history on Vice

Editing Homophobia out of the “Islamic Tradition”

Slave rape, marital rape, and plural marriage might be unpleasant to consider as part of Islamic sexuality, but they are deeply embedded in our established sources. But I do not believe that Islamic tradition is frozen in stone. Every translation is an interpretation, and every interpretation is a choice. Full story

Fucking Hysterical: A Timeline of Vintage Vibrators

For centuries hysteria was a legitimate and common diagnosis for women who just needed to get laid, or, at the very least, treat themselves to a few mind-blowing orgasms. But since most women in the old-timey days didn't even know they could have orgasms, they needed someone—or s… Full story

The Former Civil Rights Activist Who Created the Right to Bear Arms

Don Kates is a Yale-educated lawyer who started his legal career fighting for civil rights in the South during the 1960s. A few years later, however, he ended up at the NRA, defending the Second Amendment and inspiring many of the gun rights mantras people use today. Full story

A People’s History of April Fools' Day

Many date the day’s origins to the Persian holiday of Sizdah Be-dar, or “Day of Far Too Many Puddings.” In Scotland, a medieval holiday evolved into Hunt-the-Gowk Day ('gowk' meaning "Jew" in Scots). Whatever you call it, April Fools' is a tradition forever intertwined with class… Full story

Living, Learning, and Going Long with Gypsy Boots, America’s First Hippie

I met Gypsy Boots in 1970, before I knew he was the nationally famous founder of the hippie movement, and became friends with him in 1995, nine years before America's archetypal holy fool passed away. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about him—what he meant to history and what he… Full story

Mother Teresa Was a Jerk, and So Were a Bunch of Other Saints

According to a study conducted by Canadian researchers, Mother Teresa wasn't as saintly as everyone assumed. But if you look back on the 10,000 people who have been canonized by the Catholic Church over the centuries, some of the other saints were way worse. Full story

Taji's Mahal – Talking with Clayton Patterson About the Lower East Side

For this week's Mahal, I headed over to St. Mark's Bookshop, for the release of Clayton Patterson's new book, 'Jews: A People's History of the Lower East Side.' I got to catch up with the man himself to learn a bit about the historical culture of LES. Full story

VICE Meets

Sue Johanson

In part one of our three-part interview with Sue Johanson of 'Sunday Night Sex Show' fame, Kara Crabb chats with Sue about her origins as a nurse, being a pioneer of sexual education in a time when abortion was illegal, and the priests who told her to poke holes in condoms. Full story

Historical Party Fouls

I’d just puked into a giant potted plant in the lobby of the Plaza Hotel, outside Truman’s Black and White. I was looking for a place to stash my now-soiled pocket square and thinking distantly about a palate-cleansing Bellini when some guy I didn’t recognize sidled up. Full story

How to Write a Novel About Murdering Nazis

For the most part I can’t stand books about shit from history. It’s not time’s fault, it’s mine. Full story