William “Billy” Haines
illiam “Billy” Haines was born in 1900 in Staunton, Virginia, the child of a working-class family in a town too...
The Queer Icons History ...
The Queer Icons History Tried to Push Aside.
Every week, host Gary M. Thoren Jr. ("Uncle Gary") reclaims the stars, pioneers, rebels, and artists whose names were buried by studio clauses, shame, and time. Honest queer history, told with heart and humor.
Why We Remember
For generations, the closet was an industry machine built on studio morality clauses, tabloid blackmail, and public fear. Forgotten Queers opens the vault so the lives behind the legends are never swept aside again:
Beyond the Studio Bargain
As host Gary M. Thoren Jr. explores in our Richard Chamberlain episode, hiding was never a personal failing, it was the price of survival in a rigged system.
The Real Lives Behind the Legends
Every week, we celebrate the courage, the camp, the complicated humanity, and the fierce allies who stood beside our elders.
Independent Queer History
We are here to remember them, honor them, and say clearly: you do not get to erase us.
Three Eras of Queer Defiance
Across nearly forty episodes, Forgotten Queers uncovers the lives that shaped culture from the shadows and the front lines.
Old Hollywood & The Closet
From Billy Haines and Dorothy Arzner to Rock Hudson and Richard Chamberlain. Discover how queer stars navigated studio morality clauses and lavender marriages.
Rebels, Pioneers & Bestsellers
Meet the trailblazers who fought back before Stonewall and beyond, from civil rights organizer Bayard Rustin and drag pioneer Ted Northe to author Gordon Merrick.
Camp, Music & Cultural Icons
From costume legend Bob Mackie and synth pioneer Wendy Carlos to Little Richard, Elvira, and Elton John. Celebrate the wit, glamour, and music that reshaped culture.
New to the Show? Start With These Four.
Step into the archive with four fan-favorite episodes that capture the heart of the show:
- William "Billy" Haines: The 1930s matinee idol who chose a 50-year love over MGM's marriage ultimatum.
- Dorothy Arzner: The trailblazing lesbian director who invented the boom mic and ruled Hollywood on her own terms.
- The Lord Won't Mind: How Gordon Merrick's 1970 bestseller gave gay romance an unapologetic happy ending.
- Richard Chamberlain: What the studio closet cost a generation of leading men.
Dorothy Arzner
Dorothy Arzner may not be a household name today, but in the 1920s through the 1940s she was a rare force in...
The Lord Won’t Mind
What if I told you that decades before Brokeback Mountain, before Heated Rivalry, and long before queer love stories...
Richard Chamberlain
Richard Chamberlain was famous famous. For decades, he was one of those actors almost everybody recognized, even if...
Explore the Full Archive
New episodes every week. Dive into the stories of the icons, rebels, and allies history tried to forget.
Roddy
From beloved child star to science fiction icon, Roddy McDowall built a career spanning generations. In this episode...
Richard Chamberlain
Richard Chamberlain was famous famous. For decades, he was one of those actors almost everybody recognized, even if...
BobMackie
Forgotten Queers: Bob Mackie — Sequins, Camp, Cher, and a Curtain Rod This week on Forgotten Queers, Gary is joined...
GeorgeNader 2
What happens when one of Hollywood’s most handsome leading men is gay in an era when being honest about it could...
The Lord Won’t Mind
What if I told you that decades before Brokeback Mountain, before Heated Rivalry, and long before queer love stories...
Loving Allies and why we love them
On this special episode of Forgotten Queers, we're celebrating the allies who have helped make the world a safer...
Elton John
Sir Elton John is one of the most influential musicians in history, selling more than 300 million records and...
Queer Horror Chat with Serenity Scarecrow
Ryan Murphy is not a Forgotten Queer but a prolific queer. Sitcoms, to drama to docudrama to horror and let's throw...
Grant Wood Wanted to be a Forgotten Queer
Grant Wood best known for the painting American Gothic. While never coming out as gay and several times denying it...
Meet Gary M. Thoren Jr. ("Uncle Gary")
"Hey, queers and weirdos!"
Gary M. Thoren Jr., affectionately known to listeners as "Uncle Gary," is a storyteller, queer history enthusiast, and proud progressive voice living in Washington's rural Palouse region with his husband Dean and their cats, Mumford and Miss Kitty.
After building a community of more than 63,000 followers on Bluesky, Gary launched Forgotten Queers (often joined in Season 2 by recurring guest co-host Sion) to make sure the elders, trailblazers, and misfits who paved our way are never swept back into the closet. Every episode blends archival research with warmth, righteous candor, and his signature sign-off: "We must never forget our Forgotten Queers. I love you, and don't forget your fiber."
We Must Never Forget Our Forgotten Queers.
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