A Queer POV: Friends, Loves, & Life

In this solo episode of A Queer POV, David Begor takes apart what Meta has done to the queer community, with receipts. It starts with a thought experiment. A friend who notices everything you do, knows everything you watch, and one day leans in and whispers that if you keep posting about being queer, they'll make you invisible. That friend is the Instagram algorithm. David walks through what's act...

Kenny Patrick and David go way back to 1983. Life separated them, but reconnecting a few years ago gave David a front-row seat to someone living with extraordinary depth, honesty, and humor. In this conversation, Kenny opens up about living with HIV since the age of 21, nearly 28 years of sobriety, a relapse in 2025, and getting sober again. They talk about identifying as non-binary after more tha...

Mark Tammaro didn't plan to start over at 62. After a 16-year marriage, a career he set aside to support his husband, and an HIV diagnosis that's followed him for 35 years, Mark found himself single, starting fresh, and, for the first time in a long time, building a life that's entirely his own. In this episode, Mark talks about what it means to reinvent yourself after 60. He shares the story of l...

We’ve Always Marched: Why We Protest, Why It Matters, and Why March 28th In this solo episode of A Queer POV: Friends, Loves & Life, host David Begor traces the full arc of LGBTQ protest, from the first Annual Reminder Day pickets in 1965, through Stonewall, Harvey Milk, ACT UP, and the fight for marriage equality, to the No Kings movement happening right now. David has attended Pride marches for...

They're Coming for the Ring: The Fight to Overturn Marriage Equality In this solo episode of A QueerPOV: Friends, Loves & Life, host David Begor takes on one of the most urgent threats facing LGBTQ Americans right now: the coordinated effort to overturn marriage equality. From a Waco judge who handed same-sex couples handwritten refusals, to Jonathan Mitchell — the architect of Texas' abortion ban...

Randy and I met in 1989 while doing laundry at the Chateau des Fleurs in Los Angeles. I had just moved to LA to work at Bullocks Wilshire in visual merchandising. Randy was working as a graphic designer at Exposure Magazine—the same publication where a young Ryan Murphy was working as an editor. Through Randy, I discovered the world of graphic design, typography, and the creative possibilities tha...

We don’t talk about aging in the gay community nearly enough. We’re great at celebrating youth and reinvention and whatever’s shiny and new, but we don’t slow down enough to actually listen to the people who lived through the experiences that made our community possible in the first place. This week I’m talking with 81-year-old Sean McCormick. He’s funny, he’s honest, and he’s got this huge heart...

In this episode of A Queer POV: Friends, Loves, & Life , I trace the journey of the rainbow flag , from a small sewing studio in 1978 San Francisco to a global symbol of pride, protest, and belonging. We meet Gilbert Baker , the artist and activist who stitched color into our collective soul, and explore how his friendship with Harvey Milk turned a simple idea into a lasting emblem of queer identi...

Today, I’m talking with someone whose name you might already know if you love beautiful spaces, Dann Foley . Dann’s been designing for almost four decades, and his work has this incredible mix of style, warmth, and personality. He’s an award-winning interior designer, a TV personality you might’ve seen on NBC’s American Dream Builders or Showtime’s The Real L Word , and the author of It’s All in t...

Coming out isn’t just one moment. It’s a lifetime of learning to live honestly, of choosing truth again and again, even when it’s hard, even when the world doesn’t make it easy. As October 11th, National Coming Out Day , approaches, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what coming out really means, not only for those of us who’ve done it, but for those who are still waiting for the right time,...

This week on A Queer POV: Friends, Loves, & Life , I sit down with someone who has had a remarkable influence on how we think and talk about health, sexuality, and technology: Deb Levine. Back in the early 1990s, while working as a health educator at Columbia University, Deb co-created Go Ask Alice , one of the very first online spaces where young people could ask their most personal questions abo...

As I approach my 62nd birthday, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about retirement. Not the kind where you buy an RV and start glamping in national parks (though I’ll admit, that does sound tempting). No, I mean the kind where you sit down with your Social Security statement and suddenly feel overwhelmed, anxious, and a little exhausted from all the questions swirling around in your head. Should I...

Some kids dream of hitting the winning home run. Gregg dreamed of getting through Little League without having to actually touch the bat. His father was the coach, which made quitting more complicated—because it’s one thing to strike out, but another to let your dad down while doing it. Still, Gregg knew early on that he belonged more in the world of spotlights and scripts than dugouts and scorebo...

