest in this episode is Georgi Dimitrov, founder of an AI platform that helps men to generate a fake woman, and then chat to her. Georgi knows that a lot of straight men struggle with texting, chatting, dating, and sex, and building relationships...But having spoken to Georgi I’m not sure he’s got the right answer. As you’ll hear in the interview, Georgi says Fantasy.ai can be a place where men can practice seduction, without stakes, fear or shame...
2025-05-1945 minFree Sex050 - BONUS: Sex spaces for allTo mark the milestone of hitting 50 episodes of Free Sex, I want to add my own idea for how we can build a world where people are free to have the sex they want.My proposal is delightfully simple and appropriately bonkers: let’s put a sex space on every high street in Britain. Yes, I’m serious. No, your granny probably won’t approve. Your neighbour will ask you to sign the petition against it. The prime minister will laugh you out of town. But I am really serious about this idea. Join me while I buil...
2025-05-1212 minFree Sex049 - Shame is good! - Dug GainesHow can we educate people so they can enjoy their shameful desires?My guest in this episode is Dug Gaines, who is a living legend. For 50 years Dug has been running the Foot Fraternity, a network for people who love feet. More specifically, Dug himself is into asthenolagnia, which is arousal from perceived weakness, vulnerability, and humiliation — often wrapped up in shame.Having spent half a century helping others to explore their fetishes that are rooted in asthenolagnia, Dug has plenty to share. We talked about how society has opened up sexually since hi...
2025-05-0537 minFree Sex048 - A day without Instagram - Ruby RareWhat if we all quit watching influencers and met to discuss sex instead?My guest in this episode is Ruby Rare, who has a bone to pick with the internet. She’s built a huge online audience for her work as a sex educator, author, broadcaster, and public speaker. Ruby’s voice on sex and relationships is essential for our times, and it’s great that people can hear and see her ideas about sex online. But recently she’s been wondering: what if we turned away from our phones?Ruby and I had a me...
2025-04-2844 minFree Sex047 - Group sex - Leanne YauIs group sex the way to a better world?My guest in this episode is Leanne Yau, who runs the @polyphiliablog viral accounts across social media. Leanne is a polyamory educator who, among many other things, wants people to know more about group sex. Leanne told me how group sex and polyamory are different; and then we went on to discuss the social politics of it all. From the question of whether more people are getting into group sex to the need to de-stigmatise polyamory, Leanne has a lot to say! She also w...
2025-04-2143 minFree Sex046 - Cost cutting - Matt SkullyAre sex events and fetish gear too expensive?My guest in this episode is Matt Skully, who’s a performer, curator, events producer and occasional sex worker. His heart is as big as his desires as dark—and he’s got a long list of ideas that could make sex more financially accessible to people. Fetish gear costs money, event tickets aren’t getting cheaper, and sometimes you have to travel big, expensive distances to get to the place where you can enjoy the sex you want. We don’t talk enough about how wealth i...
2025-04-1451 minFree Sex045 - Be serious! - Anastasiia FedorovaCan we find a way to take sex seriously?My guest in this episode is Anastasiia Fedorova, a latex lover and author of a book called Second Skin: Inside the Worlds of Fetish, Kink and Deviant Desire. Anastasiia takes her subject so seriously that she’s built it into her life—and written a whole book about it. I was fascinated to hear more about the research she’s done for the book, from fetishes for cars, monsters and medical gloves, as well as the classics such as feet, latex and leather. As a queer...
2025-04-0749 minFree Sex044 - It’s complicated! - Sari van AndersWhat if sexuality wasn’t a spectrum?My guest in this episode is Sari Van Anders, who is a very multi-faceted scientist and thinker. Drawing on her experience in behavioural science and neuroscience, plus gender and queer thinking, Sari and her team have built an incredibly refreshing concept for how we can think of ourselves as sexual beings.We tend to think of our gender and sex as one thing, and that we are attracted to others based on their gender and sex (eg, I’m a man who fancies men so I’m gay...
2025-03-3149 minFree Sex043 - Licensed sex - Karl VerbotenHow should we regulate sex clubs?My guest in this episode is Karl Verboten, one of the masterminds behind one of London’s greatest kink club nights, Klub Verboten.Karl told me the story of how Klub Verboten had to fight an archaic licensing system in order to hold parties that are sex-positive and safe at the same time. It’s a really fascinating story to do with local politics, legal regulations, the relationship between club promoters and the police — and it even involves kinky people sending sexy photos of themselves to the local...
2025-03-2446 minFree Sex042 - Tone shift - Zachary ZaneAre sex-positive people too self-righteous?My guest in this episode is Zachary Zane, a writer whose work focuses on sex and, well, his own experiences as a bisexual slut. Zach literally wrote the book on being a Boyslut.Zach came on Free Sex to talk about how writers like him (and me), and anyone else talking about sex politics, can improve how we talk about sex. If we are hoping to build a world of free sex, we need to share information about sex in a way that doesn’t alienate people or ‘call...
2025-03-1743 minFree SexBONUS: The rent is killing my sex lifeWhat a dominatrix taught me about universal basic incomeThis is an audio version of an essay from the Free Sex Substack - subscribe now to receive my writing into your inbox, and to support my work.Would you join me in a thought experiment? We all have basic needs, such as food and shelter. And most of us have to cover these ourselves. Even though governments promise to provide our basic needs, people are starving and sleeping rough. We fudge through life trying to make sure we have somewhere nice to rest...
2025-03-1012 minFree Sex040 - Free money is sexy - Eva OhWhat if we didn’t need to work to earn money?My guest in this episode is Eva Oh, a dominatrix who wants everyone to have their basic needs financially covered. This was such a philosophical conversation, and I loved it! Eva argues that we can build a world of free sex if we adopt a universal basic income — people would have more time to investigate their own sexuality, instead of having to work so hard just to cover their basic needs. She shared stories from her own life, including how her own fearlessness has helped her...
2025-03-1050 minFree Sex039 - No normal - Silva NevesHow can we flip the script on what sex and relationships can be?My guest in this episode is Silva Neves, who is a psychosexual and relationships psychotherapist. Silva sees all sorts of clients with different challenges to do with sex and relationships, so he’s a fascinating person to talk to about free sex. His big idea is that we need to know ourselves without the influences of society. That’s a hard task, of course! But Silva broke it down for me. We talked about the power of films and stories, the q...
