In 1871, Germany adopted an anti-sodomy statute called Paragraph 175. Sixty years later, the Nazis broadened that law—and it quickly became the basis for persecuting Germany’s queer population. When World War II ended, Paragraph 175 remained on the books. Dr. W. Jake Newsome joins Jonathan to discuss queer Germans’ experiences of Nazi rule and its aftermaths, the history and legacy of the pink triangle, and how this pivotal moment in queer history bears on today. CW: This episode references raci...
Sep 14, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Ep 282•Transcript available on Metacast It's a beautiful night—the sky is clear, the stars are twinkling. You see a shooting star! Or is it a comet! Maybe a meteor? Whatever it is, it’s gone in an instant. But what if that whirring bit of space were headed... straight towards the Earth, not past it? Yeah, not so cute. This week, Christina Hernández and Terik Daly of NASA join Jonathan to talk about asteroids, what they’re made of, and how we could protect the planet if one came hurtling towards the place we call home. Christina Hernán...
Sep 07, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep 281•Transcript available on Metacast We’re spending this week cooking up some incredible fall programming. To tide you over, here’s a re-air of our episode with Sohla El-Waylly, all about cooking basics, ancient recipes, and Sohla and Jonathan’s shared affinity for a certain Taco Bell classic that was discontinued at the time of this recording and is now BACK! Sohla El-Waylly is a culinary creator, writer, and community advocate. She’s the guest editor of the forthcoming collection The Best American Food Writing 2022, available for...
Aug 31, 2022•53 min•Ep 231•Transcript available on Metacast There are more than 62 million Latine people living in the United States. Some are US-born, others are recent immigrants, and still more have had family members here for centuries—living on land that was once part of Mexico. This week, Mónica Ramírez returns to Getting Curious to discuss how the Latine community is “deeply rooted” in the US, what it looks like to protect the humanity and dignity of these 62 million people, and why advocates like Mónica aren’t simply showing up at spaces of conse...
Aug 24, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep 230•Transcript available on Metacast Gossip Galaxy here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of the universe’s elite. I have it on *expert* authority that the Milky Way is stirring up cosmic drama. Has this Local Group galaxy had enough of its central black hole? Will they or won’t they with Andromeda? And is spaghettification the real dish of the summer? Dr. Moiya McTier and Jonathan tell all in this week’s stellar episode. Dr. Moiya McTier is an astrophysicist, folklorist, and science communicator based in New York...
Aug 17, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Ep 229•Transcript available on Metacast You want LGBTQIA+ rights? You want reproductive justice? You want to end mass incarceration? You want environmental protections? You want living wages? You better vote for state legislature, b**ch. Sister District co-founders Gaby Goldstein and Lala Wu return to Getting Curious for a conversation all about the upcoming midterm elections, and specifically what’s in store for state legislative races. Listen in as they discuss what it’ll take for Democrats and progressives to hold their ground; how...
Aug 10, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep 228•Transcript available on Metacast A note from Jonathan and team Getting Curious: we recorded this episode in May, the same day the first case of monkeypox was documented in the US. Today there are nearly 6000 confirmed cases—and counting—across the country. If you’re a member of the queer community or an ally, we implore you to make the spread of monkeypox a personal problem—and to put pressure on elected leaders to take this outbreak seriously. Dr. Thrasher's work is central to understanding how and why this virus is spreading,...
Aug 03, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep 227•Transcript available on Metacast Jonathan is a guest on one of our favorite podcasts this week: Scam Goddess. And we’re releasing that episode on our Getting Curious feed, too. Did we scam host Laci Mosley and her team into producing an episode of Getting Curious for us? Perhaps. Will you love what you hear? Absolutely. Listen in as Laci and Jonathan discuss an iconic scam from art history, and get a feel for how Jonathan gets curious from the guest seat. Head to the Scam Goddess podcast feed for notes and sources from this epi...
Jul 27, 2022•1 hr•Ep 226•Transcript available on Metacast In 2015, Senator Jim Inhofe brought a snowball to Congress to “prove” that climate change wasn’t real. Only God, he claimed, could change the climate. He was wrong on two fronts: one, climate change is real. And two, faith and climate science are *not* incompatible. This week, Dekila Chungyalpa joins Jonathan to discuss her work collaborating with faith leaders on climate efforts, how she confronts climate change disinterest and skepticism, and why she’s bringing the sacred back into science. De...
Jul 20, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Ep 225•Transcript available on Metacast Well, here we are. Roe v. Wade has been overturned, and it’s more urgent than ever to rally for reproductive rights across the country—and understand how we got to this point. This week, Professor Jacki Antonovich joins Jonathan to explore the history of abortion care and forced sterilization in the US, how white supremacy has shaped reproductive politics, and why Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman isn’t the historical fiction we may think it is. CW: This episode includes descriptions of bodily harm and ...
