Historical Blindness

Throughout the Middle Ages and the Reformation, a story was told of the first female Pope, who had hidden her sex and been elevated to the highest position within the Church by accident. The story of Pope Joan is a total myth, but even today it serves as a useful lesson to illustrate the historical roots of the sexism and misogyny that still keeps women out of leadership positions. Get 3 months of premium wireless service for $15 bucks a month at MintMobile.com/Blindness Check out the show merch, perfect for gifts!  Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found! Find a transcript of this episode with source citations and related imagery at www.historicalblindness.com. Direct all advertising inquiries to [email protected]. Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! Some music on this episode was licensed under a Blue Dot Sessions blanket license at the time of this episode's publication. Tracks include "Cicle DR Valga," "Jadie Grange," "Preston and Carle," "Delicates," "Calisson," "Palms Down," and "Black Ballots." Additional music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the face of trans erasure and genocide, this episode affirms the existence of transgender people throughout history, focusing on the trans empress of the Roman Empire, long misgendered and called Elagabalus, though that was not her name. For an easy and effective way to make a political impact, visit 5calls.org and make your voice heard. Specifically, see the site's guidance for Opposing Efforts to Dehumanize Transgender and LGBTQ+ People. Get 3 months of premium wireless service for $15 bucks a month at MintMobile.com/Blindness Check out the show merch, perfect for gifts!  Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found! Find a transcript of this episode with source citations and related imagery at www.historicalblindness.com. Direct all advertising inquiries to [email protected]. Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! Some music on this episode was licensed under a Blue Dot Sessions blanket license at the time of this episode's publication. Tracks include "Gemeni Mist," "Evidence Room," "Cicle Vascule," "Cicle Gerano," "Where It All Happened," and "Access Road 214." Additional music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," "daedalus," and "Seeker," is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aspasia, a woman influential in politics and philosophy in ancient Athens, depicted as a harlot or a sage.

A look at the false urban legend that John Wilkes Booth escaped.

Further conspiracy theories suggesting the plot to assassinate was much larger, involving some of the favorite culprits of conspiracists: the government, the Catholic Church, the Freemasons, and Jews.