But We Loved

Andy Tobias is one of the most well-known financial thinkers in America and was the treasurer of the Democratic National Committee for almost 20 years. He's also the author of "The Best Little Boy in the World." Often considered the first book to openly address gay American life, it has impacted over a million readers. Andy reflects on his own life experiences trying to be "the best little boy in...

Mark S. King is in recovery for a Crystal Meth addiction that almost destroyed his life. Gay men are 4x more likely to use Crystal Meth than straight men. Mark reflects on what was at the root of his addiction and how he became sober. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Tom Viola stepped down in December 2024, after leading Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS for 36 years. His fundraising has helped save countless lives. He reminisces on what it was like to live through the grief and trauma of the AIDS crisis — and how he coped. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

In this recap of our season's coverage of AIDS, we weave together the different voices of our guests — and their memories — of surviving the AIDS Crisis. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Martha Shelley was one of the architects of the mid 20th century gay rights movement. She recalls the issues she fought against back then — and explains why they're so relevant today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Ellen Broidy proposed and helped lead the very first Pride March in 1970 in NYC. She reflects back on what inspired the march, what its original goals were, and whether she believes those goals have been achieved. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Ken Lustbader is a historic preservationist and co-director of the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project — which has identified nearly 500 historically queer sites in New York. He reflects on how becoming a historian was motivated by living through the loss of the AIDS Crisis. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Bill Glenn is the author of  I Came Here Seeking a Person. A Vital Story of Grace; One Gay Man's Spiritual Journey . In the 70s, he trained to be a Catholic priest, but left the seminary at 29. But just as he left, his priestly gifts of love and compassion would be needed to get him — and the thousands of queer people he touched — through the AIDS Crisis. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pr...

Richard Burns has been a pillar of the American LGBTQ+ rights movement. He helped organize the first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1979. Later, he became the executive director of the NYC LGBTQ Center when New York was the epicenter for AIDS. Here, he discusses his role in history and why that history must be protected and passed down to young people. See Privacy Polic...

In the 80s and 90s, Derek Hodel was the executive director of the New York Buyer's Club — also known as the People with AIDS Health Group. When life saving AIDS drugs in America were too expensive or not approved yet, Derek bypassed the American healthcare system and brought them in from abroad. He reflects on his work and its impact, nearly 40 years later. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/...

Greg Louganis is often considered the greatest diver of all time. But his sports journey was intertwined with his deep desire to be loved by his parents. He relives the moment when his HIV status, sexual orientation, and diving career all collided at once: the 1988 Summer Olympics. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sel...

Jewelle Gomez co-founded GLAAD, the premier queer media watchdog organization, in 1985. She realized early that media was a tool that could prevent homophobia — or perpetuate it. She recounts why GLAAD was founded and why it's still needed today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Patrik Ian-Polk is the creator of Noah's Arc, the first scripted TV show to center Black gay men. The show defied stereotypes and developed a cult following in the 2000s. He discusses the superheroes in his own life that served as his inspirations. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Peter Staley was one of the most prominent members of the AIDS activism group ACT-UP. He is largely credited as one of the pioneers responsible for the creation of life-saving AIDS drugs. He recounts the most harrowing times of the AIDS crisis — and how he persevered. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

This episode contains frank discussion on suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. In 1998, Celeste Lecesne co-founded the Trevor Project, the nation’s leading suicide prevention organization for queer youth. It was born out of an oscar-winning suicide awareness film he wrote called "Trevor." Celeste recount...

Susan Stryker is a historian who unearthed the story of Compton's Cafeteria, the first known full-scale queer riot against police harassment in American history. She describes the events of the riot and how her discovery impacted her own life. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Luis Camacho Xtravaganza was one of the ballroom dancers who choreographed Madonna's music video for "Vogue." It took voguing from the underground to the mainstream. He relives this complicated time — the rush of stardom and the consequences that came with it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Rayceen Pendarvis is an elder in the House of Pendavis. Rayceen recounts the beginnings of ballroom, how it exploded in the early 90s thanks to Madonna and “Paris is Burning,” and how, simultaneously, it began collapsing from within as AIDS ravaged the community. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Larry Colton was profoundly impacted by the AIDS crisis in San Francisco. He reflects on the most difficult loss he endured and what he legacy he was left with. Vote for us to win our first Signal Award  here ! For "Best LGBTQ+ Podcast Episode." Voting closes Oct. 17th. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Experts say 20-30% of the LGBTQ community abuses substances. Donald Flowers Jr. is a gay man who was addicted to alcohol, cocaine, crystal meth, and sex. He reflects on his struggles with addiction and his journey to sob See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Get your ticket to our free live show  here , this Sunday, September 29th at 2:30pm in NYC! Stewart Butler shaped much of the vibrant queer culture in New Orleans, through his political activism. He was driven by the loss of 32 queer people in the Upstairs Lounge Fire in 1972 — a fire that he witnessed with his own eyes. Frank Perez is an LGBTQ+ historian who recounts Stewart’s story for us. See P...

Sherry Vine is a legendary drag queen that came up in the 90s, in NYC. She's aware of drag's super power: helping queer people escape from the pain of their lives. She was at the center of that during the AIDS crisis. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

In 2009, Annise Parker became the first openly gay mayor of a major American city. As mayor, her signature piece of equal rights legislation famously failed — but it drove her to help elect more LGBTQ+ Americans into office than ever before. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Lori Branch was one of the pioneering DJs of house music in the 80s. She reflects on the queer origins of the genre, how this history was erased, and why house music still resonates with so many queer people today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Alex Espinoza is the author of the only official history on gay cruising:  Cruising: An Intimate History of a Radical Pastime .  He reflects on how cruising helped him find self confidence and led him to the love he had always been searching for. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .