U.S. of Gay - Queer Entertainment for All

What started as one day of work turned into 16 seasons as the pianist, arranger, vocal coach, and Associate Musical Director for American Idol. Not only has Michael Orland had a hand in the success of the leading names from Idol, he has also worked with a Rolodex of names that includes Kristen Bell, Sabrina Carpenter, Lynda Carter, Kristin Chenoweth, Ariana Grande, Marilu Henner, Jennifer Holliday, Roslyn Kind, Barry Manilow, Maureen McGovern, Idina Menzel, Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, Ann Miller, and the legendary Kaye Ballard, just to name a few. Even though he has been front and center on stage and on television, he remains humble, always in awe of the power of music. This month, he released his debut piano solo album, In My Life, a celebration of piano covers of songs that have played a key role in his life.

In this episode, we talk about his early love for music, dropping out of school and heading to New York City, his early breaks in the business, getting onto American Idol, getting starstruck and working with the best, his open mic nights, his debut album In My Life, and so much more…check it out.  

Hosted by Alexander Rodriguez @AlexanderisOnAir

You can check out our in-depth chat with him at GEDMag.com

Kyle Chan is a dichotomy in the entertainment and fashion industry. Though humble and understated in nature, he has become a veritable force in the industry, earning him a spotlight from many different directions. On television, he’s been seen in Bling Empire and Vanderpump Rules, having a major presence on the latter this last season. And on A-list celebrities, his jewelry has been seen on Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Megan Thee Stallion, Paris Hilton, Shawn Mendes, Lil Nas X, and the list goes on and on. He also created designs for the award-winning film La La Land. All from learning how to make jewelry in high school.

In this episode, we talk about his coming to the US, his love of fashion and glamour, working through life’s obstacles through creativity, his early time in the jewelry business, his celebrity experiences, being on reality TV, how he remains grounded, his love of whiskey, and so much more…check it out.  

Hosted by Alexander Rodriguez @AlexanderisOnAir

You can check out our in-depth chat with him as the cover of the current issue of GED Magazine now on newsstands or at GEDMag.com

Matt Cullen is a Los Angeles-based content creator who is using his platform to share the diversity that is the LGBTQ community. From a young age, he wanted to be in entertainment and knew he would end up in Hollywood or New York City. After moving to Los Angeles after studying acting in New York, his focus shifted. COVID gave him the silence to reflect on what was bringing him happiness. During that time, he decided to embark on his most ambitious, ongoing project. His series Our Queer Life has been diving into the queer community for a few years now, garnering hundreds of thousands of views and putting the realities of our community – the funny, the heartbreaking, the misunderstood – in the spotlight. In his series, he has interviewed everyone from celebrities, age gap couples, and gay cowboys, to the elderly, and, in an effort to fight the stigma regarding the queer sex community, has interviewed porn stars, escorts, and former streetwalkers. At the foundation of every one of his videos is his sincerity. Matt is not a flashy influencer, he listens, crafts his episodes with skill, and puts a lot of heart into his work. In this episode, we talk about it all. We talk about his inspiration to start his series, coming out, being a spokesperson for the LGBTQ community, going viral, what interviews have inspired him, how he balances personal life with influencer life, what he’s learned from the LGBTQ community, his message to the community this Pride season, and more.

Hosted by Alexander Rodriguez @AlexanderisOnAir

You can check out our in-depth chat with him in the current issue of GED Magazine now on newsstands or at GEDMag.com

This month, the Tony Award and Pulitzer-winning Strange Loop opened at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. Written by Michael R. Jackson, this hard-hitting and provocative musical centers around Usher, a young, gay, Black writer who writes a musical about a young, gay, Black writer who is writing a musical about a young, gay, Black writer…thus a strange loop. Usher embarks on a journey of self-discovery covering the raw aspects of life, the good and the bad, while dealing with his Thoughts, personified by a unique cast of characters. Having just wrapped up a run at San Francisco’s ACT, this production highlights a fresh face to the scene via North Carolina, queer performer Malachi McCaskill as Usher. Like Usher, Malachi is finding his way through life and professional theatre as a young, queer, Black performer. In this episode, we talk about it all. We talk about finding his identity in high school, his relationship with religion, manifesting his role in Strange Loop, coming to the West Coast for his first time, his creative process as an actor, the realities of being a young, gay, Black men in entertainment, what the future holds in store, and his message to the LGBTQ community.

Hosted by Alexander Rodriguez @AlexanderisOnAir

You can check out our in-depth chat with him in the current issue of GED Magazine now on newsstands or at GEDMag.com

Actor Danny Pintauro first hit the big screen over four decades ago, in the disturbing film Cujo. Having played in dramatic themes at an even younger age for the soap opera As the World Turns, he was no stranger to giving it his all on set. Immediately following Cujo he was cast on one of the most popular sitcoms of the 80s, Who’s the Boss? For 8 seasons and 196 episodes, we saw Danny, as Jonathan Bower, literally grow up on our screens. Having difficulty finding acting work by leaving his sitcom personality behind, he entered public life that would only return to the media’s eye by way of a forced coming out, and coming out as HIV. But now he’s back, he’s reentering Hollywood with a renewed confidence, a mission, and a new body.

In this episode we talk about being a child actor and the isolation that often came with it, living life beyond Hollywood, dealing with the stigma of being gay and having HIV at a different time, what it’s like to be back in showbiz, getting into shape, embracing his adulthood, and the stereotypes he must overcome to get back to his passion of acting. We talk about it all…check it out.  

