Episode Title: From Small-Town Connecticut to 200K Followers — Spencer Thomas Gets Bit Gay

Episode Summary: Spencer Thomas is a 23-year-old NYC-based TikTok creator, writer, and author of Goodbye to Boyhood — a self-published collection of short stories about queer identity, solitude, and growing up. He's amassed over 200K followers on TikTok by doing exactly what he set out to do: more gay shit. In this episode, Zach and Spencer go deep on coming out in a conservative Connecticut town, the community and chaos of gay bar culture in New York and Boston, queer spaces being colonized by straight crowds, his solo trip to Peru, and what it really means to find your people.

Episode Notes:

Spencer grew up in Redding, Connecticut — a small town with little more than trees and a church — where boredom led him to writing and creativity. He came out at 16 after years of suspecting something was "different," including a pivotal moment watching The Goonies at age five. A memorable summer camp kiss with a girl was the final confirmation: not the path for him. He came out as bisexual first (a common gateway, as he notes with love), then didn't look back.

After dreaming of New York City through childhood visits to his grandmother on the Upper West Side, Spencer enrolled at NYU, double-majored in journalism and English, minored in creative writing, and wrote his first book while still in school. Goodbye to Boyhood — 10 chronological short stories spanning birthday parties, father relationships, first hookups, and grief — was self-published on his own terms at 21. He paid for the editor and cover designer himself, kept the rights, and used his platform to get it into readers' hands. Signed copies with handwritten letters are available via his TikTok Shop.

Zach and Spencer swap gay bar origin stories — Boiler Room in its decrepit, beloved old form, Playhouse before the TSA scanners, Flaming Saddles pre-bachelor-party invasion — and have a frank conversation about the state of Boston's queer nightlife. Spencer visited Club Cafe and found it overrun with bachelorette parties and straight couples, which turned into a viral video and a Queerness article that his grandfather called him about from Miami. Zach recommends Trophy Room, Danny's Queer Bar, Blend in Dorchester, and D-Bar as better options — and promises Spencer a proper Boston gay bar tour on his next visit.

The conversation turns to community: why queer spaces carry historical weight, what gets lost when those spaces are colonized by people detached from the culture, and why Spencer believes most gay cattiness comes from scarcity of safe space, not character. Spencer also talks about his solo trip to Peru — sand dunes, Nazca lines, altitude sickness in Cusco, a yoga retreat he worked for free, and why he left his phone behind for five days in the desert.

Spencer is currently deep in writing his debut novel (title under wraps, publication a couple years out) and planning interview-style video content with queer author Edward Schmidt, whose novel An Open Era drops June 2nd. His next TikTok series is still TBD — he invites listeners to tell him what they want to see.

Guest Links:

Mentioned in This Episode:

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Episode Summary: Zach recaps his Memorial Day Weekend trip to Provincetown during Baby Dyke Week — and officially walks back his short-lived "Boston gays aren't so bad" take. Spoiler: they are.

In This Episode:

Connect with Zach: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealzachre/

Let me know if you want me to adjust the tone, add timestamps, or pull a quote for an Instagram caption!

Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com 

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 

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The Gay Bit | Hookup Apps vs. Real Connection

In this week's episode of The Gay Bit, Zach gets into one of the most talked-about (and exhausting) topics in gay culture right now: dating apps and whether they're actually helping anyone find what they're looking for.

Zach runs through the full landscape — from the gay-specific apps like Grindr, Scruff, Jacked, Hornet, Growlr, Her, and Sniffies, to mainstream platforms like Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, and OkCupid — and shares his honest (and very funny) take on all of it. He reflects on why so many of his friends are struggling despite having more options than ever, and whether apps are to blame for the slow disappearance of real gay social culture.

He also gets personal — sharing how he met his husband Andrew in an AOL chat room in 1998, why 27+ years of monogamy is genuinely rare, and what he thinks it actually takes to build a lasting connection. And of course, the DC hungry story makes an appearance.

In this episode:

Want to share your own story? DM Zach on Instagram at @therealizachari — he's looking for guests to come on and talk about their dating, hookup, and connection experiences.

🎙️ Also subscribe to Listen Up Girl — your daily LGBTQ+ news podcast, 10 minutes or less, 6–7 days a week.

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Zach sits down with the electric Dani Kelly — Brazilian dancer, entrepreneur, podcast host, and force of nature who traded Rio de Janeiro for Los Angeles over 25 years ago and never looked back.

