When Paris and Berlin Were Dyke Bars*, 1920s-1930s
When Paris and Berlin Were Dyke Bars*, 1920s-1930s  
Podcast: Our Dyke Histories
Published On: Mon Nov 24 2025
Description: What if Paris and Berlin were the first great dyke bars*? In Episode Two of Our Dyke Histories, Jack Gieseking, Lillian Faderman, and Cookie Woolner follow the trail of queer women, trans patrons, and gender rebels from Harlem across the U.S. as well into the theaters and hotel parties of Black artists and performers in the U.S. We then head across the Atlantic to trace queer modernisms into the salons and show of Paris and cabarets and clubs of Berlin. This episode is brimming with Radclyffe Hall’s The Well of Loneliness, Natalie Barney’s infamous salon, and the urban legend behind Ma Rainey writing "Prove It on Me Blues" after getting bailed out of jail for lesbian pursuits. The 1920s to 1930s shimmer with both liberation and backlash. From Black vaudeville circuits and Bessie Smith’s private train car parties to the queer glamour of Paris’ Le Monocle, the episode captures the dazzling creativity—and the precarity—of queer life between the wars.**Join Our CommunityWant to be part of our community? We'd love to have you. 😏 Come comment, connect, and get your gayme on!Newsletter to your inbox: Jack's Queer Geographies newsletter with detailed takes on each episode, & more about lezbiqueertrans spaces across timeInstagram for more dyke visuals and stories @ourdykehistoriesRead and follow our co-producer and collaborator, Sinister WisdomEmail us questions and comments at ourdykehistories@gmail.com**CreditsProducer, Editor, Host, & Creative Director: Jack GiesekingCo-Producer: Julie Enszer & Sinister WisdomCo-Producer & Co-Editor: Cade WaldoAssistant Editor: Mel WhitesellSocial Media: Audrey WilkinsonInterns: Michaela Hayes, Syd Guntharp, Sophie McClain, Paige LeMay, and Sarah ParsonsConsulting Producer: Rachel FagenMusic: Our theme song: "Like Honey" by Kit Orion https://www.kitorion.com/CC-BY-NC-ND 2025. Write to us at ourdykehistories@gmail.com for permission to use any of our content.