#ILoveGay Today

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Zach Herrin, an American LGBTQ+ NASCAR driver based in Greenville, SC. We chat about his history with racing in all its forms, and how after a decade away from the track, he's returned in a big way, with Lambda Legal as his sponsor. We also chat about NASCAR in Daytona and how Lambda Legal sees being visible in Florida even more important than ever before when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with NiK Kacy, founder and producer of Queer Prom - Behind the Velvet Rope, a Studio54-themed fundraiser party for Equality Fashion Week at Sunset at Edition in West Hollywood, as part of the #WehoPride programming for June 2023.

NiK Kacy, a self-described queer activist, designer, entrepreneur, and event producer, has been actively involved with events and fundraising for years now. Join us as NiK tells us about how they got started, their inspiration, and how this all evolved from their LGBTQ-certified business, NiK Kacy Footwear, a genderequal footwear company.

#ILoveGay Today meet up with Bret and Stephen of the social media sensation, Broadway Husbands. Bret Shuford and Stephen Hanna, married in 2011 and growing their family in 2022, tell us a bit of their story, including their background in NYC theatre, including how they left NYC, moved to Pittsburgh and then Houston, where they now call home. They split their time between Houston and NYC, as Stephen is in NYC now performing on the hit Broadway musical, New York New York.

We also chat about how this power couple documented their surrogacy journey, providing information and inspiration to other LGBTQ+ parents wishing to pursue this path towards parenting. They've also leveraged their performance and social media skills to tell their story and help others on a variety of different online shows, including the Queer Family podcast, Mombian, Family Equality and more.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Kevin Yee, where we chat about his recent TV pilot release, "A Guide to Not Dying Completely Alone". Recently premiering at SXSW, Kevin brings to the screen life from a queer, Asian perspective. Join us as we chat about his show, as well as his life and career, spanning from growing up in Vancouver, Canada to moving to New York to pursue a life on Broadway, and then moving to Los Angeles to pursue a film career in Hollywood. Along the way, he's done standup comedy, been a Broadway chorus boy on Wicked, and has recently written, as well as acted, in shows on Netflix, Apple TV and more.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Rob Ward of Emmerson & Ward, a theatrical production company in Manchester, UK. Join us as we chat about their latest production, "The MP, Aunty Mandy & Me", currently being performed at Kings Head Theatre in London. It has had a great run so far, having been performed at Edinburgh Fringe in 2022, and most recently, the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival. We chat about Rob's history and how he got started in theatre, where he's now part of this amazing new company specializing in staging entertaining, engaging and world class theatre, with a focus on LGBTQ+ stories and social commentary.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Pioneer Winter in Miami, founder of the Pioneer Winter Collective, which blurs the line between physical theater and contemporary dance. We chat about Pioneer's work and inspiration in creating some amazing bodies of work over the years, where one of his stated goals is to "find dance in all bodies". Pioneer is currently the curator and festival director of ScreenDance Miami, a program of the Miami Light Project. He's also on the road this year, continuing to bring his Birds of Paradise project to folks across the country. One aspect of Birds of Paradise is that it shines a light on queer folk underrepresented even within queer community, breaking down age barriers, race barriers and more.

Democratizing performance through the unexpected, with work rooted in social practice and community, queer excellence, and beauty beyond the mainstream.

#ILoveGay Today joins Gus Penaranda, Executive Director of the New Jersey Pride Chamber of Commerce. We chat about some of the exciting initiatives they have planned for 2023, as they continue to expand and grow, partnering with a wide variety of LGBTQ+ New Jersey organizations along the way.

Gus tells us about their upcoming FIFA Summit on Sept 23, 2023. FIFA team members will discuss their diversity, equity and inclusion initiative and efforts to fend off discrimination at the 2026 World Cup. In addition, they're bringing back their LGBTQ+ Summit, held in conjunction with the 2023 League of Municipalities Conference, a unique event held in New Jersey every year. This groundbreaking summit will bring together all the state’s top LGBT+ leaders, State policymakers, Allied Organizations and Corporate Supplier Diversity leaders, who are each respected executives in their respective fields of advocacy, business, education, and sports.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Brooklyn-based columnist, author, and sex expert Zachary Zane, author of the just-released Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto. Join us as we chat about Zachary's work, which focuses on sexuality, lifestyle, and culture, being published in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, Cosmo, GQ, OUT, and many others. He's brought his central theme of removing the stigma of sex shaming, along with his unique perspective as a bisexual man, into Boyslut.