2025-03-0345 minFree Sex038 - Kink as an identity - Richard SprottShould we change our sexuality labels?My guest in this episode is Richard Sprott, a psychologist and sexuality researcher. Richard’s been exploring human sexuality for 20 years but says he’s still “at the beginning” of understanding it. His principle, developing, idea is about ‘kink identity’—which could help us to get to a world of free sex.The idea is that our kink identities can be just as significant as our sexual orientations. In fact, for some people, much more so. Richard and his colleagues have used their findings from lots of studies to pro...
2025-02-2449 minFree Sex037 - Channelling sexual energy - Kalah HillDo we all share a communal sexual energy that’s just waiting to be activated?My guest in this episode is Kalah Hill, and she thinks the answer is definitely yes! Kalah works with individuals and groups of people to help them to discover and channel their sexual energies. She’s all about rooting our sexual pleasures in our bodies, our spirits, our ecosystems and our histories. So she was a fascinating guest for Free Sex.We talked about how Kalah creates play parties, the history of ‘eros’ from the Ancient Greeks, the science...
2025-02-1748 minFree Sex036 - Sexy clubs - Diana IsiHow can we create non-judgemental sex clubs and dancefloors?My guest in this episode is Diana Isi, who is part of the underground queer scene in London. As a DJ, Diana helps to create precious spaces where people come together to feel good, feel sexy, to dance, to commune, to kiss and maybe more. Diana’s vision for free sex is spaces like this, which operate without judgement or labels or categories. She told me about her own experiences on the gay male scene and how they led her into the queer underground, her...
2025-02-1046 minFree Sex035 - Foot shame - Adam ZmithWhat if... we could suck toes without shame?In this episode, my producer Tash turns the mic on ME to ask me about my foot kink. I’ve just published a new book called Solemates: A History of Our Fetish for Feet, so Tash has a million questions for me about how it can help us to get to a world where we can suck toes without stressing out about it. Tash and I discuss shame, freedom, what is actually ‘sex’, and the double standard of what ‘sex’ means. I tell Tash about my own jour...
2025-02-0344 minFree Sex034 - BONUS: My book about foot fetishes - Adam ZmithThis episode is an excerpt from my new book, Solemates: A History of Our Fetish for Feet, published by 404 Ink. You can buy the book from the usual places and direct from the publisher here.If you sign up to my newsletter I’ll send you a PDF of the text of the first chapter as a taster, too.The excerpt is read by me, and it’s the introduction chapter for the book. It introduces my fetish, and my deep interest in its history, as well as linking to popular culture. I’d love...
2025-02-0321 min
The Log BooksIntroducing... The QuiltThe Quilt: Living memories of queer Britain & Northern Ireland An audio exhibition open to anyone, anywhere, at any time of day, produced and hosted by Tash Walker and Adam Zmith. Born from a collaboration between the producers of the award-winning podcast The Log Books and the UK’s first and only LGBTQ+ museum Queer Britain, challenges who and what makes queer history. The series takes the listener on a journey across the UK, collecting queer memories, from queer people. The Quilt weaves together all these stories and histories, into a beaut...
2024-11-1205 min
The QuiltIntroducing... The QuiltFrom the producers of the award-winning podcast The Log Books, The Quilt is a new queer history podcast featuring untold stories that are rooted all around the UK.In this short intro episode, hosts Tash Walker and Adam Zmith head back into the studio to plan the new series. We’ve partnered with Queer Britain, the UK’s first LGBTQ+ museum, to travel around the UK collecting intriguing, moving, and deeply important stories from the queer family.Hit follow or subscribe now to hear the first full episode when it lands... coming soon!
2024-11-0405 minFree Sex033 - Open desires - Liam WignallWhat if... we could see everyone’s intimate sexual desires?My guest in this episode is Liam Wignall, a researcher, lecturer and writer specialising in the role of the internet in our sex lives, especially for kinky people. Liam’s got a fun idea: imagine if we all wore some X-ray specs that revealed everyone else’s sexual tastes. Liam thinks we could get to a world of free sex if only our desires were more visible. Liam and I tested out the idea of the XXX-ray sex specs in our conversation. We explore...
2024-10-2840 minFree Sex032 - Free choice - Kitty DrakeWhy do we desire what we desire?*This episode discusses sexual assault and an alleged case of rape*My guest in this episode is Kitty Drake, a journalist who interviews a lot of people about the sex they have. Kitty helped me to see that we could approach a free-sex world if we’re able to give ourselves over to sex while at the same time hold space for reflecting on why we fancy it. How are our desires shaped by the politics and societies that we live in?Kitty wr...
2024-10-2141 minFree Sex031 - Denied sex - Claire BatesHow are people with learning disabilities held back from sex?My guest in this episode is Claire Bates who runs a network for people with learning disabilities, supporting them in sex and relationships. Through her work with Supported Loving Claire has tracked all the ways that people with disabilities are held back from the sex they want to have — whether it’s discriminatory laws or unhelpful staff in residential care homes.I learnt a lot from this conversation with Claire, about how the world of free sex would not be reached without including thos...
2024-10-1436 minFree Sex030 - ‘Clean’ bums - Henry BlestWhat if you could have anal sex without the shit?My guest in this episode is Henry Blest, “the most ambitious bottom in London”. It says that on his LinkedIn profile, honestly! Henry and I talked about the realities of anal sex, from the slipperiness of the term ‘clean’ to ‘taboo tech’, which is technology that faces stigma when trying to solve our problems.Henry is one half of a duo who have invented a device that means people wanting to have anal sex would not have to douche in order to avoid faecal matte...
2024-10-0739 minFree Sex029 - Sex is boring - Tina FetnerWhy do we need social norms around sex?My guest in this episode is Tina Fetner, a sociologist who has studied peoples’ sex lives in Canada. Tina walked me through her research into the who, why, when and how of sex, including what she’s discovered about masturbation habits, promiscuity and porn. And then we got into a conversation about the social norms of sex, which we all seem to measure ourselves against.What intrigued me the most about Tina’s ideas was how they encouraged me to think about the basis of the ‘f...
