The latest episode of the Dear Black Gay Men Podcast tackles a question burning up the timelines: Is the dating pool really trash, or are we, the daters, the drama? Host Jai the Gentleman dives deep into this topic, reacting to the recent vlog, “32 and Dating is Trash,” by vlogger DearDondre.

Jai and the chat audience explored the complexities of finding love and happiness, especially as Black gay men. Dondre, whom Jai affirms as attractive and having the best of intentions, often struggles to navigate the dating scene, even in a city like Houston, which Jai calls “the Atlanta of the other side of the South”. Dondre’s story, including paying for a man to fly out to see him and his complicated on-again, off-again relationship with an ex, sparked a lively conversation.

The community weighed in on the “three-strikes rule” for reaching out to someone you’re interested in, before calling it quits. Jai shared his own dating history, noting that sometimes the heart’s desire to be loved can “trump logic every single time”.

Ultimately, Jai concluded that while every “pool has piss in it” (meaning the dating pool does have problems ), if you acknowledge you’re standing in the “pissy part” and don’t move, then you are the problem. The path to healthier dating involves confronting your own unhealed trauma.

The underlying constant? We all just want to be loved.

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