To Be: Gay

Finally reaching the conclusion that coming out of the closet is necessary to live our truth comes differently for us all. For some, it’s a big deal and becomes a life changing experience that shapes the rest of our lives. For others, it’s not a major issue at all and doesn’t even come close to altering the path that we’re already on. In this episode, we listen in as three gay men divulge their individual coming out stories. Are freedom and coming out synonymous with each other? Does coming out immediately put you in a different category of human? Is coming out of the closet necessary to claim being gay? Why is coming out so important? These are just some of the questions we venture down in the final episode of season 1.

Dating should be fun, right? Or is it just another full-time job that requires endless hours of work with little to no gain? In this episode, we inquire about our guest’s experiences while exploring the dating scene. Where are they looking for dates? How many dates are they going on? How is dating done in this age? Is dating in the homosexual world different than dating in the heterosexual one? Mostly, we inquire about the reason behind dating in the first place; what’s the end goal? We hope to discover more about the stereotypes that the gay dating scene is solely about one-night stands and a good time.

As gay men, we are already considered a sub category of human yet, unfortunately, the sub category doesn’t end at being gay. Within our group, we have become too comfortable with our preferences: “No Asians, no Blacks, no Latinos.” In this episode, we seek to understand the reality of racism within the gay community. We talk to 3 minorities who have felt both micro and macro aggressions amongst their peers based solely on the race in which they identify with. More so, we hope to bring insight to offensive comments, blatant slurs, and the harsh reality of not only racial preference but racial judgment as well.

Are all gay men destined to eternal damnation? Are we allowed to believe in a higher being or a spiritual power? On July 29th 2013, Pope Francis made the statement, “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Do these words give us hope for a more accepting religious culture or do they simply ease the fear of unacceptance which most gay men live with? In this episode, we discuss the impacts of not only a religious upbringing but what an active religious life looks like for a gay man. We hope to examine the reception of gay men within a religious organization and the emotional outcomes of that experience.

Unprotected sex can be common practice within the gay community and with the more recent invention of “prep” we have come to believe that unprotected sex is even more common than we think. But, what happens when the ultimate price is paid for going too far without protection and the result is a lifelong disease? In this episode, we hear from 3 men who are either HIV positive themselves or have a partner that is HIV positive. Ultimately, we are seeking to clarify the myths associated with being HIV positive, to expose the reality of living with this disease and to educate those with little to no exposure of being on prep.

The stereotype that every gay man on earth loves Madonna, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and other gay

icons is one we really did not care to break. We chose this subject to fully embrace this stereotype and

to be proud of those who have stood as advocates for the gay community. We also wanted to discover

why this stereotype can be so true. Aside from the validity this stereotype can hold, we hoped to gain

clarity around what makes a gay icon to begin with. The reality is, we dedicate so much time, energy and

effort into these individual’s careers that we hope to discover what it is, exactly, that propels us to

obsess over following and supporting their success.

We’ll be the first to admit it; we can be quite a superficial bunch. In this episode, we explore what

impact superficiality has had on the gay community. Is the stereotype that all gay men obsess about

their bodies valid or is it a fallacy? Are broad shoulders, thick biceps, abs and a bubble butt all

requirements for ourselves or for our potential partners? If so, why? If not, why not? We look to get a

better understanding of the judgment both experienced and dished out within an already pressurized

group of men.

In this episode, we seek to dissect the stereotype that gay men are incapable of being in love or are simply not interested in finding romance. We talk to three men who have yet to find a romantic love in their life and who are hopeful to one day experience what humans have been discussing since the beginning of time. We inquire about everything from where they are currently looking for love to why they haven’t found it quite yet. We hope to discover not only why this stereotype exists but, even more, why the stereotype is so hard to break – why is finding love so difficult in the gay community? This will not come without discussing expectations, disappointments and of course, the complicated world of dating.

The Stereotype of the “over sexualized” gay man intersects with the traditional monogamous relationship. In this episode, we look at what it means to be in an “open relationship.” We wonder why so many gay relationships open their bedrooms and their lives to others outside of their committed partners and how this impacts not only their existence as a couple, but the label of a sex crazed gay man. More so, we seek to discover the intricacies and inner workings of gay open relationships: Do rules exist? Is trust an issue? Is cheating a thing? Ultimately, we hope to gain a better understanding of the individual participating in an open relationship and the impacts this arrangement has had on them specifically.

We open our podcast series by listening to a series of first-time experiences. As three men take us through their gay rites of passage, we inquire about the emotions and feelings that accompanied these events. We look further into the stereotype that all gay men have experienced the exact same circumstances in the exact same manner. The topics do not stop at just a first-time kiss as we dive deeper into the first time each man realized they were gay to the first time they went all the way with another man.