The Authentic Gay Man Podcast

Hello Authentic Gay Man Podcast fans.  I come to you with a full heart.  Whether you are a listener or a podcast guest, there are no words to express how deeply grateful I am for your support and participation.  YOU are what has made this podcast great! Today, I am here to inform you that this is the final episode of The Authentic Gay Man Podcast.  Sharing this news is bitter sweet.  The sweet par...

This is Grant Miller’s third time to be on the podcast. As one of our biggest fans, he has a lot to say. In this episode he shares how he has gone from the glass half empty to the glass half full. Instead of fighting the aging process, he is accepting and flowing with it. He talks about his pending retirement and how he has intentionally reframed his way of seeing it… from loss to opportunity. If...

First let me say that the topic of agism is not just for those getting older! My guest, Jim Cartwright, is a holistic life coach. Our conversation was rich with different aspects of aging. I loved that Jim pointed out that agism has nothing to do with a specific age. Young people experience agism. The big ah ha was realizing that internalized agism is the big culprit and the origin of whatever agi...

After a lengthy silence, Justin Mezetin states that his biggest challenge in life has been trying to understand what authenticity really is and even more challenging, how to live in authenticity. He speaks of the different ways he didn’t fit in. He’s gay, black, and a Seventh Day Adventist. He says that in every space, he didn’t fit in because at least one of those attributes. At age 37, he’s got...

My guest, Cator Sparks, is a gay man and a dating and relationship coach. Much of his work is around online dating and how to effectively navigate the challenges while making conscious efforts to safe guard your mental health and overall wellbeing. We talk about how to deal with rejection in a healthy manner and learning to not take the downside experiences personally. We unpack how doing your per...

Jon Carl Lewis is a spiritual director who works with those that find themselves lacking peace or clarity when it comes to how they navigate their religion and/or spirituality. Helping his clients understand the differences between religion and spirituality and how they merge or blend together. We discussed religious wounding and the shame that can be carried throughout one’s life if it isn’t prop...

My guest, Wil Fisher, is a certified coach, founder of Wilfully Living Coaching, and host of the Queerly Beloved podcast. Wil brings such an inviting conversation about what it means to open your heart. He talks about the connection with personal power, truth, and knowing and loving yourself with compassion. If you ever feel armored up in social settings or around others in general, Wil gives grea...

My guest, Randy Woodring, shares his journey with authenticity. Becoming aware of the concept of authenticity only about 3 years ago, Randy had an awakening of how inauthentic his life had been. He made it a quest to uncover all the underlying reasons that had been standing in his way. His honesty and openness with his life-long shame is a powerful example of just how to “kick the shit” out of sha...

My guest, Serg Shepard, talks about how he has always been drawn to creativity and has a love for being in front of audiences. He danced, played instruments, posed as a nude model, and eventually found his way to the porn industry. This episode is SO unique. My takeaway is how Serg helps to dispel some of the negative biases around some of the more taboo industries, such as porn and sex workers. H...

My guest, Jonathan Lee, shares his story of a relationship ending a few days before his 40th birthday. He was blind-sided when his boyfriend of two years ended their relationship during sex… WTF! He claims that the relationship wasn’t nearly as significant as the break-up. While it plunged him into a dark place that lasted for 4 months, it was the catalyst for looking long and hard at his life and...

Roger Miller has been married to his wife for 41 years and has a 40 year old queer daughter. Three years ago, he came out as a gay identifying man. He and his wife have decided to maintain their marriage and he now has a boyfriend. He refers to his status as a mixed orientation marriage. My take away is how quickly Roger took ownership of who he is and what he wants for his life. This conversation...

Wil Smith’s dream was to be a school teacher, but he abandoned that dream because he believed that he could never do that as a gay man in the 70s. Instead, he went to medical school only to find out that he hated it. Next stop was the pharmaceutical industry with a job that afforded him the luxury of cocaine and high priced escorts, in an effort to cope with his sexuality. He’s still a work in pro...

