EP71: Queerness Before Gravity, Sir Francis Bacon's Hidden Story

Life Through a Queer Lens

Sir Francis Bacon, born in 1561, was the Lord Chancellor of England, a philosopher, author, statesman, and proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community who developed what we now call the scientific method. His story demonstrates that queerness isn't new but has existed throughout human history, even before we had the terminology to describe it.
• Bacon served as Lord Chancellor from 1608 to 1621 and spoke in Parliament
• He conceptualized the Baconian method (scientific method) based on observation and classification
• Contemporary accounts clearly document his homosexuality, though most biographers ignore this
• His relationships with men were known, including connections to the Marquis of Buckingham
• Both his brother Anthony and brother-in-law Mervyn were charged with homosexuality
• Mervyn was found guilty and beheaded in 1631, while Anthony was acquitted
• Bacon died of bronchitis after catching a chill while experimenting with refrigeration
• For his complete life story, read "Hostage to Fortune: The Troubled Life of Francis Bacon" (1999)
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Chapters

1. EP71: Queerness Before Gravity, Sir Francis Bacon's Hidden Story (00:00:00)

2. Protest Signs and Partner Support (00:00:24)

3. Introduction to Sir Francis Bacon (00:00:56)

4. Queerness Has Always Existed (00:02:15)

5. Bacon's Scientific Contributions (00:05:21)

6. Evidence of Bacon's Homosexuality (00:08:12)

7. Bacon's Final Years (00:16:36)

8. Historical Persecution of Queer People (00:19:16)

9. Giving Our Ancestors Their Flowers (00:26:16)