I got to sit down with  @bradyvandruenen55 , a former Catholic school student and hockey player from small-town Canada, to hear his powerful story of growing up gay in a conservative Catholic environment. We dive into Catholic sex ed, hockey locker room culture, the mental gymnastics of trying to be someone you're not, and what it was like to finally break free and come out. This one’s for anyone who’s ever felt trapped by faith, family, or fear.

You can follow Brady on:
Youtube:  @bradyvandruenen55  
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyvandruenen
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bradyvandruenen/

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:14 Brady's TikTok Journey
03:12 Growing Up Catholic
05:22 Sex Education and Early Conflicts
08:48 Struggles with Identity
18:25 Coming Out and Self-Acceptance
24:07 The Journey of Self-Acceptance
24:30 Coming Out to Friends and Colleagues
26:15 Family Reactions and Challenges
31:21 Navigating High School and Religion
32:08 Experiences in Hockey Culture
38:02 Life After Coming Out
38:17 Advocacy and Future Goals
46:05 Final Thoughts and Advice

To join our discord community for $1 or to support my work/get early access to content, check out my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/gayextrad

To be a guest on the episode, visit my YT channel and send me an email.