Dani's story starts at age five, watching Bolshoi ballerinas on Brazilian TV and dragging her mom to audition after audition. She trained at one of Brazil's most prestigious ballet schools, mastered everything from jazz to Afro to hip hop — and then at 16, saw her first samba show, and everything changed.

From there, Dani built Oya Brasil Samba Show, touring the world and bringing Brazilian carnival culture to stages in Las Vegas, Hong Kong, and beyond — all before social media existed. She shares what it was like to hustle in a pre-Instagram world and why she eventually stepped away from performing to protect her joy.

Today, Dani runs Creation Studios in LA — a space for podcasters, content creators, and events — and hosts her own podcast, Be Live with Dani Ke'lly, where she spotlights immigrant stories, artists, and the people who inspire her.

Her advice for aspiring podcasters? Two words: be real.

In this episode:

Connect with Dani Ke'lly: Be Live with Dani Kelly —https://www.instagram.com/belivewithdanikellyy/ 

Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com 

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ

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What if you could heal almost anything — without surgery, without meds — just by mastering your mind? That's exactly what Max Reader did.

After leaving the Navy at 22, Max was dealing with a reverse cervical curve, sciatica, narcolepsy, severe depression, an ACL/PCL tear, tinnitus, crippling social anxiety, and an astigmatism so bad he couldn't read words on a page. Doctors said most of it would never change without surgery. He was handed antidepressants and nearly gave up on life entirely.

Instead, he decided to master consciousness.

In this episode, Max shares how he healed himself through meditation, Qigong, and what he calls "quantum mind" work — and how he's now helping thousands of people do the same. He has over 600,000 TikTok followers and runs a free community called Quantum Mind where he teaches internal alchemy, holistic healing, and total life transformation.

We talk about:

Follow Max https://www.instagram.com/maxreeder/

Check out his websites: https://www.maxreeder.com/

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Justin Elizabeth Sayer has been called "Oscar Wilde meets Whoopi Goldberg" by legendary columnist Michael Musto — and after this conversation, you'll understand exactly why. A novelist, playwright, television writer, and cabaret performer, Justin brings a depth of queer cultural knowledge that is as entertaining as it is essential.

In this episode, Zach and Justin cover:

Also coming up for Justin: a new production of his play Three Little Girls and a Well (early 2027) and a commissioned play for the New York Public Library about Ray Bergen, a drag performer who played Carnegie Hall in the 1950s.

Links:

Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com 

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Show Notes:

Guest: Con Chapman, author and attorney based in the greater Boston area

Book: Queer Street: The Curious Connections Between Boxing and the Homoerotic — available for pre-order on Amazon and at lutterworth.com. Publishing April 30.

Episode Summary: Con Chapman spent over a decade researching the parallel histories of boxing rules and laws governing consensual sex between men — and the result is Queer Street, a book that took 30+ publisher rejections before landing with Lutterworth Press, an 18th-century religious tract society (yes, really). In this conversation, Zach and Con trace the unexpected threads connecting ancient Greek gymnasiums, the Sacred Band of Thebes, Oscar Wilde, the Marquess of Queensbury, the etymology of the words "gay" and "queer," and the hypermasculinity of modern sports.

Topics Covered:

Links:

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Show Notes:

Title: The Skincare Secret You're Missing: Why Glow Starts from the Inside with Francois Vix

Episode Summary: Zach sits down with Francois Vix, a veteran of L'Oreal and Johnson & Johnson who spent 18 years leading skincare and dermatology brands around the world — then left it all at 40 to co-found ISOCELL. Francois breaks down the science behind Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), why your internal antioxidant defense is the real driver of skin health, and how his product Glisodin is backed by over 40 published clinical studies across 50 countries.

