Gay Men Going Deeper

Attraction is a fickle matter. Call it a vibe or energy or aura, it is indeed a powerful unseen force that influences our relationships. In the metaphysical sense, energetic attraction stems from the belief that everything in the universe is made up of energy, including human beings, and that this energy can interact and create connections between people. In this episode, we're going deeper into t...

In this episode, Matt Landsiedel and Michael DiIorio unpack the concept of the spiritual awakening. They both share their personal experiences with spiritual awakenings and how they navigated these really challenging periods in their lives. If you are struggling in life right now, you might be going through a spiritual awakening. The best way through one of these experiences is to learn about its...

Attracting a romantic relationship is as much about energy as it is about the practical steps. Directing your thoughts and emotions towards finding love adds an energetic boost to any tangible action steps you’re taking. In this episode, we’re sharing our experiences with attracting love including: Manifestation basics Artificial desire vs. authentic desire How to recognize your 'ideal' partner Wh...

Body confidence is the ability to feel good in your body, regardless of its size or shape. But there are many reasons why gay men in particular struggle in this area.  Wanting to work on your body is perfectly natural, but having the right mindset is crucial to this process.   How can you work on your body goals without it being harmful to your mental health? In today’s episode of Gay Men Going De...

Aging is an inevitable part of life, but we each have a unique relationship with it. Some of us embrace it with open arms and don't buy into the idea of a "gay death" at a certain age. Others struggle with aging and cling to our youth and relevance as each year passes. In this episode of Gay Men Going Deeper, we’re talking about our own relationship to aging and what it means to “age well.” Some o...

In this episode, Matt Landsiedel and Theo Bill have a heartfelt conversation about the struggles and joys of being a gay man. They discuss the core wounds of growing up gay, the impact this has on the gay community, and what we can do to start to heal these wounds.  We explore these topics in the episode: The wounds gay men may experience in their development  Toxic Shame Attachment trauma  Gay me...

It’s a sad reality that older gay men face stereotypes about their attractiveness, desirability, or relevance as they age.  Age discrimination, or ageism, can result in feeling isolated, undervalued, and even invisible.  In today’s episode, we are having a panel discussion about age discrimination with 3 of our community members.  We’ll cover topics such as: Being judged by younger gay men The dis...

Friends with benefits (FWB) is a type of relationship where you can enjoy the sexual benefits of a relationship without the expectation of long-term commitment.  Navigating the blurred lines between friendship and sexual intimacy is a complex and potentially risky endeavour.  In this episode, Michael DiIorio and Pepper of The Gay Good discuss the nuances of having Friends With Benefits. They’ll di...

Unconscious bias refers to the internal biases or attitudes that influence our interactions and behaviour towards others.  We all have these deeply ingrained biases that unfortunately can hinder our efforts to build a more diverse and inclusive community.  In today's episode, we are sharing our experience with Unconscious Bias in hopes that it will help contribute to embracing greater acceptance a...

In this episode, Matt Landsiedel and Jamaal Wesley talk about authentic connection and the importance of having relationships in our lives where we can be completely ourselves. They share their own personal challenges with being authentic and how they have overcome these challenges. Come spend an hour learning how to bring your most authentic self into connection and reap the reward of being seen,...

One of the goals of the Gay Men’s Brotherhood and this podcast is to help foster a deeper sense of community and connection for queer people all over the world. But how do you learn to belong to a community that does not accept you as you are? This is the crux of today’s episode on Acceptance and Belonging. We’re answering some tough questions such as: What do you think is responsible for the lack...

Being a dad can be one of the most rewarding experiences of a man’s life. Historically, gay men have not had adequate opportunities to be parents, but the tide is turning.  In this episode, Joseph Tito of The Dad Diaries stops by to talk to Michael about his journey from surrogacy to fatherhood, including:  The decision to be a parent The challenges and rewards of being a parent Dealing with homop...

