The True Story of the Queer ’90s and How It Transformed Modern-Day Culture (with Hugh Ryan)
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To kick off Pride month, I'm joined with writer and historian Hugh Ryan whose new book "My Bad: A Personal History of the Queer 90s and Beyond" is the central subject of our conversation! We first get into a discussion about his informative and humorous podcast "Queer History 101" that he co-hosts with performer Peppermint (who should return to The Traitors, but that's a conversation for another episode)! Peppermint and Hugh work so well together because Peppermint is an expert at the current political moment for trans and queer folks, which balances Hugh's slightly more introverted (his terminology haha) historical research. Definitely listen to it after hearing our conversation!
We discuss how Hugh's book combines personal memoir with cultural history and how his cover (featuring an ancient Greek statue and cassette tape) represents the analog to digital transition that happens from the 1990s to the early 2000s. The 90s was the last pre-digital era, and Hugh argues that 90s nostalgia among Gen Z and millennials stems primarily from remembering a time before we all were living in a constant age of connectivity (when everyone had their cell phones on them at all times). Hugh talks about what it was like growing up in the 90s where queer life existed in physical spaces like the gayborhood (featuring bars, bookstores, and clubs).
What can we learn from Hugh's book about how to live in a digital world while also recognizing the importance of physical spaces?
You can get Hugh's book here: https://www.hughryan.org/
Follow Hugh on Instagram @hughoryan
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