A Jaded Gay

It’s been seven months since Russia invaded Ukraine, which has had global repercussions. However, an often-overlooked area of this tragic situation is the threat this invasion imposes upon LGBTQ+ Ukrainians.In this episode, we’re taking a look at LGBTQ+ rights in Ukraine and the unique impacts the Russian invasion has had on LGBTQ+ Ukrainians.Additional Resources:State-sponsored Homophobia: A World Survey of Laws Prohibiting Same-Sex Activity Between Consenting Adults Justice Ministry: No Legal Grounds in Ukraine Currently for Same-Sex MarriageUkraine Simplifies Legal Process For Gender TransitionUkraine Allowed Homosexuals to Donate BloodThe Ban on Gay Blood DonationsIn a Historic Step, Ukraine Passes Legal Protections for Nation’s LGBT CitizensA Victim of the Anti-Gay Purge in Chechnya Speaks Out: 'The Truth Exists'Russia: New Anti-Gay Crackdown in ChechnyaRussia’s “Gay Propaganda” Law Imperils LGBT YouthRussia Plans to Target Dissidents in Ukraine to be Killed or Sent to Camps, U.S. SaysUkrainian LGBTQ Soldiers Fight Against “Darkness” of Russian InvasionHRC: Crisis in UkraineLGBTI People Affected by the War in Ukraine Need ProtectionUkraine's 'Unicorn' LGBTQ Soldiers Head for WarUkraine to Consider Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Amid WarUkraine will Consider Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage After Petition Garners 28,000 SignaturesSphere/Kharkiv PrideKyiv PrideLGBTI Human Rights Nash Mir CentreInsight LGBTQGender ZRainbow RailroadOutRight Action InternationalSupport the showGet Your Merch

This past spring, Florida made headlines for its Parental Rights in Education Act, informally referred to as the Don’t Say Gay bill. While this legislation is disturbing, Florida is not the first state to implement such a bill. In fact, approximately 20 other states implemented similar Don’t Say Gay bills between January and April 2022.In this episode, we’re taking a look at what the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act entails, the history of similar legislation, and how we can take action.Additional Resources:Dennis BaxleyFlorida's Governor Signs Controversial Law Opponents Dubbed 'Don't Say Gay'LGBTQ Groups Sue Florida Over the So-Called 'Don't Say Gay' LawAfter Protests, Disney CEO Speaks Out Against Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' BillNew CDC Data Shows LGBTQ Youth are More Likely to be Bullied Than Straight Cisgender Youth2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental HealthA Florida Legislator Withdrew His Amendment to the 'Don't Say Gay' Bill that Would Require School Districts to Out Students Within 6 WeeksAs Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Law Takes Effect, Schools Roll Out LGBTQ RestrictionsAnother LGBTQ Resource Disappears in Duval SchoolsBanned in the USA: Rising School Book Bans Threaten Free Expression and Students' First Amendment RightsIn Some States, Versions of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bills Have Been Around for AwhileLGBTQ Affairs Commission, Stakeholders Denounce Legislation to Bring Discriminatory “Don’t Say Gay” Bill to PABusiness Statement on Anti-LGBTQ State LegislationInterest Form to Sign On to the National Business Statement on Anti-LGBTQ+ State LegislationSupport the showGet Your Merch

In between the politics of the Stonewall Riots and the AIDS pandemic, disco emerged as a haven for gay men to escape the confines of heterosexuality.In this episode, we’re taking a look at the history of disco, its queer roots, and how its legacy continues through today’s pop music – despite bigoted anti-disco movements in the late seventies.Additional Resources:Turn the Beat Around: The Secret History of DiscoLast Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc JockeyArts in America: Here's to Disco, It Never Could Say GoodbyeWhy Disco Should Be Taken SeriouslyDisco and the Queering of the DancefloorAffect IntensityHistory is Made at NightDisco and Gay Culture in the 1970sStudio 54 (originally Gallo Opera House)The Discriminating ClubDisco is Dealt Death Blow by Fans of the Chicago White SoxJuly 12, 1979: 'The Night Disco Died' — Or Didn'tThe Queer History of Disco PlaylistSupport the showGet Your Merch

With all the shirtless, thirst pics on dating apps, it’s easy to get *ahem* distracted. But we must stay focused on attracting the right kinds of guys into our life.In this episode, we’re going to reflect on the qualities we're attracted to in a potential partner and the power of manifestation so we can improve our dating lives.Additional Resources:Can Single People 'Manifest' a New Partner?Support the showGet Your Merch

