A Jaded Gay – Details, episodes & analysis

Presidential administrations significantly influence the well-being of the LGBTQ+ community through their policies on civil rights, healthcare, and anti-discrimination protections, which can either advance or hinder equality and acceptance. Additionally, an administration's public stance on LGBTQ+ issues sets a national tone, impacting societal attitudes and the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals.

In this episode, we’re reviewing the Trump administration's stance on LGBTQ+ rights from 2017 to 2021, examining the impact of its actions on civil rights, healthcare access, and protections for the LGBTQ+ community.

Related Episodes:

• Listen to Episode 03. Surviving Another Pandemic
• Listen to Episode 27. Matthew Shepard
• Listen to Episode 112. Project 2025

Additional Resources:

• GLAAD's Trump Accountability Tracker
• Trump in 1999: "I Am Very Pro-Choice"
• The Advocate Interview with Donald Trump
• Donald Trump’s More Accepting Views on Gay Issues Set Him Apart in G.O.P.
• "It’s Not My Thing": A History of Trump’s Shifting Relationship with the LGBT Community
• Donald Trump Congratulated Elton John on His Civil Partnership in 2005
• Donald Trump Says He’s Against Gay Marriage
• Does Donald Trump Support Civil Unions or Not?
• Gay Conservatives Bring Trump and the Party to CPAC
• Donald Trump Has Words for Transgender Miss Universe Contestant
• Donald Trump Comes Out Against North Carolina's HB2
• LGBT Groups Blast Trump for Voicing Support for HB2 in Raleigh
• Read Donald Trump’s Speech on the Orlando Shooting
• Trump Has Appointed 216 New Federal Judges and it Could Be 230 By Election Day
• A Third of Trump's Court Nominees have Anti-LGBTQ History, Report Finds

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In numerous episodes, we’ve learned that gay men are more likely to struggle with mental health issues due to the trauma experienced from growing up in a society that often stigmatizes their identity. Despite these challenges, we must heal from trauma so we can lead fulfilling lives and make a difference for the LGBTQ+ community, fostering both personal well-being and collective resilience.

In this episode, Dr. Jason Durant, a prominent gay psychologist, joins us to discuss how his own journey has shaped his empathetic and insightful approach to therapy, how he addresses common mental health struggles gay men face, and his new book, which offers valuable guidance and support for gay men navigating their mental health journeys.

Related Episodes:

• Listen to Episode 11. Overcoming Internalized Homophobia
• Listen to Episode 26. Gay & Anxious
• Listen to Episode 42. Are You Emotionally Unavailable?

Additional Resources:

• Learn More About Dr. Jason Durant
• Follow Dr. Jason Durant on Instagram
• Buy Boy From the North Country: A Queer Therapist Looks Back at Overcoming Trauma With Mindfulness

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The Trump administration had a detrimental impact on LGBTQ+ rights by rolling back protections and supporting religious exemptions that allowed discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals. Looking ahead to the 2024 election, The Heritage Foundation has published Project 2025, a 920-page extremist policy agenda and staffing blueprint with conservative ideals, for the next Republican administration to swiftly implement upon taking office in January 2025.

In this episode, we’re dissecting the Heritage Foundation's conservative influence, including its significant impact on the Trump administration's policies, and why Project 2025 poses a serious threat to LGBTQ+ Americans and democracy at large.

Related Episodes:

• Listen to Episode 30. Gay Sex Education (or the Lack Thereof)
• Listen to Episode 46. Obergefell v. Hodges and the Ongoing Fight for Marriage Equality
• Listen to Episode 67. 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis

Additional Resources:

• The Heritage Foundation
• Mandate for Leadership
• How One Conservative Think Tank is Stocking Trump’s Government
• Kevin Roberts
• Donations Have Surged to Groups Linked to Conservative Project 2025
• Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise
• The White House Gender Policy Council
• Congressional Leaders Form Task Force to Counter Project 2025 and Defend Democracy
• Sign the Petition to Reject Project 2025
• Sign the Petition Urging Congress to Pass the Equality Act

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We previously talked about the concept of interpersonal vulnerability and why it can be harder for gay men to open up to a significant other. However, connection is an integral part of life—especially when it comes to romantic relationships.

In this episode, we’re going deeper by discussing the importance of connecting with your partner through building emotional intimacy.

Additional Resources:

• Emotional Intimacy, Sexual Desire, and Sexual Satisfaction Among Partnered Heterosexual Men
• How to Build Emotional Intimacy with Your Partner — Starting Tonight
• Development and Validation of the Emotional Intimacy Scale
• Experts Explain What Emotional Intimacy in a Relationship Actually Looks Like
• Gay Men & Our Desire for Deep Connection
• Couple Communication, Emotional and Sexual Intimacy, and Relationship Satisfaction
• 05. Interpersonal Vulnerability: Overcoming the Fear of Rejection

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It’s been seven months since Russia invaded Ukraine, which has had global repercussions. However, an often-overlooked area of this tragic situation is the threat this invasion imposes upon LGBTQ+ Ukrainians.

In this episode, we’re taking a look at LGBTQ+ rights in Ukraine and the unique impacts the Russian invasion has had on LGBTQ+ Ukrainians.