2024-09-3044 minFree Sex028 - Bi-curious play - Emma SayleWhat can bi-curious men learn from women?My guest in this episode is Emma Sayle who for two decades has been running glamorous sex parties that centre female pleasure. Many of the men who go to Emma’s Killing Kittens parties have wanted to play with other men, but feel some worries or shame about it. So now Emma is planning a party just for them.In this episode, Emma told me what she’s learnt from running Killing Kittens and how she intends to build a safe space for men to explore with...
2024-09-2340 minFree Sex027 - Blue pills - Phil SambaWhen can we have all the sexual health services we need?My guest in this episode is Phil Samba, health promoter and the host of The Other Blue Pill podcast series. That show is about a pill called PrEP, which stops people getting HIV, and how campaigners fought legal battles for years to make it available to everyone in the UK. Phil is now trying to keep up that momentum in making all our sexual health needs available to everyone, in a way that works for them, all the time. Phil and I t...
2024-09-1638 minFree Sex026 - Queer hearts - Amanda MiddletonWhat can straight people learn from queer relationships?My guest in this episode is Amanda Middleton, a family and systemic psychotherapist. Amanda works with queer couples, families and polycules. Through decades of experience, she’s developed a fascinating practice that places queer attitudes at the heart of her work—and her insights now can benefit everybody.The point is that these queer approaches help us to get to a world where we can have the sex we want (not just queer sex, but freer sex). I also got to ask Amanda what she thin...
2024-09-0942 minFree Sex025 - Sex robots - Heather ParryWould sex robots be good for us?My guest in this episode is Heather Parry, who’s been wondering why we need sex robots. Heather is a writer of fiction and non-fiction, and she wrote a book called Electric Dreams: On Sex Robots and the Failed Promises of Capitalism. It’s a fascinating bipedal stroll through the growing industry of pimped-up sex dolls and the dreams of imagineers who predict a world with fleshy human-like sex robots.In researching the book Heather found that there are several factors connecting the people who want to h...
2024-04-2241 minFree Sex024 - Maximum intimacy - Nick WoofCan you be intimate with 200 people?My guest in this episode is Nick Woof, the founder of London’s edgiest erotic party, Bator Bros. The party is centred on the idea that we can enjoy intimacy and community in a sexual context. Imagine an orgy, but where you’re only allowed to use your hands (sorta). Nick explains how he developed the ideas that led to him to create this new type of sex party, and what we can all gain by thinking about intimacy and community differently. In Nick’s free sex world...
2024-04-1544 minFree Sex023 - Older people - Hayley ConyersDoes age matter?My guest in this episode is Hayley Conyers, who has been working as a research assistant at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and specifically on a study into the sexual health of older adults. Many people assume that older people aren’t having sex, or that if they are, that’s gross. Well, both of those things are wrong, aren’t they? A free sex world is a world where we can have and enjoy healthy sex well into old age, if we want.The project Hayley worked...
2024-04-0839 minFree Sex022 - Slut power - Beth AshleyHow can we overcome slutshaming?My guest in this episode is Beth Ashley, author of Sluts: The Truth about Slutshaming and What We Can Do To Fight It. It’s a wide-ranging book that pulls together history, politics, class, identity, gender and activism, to try to understand the resurgence of slutshaming. Thankfully Beth also has tons of actions that we can all take to fight back.I remember telling my mum once that I like sex with different people, and she called me a slut. I laughed it off but, of course, I al...
2024-04-0149 minFree Sex021 - Bye bye, bisexual men - Lewis OakleyWhy don’t some women want to date bisexual men?My guest in this episode is Lewis Oakley, a bisexual activist. Lewis has experienced prejudice from women who tell him to his face that even if they like him, they won’t date him due to his history of gay sex. This is one of the many ways that biphobia not only endures, but seems to go unchecked. So Lewis is on a mission to change that attitude, through writing and speaking on the subject, and hosting the Bisexual Brunch podcast.He tells me a...
2024-03-2548 minFree Sex020 - Sexual free speech - Pup DaveyShould we show off our kinky selves in public?My guest in this episode is Pup Davey, who is a pornstar and all-round kinky queer person. He makes a living from kinky sex videos and he wants the freedom to share them. Davey and I talked about the limits in society on our freedom to express ourselves sexually (especially if we’re kinky). This includes battling online censorship and wearing kinky clothes in the street. One of Davey’s stories is about a day he was wearing a pup collar in public, and a fri...
2024-03-1834 minFree Sex019 - Too much sex - Mark WaltonIs it possible to have too much sex?My guest in this episode is Mark Walton, who thinks the answer is yes. Mark has a history of compulsive sexual behaviour. This wasn’t healthy for Mark, so to move forward he used a combination of therapy, groups, and the book Overcoming Sex Addiction by Thaddeus Birchhardt.Mark is very sex positive, and wants everyone to have the sex they want. But when it leads to negative behaviour patterns, he thinks we need to take care of each other better. Because of what he’s be...
2024-03-1142 minFree Sex018 - Fat sex - Gina TonicWill ‘body positivity’ actually end fatphobia?My guest in this episode is Gina Tonic, who is a writer and the host of The Polyester Podcast. Gina tells me that free sex would mean pleasure without limitation—and we talked a lot about how fatphobia limits us all. Gina walks me through fat liberation, why queer spaces are fat-friendly pioneers, the personal politics of fetishisation... and why ‘body positivity’ is usually just a buzzword to sell razors. Thanks to my listener Gianluca for recommending the topic of ‘fatness and sex’. I went straight to Gina with it, b...
2024-03-0440 minFree Sex017 - Big erection data - Dr Elliot JustinShould doctors be prescribing orgasm?My guest in this episode is Dr Elliot Justin. Elliot has a background in emergency medicine, but recently he’s been busy inventing a pretty fancy cock ring. Elliot is really into men’s erectile fitness, because it can tell doctors like him a lot about the patient’s overall health. So the cock ring developed by his company, FirmTech, claims to be comfortable enough to be worn for long periods AND smart enough to collect data on things like blood flow. Elliot and I also talked about why doc...