Episode Notes:

Find Glisodin: 🛒 Amazon US/Canada: https://www.amazon.com/GliSODin-Antioxidant-Enzyme-Capsules-Supply/dp/B07FPP838D/ref=sr_1_1?crid=TBMGWQZPG9LW&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8pqoEp1EsrkywxfZKKq5GpQVLUIKYD4cb1LlqmN1OgPd_bdczBofzM68gAMUReAU-35x4-lx9Ld7sz-XFvy-60i-HfCpSsf2vVK2G6sLaylGEAMoo4apw7iyKpxmMaci8dWQShVLGs77mRaOONGcIG6GL78R8SOf9mQAy-7Nsxt9-3f19rFTKNqII_cUJkhsbUCg72hrILbPP513aJErvD9BgoVtIeS5SGun3_ApkinhR25iiQHNxmAh5U5uvCyizH6Oc6uGHffzSm212M9T5etYd9h88u-QHi668Ox2WpM.2iyJ15AdQO1PD3QK0ZtN60eSo3W8byxCtcdX_72dgG0&dib_tag=se&keywords=Glisodin&qid=1779403102&sprefix=glisodin%2Caps%2C163&sr=8-1

🌐 glisodin.com 

Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com 

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ

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Episode Summary Zach opens with some personal reflection — starting with a story about getting a facial and hearing his husband called exactly that: his husband. It's a small moment that lands big. He also unpacks a news story about a civil engineer suing his employer over a Pride flag, and shares a conversation with a dinner guest who said he didn't "understand" transgender people — and what Zach told him that just might stick. Then, Zach sits down with Barbra Banner, a psychic evidential trance medium who discovered her gift during the pandemic when Spirit literally would not stop knocking. Barbra is also certified through Helping Parents Heal and brings a rare combination of humor, warmth, and jaw-dropping evidence to her readings. Episode Notes • Barbra describes how she went from never having meditated to booking six practice sessions a day on Very Soul — and hanging a shingle within seven months of her first class. • She explains the difference between psychic readings and trance mediumship — and how she learned to "get out of the way" and let Spirit take over completely. • Barbra shares the stories that stopped her in her tracks: the husband who knew his wife watched Outlander during the pandemic, the skeptic whose father-in-law had just invented a bagel scooper, and the boy in heaven riding a giant butterfly. • She and Zach talk reincarnation, past life regression, soul pods, and why "home base" is on the other side — not here. • Zach shares his own past life regression experience: a 1940s farmer with a wife and two sons, and a second life on a planet where the water was pinkish purple. • Barbra reflects on ego, gratitude, and why she credits her guides — not herself — for every message she delivers. • She explains why she doesn't maintain a waiting list: if you need a reading, you should be able to get one now. 

Connect with Barbra Banner Website: bannermedium.com Instagram & TikTok: search Barbra Banner Medium 

Mentioned in This Episode • Suzanne Giesemann (Barbra's first teacher) • Very Soul (mediumship practice platform) • Arthur Findlay College • Helping Parents Heal (organization Barbra is certified through) • Maya Roth (past life regression practitioner) • Next Level Soul (podcast where Barbra appeared) • Edgar Cayce quote: "He's not gone. He's just going a little ahead of you." • James Van Praagh quote: "Once you find your purpose in life, you stop aging." 

Follow Everything & Anything…and a Bit Gay 🎙️ everythingandanythingpodcast.com 📺 YouTube: Everything and Anything and a Bit Gay 🗞️ Daily LGBTQ+ news: Listen Up Girl podcast

Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com 

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ

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Chosen Family | The Gay Bit Zach opens with a rabbit hole of coming-out videos — and the way they split almost perfectly between parents who said "we love you no matter what" and parents who said "get out." That contrast sent him somewhere deeper: a meditation on chosen family, the strange art of disappearing in rooms where you can't be fully yourself, and the people who have quietly held him together for decades. In this episode: • What those coming-out videos stirred up — joy, heartbreak, and a lot of gratitude • The slow, quiet disappearing act so many LGBTQ+ people learn growing up — adjusting your laugh, your walk, your reaction to things — just to stay safe • His own story: a dad who went silent for six months, a mom who grieved a life she'd imagined, and how both came around • Andrew's grandfather, in his 90s, who loved them both without reservation • His friend Gary — whose grandmother tore a family apart — and who has since vanished entirely • His friend David, who came out at 52 to his wife, kids, and in-laws, and found the courage to start over • What South Beach in the 90s felt like: a whole island where you didn't have to perform • The friends who are his anchors — Jennifer, Mandy, Tony, Gina, Matt — people he could call at 3am with nothing and they'd show up • Getting honest about fear: aging parents, the possibility of illness, the safety net getting smaller • Why chosen family isn't about replacing your biological family — it's about finding people who show up because they want to Zach's takeaway: Be your authentic self. The right people don't need a curated version of you — they just need the real one. 

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🎙️ Everything & Anything…and a Bit Gay drops new episodes weekly. 

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 🌐 everythingandanythingpodcast.com

Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com 

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ

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