Through the lens of his bisexuality and self-described sluttiness, he breaks down exactly how sexual shame negatively impacts our lives, and how we can unlearn the harmful, entrenched messages that society imparts to us.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Daphney Poyser from Dallas and founder of Fern Connections. We chat about her matchmaking service she started several years ago, blending real world dating experiences along with a strong online experience. As a certified matchmaker, she also does relationship coaching for singles and for couples. Fern Connections is unique in that they also host a variety of real world events, primarily in Dallas for now. They are also quite strong on social media, including the creation of a series of videos that come out several times per week, highlighting various topics in the dating world.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Luis Gramajo, co-founder of Wunderkeks based in Austin, TX. Join us as Luis tells us about his journey to the US from Guatemala with his husband, Hans. Together they formed Wunderkerks, focusing on baking amazing cookies for sale at farmer's markets in their region. With the pandemic ending all in-person events, they were successfully able to pivot to a strong online presence. Tapping into their business acumen, they were able to adapt their marketing to social media, while winning over some key folks who helped them spread the word online. Today they have developed a wide range of partnerships, including Virgin Airlines.

Their business went through further adjustments as they came out publicly online and lost a chunk of business right away. They've since recovered that business, and by now being more visibly true to themselves, have grown in ways they could have never imagined. They've recently been on stage at the 2023 SXSW event with Brian Sims, and they've been very active with their local LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce in Austin as well.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Marissa Alma Nick, author of Rebel in Venus, her first novel. This semi-autobiographical story takes place over one 'girl's night in' spent between best friends. As the evening progresses, her memory is jolted and a repressed past is revealed. It's a book about empowerment, self-realization, self-acceptance and self-love. A coming-of-age story about a woman who is realizing she can no longer outrun herself. The story illuminates queer experiences with an authentic perspective on emerging concerns including trauma, mental health, sexual assault, abuse culture, and gaslighting. In addition, Marissa is hosting a book release event at BooksandBooks on June 2nd at 7pm in Miami.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Brian Sims, Managing Director, Government Affairs & Public Policy at Out Leadership, and a keynote speaker at the upcoming Unleashed LGBTQ+ Expo in Dallas in September.

Brian is a 5-term member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and is the first out LGBT member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Prior to this, he was president of Equality Pennsylvania, and was part of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and the Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia.

Lastly, he has extensive experience lecturing internationally to corporations and universities about the policy and legal implications of diversity and the modern LGBTQ+ civil rights movement.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Chad Intrachooto of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. We chat about Chad's 15+ year history with TAT, as well as their dedication to the LGBTQ+ travel marketplace, including being a part of IGLTA, as well as working with key partners & influencers to help tell the story of #GoThaiBeFree.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Wyatt O'Brian Evans, a return guest and friend, where we talk about his high-octane, sexually-charged, and compelling new novel being released this month, “Nothing Can Tear Us Apart—SHATTERED!" We chat about his book series, as well as his work in educating the world about IPV/A. These themes are in sync with this new book, which reveals provocative insight into Gay/SGL men of color, IPV/A, mental illness, childhood sexual abuse, bullying, and contentious father/son dynamics. #SHATTEREDtheNovel

#ILoveGay Today joins Tom Christ, co-founder of The Pride Cup and the KindRED Pride Foundation. We chat about the excitement of this 2nd season of Pride Cup, and how they've expanded into additional sporting events. They've been quite active on the road as well, promoting and forming partnerships at Sin City Classic in Las Vegas, Miami Beach Pride, Atlanta Bear Weekend and the upcoming Bear Jamboree in Orlando.

As part of the KindRED Pride Foundation, The Pride Cup is an annual LGBTQ+ multi-sport competition held during Gay Disney weekend. This 2nd annual Pride Cup is in partnership with WeHo Dodgeball, Outloud Sports, NGFFL, Rainbow Sports League, and OutSports Orlando.