2024-02-2638 minFree Sex016 - Masturbation for all - Vic LiuMy guest in this episode is Vic Liu, an artist and information designer who makes books that aim to make the world a little better. One way the world could be a little better is probably if we all had better wank-lives. Who needs a sex life, if your wank life is hot and fulfilling?One of Vic’s books is BANG!, which is a guide about masturbation for people of all genders and abilities. The book busts the myths that stop us busting our nuts, suggests various techniques to try on yourself, or a partner, an...
2024-02-1938 minFree Sex015 - Poly possibility - Libro Levi BridgemanCould we have a polyamorous world?My guest in this episode is Libro Levi Bridgeman, a writer, performer, the editor of Hot Pencil Press, and a ‘solo poly’ person. Libro’s been on quite the journey with sex since the 80s—from butch dyke to nonbinary legend, and lots in between. Libro’s story is one of periodic monogamy, gender-affirming surgery, caring for others, and the freedom that can arrive in your 50s. They are provocative, inclusive—and dead entertaining. I loved discussing with them how a free-sex world would empower people to be the gender...
2024-02-1235 minFree Sex014 - What do you like? - Susan BrattonCan we make it easier to say what we want in sex? My guest in this episode is Susan Bratton. As an intimacy adviser and wellness expert, Susan has no end of talking techniques, libido botanicals, blood-flow supplements and sexual energy bars to help us all to have better sex. Susan’s having the best sex of her life in her 60s—and she wants you and me to share the joy!But better sex isn’t enough. Susan and I went... deeper. We discussed the conditions in society that weaken our sexual communi...
2024-02-0540 minFree Sex013 - Take care - Dani SingerHow can we take care of each other? My guest in this episode is Dani Singer aka Dani Dinger, who is a performer, sex worker, activist and an expert in nightlife welfare. If you want to know how to run a good sex party, speak to Dani. They co-founded an agency called Safe Only to do exactly this. Dani and the folks at Safe Only have a deep understanding of how to mould space and time so that it is sexy and free, while also taking care of the people in it. After th...
2024-01-2939 minFree Sex012 - Pleasure for the good of our health - Jozef ShawIsn’t pleasure a part of good sexual health?My guest in this episode is Dr Jozef Shaw. Joe works in a hospital in London, practising sexual health, HIV and general internal medicine. He’s used to seeing patients with genital symptoms, giving them treatment, and then sending them home. But there’s so much that’s missing from this medicalised approach to sexual health...So Joe tells me his big idea for holistic services around sex, that include fighting infections of course, but also therapy, conversations about relationships, and even more support around p...
2024-01-2237 minFree Sex011 - Kinky showtime - Dan DawHow can a submissive disabled person get the sex they want?My guest in this episode is Dan Daw — an exquisite performer with huge ideas and an electrifying stage presence. They made The Dan Daw Show, which knocked my socks off the first time I saw it (I went back and saw it again!). Dan’s show feels like the world of free sex I’m craving, so I knew we had to speak about it. The show is also a smash hit, selling out theatres since 2021.Dan’s work is so special because i...
2024-01-1541 minFree Sex010 - Less sex, please? - Rosie WilbyWhy are we having less sex?My guest in this episode is the author and comedian Rosie Wilby. Rosie is wondering why surveys are showing that people, especially the young ones, are having less sex than they used to. She’s also reflecting on how relationships change the kind of sex we fancy, and how the stereotypes of gay men and lesbians with regard to sex stand up to scrutiny... This was a really fun and funny chat, taking in the breadth of Rosie’s interests and our observations as a gay man and a...
2024-01-0837 minFree Sex009 - Risk! - Tina HornCan we calculate risk at the same time as trying to nut with someone?My guest in this episode is Tina Horn, who is a writer and perv, just like me. She’s really into helping us all figure out how to reduce harm during sex and staying horny while also thinking about the risk of sex.I came across Tina when she was hosting a Wondery podcast called Operator, about the sex workers who ran phone lines in the 90s. She’s also the host-producer of Why Are People Into That?, a podc...
2024-01-0138 minFree Sex008 - Sex in Public - Jackson KingWhy can’t we have sex in public?My guest in this episode is Jackson King, a writer, journalist and pro dom (professional dominant). Jackson’s way to free sex is through the political and public liberation of sex. In this interview, he breaks this all down for me: from legal rights, to the priorities of the LGBTQ+ movement, from what it means to have complete control over your own body, and to how sex cops are policing us. We talk about kinky sex parties, how sex was completely forgotten about during the Covid lockd...
2023-12-1844 minFree Sex007 - Sex therapy - Dr Lori Beth BisbeyHow can therapy help us to have better sex?My guest in this episode is Dr Lori Beth Bisbey. Not gonna lie: since I watched Dr Lori counsel countless couples into opening up their relationship on a reality TV show called Open House: The Great British Sex Experiment, I’ve been a bit obsessed with her. Dr Lori has decades of experience as a therapist, specialising in sex and relationships (and especially kink stuff), and she’s got a brilliant way of communicating about all these complex factors. In this interview, Dr Lori share...
2023-12-1145 minFree Sex006 - Gay shame - José Carlos MejiaCan you imagine a world without any shame?My guest in this episode is José Carlos Mejia, who told me the three things we’d need to eliminate if we want to have free sex. Shame, judgement and expectation — they’re all heavy obstacles, but in José’s hands they just crumble. When I was developing the idea for this podcast, José was one of the people I spoke to. He thinks deeply and clearly about sex, so after a long coffee date with him I came away with the idea that became Free Sex. I...
2023-12-0448 minFree Sex005 - Sex health inequality - Dr Rageshri DhairyawanWhy are South Asian people in the UK getting more STIs?My guest this episode is Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan. In treating her patients in HIV and sexual health in east London, UK, Rageshri noticed that STI diagnoses in South Asian people were growing, and that they have less knowledge of HIV than other groups do. When Rageshri researched what was going on, she was shocked to find that doctors have known about these ethnic inequalities in sexual health since the 1950s. Why hasn’t this disparity been fixed?In talking with me about ho...
2023-11-2736 minFree Sex004 - You’re not normal - Girl On The NetWhy do we want to be cool during sex?My guest this episode is Sarah from Girl On The Net — one of the hottest sex blogs in the world. Sarah is a lightning rod for peoples’ fantasies, and over 12 years running her blog she’s learnt what would be the things that help us create a free-sex world. So she and I discuss the removal of the pressure to be cool, clean and normal. Poo happens!Supported by fans on Patreon, Girl On The Net is an amazing and expansive independent universe of smut. S...
