Every once in a while, you meet someone whose presence reminds you that joy, resilience, and purpose are not just ideals — they’re choices. They’re the product of hard-won experience and deep personal growth. My guest today, Ted Guice, is exactly that kind of person. His life and work reflect a quiet strength and generosity that leave a mark on everyone he meets. He’s one of those people in the LGBTQ+ community who uses his own challenges, even the darkest ones, as fuel to uplift others. Through honesty, vulnerability, and service, Ted has turned personal setbacks into powerful tools of connection and healing.

Ted speaks openly about addiction, self-worth, aging, and the need to keep moving — physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He believes in staying connected, making people feel seen, and embracing this chapter of life as the most meaningful yet.

In this episode, we explore Ted’s incredible journey, his love of community, his belief in transformation, and the lasting impact of just showing up — for yourself and for others.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with my friend, the inspiring Ted Guice.

Thanks for listening. If you are interested in connecting with Ted you can find him on his website at TedGuice.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tedguicefitness.

Be Bold, Be Free, Be You!

-David

•••••••••••••••••••••

A Queer POV: Friends, Loves, & Life with David You can listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack, and YouTube. New episodes Wednesday. And if you enjoy it, please leave a review—it helps more than you know.

Connect with me on BlueSky @davidbegor

#QueerCommunity  #LGBTQVoices  #AgingWithPride  #HealthyAging  #SeniorFitness  #RecoveryJourney  #FitnessAfter50  #KeepMoving  #QueerPodcast  #SoberLife  #StorytellingMatters  #LGBTQSupport  #MovementMatters  #PodcastEpisode

What does real allyship look like? Sometimes, it’s not loud or showy. Sometimes, it’s simply showing up—over and over again. That’s the kind of love and friendship I’ve been lucky enough to have with my guest this week: my high school friend and first true ally, Julie Arie.

In this episode of Friends, Loves, and Life, we catch up like no time has passed—from algebra class in 10th grade to cruising the Vegas strip in a Galaxy 500, to growing older, wiser (mostly), and a little softer.

Julie has always had a gift for holding space for both love and pain—something she’s done for her parents, her friends, and for me, even when I didn’t make it easy. That’s allyship. It’s showing up when it’s not convenient. It’s saying, “I’ve got you,” when the world says otherwise.

We talk about growing up in the 80s, our wild and fearless younger years, the loss of her best friend Margie, what it’s like to be an aunt who loves deeply, and how she honored her mother in her final days—even after a complicated relationship.

There’s so much laughter in this episode, but also a lot of heart. Julie reminded me what it means to be truly seen by someone—and how powerful that can be, especially for LGBTQ+ folks navigating their identity in a world that doesn’t always make room.

If someone has been that anchor for you—reach out. And if you’ve been that for someone else—thank you. We need more of you.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, and join the conversation.

🌈 Be bold. Be free. Be you.

-David

#QueerVoices #LGBTQ #LGBTQAlly #QueerFriendship #AllyshipInAction #ComingOutStories #ChosenFamily #SupportIsLove

A Queer POV: Friends, Loves, & Life with David You can listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack, and YouTube. New episodes Wednesday. And if you enjoy it, please leave a review—it helps more than you know.

Connect with me on BlueSky

This week on Friends, Loves, & Life, I sit down with my dear friend Ed Moreno, a man whose life has been full of adventure, transformation, heartbreak, and healing.

Ed and I first met at Gold’s Gym in San Francisco back in the day. What started as a flirt turned into a decades-long friendship. In this episode, we talk about everything from wild trips across Europe to the years he spent living fast, after being diagnosed with HIV in 1990 and told he had five years to live. Spoiler alert: he lived, and he lived well.

But this conversation isn’t just about surviving. It’s about what came next. It’s about love, growing up, learning to take care of others, and stepping into a different version of yourself. Ed talks about finding the kind of relationship in his 50s that he never thought he’d have, with a partner who grounds him and helps him stay open to joy.

We also talk about his parents, Alicia and Eduardo Moreno, who are nothing short of heroes. After Ed came out and shared his HIV status, they became fierce advocates for the LGBTQ+ community in Santa Fe. As founding members of the local PFLAG chapter, their home phone became the official number for anyone in need of support. They were love in action.

This episode is filled with humor, vulnerability, and heart. It’s about what we carry, what we outgrow, and the people who help us become more fully ourselves.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts. And check the show notes for a link to this beautiful article about Ed’s parents and their legacy.

👉🏻 https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/santa-fe-woman-worked-to-support-lgbtq-community/article_9e3d77fc-7cd4-11ee-8ee9-7b75defa7fe8.html

Until next time be bold, be free, be you.

-David

In this episode of Friends, Loves, & Life, I sit down with my dear friend Rich Hajjar for a conversation that’s as vulnerable as it is hilarious. Rich and I go way back—to the early 2000s when we were launching Sex4HotMen, dreaming big, and laughing even bigger. But beyond the shared memories, our friendship has weathered some of life’s most defining chapters. From the wild days of marketing parties in LA to the moment I adopted my son Leo—with Rich riding shotgun—our bond has always run deep.

Please note: this episode contains discussion of childhood sexual abuse and suicide. Please skip ahead if needed.

In this conversation, Rich opens up in a way that’s rare and powerful. He shares the story of surviving childhood sexual abuse, and the complicated path of healing that followed. From confronting his abuser to supporting his nieces and nephews through loss, Rich brings honesty, compassion, and his signature sharp wit to a subject too often shrouded in silence.

We talk about what it means to age as gay men in a world that often overlooks our stories. Rich reflects on living with HIV, facing multiple health challenges, and the strange blessing of getting older when so many of our generation didn’t get the chance. He also talks about the life he’s built with his husband Mike—the laughter, the bickering, and the deep, unwavering love that’s carried them through.

And yes, we laugh—a lot. About pool parties in the desert, about being “daddies” in Palm Springs, and about the strange freedom that comes with turning 60 and realizing you no longer need to prove anything to anyone.

This conversation is raw, real, and full of heart. Rich reminds us that healing is never linear, that joy and pain often live side by side, and that showing up fully—as messy and imperfect as we are—is the most powerful thing we can do.

If this conversation brings anything up for you, please take care. You are not alone. If you’re looking for someone to talk to, resources like:

* The Trevor Project (1-866-488-7386) 24/7 – thetrevorproject.org

* RAINN (1-800-656-HOPE) - Rainn.org

* 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Call or Text 988 - 988lifeline.org

Watch the full episode now, and if it resonates, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Until next time, Be Bold, Be Free, Be You!

– David

In this week’s episode of Friends, Loves, & Life, I sit down with my longtime friend Mike Ryan — a creative force, a sharp wit, and someone I once shared an office with above Akbar in Silverlake. We talk about how we met, the business we built together (a gay men’s hook-up site, back before apps ruled the world), and yes — our daily lunches at El Pollo Loco that somehow never got old.

But this episode goes deeper.

Mike shares, with honesty and clarity, what it was like to come out, and how his relationship with his father — a deeply painful and complicated one — shaped that journey. What struck me most is how he’s now taking those experiences and turning them into fiction: a novel that reimagines the story with heart, creativity, and what-if healing. It’s powerful, and it’s brave.

We also reflect on what happens when friendships shift. After years of working side by side, our lives pulled us in different directions. We lost touch. And yet here we are, reconnecting — laughing, remembering, and talking about the things we maybe couldn’t say back then.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to return to a friendship that shaped you, or how people carry trauma and turn it into something beautiful, this episode is for you.

Give it a listen. And if you enjoy it, please leave a review—it helps more than you know.

— David

In this week’s episode of Friends, Loves, & Life, I sit down with someone I’ve known for nearly 25 years—Dr. Alex del Rosario. He’s an HIV specialist, a leather man, a deeply thoughtful gay doctor, and one of the most open, generous people I know. Talking with Alex always feels like pulling up a chair with someone who just gets it—and this conversation is no exception.

We cover a lot of ground. We talk about sex (a lot of it), aging, HIV, self-acceptance, and what it means to love someone for over two decades. Alex shares how becoming HIV positive gave his life and career direction. We talk about how he met his husband on, a now long-defunct hook-up site, pig sex party, and what it’s like doing sexual health outreach in full leather gear. Yes—leather pants, harness, the whole deal.

There are serious moments, too. Alex opens up about the impact of recent political decisions on HIV funding, what it’s like for his trans patients to navigate care right now, and how the medical system—still—can make people feel ashamed just for being themselves. His insight into all of this is sharp, compassionate, and really important.

And then there’s the joy. We laugh a lot—about gym run-ins, naked hikes, pheromone attraction, and how growing older sometimes just means leaning harder into your kinks and your truth. Alex reminds me (and maybe you, too) that being out and open isn’t just an act of resistance—it’s also a celebration.