#ILoveGay Today connects with Alison Burgos, co-founder of the Kindred Pride Foundation in Florida. Kindred Pride's Mission: To get ONE MILLION people around the world to wear RED on the first Saturday of June!

How? By inviting people throughout the world to organically join the movement by posting an image and/or a video of themselves wearing red using the hashtags #REDshirtchallenge, #TaketheREDshirtchallenge and #RSPD.

The link between red and Pride originated in 1991 when Disney cast members and the Central Florida LGBT Community decided to meet socially on the first Saturday in June in front of the Castle at Magic Kingdom. They wore red t-shirts as an expression of pride and to identify their “kindred spirits” since they had only met on a bulletin board and never in person. The KindRED Pride Foundation was inspired by the desire to expand the magic created by those who bravely participated in the original ‘Gay and Lesbian Day at Magic Kingdom.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with a Los Angeles icon, DJ Paul V., one of the founders of the original Dragstrip 66, which ran from 1993 to 2013 in the Silverlake area of Los Angeles. Dragstrip 66 was the place LA's queer/mixed underground eagerly descended upon for an evening of messy drag and trashy rock ’n roll. Listen in as Paul tells us a bit about his history and the history of Dragstrip 66, as well as his work on the upcoming film Dragstrip 66: The Frockumentary, which will contain footage from this weekend's upcoming and sold out Dragstrip 66 30th Anniversary Reunion.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Burak Yilmaz, author of "If My Mother Never Left". We chat with Burak about his life growing up in Turkey, where he wrote "The Ordinary Story of a Homosexual" in 2002, a book that would change his life completely. Outing some of the wrong people in this book landed Burak in jail and worse, but he was able to successfully leave Turkey for New York City, where he started his life anew as a fitness model, a bartender, and whatever else he could do to get by. His latest book picks up where the original left off, chronicling his life and journey through abuse, homelessness, and being Gay In Islam, and how that has gotten him to where he's at today.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Seth Santoro, an "intuitive" business coach from Los Angeles. We chat about Seth's work in helping people, through coaching, writing and holding various educational courses and retreats. He's gone from "Smile from the Inside" to "Stop Writing, Start Selling", along with some amazing children's books along the way. In all of his work and writings, there is always an underlying LGBTQ+ theme or current weaving it all together.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Kirstie Pike, one half of the dynamic duo with her girlfriend Christine Diaz, where they run one of the most successful LGBTQ+ influencer and content creation companies online, On Airplane Mode. Join us as Kirstie talks a bit about how they got started 3 years ago, working with companies ranging from Michael Kors, Prada, AirBNB, Alaska Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and the Dallas CVB along the way.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Bruce Bishop of Halifax, Nova Scotia, author of the Families' Storytelling Trilogy - Unconventional Daughters, Uncommon Sons, Undeniable Relations. Join us as we chat about his 20th century period drama book series, how he got started, and how he has included either major or secondary LGBT characters in the casts, not as tokens, but as believable and ordinary (albeit in extraordinary circumstances!) as the straight characters. We also chat about his blog, website and social media presence, as well as how he's in the process of adapting these novels for television.

Join us as we meet up with Brandon Adkins on #ILove Gay Today. Brandon is a gay kart racer and kart track owner (Adkins Raceway) in Port Washington, Ohio. We chat about his start in Ohio, where he was closeted, married and the father of 2 children. Upon coming out, he moved to North Carolina, where he met his husband Jamie Wince. They are now back in Ohio, where he can be close to his kids again, while pursuing his dream of becoming the first openly gay man to win a national karting championship as a driver and a team owner. Brandon is also a community champion with Racing Pride and his business is NGLCC-certified.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Brandan Rader just in time for Valentine's Day! Based in Denver, Brandan has developed an amazing business "Helping People Find Love Through Psychology." A former model with a master’s degree in psychology and behavioral health, Brandan has developed a series of programs on finding love, including master classes, coaching, matchmaking & personal styling. Having interned for Patti Stanger of “Millionaire Matchmaker” on Bravo TV, Brandan has a strong foundation in matchmaking in the "real world" as well as that offered by the various apps and online sites that have taken the relationship world by storm over the past 20+ years.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Jessica Clark, host of "Coming Out For Love", a new LGBTQ dating competition series from prolific queer filmmaker Nicole Conn. Jessica, who some of you may recognize as Lillith from True Blood, tells us a bit about the show and how it's unique compared to other reality dating series. It's filmed at the Palm Palace in Palm Springs, and is streaming on Lesflicks.com and One More Lesbian TV.