2023-11-2043 minFree Sex003 - Body Hair is Gorgeous! - Asad ZafarDo I have to remove my body hair to get better sex?My guest in this episode is Asad Zafar, the non-binary slut-dragon of your dreamz. They are tall, queer and hairy—and after years of reflection, they now love this about themself. Asad tells me about how their conservative Pakistani Muslim family shielded them from the baby-slut they knew they were. So Asad’s prescription for a free-sex world is about finding ways to accept our sluttiness. Asad also shared insights from their work in sexual health testing. Their experience brings up many...
2023-11-1332 minFree Sex002 - Sex Whilst Disabled - Andrew GurzaWhat stops a disabled person from hooking up with someone?My guest this episode is Andrew Gurza. Andrew is dedicated to the same thing as me — removing the barriers that hold people back from having the sex they want. So the answer to that question above is ableism, which is discrimination that favours people who are able-bodied. From their home in Canada, Andrew told me about their experiences hooking up as a wheelchair user, buying sex work, consulting on TV shows featuring disabled people, and why sex is a part of a person’s ove...
2023-11-1340 minFree Sex001 - No Censorship! - Reed AmberWhy can’t sex workers have an Instagram account?My guest this episode is Reed Amber, a sex worker, educator, anti-shamer and activist. Reed has worked in the adult industry for over 10 years, and has built a huge audience for her sexy content, campaigns about loving your own sexual body, AND a podcast called F**ks Given.But social media makes life difficult for her — blocking her accounts, promoting trolls and restricting her ability to grow an audience and work. All because her theme is sex. Based in London, Reed told me all about...
2023-11-1342 minFree SexTrailer: Free Sex with Adam ZmithComing soon from Aunt Nell — the team behind the award-winning podcasts The Log Books, Queer Roots and Routes, and Black And Gay, Back In The Day.In Free Sex, Adam Zmith speaks to a different guest every episode to ask what a world of free sex would look like. In hearing from kinksters, sexual health doctors, writers, sex workers, therapists — and anyone with a fresh perspective on sex — Adam is building an image for a future where we are not held back in sex.From mild to wild, everyone is welcome.
2023-11-0203 min
The Log BooksIntroducing: Queer Roots and RoutesWe'd love to introduce you to this new podcast we've been working Queer Roots and Routes!Queer Roots and Routes is made by a collective. We are queer. We are migrants or descended from migrants. And we want to tell our stories. Stories of where we’ve come from and how we move in the world today.We don’t have a boss or a Beyoncé. So each episode of this six-part first series of Queer Roots and Routes has a different host and a different set of voices from our gr...
2023-04-0500 min
The Log BooksINTRODUCING: New podcast Black and Gay, Back in the DayWe'd love to introduce you to this new podcast Black and Gay, Back in the Day which brings to life a photo archive of Black LGBTQIA+ life in Britain, from the 1970s through to the early 2000s. Each episode is an intergenerational journey focusing on a key photograph from the archive - joining stories of the past, with those of today. Marc Thompson is the gentle, inquisitive and warm guide to the archive, helping a rotation of younger Black LGBTQIA+ co-hosts navigate these often untold stories. Each episode covers a different theme drawn out of a sin...
2022-10-0202 min
The Log BooksBONUS: Tash and Adam tour the Out And About LGBTQ+ exhibition at the BarbicanIn this bonus episode made for Nothing Concrete, the podcast of London's Barbican, Tash and Adam riffle through many more items from LGBTQ+ history. The Bishopsgate Institute doesn't just look after the amazing Switchboard log books — they also hold gay badges, protest placards, intimate photo albums and historical trackie tops. Forty of these items are being displayed in the free exhibition Out and About! at the Barbican in London from February 28th to March 21st. To mark the occasion, Adam and Tash made this special episode for Nothing Concrete, featuring archivist Stef Dickers and recorded on location at the Barbi...
2022-02-2336 min
The Log Books“Thank you for being here” | Episode 10This is it! After three seasons covering 1974 to 2003, Tash and Adam reach the final page in the log books in Switchboard’s archive. In this closing episode of The Log Books, Adam and Tash reflect on all the stories they’ve heard across the three years making this podcast. They also bring to light one type of log book entry that has not yet been covered in the podcast, and listen to young people who are living our queer futures.Thank YOU, our amazing listeners, for joining us on this moving, empowering and joyous journey!
2022-01-1056 min
The Log Books“Not suitably dressed” | Episode 9Rubber? Feet? Piss? Flogging? Role play? What’s your kink? In this episode Tash and Adam listen to dozens of dirty stories from the LGBTQI+ community in the 90s. From the publicly funded multi-gender kink night at the London Lesbian and Gay Centre to people wearing nappies and S&M dykes — this episode is raw, sexy, hilarious... and you’ll never be the same again. We also speak to Alex (the DJ Kiwi) from Crossbreed and Matt Skully about running kinky events and club nights today.Content warning: extreme sex practices and state homophobiaTran...
2022-01-031h 02
The Log Books“Interested and willing” | Episode 8In the 90s more and more lesbians called Switchboard to ask where they could get hold of sperm. All sorts of LGBTQI+ people in the period sought to make families outside of conventional methods and constraints. In this episode, Tash and Adam hear stories from the people who pioneered queer family-making. We also catch-up with some folks who have their own experiences and opinions on what queer family means to them today.Content warning: homophobiaTranscript here.The Log Books — stories from Britain’s LGBTQI+ history and conversations about being quee...
2021-12-271h 06
The Log Books“The inability of others to understand” | Episode 7There is still so much work to be done in making sure LGBTQI+ people with disabilities have what they need, but the 90s saw a definite shift in the right direction. Legal change, growing awareness, and a place at the front of the Pride march. In this episode, Tash and Adam hear from queer disability rights campaigners and, of course, Switchboard volunteers about handling calls about intersecting identities. They also catch up with Erin Ekins about the experience of being queer and neurodivergent today.Content warning: archaic language around disability.Transcript here.