Hosted by Alexander Rodriguez @AlexanderisOnAir

You can check out our in-depth chat with him in the current issue of GED Magazine now on newsstands or at GEDMag.com

Talking to Darwin Del Fabro is like talking to the embodiment of a bona fide muse. With an ethereal beauty, they celebrate their non-binary side, and with well-crafted words of artistry, they inspire with every phrase that lilts out of their mouth. An old soul in a youthful body, their manners and grace are from yesteryear, while their modern ideas and work ethic make them a present-day mover and shaker in the entertainment field. There is little left that they haven’t accomplished. A successful singer, actor, producer, fashionista, and more, they live and breathe entertainment with a resume that most other artists don’t even come close to in a lifetime. We, in the US, are just getting to appreciate the person who has come to us via Brazil. US audiences first saw Darwin in Blumhouse’s queer-themed horror film They/Them, while they have celebrated a lucrative career in stage and screen and music in Brazil.

In this episode we talk about the culture of Brazil, being queer in Brazil, getting into the biz very early on, his move to New York and learning English while studying musical theatre, his creative process when making music, his return to Brazil as non-binary after 8 years away, his latest album Revisiting Elis Regina, his role in and love for horror films, and so much more!

Hosted by Alexander Rodriguez @AlexanderisOnAir

You can check out our in-depth chat with them in the current issue of GED Magazine now on newsstands or at GEDMag.com

Bro-lesque has been popping up all over SoCal nightclubs. Bringing glitz and glamour with artistry and hot boys, it is a call back to the classic burlesque shows with enough modern flair to make it unique in the market. Bro-lesque’s creator and frontman Lockhart Brownlie is no stranger to stages.

Lockhart started training in dance at an early age when he would sit in the back of his sister’s dance classes. After being one of the most sought-after choreographers in Australia, he would start his international career by working with Katy Perry on her two world tours, performing at Super Bowl Half Time, presidential campaign shows, films, and multiple televised award shows around the world. He also worked with Taylor Swift on her tour, collaborated with Britney Spears on her Domination Vegas residency, JLO’s tour, also in Wicked on Broadway, and has been featured on Glee, True Blood, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Minx on HBO, and Magic Mike Live for Britain’s Got Talent and more. He has also choreographed for many lifestyle brands, hair companies, and even collaborated with Sir Elton John for his Oscar-nominated song “I’m Gonna Love Me Again.” Lockhart is our current cover guy for this month’s issue of GED magazine.

In this episode, we talk about the bullying he received growing up because of his dancing and how he worked through it, the struggle of dealing with feminine vs masculine pressures, his move to the States, what the first day of rehearsal with pop’s biggest names is like, dealing with body issues as a dancer and a gay man, the need to celebrate our sexuality, all about Bro-lesque, and more! Hosted by Alexander Rodriguez.

Follow Lockhart on IG: @LockieBrownlie

Check out our in-depth chat with Lockhart in the current issue of GED Magazine, available on newsstands or at GEDMag.com

SoCal audiences have known comedian Jason Stuart for a long time. Popping up at gay events, emceeing Prides, performing stand-up at comedy clubs for gay and straight nights, making jokes on red carpets, stealing the spotlight at house parties, and flirting with boys at the bar is just a normal week for Jason. His comedy is just a part of his wildly colorful career. As an actor, he has over 265 film and TV credits to his name, from playing that funny character that always gets the zingers, to serious and even (gasp!) straight parts in films like The Birth of A Nation, to David E. Kelly’s Goliath (starring Billy Bob Thornton). You never know where his signature expressions will pop up next, he is just as home acting for a major studio as he is supporting an LGBTQ web series. His co-star celebrity list reads like Entertainment Weekly’s Who’s Who with names that include George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, J.K. Simmons, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Angela Lansbury, Damon Wayans, Jai Rodriguez, and on and on…always holding his own.

As an openly gay actor, Jason is a trailblazer for the community who, this Pride season, celebrates the 30th anniversary of his coming out publicly on the Geraldo Show declaring to the nation: “I’m gay, deal with it!” Long before even Ellen came out, there was Jason, setting the stage for entertainers to come out publicly, even at the risk of limiting his blossoming career. Recently he has received accolades and rave reviews for Smothered, now in season 2, about a Jewish middle-aged couple trying to salvage their relationship because they can’t afford to get divorced.

On this episode of US of Gay, we chat with Jason about the gay culture when he was growing up, why he came out on national TV, the evolution of LGBTQ in the media, his stand-up comedy, what he’s learned from life, all about his current hit Smothered, finally getting the recognition for his work, and much more! Hosted by Alexander Rodriguez.

Check out our in-depth chat with Jason in the Pride issue of GED Magazine, available on newsstands or at GEDMag.com

We first talked to influencers Michael and Matthew for GED Magazine almost a year and a half ago. This married couple who first met through coming out YouTube videos have built a social media empire (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Grindr – just kidding they aren’t on Grindr), that started out covering their many travels around the world. Their travel blog has evolved to encompass the day-to-day of their married life and, their most recent mission, parenthood. This month, they debut their podcast Who’s Your Daddy? which details the intimate struggles of becoming parents through non-traditional means. Meeting with industry experts and guests who have quite literally manifested forming a family themselves, they’re learning how to make it all happen through the process of surrogacy, IVF, private adoption, and foster-to-adopt.

On this episode of US of Gay, we catch up with the boys and talk about the realities of married life and social media, open relationships, what made them decide to have kids, what avenues towards parenthood they have explored, homophobia in the world of surrogacy and how it doesn’t just affect parents, all about their new podcast, what they’ve learned from their podcast guests, and more! Hosted by Alexander Rodriguez.