In 1960s New York City, the Mafia needed a place to conduct business without police detection and gay men needed a safe space to socialize without being arrested. The result: the Genovese family ended up controlling the majority of gay bars in Greenwich Village, which was emerging as a gay hub at the time.In this episode, we’re diving into this unlikely partnership that eventually led to the exploitation of the gay community.Additional Resources:Stonewall Riots: Coming Out in the StreetsStonewall Uprising: Why Did the Mafia Own the Bar?How the Mob Helped Establish NYC’s Gay Bar SceneThe Italian Mafia Played a Pivotal Role in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising – But Don’t Call Them AlliesHow the Mafia Once Controlled the New York Gay SceneSupport the showGet Your Merch

The word “ally” gets tossed around frequently, but what does it actually mean?In this episode, Cheyenne Filipczyk joins us to discuss what it means to be an LGBTQ+ ally and how we can advocate for others in the community. Additional Resources:What is an LGBTQIA+ Ally, and How Can I Be a Good One?10 Ways to Be an Ally & a FriendQuiz: What Do You Know About Gay Rights?There is Literally No Way You're Going to Pass This Quiz if You're StraightSupport the showGet Your Merch

John Bowlby’s attachment theory suggests that humans are born with a need to form a close emotional bond. For gay men, social stressors, such as discrimination and rejection, can negatively impact their attachment system and result in unhealthy romantic attachments.In this episode, we take a look at the four distinct attachment styles and their respective characteristics so we can better understand our own attachment patterns.Additional Resources:Attachment TheoryRomantic Love Conceptualized as an Attachment ProcessLove and Work: An Attachment-Theoretical PerspectiveThe Different Types of Attachment StylesThe Integrated Attachment and Sexual Minority Stress Model: Understanding the Role of Adult Attachment in the Health and Well-being of Sexual Minority MenGay Males’ Intimate Relationship Quality: The Roles of Attachment Security, Gay Identity, Social Support, and IncomeShame, Internalized Homophobia, Identity Formation, Attachment Style, and the Connection to Relationship Status in Gay MenAttachment and Relationship Satisfaction Among Gay Men: The Mediating Role of Well-BeingVolitional Change in Adult Attachment: Can People Who Want to Become Less Anxious and Avoidant Move Closer Towards Realizing those Goals?How to Cope with an Insecure Attachment TypeWhat's Your Attachment Style? Take This Quiz to Find OutSupport the showGet Your Merch

Amidst the AIDS pandemic, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned gay and bisexual men from ever being eligible to donate blood to protect people receiving blood transfusions from the possibility of getting infected with HIV. Almost 30 years later, science has provided us with new drugs to better protect ourselves from HIV exposures and technology to improve HIV testing by providing quicker and more accurate results.Today, men who have sex with men must defer from sex for three months if they want to donate blood – even if they’re in a monogamous relationship. In this episode, we’re discussing the evolution of the FDA’s guidelines for LGBTQ+ donors and how other countries have already eliminated deferral periods for men who have sex with men.Additional Resources:Girls Gotta Eat: Going Off About Abortion RightsWine & Crime: Forced BirthGayish: Roe v. Wade (Shrinkage)LGBTQ+ DonorsFDA Lifts Ban on Blood Donations By Gay and Bisexual MenThe Evolution of HIV TestingWhich HIV Tests Are Most Accurate?Types of HIV TestsWill's Not Done Fighting - Will & Grace (Episode Highlight)What Happens to Donated BloodInfectious Disease, HLA and ABO Donor Qualification TestingHRC - Blood DonationsSupport the showGet Your Merch

Growing up in a heteronormative society, we may have learned to believe that our gay identity was a weakness. As a result, we’ve developed the need to be perfect to manage the feeling of being an outsider.In this episode, we’re discussing what perfectionism in gay men looks like and how we can learn to accept our imperfections.Additional Resources:Perfectionism7 Signs You’re Too Much of a PerfectionistNine Little-Known Signs of PerfectionismGay Shame: 5 Ways Gay Men CompensateAsk Adam: Why Are Gays Obsessed With Being Perfect?How to Overcome Your Perfectionist TendenciesSupport the showGet Your Merch

We previously talked about the importance of LGBTQ+ representation in TV and film and the “gay renaissance” of the 90s. While shows like Ellen and Will & Grace were groundbreaking at the time, they tended to skirt around LGBTQ+ issues and themes...but Queer as Folk did not shy away.In this episode, we’re dissecting the sexually charged, unapologetic serial drama, including the original British series and the 2022 reboot. Additional Resources:Queer as Folk Season 1 TrailerSpunk by Greek Buck (Queer as Folk Opening Theme)Queer as Folk Series Premiere (American Series)Queer as Folk Complete SoundtrackSupport the showGet Your Merch