2021-12-2050 min
The Log Books“Needs support and reassurance” | Episode 6Understanding and awareness of various gender identities grew from 1992 to 2003, and more and more trans people called Switchboard for support. This episode offers a fascinating insight into how the LGBTQI+ community evolved over the period, and how trans people grew stronger in asserting their identities. Essential listening for anyone interested in the recent history of gender and queer identity. Tash and Adam also hear from Steph Fuller, the general manager of Switchboard, about the nature of calls about gender identity today.Content warning: archaic language around transgender identities, transphobia, and stories of negative medical experiences.
2021-12-1354 min
The Log Books“They do mean us harm” | Episode 5On April 30th 1999, the Admiral Duncan gay pub in Soho was bombed by a homophobic Nazi. The attack followed a series of calls to Switchboard threatening violence. In this episode, Adam, Tash and volunteers at the helpline tell the story of the bombing from the phone room, as volunteers rushed to support the LGBTQI+ community. We also hear from John Sizzle, who runs The Glory pub in east London, on creating safer queer spaces today.Content warning: homophobic language, and stories of hate crime and violence.Transcript here.The Log...
2021-12-0652 min
The Log Books“How refreshing” | Episode 4Remember how you felt when you first saw the lesbian kiss on Brookside? Or *those* scenes in Queer As Folk? This episode is a tour through the landmark television moments for queer people from 1992 to 2003. Taking in Hayley in Coronation Street and even the calls to Switchboard following a gay storyline on Peak Practice, Tash, Adam and contributors discuss the importance of TV representation, with a few laughs along the way. We also feature a conversation between producers Stella Merz (Gentleman Jack) and Katie Carpenter (Flowers, The Bisexual, Landscapers) about their experience as queer women in th...
2021-11-2955 min
The Log Books“Not an easy call at all” | Episode 3Because Switchboard is set up to support people around matters of sexuality, volunteers sometimes take difficult calls from paedophiles and those who have been the victims of abuse. In this episode, Tash and Adam hear from Switchboard volunteers in the 90s about taking those calls, and how they supported people in these awful situations. This episode also features an interview with Oliver, a Switchboard volunteer today reflecting on taking difficult calls.Content warning: paedophilia, rape, sexual assault, sexual violence, suicide, and archaic language around transgender identities.Transcript here.The Log...
2021-11-2234 min
The Log Books“The little darlings” | Episode 2In the 90s, if two men had sex and one was under 21, both could be imprisoned, while straight people could legally have sex at age 16. This inequality could not last, and that’s thanks to campaigners such as Hugo Greenhalgh and Euan Sutherland, supported by Stonewall. This is the story of their campaign to equalise the law, and of the Switchboard volunteers who helped. Tash and Adam also hear from Phil Samba, from Prepster and the Love Tank, about his work on campaigning around queer sex today.Content warning: homophobic language.TV clips from Ag...
2021-11-1552 min
The Log Books“Multiple paradox net files” | Episode 1The internet began to revolutionise LGBTQI+ life in the 1990s: chat rooms, emails, and of course dating websites. In this first episode of the third season of The Log Books, Tash and Adam pull out stories from the archive at Switchboard - the LGBT+ Helpline about people who called to talk about how the internet was changing their experience of sexuality and gender. They hear memories of early online photo searches and hook-ups arranged via chat rooms. And YouTuber Jake Edwards who grew up making videos about their transition and coming out as non-binary, explains their experience on the...
2021-11-0836 minThe Log Books“The queer 90s” | Episode 0Tash and Adam are back, with 11 all-new weekly episodes covering LGBTQI+ life from 1992 to 2003, using calls made to Switchboard in that period.In this opening teaser episode, Tash and Adam visit two special locations to explain what’s coming up in the season. They also play clips from the forthcoming episodes, from the lesbians looking for sperm donors to the kinky group for people who like dressing up as babies.Transcript here.The Log Books — stories from Britain’s LGBTQI+ history and conversations about being queer today. Produced by Shivani Dave...
2021-11-0108 min
The Log BooksIntroducing: Making Gay HistorySeason three of The Log Books launches next week, November 1st, with eleven all-new episodes covering 1992 to 2003, released weekly. FOR NOW — just before our third season begins — we want to share one of our inspirations. Making Gay History. This is such a special podcast to us at The Log Books, for showing us how to bring LGBTQI+ history to life sensitively, now working on its tenth season.To give you a taste of Making Gay History, we’re dropping one of our favourite episodes right here. In this episode, host Eric Marcus interviews Edythe...
2021-10-2516 min
The Log BooksIntroducing: Call Me MotherNews! We’re making season three of The Log Books because we’ve received a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. While you wait, here’s an episode of Call Me Mother, another podcast, featuring an interview with Sandra Caldwell, a 67-year-old actor who was forced to hide part of herself for 40 years. We loved hearing Sandra tell her story to Shon Faye, with such warmth and wisdom, and we think you will too. We’ll be back with the third season of The Log Books later in 2021... See you soon.Buy our...
2021-04-2027 min
The Log Books“Would like to stay” | Episode 11We have so many fascinating stories for our final episode of the season: a lesbian who helped a gay immigrant to stay legally in the UK, a gay refugee who fled Syria, an Indian who learnt that cruising is different in India, Canada and the UK, and a British Indian who built mixed dance nights for London’s range of cultures.Tash and Adam hear about the people who phoned Switchboard for advice on how to live, love and work in the UK, and from a range of contributors with different perspectives on borders, cultures and LG...
2021-01-2541 min
The Log Books“Crude form of censorship” | Episode 10After a gay bookshop was raided by customs officers in 1984, the booksellers fought back. This is the story of censorship and community solidarity, and it is not the only one in this episode. Tash and Adam explore the actions of the British state to stop people from seeing things that were considered obscene in the 80s. We also feature a story from people whose magazines and posters were seized, and Adam even sings a song.Transcript here.The Log Books — stories from Britain’s LGBT+ history and conversations about being queer today. Produced by S...
2021-01-1850 min
The Log Books“No reason whatsoever to doubt” | Episode 9From 1983 to 1991, calls to Switchboard about rape and domestic violence increased in number. So in this episode Tash and Adam hear some of those stories and ask volunteers from the time to share their experience of supporting survivors. This episode also features an account of how Switchboard evolved in order to improve how it handled calls about violence, and an update on how these matters are handled today by GALOP, the LGBT+ anti-violence charity.Content warning: domestic violence, abusive relationships, rape and sexual consent, and suicide.The Log Books — stories from Britain’s LGBT...
