What exactly is Queer Joy? How do you create it? And where can we, as gay men, unleash its power to make the biggest impact? I’m sitting down with Revry TV Co-Founder and CEO Damian Pelliccione (They/Them), who knows a thing or two about it—after all, their unapologetic Queer Joy helped land them on Goldman Sachs’ Top 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs list.

You might be thinking, Why does this matter if I’m a gay man over 40? Because representation matters. How we show up in the world is one of the most powerful callings we can answer. No fears, no excuses, no apologies.

It’s time to show up bigger, bolder, and more joyfully than ever. Ready to unleash your Queer Joy? Let’s go.

Pride season is supposed to be all glitter, joy, and celebration—but for many, it can bring up waves of anxiety, loneliness, and even depression. So how do you keep your spirit lifted when everyone else seems to be riding rainbows, and you’re just trying to stay afloat?

In this powerful and heart-centered episode, we’re joined by the fabulous Will Dempsey—licensed social worker, drag queen, and fierce queer mental health advocate from Heads Held High Counseling. Together, we explore how to protect your peace and prioritize your mental health during Pride and beyond.

Will dives into:
• How to climb out of the emotional rabbit hole when anxiety and depression pull you down
• The importance of connection and chosen family in healing and self-discovery
• Ways to activate your pride—not just as a celebration, but as a tool for transformation

Whether Pride fills you with sparkle or feels a little heavy this year, this episode is your permission slip to feel it all, find your people, and lift your head high.

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Rahim Thawer (he/him)—psychotherapist, educator, and queer Muslim thought leader—joins us to unpack what sets queer men apart from our straight counterparts. From anticipating rejection in dating and navigating body image pressures, to managing our sexual health with a unique blend of hypervigilance and shame, Rahim explores how systemic oppression shapes the queer male experience. Drawing from his clinical work and upcoming book The Mental Health Guide for Cis and Trans Queer Guys, Rahim reminds us that our differences are not deficits—but sites of resilience, insight, and healing.

Ready to feel seen? This one’s for the guys who get it.

Why queer men often anticipate rejection—and how this shapes our self-esteem and relationships

How body image pressures uniquely affect queer guys, and what we can do to build a healthier relationship with our bodies.

The complex realities of queer sexual health: from navigating stigma to cultivating informed, affirming practices.

Rahim Thawer (he/him) is a registered social worker (OCSWSSW) and Canadian Certified Supervisor (CCS) who works as an instructor, psychotherapist, consultant, public speaker, podcast host, and writer. He founded Affective Consulting & Psychotherapy Services in 2014 and has delivered nearly 200 presentations and talks since then. His community workshops have inspired critical conversations and opportunities for reflection on mental health, interpersonal effectiveness, systemic oppression, and innovation in queer relationships.  Affective is currently focusing on DEI consultation and training services for nonprofit organizations and healthcare centers.

Rahim calls Toronto home and teaches at The University of Alabama where he is also enrolled as a doctoral student. As a queer Muslim, his clinical work and writing continually examines the intersection of mental health and systemic oppression, and his doctoral research considers how anti-racist, queer-affirming psychoanalytic frameworks can support social workers, training therapists, and organizational leaders.

Rahim was a co-editor of Any Other Way: How Toronto Got Queer (Coach House Books, 2016), which was nominated for the Toronto Book Awards. More recently, Rahim has self-published four clinical guides related to assessment, treatment planning, documentation practices, and using reflexivity in examining countertransference. He also three books slated for release in 2025: The Mental Health Guide for Cis and Trans Queer Guys (Newharbinger Press), The Politicized Practitioner: The Essential Reader for Social Workers & Psychotherapists (Blue Cactus Press), Queerituality: LGBTQ+ Muslims on Mental Health & Healing (Co-Editor, University of Regina Press).

COVID changed everything—our priorities, our beliefs, and the way we see ourselves. For celebrity hair colorist Corey Powell, it sparked a deeper calling: to help others in the LGBTQ+ community break free from the stories holding them back. After years of coaching clients from his salon chair, Corey took the leap to become a life coach, guiding the LGBTQ+ community toward living their most authentic lives.

In this heartfelt conversation, Corey and I go man-to-man on:

The power of pausing to create deeper connections

What "mattering" truly means for yourself and others

How to escape the autopilot of life and rediscover your purpose

Tuning into the heartbeat of your soul to live authentically

If you're a gay man over 40 ready to shed limiting beliefs and embrace your truth, this episode is for you. Let’s explore what’s possible when you stop holding yourself back.