For many gay men, friendship is complicated, performative, and sometimes downright painful. We crave genuine connection but end up navigating cliques, comparison, and quiet loneliness.
In this episode, Michael and Pepper are doing an exposé on gay friendships to unpack what’s really going on beneath the surface and why so many gay friendships fall short of the depth and safety we actually want.
We’re breaking it down in three parts:
The Pretty Lies: Performative friendship, superficiality, and toxic group dynamicsThe Ugly Truth: How shame, fear, and survival strategies get in the way of true friendshipTrue Friendship: What fun, nourishing gay friendship looks like and how we can build itThis episode is your invitation to shift from followers to friendship, and from competition to collaboration—and start building real connection.
Making Friends (Introvert Edition)How to Make Friends with Gay MenToday's Guest: Pepper Rojas
InstagramToday's Host: Michael DiIorio
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Watch podcast episodes on YouTubeJoin the Gay Men's Brotherhood Facebook communityGet on our email list to get access to our monthly Zoom calls Follow us on Instagram | TikTok Learn more about our community at GayMenGoingDeeper.comBuilding Better Relationships online course: Learn how to nurture more meaningful and authentic connections with yourself and others.Healing Your Shame online course: Begin the journey toward greater confidence and self-worth by learning how to recognize and deal with toxic shame. Gay Men Going Deeper Coaching Collection: Lifetime access to BOTH courses + 45 coaching videos and 2 workshop series. Take the