The episode dives into the life and contributions of John Lauritsen, an early member of the New York City Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance, a historian, and an interesting figure. John aided in the recovery of many lost parts of LGBTQ history, but his views on different aspects within the gay movement have made him one of the most controversial figures, especially his contradiction of the mainstream and scientific AIDS narrative and his transphobia. One thing sets John apart from 90% of the people in the late 1960s and early 1970s. What? He was in the room.

A live, one-night-only special podcast episode documenting a famous, rare archived Co*ckette's icon through story, memory, and the contributions of many has been produced. This episode was performed in front of an audience in New York City and featured voices from many different generations and backgrounds. The readings included personal stories, live performance, and select items from his archives; this provided an important insight into a life that greatly influenced the development of underground culture, performance, queer history, and so much more.

The readers for this event included August Bernadicou, Hucklefaery, Mike Payne, Will Shellhorn, Shelby Black, Joe E. Jeffreys, Perry Brass, Jane Held, and more. Each reader contributed their unique voice to a collective moment of remembrance and continuation of his legacy. What came from this evening was not nostalgia but the living history of an individual: chaotic, not yet complete, and very present.

In this episode, August returns to Rumi Missabu — Cockette, runaway, and legend — in a raw, intimate conversation recorded less than three months before Rumi’s death on April 2, 2024. Born in Hollywood and self-exiled from official life for decades, Rumi helped found the Cockettes, San Francisco’s glitter-drenched, anarchic performance collective that shattered gender and theatrical norms at the height of gay liberation. What follows isn’t an interview but a phone call: unfiltered, obscene, hilarious, and very much alive.

Rumi talks about being a groupie, sex and celebrity, proximity to genius, and life lived entirely on his own terms — including stories that could only come from him. The episode closes with Rumi’s notorious single “White Slavery” and an invitation to keep his legacy moving forward, including Rumipalooza on January 22 at Bureau of General Services–Queer Division in NYC. This is queer history as it actually sounded — unruly, unforgettable, and impossible to sanitize.