Jul 13, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep 224•Transcript available on Metacast July Fourth got us thinking: what does “independence” look like for American-controlled territories? To explore that question, we’re re-running an episode from the archives with Professor Kaysha Corinealdi, where she and Jonathan discuss the political history and legacy of the US-controlled Panama Canal Zone. And all week on our @CuriouswithJVN social media pages, we’ll be highlighting episodes from our archives that interrogate the idea of “freedom” in the US and abroad. Kaysha Corinealdi is an...
Jul 06, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep 223•Transcript available on Metacast When we first met Lee Hennessy, he introduced himself as “a farmer, doing farmer things, living the farmer life, who happens to be trans.” To round out our “Pride In Nature” series, we’re learning all about Lee’s life running Moxie Ridge Farm & Creamery, what it was like to come out after opening the farm, and what farming has taught him about sex and gender. A note to listeners: Lee’s work as a livestock farmer involves creating and selling animal products, including things like cheese, wool, a...
Jun 29, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep 222•Transcript available on Metacast Well, f*ck. In light of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, we on team Getting Curious wanted to check in with our listeners. We are devastated by this news. We also know that in difficult moments, it’s important to be in community and conversation with each other. We have an episode in the works all about the history of reproductive care in the United States. It’s not slated for release until July— But today, we’re bringing you a preview. Here is an excerpt from our upcoming con...
Jun 24, 2022•19 min•Ep 221•Transcript available on Metacast We love a “both and” moment, and this week’s guest is giving us just that: Munroe Bergdorf is both a stunning model and an incredible LGBTQIA+ role model. She and Jonathan celebrate this month’s “Pride In Nature” series with a conversation about her early love for the outdoors, the importance of trans inclusion in sports, and her hopes for representation in the fashion industry and beyond. Munroe Bergdorf is a writer, model, and activist. She has spoken on international panels from Oxford to Pri...
Jun 22, 2022•57 min•Ep 220•Transcript available on Metacast You’re planning an afternoon with friends, just east of Atlanta, Georgia. A picnic, maybe a scenic walk, some fireworks as the sun goes down. You find a park that seems to have it all: Stone Mountain. Then you do some research on it—and learn that it holds significance for the Confederacy AND the modern Ku Klux Klan. WTF?! In the lead-up to Juneteenth, Dr. Elizabeth Alexander joins Jonathan to explore the history and contemporary significance of America’s monuments—who’s represented, in what way...
Jun 15, 2022•55 min•Ep 219•Transcript available on Metacast Jonathan long saw mushrooms as an ingredient to avoid on a menu—until they learned that mushrooms, and fungi more generally, have a lot to do with queerness. In this week’s “Pride In Nature” episode, Dr. Patty Kaishian joins Jonathan to discuss fungi behavior and reproduction, her groundbreaking work on queer mycology, and how changing our relationships with fungi can change the world. Dr. Patty Kaishian is a mycologist and Visiting Professor at Bard College. Her research focuses on fungal taxon...
Jun 08, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep 218•Transcript available on Metacast Were there same-sex couples on Noah’s Ark? Was Glee right that dolphins are just gay sharks? What’s a bonobo handshake?! Eliot Schrefer and Jonathan kick off our “Pride In Nature” series, running through June, with a conversation all about queer behaviors observed in animals. It’s “gay stuff” meets “why we need to ‘say gay’” stuff. You can follow Eliot on Twitter @eliotschrefer and on Instagram @schrefer. Visit him online at www.eliotschrefer.com, and make sure to check out his new book Queer Du...
Jun 01, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep 217•Transcript available on Metacast *A note from the Getting Curious team: We delivered this episode just as news broke about the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Elementary schools are supposed to be spaces for learning, growth, and creativity. No child or adult should ever have to worry about gun violence when they step into a classroom. You can follow our @CuriouswithJVN social media pages for resources and developments.* Jonathan has spent a decade preparing for this week’s episode: they’ve pored over countless hours of foota...
May 25, 2022•58 min•Ep 216•Transcript available on Metacast What do Enlightenment-era paintings, 19th-century American fashion magazines, and Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” have in common? They’re all strong examples of what fatphobia has to do with race, class, and gender discrimination. This week, learn all about the origins of anti-fat bias, and how it persists today, with Professor Sabrina Strings. Sabrina Strings, Ph.D. is a Chancellor's Fellow and Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Irvine. Sabrina has been featured i...
May 18, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep 215•Transcript available on Metacast This fall, pro-union sentiment in the US rose to 68 percent—the highest it’s been since 1965. We’re living through a major moment for labor organizing, and we have so many questions! How did we get here? Who got us here? And what’s at stake for workers across the country today? Kim Kelly joins Jonathan to discuss the power of collective bargaining, worker solidarity, and her new book FIGHT LIKE HELL, an intersectional history of labor movements in the US. Kim Kelly is an independent journalist, ...