More about Jessica and the show:
Host Jessica Clark, LGBTQ+ icon and activist, guides the sixteen queer women living together under one roof through emotional and physical challenges to win weekly keys that unlock the heart of Season One’s Single and Key Master, influencer, and activist Amber Whittington.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with TJ Chernick, Executive Director of the IGLTA Foundation. TJ tells us what the IGLTA Foundation is all about in the world of LGBTQ+ travel. We also chat about his first IGLTA Convention in Milan he recently attended, as well as where he sees the IGLTA Foundation going in 2023, including San Juan, Puerto Rico in October 2023 for the next IGLTA Convention.

They also held their first LGBTQ+ Travel Symposium in India this past week, and had an amazing group of speakers, as well as over 150 attendees from the Indian travel community listening in on some of their workshops and presentations.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Yvo Manuel Van Dias, founder and chair of TransAmsterdam. We chat about his recent "Star" award by the Dutch Queen Awards organization. We also chat about the history of the organization Yvo started, Amsterdam TransPride, and how in 2019, the organization became TransAmsterdam, a “Trans Art School” that offers various artistic workshops, networking and professional growth opportunities for trans & non-binary artists.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Paul Rimar of The Ri Show, with Season 2 coming soon on CW Philadelphia and My Network TV in Miami. With the 1st season touching on topics ranging from weddings & honeymoons, travel, home decor, fashion and cooking, Season 2 plans to continue in that direction, focusing on more local business spotlights and behind the scenes interviews. They also plan on releasing in more cities in 2023 as well.

#ILoveGay Today connects with Ricky Cornish of Equal Pride and KTNV Action News host of "The Morning Blend" in Las Vegas. Ricky is doing amazing work, both on television and via streaming and social media. He's done a wide variety of celebrity & lifestyle interviews, including interviewing David Archuleta, various Drag Race stars, and most recently, the GayVN Awards show, where Ricky became "gaymous" with his kissing contest on the red carpet.

Ricky is also loving his career trajectory continue to grow, as he's now had a two cover stories this year already, including Out Magazine. He's been writing for Equal Pride's family of publications as well, including The Advocate, Pride.com, Plus Magazine, Out Traveler and more.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Josue Luciano, "The Cake Guy", from Pittsburgh, PA. We chat about how he got started, and what inspires him for new concepts, ideas and designs, including his recent inspiration by Enid & Wednesday Addams. Josue has become quite talented at tapping into pop culture for designs that range from "Enancto" to Netflix's "Wednesday" and more. Josue is also really good at sharing his work on social media, and has developed an amazing following on Instagram and Twitter.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Andrew Rimby, founder of the podcast "Ivory Tower Boiler Room". We chat about how and when Andrew started the public humanities podcast mid-2020, with a focus on literary and artistic interviews. It has since expanded into true crime in academia, live podcasts and a recent interview Playboy vs Playgirl with his friend and colleague, Taylor Ferber. Lastly, we touch on his partnership with other organizations in producing content, including the Gay & Lesbian Review.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Alejandra Palma Trujillo in the new year, where we chat about her new podcast focusing on bringing to light some of the issues she has faced in her transition this past year. Alejandra has done an amazing job putting together this podcast series, and she's set to continue bringing new content and new stories to light in 2023.

#ILoveGay Today connects with Jason Peplinski, co-founder of the Sin City Classic Sports Festival, now the largest annual LGBTQ+ sporting event in the US, with over 10,000 athletes competing in 24 different sports. It is held every year in Las Vegas in January... this season it's January 12-15, 2023.  

They've come a long way since their first event in 2008, produced by GLASA, the organization that still operates the event to this day. They've added two new sports, pickleball and sand volleyball. They've also grown in corporate sponsorships, with Lexus and Tito's Vodka on board, and a host of additional partners featured on their website and exhibiting at their upcoming event as well.

