I’m Gay and Drink Water

Before I came out, I dated a handful of men. Tyler was one of them. Dating Tyler was a weird, annoying, and frustrating 3 months of my life. Listen now for how I grappled dating this baseball bro during my Junior year of college.    I'm Gay and Drink Water, the memoir, comes out August 23, 2024! 

Marina Crouse is a writer, editor and writing coach living in Los Angeles. Marina and Ally chat about their love for coffee, how they deal with anxiety and balancing their own writing with the work that pays the bills, allyship, what escapism looks like for each of them and much more.  Follow Marina on Instagram @ marinacrousewrites Check out her website here . 

Today officially marks 7 years sober for Ally. In this cute little episode, Ally shares some lessons, hard truths and important reminders as she reflects on what she's learned in the last 7 years.  If you're looking for some quick encouragement, this is definitely worth the listen! 

Just like baseball, Ally used to associate alcohol with weddings for such a long time that she declined invitations to several friends' weddings. Whatever it takes to not drink, right? In this episode, Ally talks about the only wedding she was drunk at and the weddings she attended sober. Guess which ones were better for her? :)    Resources corresponding to this episode:  5 Ways to Stay Sober at...

On this BONUS episode of IGADW, Ally chats with filmmaker Justin Garascia on everything from filmmaking to gay representation to alcohol and creativity and so much more. Justin's brand new short horror-comedy "Trip Upstate!" is currently in post production, and Justin's team recently hit over 100% on their crowdfunding campaign for their project!  Justin is also a director, writer and actor based...

On this episode, Ally chats with Megan Ryder, a 31 year old who quit drinking alcohol on 1/22/21. Her one year soberversery is next weekend!! Tune in for details about navigating sobriety as a medical marijuana patient. Megan is a traumatic brain injury survivor with severe pain and requires medical marijuana to thrive. She has struggled with the balance of no alcohol and adding edibles for the pa...

Nearly a year ago, Ally almost broke her sobriety. From loneliness to light, Ally's 2022 is a prime example for anyone that things get better, and if you don't know what to do: just keep going and stay hydrated - day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute.  While she wishes it were different (and easier), some times we have to fight for our happiness and that's exactly what Ally spent doing last y...

On this episode, Ally chats with Jo Walduck (she/they). Jo is a sober trans life and business coach based in Normandy, France. Since getting sober "just for a month" back in 2019, she has navigated her own chronic health struggles, coming out and transitioning in a foreign country during pandemia, losing two parents in 3 months, and has supported dozens of people on their own paths to and within r...

Ally's 21st birthday was one that she actually wants to remember, and she does because she remembers most of her drunken times. Her big 2-1 was one of the few times she felt safe and was okay and had fun while drinking all day.  In this episode she recounts her activities for the day and reflects on being 21 and still in the closet.    Additional Support & Resources Hope for Sober Teens & Dorm Lif...

Jacob Carlew is in his 7th year of teaching choral music at Branson high school. He lives in Springfield Missouri with his chunky cat Cecil the Magnificent. When he is not binge watching trash tv, he enjoys CrossFit, nagging his married friends, and traveling. Jacob popped up on my for you page on TikTok last month and has made a large part of the internet smile with his words of wisdom and power...

Ally has been writing since she was 7 years old, around the same time she realized she was *different* aka gay. While her writing process and creativity have changed throughout the years, one thing is clear: her art cannot flourish under the influence of alcohol.  In this episode, Ally takes you through what writing was like during her drinking days and what it looks like now, nearly 7 years sober...

TW: substance abuse, alcoholism Carson Bohdi is a Toronto-based Poet, Songwriter, and YouTuber who is most well known for the video series, "Recovering Alcoholic Reacts" on Youtube and “Lessons I’ve Learned Living Alone” on TikTok. Their online brand, Carson’s Creatives, was created in 2016 and expanded in 2022 to include a Patreon page, merchandising store, and recently, they published their firs...

In this spooky episode of I'm Gay and Drink Water, Ally gives a moment by moment account of the night she hit the drunk Wall for the first time. What's The wall? The Wall is the point of no return Ally would hit when she drank. She hit The Wall more often than not.  Hitting The Wall that night was a result of neglected mental health and a depressed college student athlete that didn't know how to n...

Danielle, author and owner of Daisy Soul Child offers deep insight on her spiritual path along with being sober. Daisy Soul Child offers spiritual mentorship and wants nothing more than to inspire and help women on their journey. If you're looking for deeper guidance on your sobriety journey or are struggling with your spiritual path, then you're definitely going to want to tune in to this episode...

Your host of I'm Gay and Drink Water, Ally talks about dealing with the feelings of loss after they build up for years and years.  Learn how Ally connects with her future self to become the highest version of herself and how you, too, can incorporate your own future self-talk conversations to heal parts of your past for a better future.  *NOTE: Ally is NOT a medical professional and NOT giving med...

On this episode, Ally chats with Lou about getting and staying sober in the UK. They talk about what it was like for Lou to come out in the 90s, AA, blacking out, and how life is so much better without alcohol.  Lou is a UK based gay woman who has been sober for 3 years. Despite there being some good times during her drinking, the blacking out episodes and consequences outweighed the good. That's...

TW: substance abuse, mental health  Bendición Dry Bar is looking to be one of the first Alcohol-Free Bars & Community Spaces in Chicago. Founder and owner, Cristina Torres had been thinking about creating a sober community space for years, and she is doing it! Bendición is here to challenge the belief that you need alcohol to have fun or be the life of the party. They invite you to try something n...

SPOILER ALERT - They don't mix!  Ally was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in 2015. In this episode, she talks about her diagnosis, going from being an elite athlete to sleeping 18+ hours a day, and how alcohol impacted the regulation of her thyroid.  Stay tuned at the end of this episode for a special announcement! 

William is a former personal trainer turned aspiring writer because of a friend's advice during the pandemic. From martial arts to journaling, Will has constantly been finding ways to address mental health and self care. He hopes that others, especially men, become more open with being vulnerable about their mental well being. Ally and Will discuss the importance of self mental health advocacy, se...

Ally & Casey chat about Casey’s personal journey to sobriety and how life is as a newly sober bisexual woman.  Episode Trigger Warning(s): substance abuse Casey is a bisexual midwestern woman that is over two months sober from alcohol.  Sobriety has been so deeply impactful on my life and mental health (especially as a queer woman), she wanted to tell her story with IGADW. Outside of her journeys...

In this episode, Ally and Shannon dive into alcohol’s presence in standup comedy, what’s changed over the years in Shannon's performing experience, her creative process, family, growing up and so much more.  Shannon is a nationally touring comedian based in Chicago. She is a queer, former beauty queen turned comedian. She has been doing stand up for 8 years and has performed at renowned venues suc...

Almost 6.5 years later, Ally opens up and reflects on the last day she drank alcohol, the events leading up to it and the 3 words she told herself when she decided to quit drinking for good.  TW: substance abuse, SA, self harm Resources corresponding with this episode: The Trevor Project 16 Mental Health Resources for LGBTQ+ Alcohol Consumption Support  

Get to know your host, Ally and what you can expect on I'm Gay and Drink Water podcast!