My guest, Brian Falduto, shares his story of how dramatically his life changed when a movie, he had a role in, hit the silver screen at age 10. He had a great experience during the filming process, not realizing how the boys at school would react to his character. Now, 20 years later, he’s been asked to return for a reunion for the original movie cast. Listen to the episode to hear how he navigate...

My guest, Larry Jacobson, gave up his business, his CEO title, his life partner, and all of his material worth to realize his life-long dream of sailing all the way around the world. He discovered his dream when he was only 13 and finally made his 6 year voyage at 46. In the end, he states that is the most powerful experience that led him to his most authentic self. His wisdom on “Fear” is absolut...

My guest, Wil Fisher, talks about being very well likes with lots of friends through the 7th grade. Then, in the 8th grade, two girls started a rumor that spread like wildfire, leaving Wil’s social life and popularity in the proverbial shitter. It took about 3 years for Wil to recover, but the experience left a lasting effect. Our conversation centers around Wil’s story of how he learned to own wh...

My guest, Paul Haynes, has spent his life thus far, working toward a conscious authentic way of being. He recounts various aspect and experiences that have forged him into the man he is today. This journey all started with his mother dying from cancer, when he was only 7 years old. Our conversation was about reverse engineering the process of becoming an authentic gay man. If you would like insigh...

My guest, Jarrod Bruce Lee, identifies as an authentic gay man. He shares his journey from childhood to present, recounting the many experiences that carried him away from the authenticity that he came into the world with. Physical and emotional violence between his parents and living in fear. The weight of his father’s disapproval. Realizing he was different from the other boys in school and feel...

Craig Cullinane speaks of how much body shame he experienced as a result of religious and family messages that he received growing up. His body shame was so great that he couldn’t even take his shirt off at the local pool. This translated into sexual shame that was debilitating anytime he engaged erotically. His journey and his wisdom learned will be helpful for any man who has body shame. Craig&a...

My guest, David Bellamy, came out at an earlier time in life. But, for most of his life, he lived with the motto that “It’s none of anyone’s business.” As a result, he didn’t let most people know who he really was. He states that it was mostly a fear of rejection. Now, in his 60s, he has realized that the motto that he so strictly lived by, did not allow him to have the genuine and close relations...

Daniel Rodriguez Schlorff had his career on track, a nice place to live, and all the trappings of a good life. Then, at 27, his mother tragically died in an auto accident, up ending every aspect of his life. The loss caused him to question everything about his existence and big changes came about. The loss of his mother altered him forever. His story truly is about all the wisdom that comes with l...

David’s story starts with his account of being abused inside and outside the home with every form of abuse possible. By the time he was 19, he had attempted suicide twice and failed, which further added to his feelings inadequacy. He found himself in a psych ward, where he felt safe for the very first time in his life. David’s journey is filled with simple wisdom. He clearly demonstrates that you...

My guest, Douglas Henry Lewis Jr grew up in the south with many religious messages that told him he could never be successful, happy, or accepted as a gay man. He never allowed himself to subscribe to those hateful messages. In stead, he moved to NYC and created a life where he is fully and unapologetically self-expressed. For a young man of only 27, Douglas has done an impressive amount of self-w...

Hank Estrada tells a story of an uncle who sexually abused him from age 5 to 16. His struggle with multiple therapists before he found one that was truly qualified to help him. His journey to be able to completely and effectively separate his sexual abuse from his sexual attraction for men. This man has freed himself from the shackles of shame and guilt that are shrouded around surviving childhood...

My guest, Grady Throneberry, the first openly gay police chief in Kentucky and a former bi-vocational pastor, gets thrown into the fire, when a spurned boyfriend outs him to his church and the city major. All hell broke loose and Grady went through the most painful and dark period of his life at 64. With sheer courage and determination, he came back from the clusterf*&k and shares a story of r...

My guest, Pete Simmonds, was an incredibly creative child that had the creativity squashed out of him by a school councilor.  He spend many years doing what others wanted him to do, but ultimately found that to be detrimental to his spirit.  For the last twenty years, Pete has leaned into rediscovering and reclaiming that part of his being.  Now, creativity plays a primary role in every area of hi...