Additionally, the festival also announced that nominations are now open for the second annual Ken Scearce Leadership Award. The award was created in 2022 to honor the memory and legacy of Ken Scearce, the Executive Director of the festival who passed away in 2021. 

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Rico Coar Fernandez, owner of Florida Boy Skincare in St Petersburg, Florida. Rico has created a studio day spa, providing a wide range of skincare services to the local LGBTQ+ community. Rico chats with us about how he got started, and how he networks and partners with other LGBTQ+ service providers in the area.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Steve Greenberg, where we chat about his show "What The Heck Is That!?", The Gadget Game Show, a fun mix of “Shark Tank” and the classic TV show “What’s My Line?” We chat about how he got started in TV news, and from there, created his show where, with the host’s help, his panelists ask Yes/No questions to try to guess the identity and function of the mystery gadget. He even weaves in a variety of Provincetown drag queens as panelists on some of his shows!

In addition, he's written a book, "Gadget Nation: A Journey Through The Eccentric World of Invention", and he's a frequent contributor on NBC’s Today Show. In a nutshell, he's always searching for cool new gadgets & showcasing innovative products in print, online and on television.

#ILoveGay Today connects with Florian Klein, where we talk about his new musical debuting in NYC on October 24th, Shooting Star. Shooting Star is a semi-autobiographical performance about an award-winning gay porn star, Hans Berlin, set at the Black Rooster club. Set up as an intimate, immersive theater not unlike Cabaret, making the audience a part of the show. If you're in NYC this season, be sure to take a peek at the porn industry as seen through Florian's eyes, an industry that earns 75 millions clicks every day!

#AStarIsPorn #PartyLikeAPornStar

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Robin Hopkins, where we chat about her new podcast debuting October 24th, "Well... Adjusting". Considering the previous work this author, actor and funny lady Robin Hopkins has created over the years, this new show should be a hit. It's kind of like a therapy session with a margarita in hand, Robin helps guests manage stress, set some boundaries, find a new apartment and save a dime or two along the way.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Enrique Anarte Lazo, Tiktok journalist and International Correspondent, creating amazing content for the Thomson Reuters Foundation and their LGBTQ+ news brand Openly. We chat about how he got started creating this content, which is unique in that it combines some of the best of LGBTQ+ influencer content with creating an engaging and compelling news story, told in a short and "punchy" way that appeals to a younger Instagram, TikTok and even Twitter audience. He also creates content for Deutsche Welle's Culture Desk, called TikTok's "Berlin Fresh".

Enrique is originally from Southern Spain, and lived and worked in Madrid for a few years before moving to Berlin. It is from this that he brings a unique style and perspective to his content, blending some of the best of Spanish culture, together with a dash of Northern European sensibilities, and all done in English.

#ILoveGay Today connects with London-based musical artist, Smashby, on National Coming Out Day. Join us as we chat about his new single release "Bad Influence", as well as his pride tour this past summer, including a video series he's created from that, entitled Pride Tour Diaries. We also chat about Smashby's amazing talent at both promoting his music online and distributing it via all of the various channels, including social media, video and music streaming platforms.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Michael and Sebastian, the Two Dad Family. Join us as we chat about how they got started creating content, together as a family with their daughter Mia... first on YouTube and then on Instagram. Their content explores their personal stories including their first date and coming out. They also share with us their amazing wedding in Bora Bora, as well as their travel adventures and their journey navigating the world of surrogacy.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Dan Watt, producer of the new movie "Everybody Dance". It's a film about 5 kids with different disabilities, attending Ballet for All Kids. The film is Dan following them and their families for 10 months, where we get to learn their stories about the perseverance of the human spirit. The film releases today on most major streaming services, including Amazon, Google and Apple. It also has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes!

We also learn more about Dan, an openly gay man from Ohio who went from being a dancer to a choreographer to a musical producer, and as if that wasn't enough... to Bea Arthur’s Personal Assistant. He was her assistant and friend until she passed away. He also spent time with Columbia Picture, and worked with Simon Cowell before realizing he wanted to strike out and create works that meant something to him personally.