Join us in this heartfelt episode as we dive into the life and journey of Stephen Crouse. From his early days in very religious Colorado Springs to the decadence of San Francisco, Stephen shares his path from self-doubt to unapologetic self-acceptance. Along the way, he reveals unexpected passions, from the leather bars of the Bay Area to jaw-dropping LEGO MOC creations built during COVID, and how...

Meet Brett Klein. If you haven’t crossed paths with him yet, get ready ‘cause here we go. Brett’s journey is a vivid tapestry woven with courage, humor, and the unapologetic pursuit of living life on his own terms. At 32, Brett faced two life-altering truths at once: coming out and receiving an HIV diagnosis. In many stories, that might sound like a crossroads of despair. But for Brett, it was mor...

Every June, riders gather at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, helmets on, hearts full, and begin a 545-mile journey to Los Angeles as part of the AIDS/LifeCycle ride . But this year was different. This year was the last ride. I sat down with two friends, Sean Rhodes and Mike Chandler, who trained for months and rode side by side (well, most of the time) on the final AIDS/LifeCycle. What they share...

Some stories don’t shout. They hum. They make you want to sit down with a glass of wine in a crystal goblet and a cookie someone’s grandmother taught them to bake. This week on The Queer POV: Friends, Loves, & Life , I talked with Kevin Chiodini, who pronounces it Key-oh-dee-nee thank you very much, because it’s Italian and he’s earned the right to say it like they do back in Lombardy. Kevin’s the...

Some people live out loud. Jeff Heinkel lives with just enough humor and mischief to keep you on your toes. In this week’s episode of Friends, Loves, & Life , Jeff shares the kind of life story that reminds you we’re all just figuring it out as we go. He came out in his 30s, got sober after a meth addiction nearly stole his eyesight, and walked away from a long career in television to become a per...

In this week’s episode of A Queer POV: Friends, Loves, & Life , I sit down with James Lindquist, a community leader, a survivor, and one of those rare people who manages to make you laugh and tear up in the same breath. James grew up in a group home, came out as gay when that still came with consequences, and spent years navigating addiction, shame, and a healthcare system that wasn’t built with p...

Every once in a while, you meet someone whose presence reminds you that joy, resilience, and purpose are not just ideals — they’re choices. They’re the product of hard-won experience and deep personal growth. My guest today, Ted Guice , is exactly that kind of person. His life and work reflect a quiet strength and generosity that leave a mark on everyone he meets. He’s one of those people in the L...

What does real allyship look like? Sometimes, it’s not loud or showy. Sometimes, it’s simply showing up—over and over again. That’s the kind of love and friendship I’ve been lucky enough to have with my guest this week: my high school friend and first true ally, Julie Arie. In this episode of Friends, Loves, and Life , we catch up like no time has passed—from algebra class in 10th grade to cruisin...

This week on Friends, Loves, & Life , I sit down with my dear friend Ed Moreno, a man whose life has been full of adventure, transformation, heartbreak, and healing. Ed and I first met at Gold’s Gym in San Francisco back in the day. What started as a flirt turned into a decades-long friendship. In this episode, we talk about everything from wild trips across Europe to the years he spent living fas...

In this episode of Friends, Loves, & Life , I sit down with my dear friend Rich Hajjar for a conversation that’s as vulnerable as it is hilarious. Rich and I go way back—to the early 2000s when we were launching Sex4HotMen , dreaming big, and laughing even bigger. But beyond the shared memories, our friendship has weathered some of life’s most defining chapters. From the wild days of marketing par...

In this week’s episode of Friends, Loves, & Life , I sit down with my longtime friend Mike Ryan — a creative force, a sharp wit, and someone I once shared an office with above Akbar in Silverlake. We talk about how we met, the business we built together (a gay men’s hook-up site, back before apps ruled the world), and yes — our daily lunches at El Pollo Loco that somehow never got old. But this ep...

In this week’s episode of Friends, Loves, & Life , I sit down with someone I’ve known for nearly 25 years—Dr. Alex del Rosario. He’s an HIV specialist, a leather man, a deeply thoughtful gay doctor, and one of the most open, generous people I know. Talking with Alex always feels like pulling up a chair with someone who just gets it —and this conversation is no exception. We cover a lot of ground....