Pride is celebration of the progress we've made as a community and a reminder that there is still much work to do. Unfortunately, many people don't feel like part of the community- and we want to help change that. In today’s episode, we’re not just celebrating our queerness, but also the diverse range of people, experiences, and interests our community has to offer. In this episode, we’ll be talki...

In this episode, Matt Landsiedel and Andre-Lee Wills talk about their experiences with heterophobia. They share what it was like growing up gay in a heteronormative world and how this created fear and anger towards heterosexual people. They also unpack the relationship between internalized homophobia and heterophobia and how taking responsibility for ourselves in new ways can help us overcome thes...

Shame is that terrible feeling that arises when you get the sense that something is fundamentally wrong about you. It is often accompanied by inadequacy and self-doubt. Shame convinces you that you are not enough.   Like it or not, shame plays a key role in the gay man’s life. Born into a straight world, we must contend with the fact that we are different. While we all have a unique way of dealing...

Having a healthy sense of self-worth means balancing both external and internal validation.  In part 2 of the two-part series, we are focusing on internal validation, the skill of fuelling your self-worth from within you, rather than seeking it through external sources. Developing your sense of worthiness from within you is fundamental to living authentically as you become less attached to the opi...

Having a healthy sense of self-worth means balancing both external and internal validation. External validation is when you derive your self-worth from sources outside of yourself while Internal validation is when your self-worth comes from within.  Unfortunately, many people rely on the external at the expense of the internal, thereby creating a situation where you are hustling to prove yourself...

In this episode, Matt Landsiedel and Travis Holp talk about imposter syndrome and how they have navigated periods in their lives when they felt like imposters. They also unpack the concepts of self-doubt, inadequacy, perfectionism, and fear of failure, which often underlie imposter syndrome.  The questions we explored in this episode are: Can you share a time when you experienced imposter syndrome...

Whether you are aware of it or not, Purity Culture has influenced social norms around sex and relationships for centuries by attempting to repress sexual expression and label it as 'sinful.'  Even though society has evolved, so too as Purity Culture. It continues to have a harmful impact on the queer community by influencing policy and feeding into stigmatizing attitudes. In this episode, Michael...

Do you want sex or do you want intimacy? Or both? Sometimes our attempts to connect with guys gets thwarted by the confusion between these desires. This can lead to frustration and over time, loneliness.  In part 2 of this 2-part episode, Michael and Matt are going deeper into the topic of intimacy by talking about... How to develop more intimate connections Why gay men avoid intimacy How to overc...

Do you want sex or do you want intimacy? Or both? Sometimes our attempts to connect with guys gets thwarted by the confusion between these desires. This can lead to frustration and over time, loneliness.  In part 1 of this 2-part episode, Michael and Matt are going deeper into sex, intimacy, and sexual intimacy including…  How are sex and intimacy different? Different ways to practice intimacy Wha...

In this episode, Matt Landsiedel interviews Ed Cohen about the science of healing. Ed shares a holistic perspective on healing and how we can begin to reclaim our authority over our health from systems that can easily fail us if we become too passive. We explore how the mind and body are intrinsically connected when it comes to health and healing, and that it is important to search for deeper mean...

On today's extra-special episode, we're saying goodbye (for now) to our incredible friend and co-creator, Calan Breckon .  This marks his last episode as a co-host of the podcast and he is sharing the reasons behind his decision while we reflect on the first 127 episodes of the podcast. Join us for this sentimental episode where we mark the end of one chapter of the Gay Men Going Deeper podcast, a...

How would you describe your relationship with your body? Are you BFFs or are you more like frenemies?  We each have a unique relationship with our bodies which directly influences how we treat it.  In this episode, we’re going deeper into that relationship by answering questions such as: How would you describe your relationship with your body?  How has that relationship changed over the years? How...

Mainstream and social media influence the norms of what is an attractive or acceptable body within our community.  Buying into this narrow definition is easy, but it can be detrimental to your self-image and self-esteem.   Body representation is the practice of celebrating a diverse range of body types and unlearning the conditioning that only some bodies are worth showing.   In this juicy episode...