#EverybodyDanceDoc

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Mark Olmsted, author of Ink From The Pen, A Prison Memoir.  Writing this book, which started out as a series of daily letters written by Mark to his sister while he was incarcerated for dealing meth, his work brings us a unique perspective on prison life while bringing together the sensibilities of a gay, HIV+ man, along with a healthy dose of the TV series Breaking Bad and Oz.

Having what has been dubbed AIDS Survivor Syndrome, Mark lived life as if it had an end date, making short-term choices without worrying about long-term consequences. Looking back on his life, it's been a series of recalibrations to go from that perspective on life to where he's at today, living a goal-oriented, productive and life-affirming existence.

Be sure to read his book, which dives into the psyche of a series of seemingly outwardly detestable characters, while making you empathize with them along the way. To get a snapshot into the context of Mark's life prior to going to prison, be sure to read the GQ article linked below, entitled "Curious Cons of The Man Who Wouldn't Die." In this article, you learn more about his early years contracting HIV, where he lived while his brother succumbed to AIDS. You also learn about his relentless cons, faking death and coming to life while intermittently posing as his dead brother Luke along the way.

#booktok #prisontok

#ILoveGay Today meets up with music artist Sev7en Taylor. We chat about his new single release "The Subconscious Side of the Lilith Moon", coming off of his August release of "House of Seven". We chat about his music and his spirituality, which brings both his music and his books together with a common thread of capturing his various "eras" in life into his music and his literature.

#ILoveGay Today connects with Miz Cambell, Miss Drag South Africa 2020/2021/2022. We chat about the organization, who's mission is "drag with a purpose”. Miz has been performing in drag since 2015/2016, and has performed at Johannesburg Pride and the Queer GALA. We also chat about their personal history, having grown up in the Johannesburg area, and their career in technology and robotics.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Eric McKeever, founder of The Coach Audio Comedy. Starring Eric as the narrator and certified life coach, Evan Nixon, his show brings together an eclectic mix of zany clients he is coaching, all while “life-coaching” his own journey. Think 30Rock meets Twin Peaks! Join us as we chat about how Eric got started on this 6-episode project, and where he sees it going in the months and years ahead.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with music artist Armand Joubert "AJ" in Johannesburg, South Africa. We chat about his work, including his new single inspired by Gwen Guthrie’s “Rent." We also chat about his live performances and how he leverages social media to promote his music and these events in such a masterful way.

#ILoveGay Today reconnects with David Perry, publicist, author and world traveler, based out of San Francisco. We chat about one his clients, the iconic Castro Theatre in San Francisco, and some of the changes they've gone through over the past few years. We also chat about life in Palm Springs, as so many LGBTQ+ folks from Los Angeles, San Francisco and other regions have expedited their retirement plans and have moved to Palm Springs for good.

David also tells us about the sequel to his best-selling book, Upon This Rock... this time set in a small town in Spain and also based on a true story from the Spanish Civil War.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with MR Slade, LGBTQ+ music artist based in Toronto, Canada. He's just released his new single, "Call Me", breathing a new techno-beat into the longing plea made famous by the legendary Debbie Harry and Blondie. Join us as we chat about his music, and his work in breaking down barriers, both as a queer Asian man and a musician.

#ILoveGay Today joins Aaron Paiva Leyton of Tour Guide Peru to both catch up and get an update as to what Aaron and Tour Guide Peru are up to in 2022. We chat about how Aaron has adapted his business during the pandemic, including a huge personal life change in getting married and moving to the Upper Peninsula region of Michigan. We discuss how managing a travel company has changed post-pandemic, and where he sees things going into 2023.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Mariah Hanson, an icon and pioneer in the LGBTQ+ community and founder of The Dinah, one of the largest lesbian events worldwide returning to Palm Springs Sept 21-25, 2022. Celebrating its 31st year, we chat with Mariah about how she got started back in 1991 with her first event held at the Palm Springs Modern Art Museum, and how The Dinah has evolved into what it is today. Having created a music festival combined with a lesbian pool party event, this year has Taylor Dayne, as well as a whole host of amazing queer performers.

We also chat about how her event was part of a recent documentary, Ahead of the Curve, by Frances "Franco" Stevens. We also chat about her inclusion of local organizations in Palm Springs, including the Coachella Valley LGBTQ+ Center, Gay Desert Guide, KGAY and Visit Greater Palm Springs.

