George Washington Carver and Other Legendary Queer Scientists

Flower power! Although they never identified as gay or straight, pioneering scientists Alexander Von Humbolt and George Washington Carver both wrote about their love of flowers and men. Also in the image collage is an awesome photo of anthropologist Margaret Mead with a parrot.

It’s no secret that LGBT folks have had a profound influence on the arts but they’ve also had a tremendous effect on scientific discovery even though they often had to hide who they were.

Today, we are joined by science journalist Vincent Gabrielle to explore the lives of extraordinary LGBT scientists who changed the world.

It's a whole new generation! Science historian and lover of trees Vince Gabrielle directs pedestrians during an Americorps environmental restoration project. Photo: Tiffany Wong

{Best of Feast of Fun, originally posted as FOF #2390 - Queer Science - 09.13.16}

Listen as we take a look at:
• Why so many places are named after explorer Alexander Von Humboldt.
• George Washington Carver’s flower power.
• How Leonardo Da Vinci almost went to jail for sodomy,
• Why anthropologist Margaret Mead’s work still enrages conservatives,
• Astronaut Sally Ride’s posthumous coming out,
• How neuroscientist Ben Barres came out as trans in response to sexism in academia.
and,
• What the film Imitation Game got wrong about mathematician Alan Turing?