True Crime and Mystery Podcasts for Your Listening List
There’s something about true crime that resonates in queer communities. Maybe it’s because we’ve spent a lot of time thinking about danger, survival, and the stories that get told about victims. Whatever the reason, queer hosts bring something different to the genre, more skepticism of official narratives, more attention to who gets believed. Here’s where to look.
You’re Wrong About with Michael Hobbes and Sarah Marshall
Technically a corrections podcast as much as a true crime podcast, You’re Wrong About revisits widely misunderstood or misreported events and asks what was actually going on and who was actually harmed by the coverage. Michael Hobbes co-hosted with Sarah Marshall before leaving in 2021. The back catalogue is worth exploring, while Marshall continues with guest contributors. Start with a subject you remember from the headlines and compare that memory with the reporting.
Morbid: A True Crime Podcast
Alaina Urquhart and Ash Kelley are aunt and niece, not sisters. The show covers cases ranging from historical murders to recent unsolved crimes with a combination of genuine research and humor that keeps it from becoming relentlessly grim. This entry is a listening suggestion, not a claim about either host’s identity. Good for listeners who want thorough coverage without either sanitizing the cases or wallowing in the details.
And That’s Why We Drink
Em Schulz and Christine Schiefer cover true crime and paranormal stories in alternating episodes, which gives the podcast a built-in change of pace. Em is openly queer and the show has a strong queer fanbase. It’s looser and more conversational than heavily produced shows, which is either charming or annoying depending on what you want from the genre. The paranormal episodes in particular have a specific cozy energy that is very appealing for late-night listening.
My Favorite Murder (and the Community Around It)
Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark built My Favorite Murder into one of the most culturally significant podcasts of the last decade. Fans call themselves “Murderinos.” We do not have reliable audience data to make claims about their identities. The format, two comedians telling each other cases they’ve researched, has been widely imitated. The show is now years deep into its run and still going. A good starting point if you are new to true crime podcasts generally.
A Note on the Genre
True crime isn’t without its critics, and the best queer hosts in the space tend to engage with those criticisms directly. The most thoughtful shows ask whose stories get told and why, who gets sympathy from the media and who doesn’t, and how systemic factors shape both the crimes and the coverage. Those are questions queer people are well-positioned to ask.
Pick one based on your tolerance for levity versus straight-up research. All of them are doing something worth listening to.