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Welcome to Let's Be Perfectly Queer Podcast, your go to LGBT Australian podcast for all things queer.

This week, we’re diving into a hidden piece of queer history Casa Susanna.

Back in the 1950s and ’60s, when living authentically could get you arrested, Susanna Valenti and her wife, Marie Tonell, opened their home to transgender women. It was a safe place for guests where they could live as themselves with no fear and no judgment.

But before we get there, we’re also unpacking what’s been going on in Australian sport with the AFL’s latest homophobic slur scandal. We have a discussion about the culture around men’s sport, and why Mitch Brown coming out as bisexual is such a big deal.

Here’s what we cover in this ep:
🏉 The AFL scandal and how supporters use “sledging” as a Homophobia excuse
🌈 Mitch Brown’s the first AFL player past or present to come out as Bisexual
🏠 The story of Casa Susanna and the people who found sanctuary there

It’s history, sport, and queer resilience all rolled into one episode, plus a few tangents along the way (you know us).

🎧 Grab your headphones and join us as we step into a world where being yourself was radical...and until next time, stay perfectly queer!

Archie & Katie 🌈

Links we found useful for this episode:

• https://edition.cnn.com/2024/06/26/style/casa-susanna-trans-photo-archive/index.html
• https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/jan/31/casa-susanna-review-this-portrait-of-queer-life-in-an-era-of-illegality-is-incredibly-moving
• https://thamesandhudson.com.au/product/casa-susanna-the-story-of-the-first-trans-network-in-the-united-states-1959-1968/
• https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/casa-susanna/
• https://www.anothermag.com/art-photography/10855/the-story-of-casa-susanna-a-1960s-escape-for-gender-non-conformists

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