1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,000 Speaker 1: Hey everyone. Technically you're getting two days in history today 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:06,040 Speaker 1: because we're running two episodes from the History Vault. You'll 3 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: also here two hosts, me and Tracy V. Wilson. Hope 4 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:13,320 Speaker 1: you enjoy Welcome to this Day in History Class from 5 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:15,680 Speaker 1: how Stuff Works dot Com and from the desk of 6 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: Stuff you Missed in History Class. It's the show where 7 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:20,279 Speaker 1: we explore the past one day at a time with 8 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: a quick look at what happened today in history. Hello, 9 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 1: and welcome to the podcast. I'm Tracy V. Wilson and 10 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: it's August twenty nine. On this day. In eighteen sixty seven, 11 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 1: Carl Heinrich Ulrich made a public defense of same sex 12 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:41,519 Speaker 1: relationships at the Congress of Jurists in Munich, and this 13 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:43,600 Speaker 1: is commonly viewed as the first time that a gay 14 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:46,520 Speaker 1: man spoke out publicly on the topic of gay rights. 15 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: So we need to set the stage a little bit here. 16 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,199 Speaker 1: Same sex relationships have existed for pretty much all of 17 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: human history, and and all that time there have also 18 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: been people who lived outside of the way their society 19 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: thought about gender, and scieties have also thought about gender 20 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,040 Speaker 1: and a lot of different ways. But in Western culture, 21 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 1: the idea that this was an identity, and that it 22 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 1: expressed something intrinsic about who a person is. That idea 23 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: is a lot more recent, and in some ways, that 24 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: idea in the West grew up in tandem with an 25 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 1: increase in laws against same sex relationships and against cross dressing. 26 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 1: The language that we used to talk about all this 27 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 1: today is also very recent and it's still evolving, and 28 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: the terms that we use today didn't exist at all 29 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 1: when Karl Heinrich Rick gave his address. So not only 30 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:38,639 Speaker 1: was he breaking new ground in terms of language around 31 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:42,319 Speaker 1: sex and gender, but also if he lived today, he 32 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: might describe himself in completely different terms relating to both 33 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:49,639 Speaker 1: his gender and his sexual orientation with that stage set. 34 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 1: He was born in August twenty five in Germany. From 35 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: a very young age, he didn't really fit in with 36 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: what was expected of a boy. He'd like to wear 37 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: a girl's clothing. A lot of his friends were girls, 38 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: and sometimes he talked about wishing he were a girl. 39 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 1: Eventually started having relationships with other men. When he went 40 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: to university, he studied law, theology, and history, and he 41 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: became a lawyer, a writer, and a judge. Starting in 42 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: the eighteen sixties, he wrote a series of essays whose 43 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 1: title is translated as Studies in the Riddle of Male 44 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:24,119 Speaker 1: Male Love. He coined a new word for men who 45 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 1: experienced this love, ronn ears, which English language writers usually 46 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: render as earnings. You are in i n g s. 47 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 1: Within the concept of earnings, he coined a lot of 48 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: different terms to describe men who had various same sex 49 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:44,800 Speaker 1: attractions and expressions of their gender. This included men that 50 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: we would describe as bisexual, pan sexual, and intersex today. 51 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 1: He framed all of this under the idea that earnings 52 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 1: essentially constituted a third sex, and he wrote about how 53 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 1: relationships between people of the same sex, particularly men, should 54 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: be legal, and that such couples should be allowed to marry. 55 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 1: This was a start of a long series of articles 56 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: that he kept writing into the eighteen seventies, and all 57 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 1: of this was before the word homosexual was coined. Ulrics 58 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 1: also tried to start organizations for gay men and to 59 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: advocate against the laws that criminalized homosexuality. His work was banned, though, 60 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 1: and at one point he was sent to prison for 61 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:25,400 Speaker 1: doing it. On August twenty nine, eighteen sixty seven, he 62 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 1: gave this speech at the Congress of German jurists in Munich, 63 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: and which he gave this public defense of the idea 64 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: of homosexuality. He was advocating for the repeal of anti 65 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: homosexual laws. The response to it, though, was overall not 66 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 1: favorable at all. He was shouted down at the meeting, 67 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 1: his works were again banned, and the laws in question 68 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 1: were not repealed. In eighteen eighty he left Germany and 69 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 1: he lived the rest of his life in Italy. He 70 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: died in eight Although the terminology that he coined earnings 71 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: isn't really in use today, this is one of the 72 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: first attempts to create a framework of language for how 73 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 1: we talk about gender and same sex relationships. And Carl 74 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 1: Maria Kurt Benny, who was the man who did coin 75 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:16,279 Speaker 1: the word homosexual, did so in a letter to Rics 76 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 1: about his theories of gender and sexuality. Thanks very much 77 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 1: to Christopher Hasciotis for his research work on today's episode, 78 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 1: and to Tari Harrison for all of her audio work 79 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 1: on this podcast. You can subscribe to This Day in 80 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 1: History Class on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, and wherever else 81 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 1: you get your podcast. You can tune in tomorrow for 82 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:47,919 Speaker 1: one of history's most delightful names. Hi. Everyone, Welcome to 83 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: this Day in History class, where we uncover the remnants 84 00:04:51,440 --> 00:05:04,039 Speaker 1: of history every day. The day it was August Wendell 85 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: Oliver Scott was born in Danville, Virginia. He would later 86 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 1: become the first black man to win a race in 87 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:16,039 Speaker 1: NASCAR's Grand National Series. Scott's father was a driver for 88 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:20,039 Speaker 1: wealthy white families, and he worked on their cars. He 89 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: learned a lot about auto mechanics from his father, though 90 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 1: Scott's parents later split up and he did not see 91 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 1: his father for many years. From a young age, Scott 92 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 1: recognized the realities of segregation and Jim Crow in the South. 