#ILoveGay Today joins Jon Godbold of Tales of the Second City, where we connect with Owen Edmunds and his mother, Helen... two amazing personalities in the LGBTQ+ world of Birmingham. Owen and his mom have traveled throughout the UK, attending Pride festivals close to home and across the country. Listen in as Owen talks about his coming out, and how he and his mother developed this kinship in their love of Pride, while connecting with unique and wonderful people along the way.

Owen is also a tour guide and part of Stratford Walks, a multi award-winning daily Town Walk in Shakespeare's Stratford, which is near where they live.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Pollo Del Mar, the1st drag personality in National Wrestling Association's (NWA) history and the 1st to manage a  transgender athlete and pro-wrestling star. We chat about his love of wrestling since he was a wee lad growing up in the South. We also chat about Thrillbilly Silas Mason, who together with Pollo Del Mar are considered the most controversial "couple" in wrestling today. In addition, we touch on Pollo Del Mar's starring role in the documentary, Out in the Ring, as well as his history in media, writing for LGBTQ+ media about wrestling for many years, as well as being a regular columnist in Pro Wrestling Illustrated.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Ash Kapriélov, founder of Tomb of Ash. Based in Manchester, UK, Tomb of Ash is an award-winning videogames blog, Official Tomb Raider Fansite outlet and Resident Evil Ambassador. We chat about how Ash got started with this website and blog, and how he's evolved and grown over the years, and is now invited to key gaming events around the world, and has also now developed a growing presence on Twitch. #Gayming 

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Lachlan Smith, founder of the Birmingham Unicorns Cricket Club, Birmingham’s first LGBTQ+ cricket team. We chat about his love of cricket, and the inspiration behind creating this club, which has grown above and beyond his expectations, and has created a sense of family, as well as LGBTQ+ allies, in the sports world.

#ILoveGay Today connects with Robin Gray, co-founder of GaymingMag.com. With the #CommonwealthGames coming to Birmingham this month, Gayming Magazine has teamed up with Pride House Birmingham to run the Gayming Arena for the full 18 days of the event. They'll be featuring a range of esports and #LGBTQ games for people to drop in and play. In addition, they're hosting a panel & networking evening on 1 August with a number of major panelists talking about how to increase LGBTQ participation in #esports.

We also chat about the success of GaymingMag.com, and how they've successfully filled an under-served niche in the world of #LGBTQ #Gayming. They've expanded into other #GayGeek fandoms, and their Gayming Awards will be expanding to New York City in 2023, at a venue near Broadway and Times Square.

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Ry Levey, director and producer of Out in the Ring, along with the amazing Pollo Del Mar of San Francisco drag fame. We chat about this film they created together, Out in the Ring, which explores the history of LGBTQIA+ wrestlers and queer representation in professional wrestling. With their recent premiere at InsideOUT Toronto this past June, this film continues on the film festival circuit, including Fantasia in Montreal and Cinequest Film And Creativity Festival in San Jose, CA in August.

We chat about their collective history in the sport of professional wrestling, as well as Pollo Del Mar's (aka Paul E. Pratt) background in LGBTQ+ journalism over these past years. Paul's talents in getting the word out via social media has allowed them to work together with an amazing set of other LGBTQ+ media and fans in the professional wrestling world, including LGBT in the Ring podcast and more. 

#ILoveGay Today joins Michael Green, a public speaker and master storyteller, who has built an amazing career transforming wine & food into entertainment. We chat about his work bringing the worlds of wine & food into corporate boardrooms, private dinners and a myriad of other culinary events around the world. He's also spoken on food and wine curating on  MSNBC, CNN, The Today Show, and The Food Network.

#ILoveGay Today, along with John Godbold of Tales of the Second City, meet up with George Mattu, an "accidental activist." George Mattu and his partner Matthew Grocott have lived in Birmingham together for the past seven years but say the incessant homophobia in the city has left them fearing for their safety. Listen in as we chat about George's roll in helping bring more awareness to this issue, as well as how George weaves in his viewpoint as a South Asian gay man that brings together a unique side of homophobia all its own.

#BrumAgainstHate #HandsNotHate #IAmBham #IAmBirmingham #BrumFeed