After 18 years in London, we packed up our lives, our marriage, and our pugs — and moved to Haarlem in the Netherlands. In this episode of Yay to Be Gay – Relationships and More, we unpack the emotional, logistical, and deeply personal journey of relocating countries as a queer couple in our 40s.

We talk about why we left London, how Brexit shaped our sense of belonging, what it’s really like to integrate into Dutch culture, and how the move transformed our relationship dynamic. From selling our house to navigating Dutch social circles, from losing queer spaces to finding new versions of ourselves; this episode is honest, funny, and full of lessons.

Whether you're thinking about moving abroad, curious about expat life, or exploring what “home” means in midlife, this conversation is for you.

In this candid, funny, and deeply honest episode of Yay to Be Gay – Relationships and More, Erwin and Mau reflect on their own 20-year relationship and the unconventional, practical, and profoundly loving reasons behind their decision to marry. From immigration struggles and cultural misunderstandings to legal protection, emotional commitment, and the quiet work of growing together, they explore what marriage can mean for queer couples today.

Along the way, they unpack love and visas, money and communication, weddings that sometimes serve everyone except the couple, and the everyday choices that keep a long-term relationship alive long after romance settles into real life.

Blending humour, vulnerability, and coaching insight, this episode invites you to reflect on whether marriage is right for you and how to approach commitment with intention rather than pressure.

In this episode of Yay To Be Gay – Relationships and More, husbands Erwin and Mau take you on a heartfelt, hilarious, and deeply honest journey through their 20-year love story. From a chance night out on Old Compton Street in 2004, to moving in together just two months later, to navigating cultural differences, money, chores, communication, and life across countries, this episode is a celebration of queer love in all its messy, magical, real-life glory.

You’ll hear how a Dutch boy with a mohawk and a Brazilian-Dutch sushi man fell for each other through flirting, chaos, trust, and joy. They share the lessons they’ve learned over two decades: why following joy matters, how humour saves more arguments than perfect communication ever could, and why choosing each other every day is the real love story.

Weather you’re LGBTQ+, in a relationship, or simply love a good origin story, this episode will make you laugh, reflect, and remind you what love can look like when it’s real.

In this intimate bonus episode of Yay to Be Gay – Relationships and More, Erwin and Mau explore a powerful storytelling card experience inspired by the work of Esther Perel opening the door to childhood memories, cultural identity, sexuality, infidelity, loneliness, aging, and the moments that quietly shape a life together.

With warmth, humour, and disarming honesty, they reflect on the choices that formed their relationship, the challenges that strengthened their marriage, and the cultural dance of being Dutch and Brazilian in a long-term LGBTQIA+ partnership.

This is more than a conversation about trust, communication, body image, and the pressures of gay culture. It’s a conversation about truth, growth, and what it really means to keep choosing each other over time.

Tender, revealing, and deeply human, this episode invites you to listen closely and perhaps ask the questions that could change your own relationships.

In this powerful first episode of Yay to Be Gay –Relationships and More, husbands Mau and Erwin share their personal stories of growing up gay in Brazil and the Netherlands, navigating cultural expectations, coming out, and building a life together.

They explore what “Yay to Be Gay” truly means: living authentically, embracing diversity, shaping life on your own terms, and celebrating queer identity beyond stereotypes. From childhood memories and family reactions to relationship insights, neurodiversity, aging, and the ongoing nature of coming out this episode is honest, emotional, funny, and deeply human.

This podcast is for anyone interested in real stories about identity, love, resilience, and the beauty of living fully self‑expressed.