2021-01-1139 min
The Log Books“Kiss my rump” | Episode 8It wasn’t easy being young in the Eighties! Tash and Adam read log book entries and hear stories about growing up, looking for help, and even a teenager who took the government to court. We also catch up with the changes happening around relationships and sex education in schools right now, via Kaley Foran from The Key.Content warning: Suicide, sexual consent and under-age sex.Transcript here.The Log Books — stories from Britain’s LGBT+ history and conversations about being queer today. Produced by Shivani Dave, Tash Walker and Adam Z...
2021-01-0437 min
The Log Books“Fatally disruptive” | Episode 7In 1988 the British government passed explicitly anti-gay legislation. Through log book entries from Switchboard, Tash and Adam return to the scene: lawmakers spaffing about what constitutes a family, gay teachers zipping up and living in fear, and bewildered young people with seemingly nowhere to turn to for advice. This episode is filled with untold stories about Section 28 of the Local Government Act and the censorship of LGBTQ+ lives — and concludes with the joyous launch of a new kids’ book by Olly Pike called Kenny Lives With Erica and Martina.Content warning: attacks on LGBTQ+ people, including langu...
2020-12-2836 min
The Log Books“Right on, sister!” | Episode 6Lipstick on the windscreen to tackle homophobia — just one of the stories in this latest episode from 1983 to 1991. Tash and Adam focus on the hostility in the air during this period, from people using HIV/AIDS as a reason for their prejudice to tensions within Catholic families. We conclude by speaking to Hafsa Qureshi about her experience as a bisexual Muslim woman today.Content warning: attacks on LGBTQ+ people and biphobia.Transcript here.The Log Books — stories from Britain’s LGBT+ history and conversations about being queer today. Produced by Shivan...
2020-12-2157 min
The Log Books“Expect extra calls” | Episode 5Every time anything to do with LGBTQ+ life was mentioned on TV or in the newspaper in the 80s, Switchboard volunteers took extra calls. In this episode, Tash and Adam speak to the people behind TV programmes and newspaper columns, and hear about the feverish atmosphere that led to anti-gay legislation in 1988. The section on today has two very special guests: our very own Shivani Dave, and Simon McCallum from the BFI National Archive, both comparing the media today with 1983 to 1991.Content warning: some archaic language that some listeners may find offensive as our contributors discuss...
2020-12-1455 min
The Log Books“A hedgehog in my kitchen” | Episode 4Some light and laughter in our fourth episode of this season! Tash and Adam hear memories of joy and strength from 1983 to 1991, through the log books at Switchboard and stories from people who remember those years. We also feature the Lesbian Strength Marches, Switchboard’s one-millionth call and an interview with Thigh High, the band who centre their music on queer joy. Transcript here.The Log Books — stories from Britain’s LGBT+ history and conversations about being queer today. Produced by Shivani Dave, Tash Walker and Adam Zmith, in partnership with Switchboard - the LGB...
2020-12-0739 min
The Log Books“Damage caused” | Episode 3Bottling attacks and cruel newspaper editorials — this is the story of how the HIV/AIDS crisis hit the LGBTQ+ community in the 80s. Through Switchboard’s unique log book entries, Tash and Adam also uncover the story of a very special volunteer who handled the hardest calls you can imagine. This episode concludes the three-part set of episodes on HIV/AIDS in Season Two, before we move on to other stories found in the log books.Content warning: Illness, death, archaic language, and ill-treatment and discrimination of people living with HIV and AIDS.Tran...
2020-11-3049 min
The Log Books“One hell of a state” | Episode 2Tash and Adam continue exploring the HIV/AIDS crisis through the calls made to Switchboard from 1983 to 1991, in this second of three episodes on the subject. This episode contains memories of Switchboard volunteer Mark Ashton, more from George, and further log book entries from the anonymous volunteer looking for others with an HIV diagnosis. We also have untold stories about the UK government’s official public health campaign from 1987 and words from Dr Tristan Barber on the status of HIV prevention and treatment today.Content warning: Illness, death, and ill-treatment and discrimination of people living with HI...
2020-11-231h 06
The Log Books“Please be gentle” | Episode 1This is the story of the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic as it has never been told before: through the voices and notes of the people who took phone calls made to an LGBTQ+ helpline. From 1983 to 1991, Switchboard volunteers supported people living with HIV, their loved ones, and people scared of it. In the first of three special episodes that start Season Two of The Log Books, Tash and Adam hear from survivors, a nurse and a doctor, and the people who were among the first to tackle what became a crisis.Content warning...
2020-11-1657 min
The Log BooksRe-opening The Log Books | Episode 0The award-winning podcast The Log Books returns for Season Two! Our brand-new set of episodes cover 1983 to 1991, continuing where Season One left off in 1982. As always, our re-telling of Britain’s history is led by the handwritten notes made by volunteers at Switchboard - the LGBT+ helpline.In this short episode, hosts Tash and Adam return to the Switchboard log books by visiting two locations that are integral to LGBTQ+ history in these years. We hope you’re as excited as we are about the re-opening of The Log Books, and for all the s...
2020-11-0210 min
The Log Books“Joy, friendship and also bitterness” | Season 2 preview episodeSeason 2 of The Log Books is coming soon... Our unique exploration of the UK’s queer history through the pages of Switchboard’s log books will be strong, reflective and antiviral!If you’d like to support our work in bringing season 2 to life, you can contribute financially at supporter.acast.com/thelogbooks.In this preview episode, Tash, Adam and Shivani welcome you into their production process for their next full season. The behind-the-scenes glimpse features old and new voices talking about the stories they want to share from 1983 to 1991. The season will cover...
2020-06-2927 min
The Log Books“Just needs a chat” | Bonus lockdown episodeThis strange moment in history is bringing feelings of isolation and loneliness to so many of us. The coronavirus lockdown has even slowed the production of season 2 of The Log Books, as Tash and Adam are stuck at home. So let’s talk about it.We’ve based this special lockdown episode on untold stories from calls to Switchboard from the 70s and 80s, as usual. But the episode is also built around Adam and Tash’s reflections on the experiences of those LGBTQ+ callers’ from history and all of us today. We remain physically distant while tr...