93 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 1: By the time he was a teenager, he began taking 94 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 1: jobs to support his family. He worked at a drug 95 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 1: store and he became a bricklayer. But when Scott got 96 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:50,280 Speaker 1: tired of bricklaying, he started working as a taxi driver 97 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 1: and bought his own cab. Scott soon became known for 98 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 1: his speed as a taxi driver. He earned that reputation 99 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 1: with passengers and with police officers. He got thirteen tickets 100 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:07,480 Speaker 1: in his time as a taxi driver. In nineteen two, 101 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:11,279 Speaker 1: Scott was drafted in World War Two and began serving 102 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:15,279 Speaker 1: in the army's hundred and first Airborne. His work was 103 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:19,359 Speaker 1: focused on maintaining vehicles. Two years later, while he was 104 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 1: on leave, he married Mary bill Coles, a woman he 105 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:26,920 Speaker 1: met while he was driving his cab. They eventually had 106 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:31,280 Speaker 1: six children together. When World War Two was over, Scott 107 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 1: went back to Danville and began building a business and 108 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:38,919 Speaker 1: mechanic work. While the business was successful, he took on 109 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:43,119 Speaker 1: a partner who mismanaged their money. That partner eventually died 110 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:46,239 Speaker 1: in an accident that also caused their shot to burn down. 111 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:52,839 Speaker 1: So Scott started bootlegging whiskey, but bootlegging was dangerous work. 112 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 1: In nineteen forty nine, Scott regularly watched racist at the 113 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:02,360 Speaker 1: Danville Fairgrounds Speedway. The next steer racing promoter, Martin Rogers, 114 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:05,440 Speaker 1: was looking to bring more people to the races and 115 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 1: decided to find a black driver to increase publicity. He 116 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: asked the cops which black guy would be a good fit, 117 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 1: and they suggested Wendell Scott. So Scott borrowed a car 118 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:20,000 Speaker 1: he had used for running liquor that he had since 119 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 1: sold to his brother in law. He loved his first race. 120 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 1: He started out in the Dixie circuit and went on 121 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 1: to do other races that were not affiliated with NASCAR. 122 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 1: In Virginia, he won a race for the first time 123 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:36,920 Speaker 1: in June of nineteen fifty two, and he continued on 124 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 1: to win other races. Though there had been other black 125 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: drivers before Scott, he was often the only one at 126 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 1: his events, and racism was still rampant in the nineteen 127 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 1: fifties in the US. People yelled slurs at him and 128 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:56,240 Speaker 1: threatened his children. Plus he did not have sponsors, a 129 00:07:56,280 --> 00:08:01,440 Speaker 1: paid pit crew, or a mechanic besides himself. NASCAR, or 130 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:05,200 Speaker 1: the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, was founded 131 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: in nineteen Though he had been rejected from entering NASCAR 132 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: sanctioned races because of his race, he entered his first 133 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 1: one in nineteen fifty four. Scott was the first black 134 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: driver to be in a race that was sanctioned by NASCAR. 135 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:24,320 Speaker 1: Scott was never able to race in a new car 136 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 1: because he could not afford it and did not have sponsorship, 137 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:32,800 Speaker 1: but he built his own cars and was successful in racing. Still, 138 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 1: he was frequently singled out as a black driver. Other 139 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:40,079 Speaker 1: drivers would intentionally wreck his car during races. Inspectors would 140 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: demand unnecessary repairs before he could race. This discrimination continued 141 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 1: despite some support from William France Senior or Big Bill, 142 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:54,679 Speaker 1: the founder of NASCAR, and it caused Scott to make 143 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:57,959 Speaker 1: less money, which had to go toward paying for his bills, 144 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:03,080 Speaker 1: gas and car repair coss. Those Scott's cars were not 145 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:06,600 Speaker 1: as new and improved as the other driver's cars, he 146 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:11,400 Speaker 1: still performed will In his first NASCAR season in nineteen 147 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 1: sixty one, Scott made his first appearance in the Grand 148 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 1: National now called the Winston Cup in South Carolina. Two 149 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 1: years later, he won his first and only Grand National race. 150 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,840 Speaker 1: Scott continued racing for several years, but in nineteen seventy three, 151 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:32,080 Speaker 1: he was involved in a crash at Talladega Speedway in Alabama. 152 00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:36,320 Speaker 1: He survived the crash but fractured many bones and had 153 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 1: to retire from racing. After returning to work in an 154 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:43,240 Speaker 1: auto repair shop and paying for his children to go 155 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:46,960 Speaker 1: to college, he died of spinal cancer in nineteen ninety. 156 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 1: After his death, Scott was inducted into several halls of fame, 157 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 1: including the National Sports Hall of Fame and the NASCAR 158 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: Hall of Fame. I'm each Jeffcote, and hopefully you know 159 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 1: a little more about history today than you did yesterday, 160 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: and if you want to learn more about Scott, you 161 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:09,080 Speaker 1: can in the two part episode of Stuff You Miss 162 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 1: in History Class called Wendell Scott, Black Nascar Driver in 163 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:15,720 Speaker 1: the Gym crow Era. You can find the link to 164 00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 1: that episode in the description, and if you like to 165 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 1: follow us on social media, you can find us at 166 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 1: T D I h D Podcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. 167 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 1: Thanks again for listening and we'll see you again tomorrow. 168 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:38,240 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, 169 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows