Show Notes
What’s the secret to lasting friendships? How does queer community show up through the ebbs and flows of life? And what’s the REAL story behind the “YMCA” song? In the first episode of Silver Linings, The Old Gays dive into an essential part of queer life: chosen family. They discuss the vital love, support, and sense of belonging that community provides, especially during life's toughest moments. They open up about what “queer” means to them, how chosen family has impacted their lives, and how to maintain close bonds over time–including their love for each other! “We’ve come a long way, baby.” Family isn’t just what you’re born with; it’s the people who show up, shape you, and stick around. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
More from Silver Linings with The Old Gays
She’s not an Old Gay quite yet, but we’re happy to be in her Choligarchy. This week we're joined by Margaret Cho, comedian, actor, activist, musician, and all-around icon for one of our favorite conversations of the season. Margaret has built a career saying the things the rest of us are only thinking. Together, we dive into comedy, activism, chosen family, queer history, aging, sex, and yes... plenty of sex! Along the way, she shares about growing up above her parents' gay bookstore in 1970s San Francisco, reflects on the AIDS crisis, Harvey Milk, and the power of speaking honestly, and somehow gets the four of us talking about pubes, lesbian friendships, and which of us have hooked up. We laughed so hard during this conversation we're honestly surprised the microphones survived. Because if you're going to spend an hour with Margaret Cho... you don’t steer the conversation. You just hang on! Follow Margaret Cho on Instagram @margaret_cho and catch Margaret on tour now with her new stand-up comedy show "Choligarchy" - visit www.margaretcho.com to learn more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
And what about the men who don’t fit neatly into the boxes we create? Beaming in from iHeart Studios in New York is documentary filmmaker Eric Leven, who has spent the last several years interviewing married men who secretly have sex with other men. Naturally, we had a few questions… Join us as we explore the complexity of bisexuality, masculinity, secrecy, male intimacy, and the blurred lines between identity and behavior. Along the way, we share a few of our own stories about meeting married men over the decades. From bear chasers and bathhouses to steam rooms, small towns, and the Kinsey Scale, this conversation ventures into some territory that is rarely discussed. Do labels help or hurt? What’s the cost of living honestly? And what about the women caught in the middle of it all? Follow Eric Leven on Instagram @eleven__11 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What did we want to be when we grew up? Before the four of us were The Old Gays, we were singers, city planners, grant writers, shop owners…and even a very unsuccessful farmer. So this week, we’re dishing about the jobs, passions, hobbies, and creative pursuits that shaped our lives, and the unexpected detours along the way. You’ll hear from each of us about the things that lit us up: from performing around the world and meeting the Pope, to designing cities, making human sculptures, and surviving more than one major career pivot. And along the way, we’ll reflect on the work we loved, the dreams that changed, and why it’s never too late to reinvent yourself. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the words of Dua Lipa and Olivia Newton-John…let’s get physical! Today we’re talking about our bodies: the parts we love, the parts we’ve struggled with, and the ways our relationship with them has stretched over the years (pun intended). From gym culture and body image to nudity, aging, sleep, yoga, hair loss (and a few surprisingly passionate opinions about butts and bulges), we’re reflecting on what it means to live in a body that keeps changing, whether we like it or not. Because getting older may come with new aches, pains, wrinkles, and white hairs in unexpected places... but it also comes with something even better: appreciating the body that carried us this far. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Calling all sinners, saints, and heathens to the front pews! This week, we're sharing our thoughts, stories, and unanswered questions about faith, religion, spirituality, and experiences beyond explanation. Growing up gay and religious wasn’t exactly simple. Some of us found comfort in church, others felt pushed out of it, and some of us cherry-picked what worked, then sashayed away. But whether it came through stained glass windows, gospel music, meditation, a near-death experience, or flying purses (?!)… spirituality found its way into all of our lives at some point in time. From Catholic theatrics and sparkling church outfits to guardian angels, spiritual awakenings, and one very specific prayer for an endowment… let’s just say the spirit moves in mysterious ways. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.