Additional Resources:

• State-sponsored Homophobia: A World Survey of Laws Prohibiting Same-Sex Activity Between Consenting Adults 
• Justice Ministry: No Legal Grounds in Ukraine Currently for Same-Sex Marriage
• Ukraine Simplifies Legal Process For Gender Transition
• Ukraine Allowed Homosexuals to Donate Blood
• The Ban on Gay Blood Donations
• In a Historic Step, Ukraine Passes Legal Protections for Nation’s LGBT Citizens
• A Victim of the Anti-Gay Purge in Chechnya Speaks Out: 'The Truth Exists'
• Russia: New Anti-Gay Crackdown in Chechnya
• Russia’s “Gay Propaganda” Law Imperils LGBT Youth
• Russia Plans to Target Dissidents in Ukraine to be Killed or Sent to Camps, U.S. Says
• Ukrainian LGBTQ Soldiers Fight Against “Darkness” of Russian Invasion
• HRC: Crisis in Ukraine
• LGBTI People Affected by the War in Ukraine Need Protection
• Ukraine's 'Unicorn' LGBTQ Soldiers Head for War
• Ukraine to Consider Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Amid War
• Ukraine will Consider Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage After Petition Garners 28,000 Signatures
• Sphere/Kharkiv Pride
• Kyiv Pride
• LGBTI Human Rights Nash Mir Centre
• Insight LGBTQ
• Gender Z
• Rainbow Railroad
• OutRight Action International

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This past spring, Florida made headlines for its Parental Rights in Education Act, informally referred to as the Don’t Say Gay bill. While this legislation is disturbing, Florida is not the first state to implement such a bill. In fact, approximately 20 other states implemented similar Don’t Say Gay bills between January and April 2022.

In this episode, we’re taking a look at what the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act entails, the history of similar legislation, and how we can take action.

Additional Resources:

• Dennis Baxley
• Florida's Governor Signs Controversial Law Opponents Dubbed 'Don't Say Gay'
• LGBTQ Groups Sue Florida Over the So-Called 'Don't Say Gay' Law
• After Protests, Disney CEO Speaks Out Against Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Bill
• New CDC Data Shows LGBTQ Youth are More Likely to be Bullied Than Straight Cisgender Youth
• 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health
• A Florida Legislator Withdrew His Amendment to the 'Don't Say Gay' Bill that Would Require School Districts to Out Students Within 6 Weeks
• As Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Law Takes Effect, Schools Roll Out LGBTQ Restrictions
• Another LGBTQ Resource Disappears in Duval Schools
• Banned in the USA: Rising School Book Bans Threaten Free Expression and Students' First Amendment Rights
• In Some States, Versions of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bills Have Been Around for Awhile
• LGBTQ Affairs Commission, Stakeholders Denounce Legislation to Bring Discriminatory “Don’t Say Gay” Bill to PA
• Business Statement on Anti-LGBTQ State Legislation
• Interest Form to Sign On to the National Business Statement on Anti-LGBTQ+ State Legislation

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In between the politics of the Stonewall Riots and the AIDS pandemic, disco emerged as a haven for gay men to escape the confines of heterosexuality.

In this episode, we’re taking a look at the history of disco, its queer roots, and how its legacy continues through today’s pop music – despite bigoted anti-disco movements in the late seventies.

Additional Resources:

• Turn the Beat Around: The Secret History of Disco
• Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey
• Arts in America: Here's to Disco, It Never Could Say Goodbye
• Why Disco Should Be Taken Seriously
• Disco and the Queering of the Dancefloor
• Affect Intensity
• History is Made at Night
• Disco and Gay Culture in the 1970s
• Studio 54 (originally Gallo Opera House)
• The Discriminating Club
• Disco is Dealt Death Blow by Fans of the Chicago White Sox
• July 12, 1979: 'The Night Disco Died' — Or Didn't
• The Queer History of Disco Playlist

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With all the shirtless, thirst pics on dating apps, it’s easy to get *ahem* distracted. But we must stay focused on attracting the right kinds of guys into our life.

In this episode, we’re going to reflect on the qualities we're attracted to in a potential partner and the power of manifestation so we can improve our dating lives.

Additional Resources:

• Can Single People 'Manifest' a New Partner?

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In 1960s New York City, the Mafia needed a place to conduct business without police detection and gay men needed a safe space to socialize without being arrested. The result: the Genovese family ended up controlling the majority of gay bars in Greenwich Village, which was emerging as a gay hub at the time.

In this episode, we’re diving into this unlikely partnership that eventually led to the exploitation of the gay community.

Additional Resources:

• Stonewall Riots: Coming Out in the Streets
• Stonewall Uprising: Why Did the Mafia Own the Bar?
• How the Mob Helped Establish NYC’s Gay Bar Scene
• The Italian Mafia Played a Pivotal Role in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising – But Don’t Call Them Allies
• How the Mafia Once Controlled the New York Gay Scene

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The word “ally” gets tossed around frequently, but what does it actually mean?

In this episode, Cheyenne Filipczyk joins us to discuss what it means to be an LGBTQ+ ally and how we can advocate for others in the community. 

Additional Resources:

• What is an LGBTQIA+ Ally, and How Can I Be a Good One?
• 10 Ways to Be an Ally & a Friend
• Quiz: What Do You Know About Gay Rights?
• There is Literally No Way You're Going to Pass This Quiz if You're Straight

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