Gals Guide

Gals Guide

From the first women's history lending library in the United States...This adult-centered podcast features a round-table discussion where each guest picks a rebellious woman of history relating to our topic of the month. The Gals Pals do get pretty drunk and the show is a lot of fun!

Episodes

October 6, 2025 36 mins

Bonnie starts Defiance Month with Olga of Kiev. A gal who killed a lot of people who tried to marry her and yet was made a saint. Leah's on cold medicine, Katie's writing letters, Julie's back, and we're pronouncing "Kiev" wrong the whole time. 

Mark as Played
September 29, 2025 25 mins

Leah finishes up Personal Change Month with a gal who experienced the effects of mental illness and decided to create better conditions (not perfect) for those afflicted with mental illness. As Dorothea Dix fought for the humanity of the mentally ill, the culture started to shift more humanely as well. Knowing we still have  *LOTS* to go in the field of mental health, learn about Dorothea Dix on this week's episode. Joined by Klair...

Mark as Played
September 22, 2025 49 mins

Klaire continues Personal Change month with an abstract painter whose legacy personally effects one of our Gal Pals. Learn about Lee Krasner on this week's episode. Joined by Leah, Katie and Bonnie. 

Mark as Played
September 15, 2025 25 mins

Katie continues Personal Change month with a neuroscience journalist who covers drugs, addition and public policy. Learn about Maia Szalavitz on this week's episode. Joined by Leah, Katie and Klaire Lockheart.

Mark as Played

Bonnie starts of Personal Change month with a chemist who won a Noble Prize. Joined by Leah, Katie and Klaire Lockheart. 

Mark as Played
August 26, 2025 35 mins

Leah finished up courage month talking about a rebel in a swimsuit. In an era where women were expected to be silent and modest, Annette Kellerman dove headfirst into controversy. She used her body as a tool of protest, a canvas for art, and a vehicle for change. She helped create the modern swimsuit by not being ashamed of her body. 

Even in 2025, some of us who wear a swimsuit in public are performing an act of courage. A battle ...

Mark as Played
August 18, 2025 28 mins

Jackie continues courage month talking about the Camogie and it's women's uniform. Camogie is a sport similar to hurling. The uniform in the past has been a wool skirt and until 2025 a uncomfortable skort. When Kilkenny and Dublin teams protested and wore (gasp!) shorts, they were not allowed to play until they changed clothes. What happened next? Listen to this weeks episode. 

Mark as Played
August 12, 2025 32 mins

Katie continues courage month talking about sisters. The Mirabal Sisters courageously defied the foul dictator Rafael Trujillo known as el Jefe. Patria, Minerva and Maria Teresa are national heroines of the Dominican Republic and the sisters in the book In the Time of Butterflies written by Julia Alvarez.

Mark as Played

Bonnie starts of courage month with a gal who was so courageous she ran for President of the United States before women even had the right to vote. Learn about the unique history of Victoria Woodhull, a woman who was certainly ahead of her time! 

Mark as Played
July 23, 2025 20 mins

Riwo finishes up Freedom Month talking about a San Diego Public Librarian who stood up for Japanese American children during WW2 interments. Clara Breed sent books, letters, and support to young readers imprisoned in camps — protecting their right to read and reminding them they were not forgotten.

Mark as Played
July 14, 2025 23 mins

Katie continues Freedom Month talking about SlutWalk an international movement. SlutWalk were protests to stop people asking "what was she wearing" when discussing rape and sexual assault victims. A call to end slut-shamming as well as ending rape culture. 

Mark as Played

Bonnie starts off Freedom Month talking about Deborah Sampson, who disguised herself as a man to fight in the American Revolution. 

Mark as Played

Riwo finishes up Injustice Month with the mother of the LGBTQ movement, Barbara Gittings. She organized with Frank Kameny the first gay rights protest on July 4, 1965. She also fought for gay literary rights and gay mental health rights. She found community and started a movement.

Podcast note: We're on break for the rest of June for the Gal's Guide move to Minnesota. Episodes will return in July.

Mark as Played
June 9, 2025 39 mins

Katie continues Injustice Month with a suffragette. Lucy Stone spoke out for women's rights, was the first Massachusetts woman to earn a college degree, and even kept her name when she married. Learn all about Lucy. 

Mark as Played

Bonnie starts off Injustice Month with a crusader for justice, Ida B. Wells. As an author, journalist and civil rights leader, Ida brought information and power to the movement for African-American equality. She was one of the founders of the NAACP and was forcibly removed from a train for the color of her skin in 1884 (71 years before Rosa Parks). 

Mark as Played

Katie closes up Innovation Month with a gal who invented a new rocket fuel. Learn about Mary Sherman Morgan and how her invention of Hydyne helped launch the United States' first satellite. 

Mark as Played

Bonnie continues Innovation Month (that's weird to type, normally Bonnie starts a month! ) with a rebel with a need for speed! Beatrice Shilling, also called Tilly, was an aerospace engineer and motorcycle racer. Learn about this British innovator who broke records and saved lives! 

Mark as Played

Riwo starts off Innovation Month with a rebel with a board game. Learn about the actual inventor of the game Monopoly, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Magie. Her story and what she was trying to teach us is way more in-depth that you might have been led to believe.

Mark as Played

Riwo finishes up Rebellious Creative Expression month with Yayoi Kusama, a rebel in polka dots. She’s been called “one of the most important artists to come out of Japan.”  She’s not only a polka dot pop artist but also a filmmaker, protestor, author, sculptor, and fashion designer. She hit on rebellious creative expression on so many fronts. 

Mark as Played

It's Katie's turn to tell us about her pick for Rebellious Creative Expression month. Lee Miller was creative and rebellious in many ways. Lee was a war correspondent, photographer, and artist. She also took a rebellious picture of herself in Hitler's bathtub. 

Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

    My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.

    The Breakfast Club

    The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!