2020-04-2729 min
The Log Books“How nice!” | Bonus LIVE Episode 1We’ve taken The Log Books out of the archive for LGBT History Month! We recorded this special episode in front of an audience at an event in London on February 5th 2020. You’ll hear fresh voices and familiar ones, including Tash and Adam. As ever, we are led by the handwritten notes made by volunteers in Switchboard’s log books from 1974 to 1982. The event was held at the Finsbury Library and co-organised by Islington’s Pride, a Heritage Fund project that aims to preserve, archive and celebrate Islington’s LGBT+ heritage. Transcript here.
2020-02-2449 min
The Log BooksClosing The Log Books | Episode 9Hello listeners, thank you for joining us through the laughter and tears of queer life in Britain from 1974 to 1982. In this final episode of our first season, Adam and Tash reflect on the stories we’ve all heard. We love hearing your reactions to the stories we’re telling too. Please keep them coming!Transcript here.The handwritten notes in Switchboard’s log books continue through the difficult years of the 80s. So we are planning to make a second season, covering 1983 to the early 90s. If you can help with funding, ideas or wou...
2019-12-3007 min
The Log Books“I was an inconvenience” | Episode 8The early log books open up a world before HIV, showing what it was like for LGBTQ+ people needing healthcare between discos in the 70s. A doctor and a patient are among those who tell Tash and Adam what it was like. Some of the same infections are on the rise again today, as explained by Dr Tristan Barber, a consultant in HIV and sexual health.Content warning: stories about transitioning and being intersex.Transcript here.The Log Books — stories from Britain’s LGBT+ history and conversations about being queer toda...
2019-12-2331 min
The Log Books“It’s great to be gay!” | Episode 7People often make a phone call because they are lonely and isolated, as the log books at Switchboard show. Exploring this issue, Tash and Adam hear from Tony Whitehead and others who took such calls in the dead of night. Chryssy Hunter explains about the issue of loneliness among our LGBTQ+ elders today.Content warning: stories about racism, including slurs, and suicide.Transcript here.The Log Books — stories from Britain’s LGBT+ history and conversations about being queer today. Produced by Shivani Dave, Adam Smith and Tash Walker, in partnership with...
2019-12-1622 min
The Log Books“Anything goes” | Episode 6In the 70s, there was no such thing as an “LGBTQ+ community”. The log books reveal how identities, labels and definitions have always been in flux among those with minority sexual and gender identities. Former Switchboard volunteer Diana James is among the contributors who explains all this to Tash and Adam. Transgender and non-binary activists Owl and Fox Fisher guide us through their thoughts on how identities form in today’s internet-focused world.Content warning: historic terms.Transcript here.The Log Books — stories from Britain’s LGBT+ history and conversations about bein...
2019-12-0931 min
The Log Books“You might well be very angry!” | Episode 5The 70s was a hotbed of activism, from lesbians fighting for child custody to gay men demanding equal laws for the age of sexual consent. Tracking the movement through the log books, Tash and Adam hear from activists on the frontline, including Lisa Power and Ted Brown. Meanwhile, young activists in a resurgent Gay Liberation Front discuss the actions they plan for 2020...Content warning: stories about racism and stories with sexual content.Transcript here.The Log Books — stories from Britain’s LGBT+ history and conversations about being queer today. Produced by S...
2019-12-0238 min
The Log Books“Pretty policemen” | Episode 4The log books are full of stories about raids on parties and arrests made in public toilets, as the police sought to stop men having sex with men in the 70s and 80s. Tash and Adam hear from the people who suffered through unfair laws and police persecution, a lawyer who defended them, and a retired police officer with regrets. Contributors include Terry Stewart, who is still seeking a pardon for his conviction today.Content warning: difficult stories of persecution by the police.Transcript here.The Log Books — stories from Br...
2019-11-2535 min
The Log Books"Let's not shy away from sex" | Episode 3A quick glimpse into Switchboard’s log books from the late 70s might make you think that every caller wanted to know about sex. Tash and Adam hear from former volunteers such as Femi Otitoju on advising callers about how to do it, where to cruise, and importing sex toys. Contemporary poems from Michelle Mangal, Annie Hayter and Richard Scott put sex lives into modern words.Content warning: sexual content.The Log Books — stories from Britain’s LGBT+ history and conversations about being queer today. Produced by Shivani Dave, Adam Smith and Tash Walker...
2019-11-1830 min
The Log Books"Huddled together in a corner" | Episode 2Pubs and clubs have brought LGBTQ+ people together for many years—to chat, plot, dance, and hook-up. Tash and Adam listen to stories from nights out in the 70s/80s, from the log books and new interviews. They hear how Elaine and Lyn’s lives changed forever in a pub more than three decades ago, and from the queer babes behind Aphrodyki, one of London’s hottest nights today.The Log Books — stories from Britain’s LGBT+ history and conversations about being queer today. Produced by Shivani Dave, Adam Smith and Tash Walker, in partnership with Switchboar...
2019-11-1132 min
The Log Books"Crashpad needed" | Episode 1Runaways and rough sleepers, communes and flatshares, crashpads and catastrophes... Stories about home feature heavily in Switchboard’s log books. Tash and Adam listen to LGBT+ people who searched for somewhere to live in the 1970s, and hear about the persistent problem of homelessness in 2019.Content warning: stories of suicide and racism, and historic terms.Transcript here.The Log Books — stories from Britain’s LGBT+ history and conversations about being queer today. Produced by Shivani Dave, Adam Smith and Tash Walker, in partnership with Switchboard - the LGBT+ helpline.F...
2019-11-0431 min
The Log BooksOpening The Log BooksWhat if we told you that we could glimpse into LGBT+ life from decades ago? The Log Books are a unique set of documents tracking Britain’s queer history through the voices of people who have called for help.Since 1974 volunteers at Switchboard, the LGBT+ helpline, have written callers’ stories down in log books. Hosts Tash Walker and Adam Smith are re-opening these pages today, to hear worries and joys from Britain’s queer history. Episodes of The Log Books include untold stories from dozens of voices, and conversations about being queer today. The fir...
2019-10-1608 min