Fin vs History Fleshlights to Fleshlights, Dust to Dust (with Joanne McNally!) | The History of Sex Work (Part 2)
Jan 8, 2026
Join Irish comedian Joanne McNally as she tackles the fascinating history of sex work from the Victorian era to modern times. They explore topics like the underground networks of male sex work and the infamous Mother Clap's Molly House. Discover the absurdities of the Contagious Diseases Acts, wartime prostitution, and Nazi brothels. With wit and humor, they reveal societal attitudes then and now, contrasting British stigma against more open cultures. Plus, some hilarious banter about contemporary sex toys adds a fun twist!
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Molly Houses As Boyfriend Spaces
- John Dunton’s 18th-century satire described London’s "He Strumpets" and molly houses as hubs of gay social life and panic.
- Joanne McNally and Fin Taylor discuss molly houses as clandestine boyfriend experiences rather than continuous sexual acts.
Law Shaped Underground Gay Networks
- Sodomy was a capital offence under the Buggery Act of 1533 and remained criminalised into the 19th century.
- Legal bans and moral panic forced gay communities into underground networks and informal meeting spaces.
Circumstantial Policing Of Gay Life
- Mother Clap’s Molly House was raided in 1726 and 40 men arrested despite no direct evidence of sodomy.
- Authorities used circumstantial signs like unbuttoned breeches to prosecute homosexuality under disorderly house laws.