One of my favorite parts of this episode is when we reflect on how our friendship has evolved, and how he and his husband supported me during my first year of fatherhood. Honestly, without friends like them, I don’t know how I would’ve made it through those early months.

Whether you’re part of the LGBTQ+ community or just someone who appreciates a raw, funny, and deeply honest conversation about life, love, and the messiness in between—this episode is worth your time.

Just a gentle reminder: this one’s not for young ears. We talk openly about sex, kink, gay culture, and medical realities—so maybe save it for after bedtime or that solo drive you’ve been meaning to take.

Join me and Dr. Alex as we get to the heart of it.

Until next time, be bold, be free, be you.

David

You can listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack, and YouTube. New episodes Wednesday. And if you enjoy it, please leave a review—it helps more than you know.

In this episode of Friends, Loves, and Life, I sit down with my longtime friend Sean Rhodes for a moving, funny, and deeply honest conversation about identity, reinvention at 60, and the messy beauty of starting over. Sean opens up about being adopted, finding his birth mother, ending a relationship in midlife, and what it really means to evolve. We also talk about his final AIDS Lifecycle Ride—a powerful tribute to resilience and community. It’s a raw, heartfelt episode full of reflection, humor, and hope.

This episode is a full, messy, beautiful portrait of what it means to live authentically and imperfectly. It’s a reminder that even through loss, change, and aging, there’s joy in becoming who we’re meant to be.

If you’ve ever questioned whether it’s too late to change your life, this episode is for you. If you’ve ever felt the ache of loss, or the thrill of rediscovering your strength, you’ll find something here that resonates.

You can support Sean’s final AIDS Lifecycle Ride by visiting aidslifecycle.org and searching for participant Sean Rhodes (#45616). The ride takes place the first week of June.

You can listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack, and YouTube. New episodes Wednesday. And if you enjoy it, please leave a review—it helps more than you know.

Welcome to the very first episode of Friends, Loves, & Life! I’m so excited to finally share this project with you—and it felt only right to start this journey with the person who’s been beside me for nearly two decades: my husband, Derek.

This episode is more than just an interview. It’s a conversation between two people who met in the most ordinary (yet hilarious) way and built an extraordinary life together. We talk about how we met—yes, it started with a gym, a trainer, and a compliment I blurted out without thinking—and what it’s been like to grow as individuals and as a couple through twenty years of love, parenting, major moves, and all the chaos and beauty that come with that.

One of the things I’ve always appreciated about Derek is how thoughtful he is, and in this episode, you’ll hear that. We dive into parenting—especially what it meant for him to step into raising another child after already raising one. We touch on how we’ve navigated big decisions like where to live, how to support each other’s careers, and what commitment looks like when it’s rooted in mutual respect rather than rigid expectations.

We also explore the emotional layers of our relationship—what it means to be monogamous when you’ve never actually sat down and made that decision consciously, and how our past experiences, fears, and growth shaped the partnership we have today. For both of us, love and family didn’t follow a straight line. We came together with history, with wounds, and with lessons—and we made something out of that. Something real. Something imperfect. Something lasting.

I hope this episode feels like sitting down with two people who’ve loved deeply, made mistakes, laughed a lot, and are still figuring it out together. Because that’s what this show is about—real conversations, shared experiences, and getting to the heart of it all.

If you’re in a relationship, have been in one, want to be in one, or are just curious about how two queer men built a life together, I think you’ll find something in here that resonates. Maybe you’ll laugh at our awkward gym meet-cute. Maybe you’ll nod along when we talk about moving and longing for “home.” Maybe you’ll feel seen when we get vulnerable about insecurity and self-worth.

However it lands for you, I hope you take something from it—and if you do, please share it with someone who might need it too.

You can listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack, and YouTube. New episodes Wednesday. And if you enjoy it, leave a review—it helps more than you know.

Thanks for being here at the beginning of this journey. There’s more to come. And who knows? Maybe you’ll be a guest one day.

Until next time,

David

#FriendsLovesLife #LGBTQPodcast #QueerLove #RelationshipGoals #GayDads #PodcastLaunch #DavidBegor

Join me, David Begor, each week as I sit down with old and new friends to explore love, identity, growth, and the messy beauty of being human. New episodes drop every Wednesday.

A Queer POV: Friends, Loves, & Life launches May 14, 2025 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack, and YouTube.

To kick things off, my first guest is my husband, Derek.

We talk about what it means to grow together, what we’ve learned after 18 years, and how we keep choosing each other through it all.

I hope you’ll give it a listen—and come along for the conversations.

Together, we’ll get to the heart of it.