May 11, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep 214•Transcript available on Metacast *A note from Jonathan and the Getting Curious team: We are covering the latest SCOTUS developments on Instagram and Twitter @CuriouswithJVN. Head there for insights from past guests, resources, and relevant episodes from our archive. We invite you to listen to this episode whenever feels right for you, and we hope that you’ll find comfort and energy from it.* The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, and we have a spring in our step because Professor Beronda Montgomery is back on Getting...
May 04, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep 213•Transcript available on Metacast What was it like to trans gender if you were living in 18th or 19th century England or America? This week, Professor Jen Manion joins Jonathan to explore the world of “female husbands,” people who were raised as girls but lived as men. Listen in to learn about these resilient individuals’ lives; how they were treated by their partners and the press; and how they paved the way for queer and trans communities today. Jen Manion is a writer, historian, and advocate whose work examines the role of ge...
Apr 27, 2022•58 min•Ep 212•Transcript available on Metacast Sometimes, when we get real excited about an episode, we stick our hands under our armpits and SNIFF ’EM! And this week, we’re real excited, because we have none other than THE superstar Molly Shannon on the show. Listen in as she and Jonathan discuss her comedy career, her new book Hello, Molly!, and how they crossed paths long before Jonathan was cast on Queer Eye. Molly Shannon is an Emmy-nominated and Independent Spirit Award-winning actress and comedian. You know her from her Saturday Night...
Apr 20, 2022•50 min•Ep 211•Transcript available on Metacast Coral are teeny tiny animals just two layers thick, and yet they create the biggest structures made by any biological creatures on the planet—like, the size of Italy big. Literally HOW! This week, Dr. Juli Berwald and Jonathan dive deep on all things coral, from their mating behaviors to their “badass merger” with algae to coral reefs’ critical importance to life in the ocean and on land. Juli Berwald received her PhD in ocean science from the University of Southern California. She’s the author ...
Apr 13, 2022•54 min•Ep 210•Transcript available on Metacast This one’s for everyone who watched Bridgerton and wondered: could I get it in Georgian England?! Dr. Sally Holloway joins Jonathan to discuss the ins and outs of love and courtship in this era, including gifts and letters people would exchange, 18th century contraception, and the historical equivalents of ghosting and catfishing. Dr. Sally Holloway is a historian of gender, emotions, and visual and material culture over the long 18th and nineteenth centuries, and is a Vice Chancellor’s Research...
Apr 06, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep 209•Transcript available on Metacast We love a reason to be extra, and Jonathan’s new book Love That Story: Observations from a Gorgeously Queer Life goes on sale next week, so we’re dropping an extra episode to celebrate! Listen in to hear Jonathan read a chapter from the Love That Story audiobook, all about overcoming body issues and learning to love themselves. Before you dive in, please note that in this chapter, Jonathan discusses their experiences with binge eating and food restriction. So take this episode at your own pace, ...
Apr 04, 2022•27 min•Ep 208•Transcript available on Metacast As we count down to this year’s Trans Day of Visibility, there’s a lot to be thankful for: trans creativity, resilience, community. There’s also a lot on the line for trans people and those who love them. Adri Pèrez and Chase Strangio of the ACLU join Jonathan to discuss the importance of protecting trans rights, what attacks on the trans community say about state power, and what a coordinated resistance could look like. Adri Pèrez is the policy & advocacy strategist for the ACLU of Texas, where...
Mar 30, 2022•51 min•Ep 207•Transcript available on Metacast What comes to mind when you think of the Himalaya? For Jonathan, it’s a whole lot of questions! This week’s guest Dr. Mona Chettri gives us a glimpse at life in the eastern Himalaya, including how political borders have shaped the region; what’s changing amidst rapid development; and what the future might hold for young residents. Mona Chettri is a Post-Doctoral Research fellow at the Australia-India Institute, University of Western Australia. She has worked extensively on urbanisation, ethnicit...
Mar 23, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep 206•Transcript available on Metacast “Blah,” said Toad. “I feel down in the dumps.” “Why?” asked Frog. “I’m thinking about how there’s never been an episode of Getting Curious about us.” Frog opened up his podcast feed. Toad peered over his shoulder. “Toad, there it is! An episode of Getting Curious with herpetologist Kelly Zamudio! All about where we live, how we interact, and why we’re so important to biodiversity.” They pressed play—and now, they invite you to do the same. Kelly Zamudio is an evolutionary biologist and her resea...
Mar 16, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep 205•Transcript available on Metacast Old MacDonald had a farm—and on that farm he had rich terrain for an episode of Getting Curious. Join Professor Gabe Rosenberg and Jonathan as they explore what agricultural history has to do with our modern understandings of sex, gender, and sexuality. They cover the concept of “animal husbandry,” 4-H clubs, the story of a pig looking for love, and so much more. Gabriel N. Rosenberg is Associate Professor of Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies and History at Duke University, where he studies...
Mar 09, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep 204•Transcript available on Metacast 
