#ILoveGay Today meets up with Huck Smith, a 52-year-old gay essayist in Dallas. We chat about his second collection, "The Leaving Gene: Essays on Staying, Going, and the Cost of Both", coming out October 27 from Quick Draw Press.

A lot of queer storytelling understandably centers the moment of coming out. Huck is interested in the much longer story that follows it: what happens when you’ve been out for decades and are still figuring out relationships, friendship, chosen family, grief, sex, aging, singlehood, belonging and what kind of life actually fits you.

The Leaving Gene looks at those questions through one recurring pattern in his own life: leaving. He spent years calling his ability to start over resilience. Writing the book forced him to ask when leaving stops being freedom and becomes a reflex — and which of the things we call personality are actually coping mechanisms with excellent publicists.

Our conversation centers around queer adulthood after the origin story: how identity keeps evolving, what we inherit and what we choose, and why a full queer life doesn’t have to follow the marriage/kids/career milestones we were handed by somebody else.

His debut collection, Boys, Bars & Becoming: Essays for the Still Reckless, Still Hopeful, looks back at the people, places, mistakes, and small acts of courage that shape who we become. His second collection, The Leaving Gene: Essays on Staying, Going, and the Cost of Both, turns toward the complicated calculus of knowing when to hold on, when to walk away, and what both choices can cost us.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Jesse Lewis IV⁩, where we discuss his new role as Miss Stu in Tyler Perry's upcoming Route 187, premiering September 16th on Paramount+. At the center of Lewis’ story is Miss Stu, a formidable neighborhood matriarch who shelters the broken and the hunted. Part protector, part gatekeeper and part mystery, she provides refuge to people who have nowhere else to go—but in South Winslow, safety comes with rules, history and a price.

Miss Stu carries the recognizable authority of the Black matriarch who protects her community, tells difficult truths and shifts the energy of every room she enters. The character is never simply the helper, the victim or the joke. She is written and performed with humor, instinct, emotional depth and a moral code all her own.

Route 187 is a four-part crime drama miniseries executive produced by Tyler Perry Studios and directed by Mark E. Swinton. The show follows a community demanding answers after a tragic event on a local bus route.

We also chat about the work Lewis has been doing over the past 20 years, emphasizing his authentic representation of LGBTQ+ and Black experiences while using his roles to challenge stigma and promote positive self-image. His performances include character-driven roles that explore fluidity, identity, and human complexity, approached through grounded storytelling rather than genre or archetype.

#ILoveGay Today meets up in the Costa del Sol region of Spain with ⁨King Key Drag⁩ (Chris Kidd), a Scottish drag artist, creator and LGBTQIA+ cultural commentator exploring queer culture, identity, representation and lived experience through entertainment, education and storytelling. Join us as we chat about what it actually means to represent an LGBTQIA+ “community” made up of millions of people who don’t necessarily agree with, understand or even like one another. This conversation opened up fascinating questions around identity, labels, generational differences, representation, belonging and how social media is changing the way we understand queerness.

Join us as #ILoveGay Today meets up with Josh Rosenzweig, founder and producer of Pride House Media, based in NYC.

Learn how Pride House Media is shaping modern storytelling, as Josh Rosenzweig joins the show to discuss his journey in this ever-evolving industry.

In this conversation, we sit down with Josh Rosenzweig to explore the realities of running a production company dedicated to queer voices. If you are interested in the behind-the-scenes work of LGBTQ podcasting, this episode offers a look at the challenges and rewards of building a platform that centers marginalized stories.

Join #ILoveGay Today as we chat with author, screenwriter, playwright, and producer Samuel Garza Bernstein. He has just released his new biography, "Roddy McDowall: An Actor’s Life – From How Green Was My Valley to Lassie to Planet of the Apes". It's a look into the life and career of a tireless actor, photographer, producer, and director. He flourished in a Hollywood not yet ready to confront the reality of LGBTQIA+ celebrities, remaining discreet, but never pretending to be straight, and never compromising who he was. Classic Hollywood icons like Roddy McDowall navigated identity, fame, and self-expression in ways that still feel timely today.

Join us as #ILoveGay Today chats with Tracy Gilchrist and her video podcast, "Holding Space with Tracy," a weekly series that invites luminaries in entertainment, politics and beyond to "hold space" for talks on culture and craft. Having built a life in storytelling, starting with movie reviews for a local LGBTQ+ paper in Connecticut and culminating in becoming editor-in-chief of The Advocate & Out magazines, we explore her journey along the way, leading us to her work today. She has a knack for securing some amazing interview guests, including Mark Indelicato, Michael Uri, Frankie Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, and it's that Cynthia and Ariana interview where they were there to give a brief interview on the movie Wicked that a sincere, unscripted moment in this four-minute junket became an instant queer-camp pop-culture icon and phrase, "Holding Space."

#ILoveGay Views debuts with Dana Piccoli of News is Out, a collective of LGBTQ+ local media working together on editorial projects, branded content campaigns and an annual LGBTQ+ Media Day. Join us as we discuss the pullback of brands in the DEI space, including the LGBTQ+ community. We chat about some of the successes, whereby some of smartest brands are decentralizing. Regional volunteerism, local Pride org partnerships, employee-focused events, and narrowly targeted local media are replacing the one-size-fits-all national splash. Lime's "Pride in Motion" lives in 21+ cities at once; Levi's "Together, We Ride" anchors itself in the queer history of LA, San Francisco, and New York. And the local LGBTQ+ press — the Washington Blade, Dallas Voice, Windy City Times, The Buckeye Flame, and the News Is Out collaborative — is exactly where that strategy lands.

This week on #ILoveGay Today, we sit down with Tom LeNoble, the author of "My Life in Business Suits, Hospital Gowns, and High Heels," hailing from San Francisco, CA. Tom shares insights from his diverse career at renowned companies like Walmart, HP, and Facebook. Join us as Tom recounts his transition from the corporate world to his current roles as a Resilience Coach, Inspirator, Humanitarian, Investor, Author, and Speaker. Through his book, Tom guides individuals in navigating life's hurdles with resilience, clarity, and empathy, offering a candid account of his journey through boardrooms, challenges, and triumphs. #CareerJourney #LifeReflections

Join us as #ILoveGay Today catches up with Ricky Reidling-Coburn from Palm Springs, unveiling his new fundraising campaign for the revamped pilot of his acclaimed "Some Kind of Wonderful." The original film made waves at 35 film festivals, clinching numerous awards. Ricky, known for the hit series "Boystown," has seamlessly transitioned to his current project.

In the vibrant setting of Palm Springs, "Some Kind of Wonderful" chronicles the intertwined lives of four LGBTQ+ pals navigating love, loss, and self-discovery with a blend of heart and humor. Picture a gay twist on Sex and the City against a desert backdrop—martini lunches, witty banter, and profound moments. Reidling emphasizes, "Palm Springs isn't just a backdrop; it's a character itself. The city exudes a unique charm and vitality that I aim to showcase in every scene." 🎥🌴

#PalmSprings #MovieMagic #LGBTQ+ #FilmFestivalWinner

Join #ILoveGay Today as we meet Mandy Hawk, the Chief Magic Maker at Proud Empowerment Business Solutions! We're diving into the world of LGBTQ marketing and advertising, exploring how her small business creates impactful change. Learn about workplace solutions and the magic behind it all!