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Ad-free gay history, narrated by Julian

Every story of the men history tried to forget. No ads.

You already know Julian's voice. Now hear every story the way it was meant to be heard: from the first word to the last, with nothing in between. Plus new stories that will never go on YouTube.

Start listening for $69.99 See the stories

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600,000+ views on the most-loved stories · listeners from Tennessee to Vladivostok

Julian, the narrator of Gay Timeline, at his microphone in a book-lined study — **Julian** · your narrator

You know the moment

Right when it matters most

Two men stand at the rail of a whaling ship, fourteen months from home. One of them finally says the thing he has carried the whole voyage. Julian's voice goes quiet.

And then: a loud ad for car insurance.

The Archive is for that moment. Every story plays the way it was written, with nothing between you and the men who lived it. On the commute, at work, at the gym, or with the lights off.

Then there are the stories Julian has never told on YouTube. New, full-length stories of men the history books skipped, pieced together from the same letters, court records and ship logs, and told only to members. No algorithm will ever show them to anyone else.

Their names waited a long time to be spoken again. As a member, you hear them first.

See the members-only stories

The stories listeners love most

The channel's most-watched stories, now without a single ad.

600K+views on these eight stories

14½ hoursof listening in these eight alone

Up to 2½ hoursin a single story

Inside the Gay YMCAs of Early 20th Century

Ad-free110K views on YouTube · 2:14:01

Inside the All-Male Whaling Ships of Nantucket, 1830s–1850s

Ad-free105K views on YouTube · 1:10:07

Inside the Gay Bathhouses of Gilded Age New York, 1880s

Ad-free85K views on YouTube · 2:26:12

Gay Servants in Aristocratic English Houses

Ad-free68K views on YouTube · 2:13:51

Inside the Secret Male Brothel on Rue de Lappe, 1889

Ad-free66K views on YouTube · 2:05:31

The Riviera Town Where Gay Men Wintered: Taormina, Sicily, 1890–1930

Ad-free59K views on YouTube · 1:03:10

The Colony Where Gay British Men Escaped Empire: Ceylon, 1880–1948

Ad-free58K views on YouTube · 1:08:33

Inside the All-Male Bunkhouses of the American Cattle Drives, 1880s

Ad-free49K views on YouTube · 2:13:46

Every other story, too

Every story from the channel is in the Archive with no ads, including these, and every new one as it comes out.

Members only · New

Stories you won't find anywhere else

Full-length stories written only for members and never posted on YouTube. The same research, the same care and Julian's voice, for your ears only.

Never posted on the channel
The first one arrives at launch
New ones added for members

Unlock members-only stories

In our listeners' own words

“These stories are priceless.”

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Some listeners lived this history. Others are hearing it for the first time.

“It made me remember being 19… Now at 64 I have a lifetime of memories to look back on, and even though I’m alone, I too am still here, a survivor of my generation.”

“Had a boyfriend who dressed windows at Franklin Simon, NYC, in the late ’60s. Nostalgic trip for me. Thank you for this memory. I am 80 years old now.”

“Sad story, but they found each other at the end. I spent 45 years alone, but now I have found the man of my dreams… Thank you for a sad but wonderful video.”

“Breaks my heart… I knew so many guys had it so different. All the boys who fled the Midwest and the South… thrown out at 14.”

“Another captivating Gay Timeline video… In a sensitive, caring way, it introduced me to gay life in Japan I never knew existed.”

“I loved this story… This one captivated me for a number of reasons. So much of this was familiar.”

“Thank you for this beautiful commentary… Ceylon was an escape for gay planters. Some never returned, others returned but never got over it.”

“This actually happened in England too… Two gay men lived in my village of Corfe Castle in the 1920s. The locals just called them ‘the boys’.”

“A beautiful love story.”

“Awesome histories. Watching from France, 9 AM. Thanks.”

These are only a few. Every new story brings more, many of them too long and too personal to share in full here.

Somewhere in these stories is a life like yours.

Every story here is about a man the world almost forgot. Your memories keep them alive. Share yours, and one day your words could sit here too.

Join the listeners

Choose how you listen

Launch prices

Early listeners pay the least. Each new story adds to the Archive, and the price of a pass rises with it. Buy today and you pay the launch price, no matter how big the Archive gets. Lifetime Pass holders never pay again.

Best place to start

1-Year Archive Pass

Launch price

$69.99paid once, under $6 a month

No subscription. Nothing renews.

Every channel story, ad-free
Every members-only story
Every new story added in the next 12 months
Download and keep every file

Get the 1-Year Pass

Lifetime

Lifetime Archive Pass

~~$349.95~~five 1-Year Passes

$99once, yours for good

Pays for itself in under two years

Everything in the 1-Year Pass
Every new story, forever
Never pay again
The lowest it will ever be

Get the Lifetime Pass

Secure checkout by PayhipPayPal or cardPay once, no subscription

For most of history, these men were left out of the record. Now their stories are told in full.

Why the Archive exists

Researched from the real record

Every story is built from real historians, real archives and real sources: letters, court files, ship logs and diaries.

Gay Timeline is an independent channel. Every pass pays for the research, the narration and the next story. When you join, you are not only removing ads. You are helping keep these names spoken.

Questions

How do I listen?

After you pay, a download link arrives by email. Save the MP3s to your phone or computer and play them in any music or podcast app, even with no connection.

Are these stories true?

Yes. Each one is built from real historical records, and the sources are listed in the PDF that comes with it. Where a character is a composite of several real men, the story says so.

Are these the same stories as on YouTube?

The channel stories are the same, with no ads and no like or subscribe reminders. The members-only stories are new and are never posted on YouTube.

I already have YouTube Premium. Why join?

Premium removes ads on YouTube, but you still need the app. The Archive gives you files you keep and play anywhere, plus the members-only stories, and it supports the channel directly.

What is the difference between the 1-Year Pass and the Lifetime Pass?

Both give you every story in the Archive today, ad-free, plus the members-only stories, and the files are yours to keep. The 1-Year Pass adds every new story released in the next 12 months. The Lifetime Pass adds every new story, forever. Both are paid once.

How do I pay?

With PayPal, or with a card through PayPal, at Payhip’s secure checkout. Prices are in US dollars, and your bank shows the amount in your own currency.

Will the price go up?

Yes. These are launch prices, and they rise as more stories are added. Buy now and you pay today’s price. Lifetime Pass holders never pay again.

Is this a subscription?

No. Both passes are paid once and nothing renews. When your 1-Year Pass ends, you keep every file you downloaded, and you can buy another pass if you want the new stories.