Lavender Ranks

What it is about

lavendernoun /ˈlæv.ən.dər/A symbolic colour associated with LGBTQ2S+ identity, queer culture, and queer resistance.ranksnoun / ræŋks /The members of a military force considered collectively.When you picture the First World War, you probably think of barbed wire, artillery fire, and mud. What you probably don’t think of: drag shows, love letters passed between soldiers, and queer lives hiding in plain sight.Hosted by Queer Collective’s Emily and Karbon, Lavender Ranks explores the stories that didn’t make it into the official record because they were too tender, too queer, or too dangerous to preserve. From Canadian soldiers performing in drag at the front, to forbidden love in the trenches, to nurses whose lifelong relationship was dismissed as mere “friendship,” the series uncovers a hidden history buried beneath the mythology of war.If you’re interested in queer history, Canadian history, the First World War, or military history, follow Lavender Ranks now and discover the stories history tried to leave behind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Publisher’s own description, taken unchanged from the podcast feed.
Knockabout Media

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Latest episodes

We Think You'd Like: The Bosom Friends Affair

2026-06-17 · 20 min · Season 1, episode 5

This is an episode from Story Girl: The Life of Lucy Maud Montgomery, a 7-part podcast in which we explore L.M. Montgomery's childhood, literary journey, and the timeless impact of Anne of Green Gables on generations of…
Bonus: Jo Whitehead Served at the Eastern Front E

2026-06-10 · 51 min · Season 1, episode 4

This episode was produced by Queer Collective and previously published on their feed.The feral, gender-defiant life of a Canadian WWI veteran who ditched a wealthy upbringing, lived alone in the woods, enlisted three…
Sisters in Arms

2026-06-03 · 29 min · Season 1, episode 3

And the were “roommates”... or at least that’s what some historians would like you to believe. This is episode three of Lavender Ranks, in which we enter our Hallmark era to share a great sapphic love story between…
The White Blood of No-Hope

2026-05-27 · 44 min · Season 1, episode 2

For much of history, queer lives were criminalized, and what survives of us is too often filtered through police files and court records; stories told by those who sought to erase us. But every so often, a different…
The Front’s Favourite Gal

2026-05-20 · 50 min · Season 1, episode 1

What if I told you the roots of Canadian drag weren’t in a nightclub, but in the mud and mayhem of the Western Front during the First World War?In this episode of Lavender Ranks, hosts Em and Karbon introduce you to…
Introducing Lavender Ranks

2026-05-01 · 1 min

lavender(noun) /ˈlæv.ən.dər/A symbolic colour associated with LGBTQ2S+ identity, queer culture, and queer resistance.ranksnoun / ræŋks /The members of a military force considered collectively.Hosted by The Queer…

Episode details from the publisher’s feed. Playback happens at the publisher.

Publisher details

Oldest episode in feed: 05/2026
Typical length: 32 min
Format: Serial Meant to be heard in order
Keywords: queer history, LGBTQ history, Canadian history, WWI, First World War, military history, queer military history, hidden history

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