Everything & Anything...and a bit gay Podcast

Dr. Frank Spinelli is a physician, certified health coach, HIV advocate, and author whose new book, The Shame Compass, is the product of decades spent understanding — and living with — shame. Frank opens up about his early career treating people living with HIV at Gay Men's Health Crisis, and traces how that work connected to his own history: he was sexually abused for three years, from ages 11 to 13, by a Boy Scout leader who was also a decorated police officer. Frank details how, years later, a book tour jogged a memory of his abuser, leading him to track the man down, work undercover with police wearing a wiretap, and ultimately help convict him — despite the abuser having gone on to adopt 16 boys, several with special needs, after avoiding prosecution the first time. The conversation moves into the 2020 Boy Scouts of America class-action lawsuit, where nearly 90,000 survivors came forward. Frank describes the toll of filling out a 47-page questionnaire detailing his abuse in graphic detail — a process he calls his "rock bottom," which triggered a serious struggle with alcohol during the pandemic. He and Zach also discuss the deeply flawed process of "ranking" abuse claims for financial settlements, and Frank offers his perspective — as both survivor and physician — on why people become child molesters, describing it as rooted in power and control rather than desire. Frank and Zach talk candidly about marriage, partnership, and what it takes for a spouse to support someone through trauma disclosure (Frank has been with his husband 18 years; Zach, 27). Frank closes by walking through the seven-step COMPASS framework from his book — Confront, Observe, Map, Process, Accept, Sustain, and (optionally) Service — and explains the crucial distinction he makes between guilt ("I did something bad") and shame ("I am bad"), and why community, not avoidance, is the way through it. In this episode: Frank's path from HIV advocate to author How a book tour led him to confront his abuser Going undercover with a wiretap to help convict a pedophile The Boy Scouts of America abuse lawsuit and its brutal claims process Why the pandemic became his personal rock bottom The psychology of why people abuse children Marriage, disclosure, and being supported through trauma The seven steps of the COMPASS framework The real difference between guilt and shame Guest: Dr. Frank Spinelli — physician, certified health coach, and author of The Shame CompassWebsite: frankspinelli.com Content note: This episode includes candid discussion of child sexual abuse. Listener discretion advised Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Richard Wilmore grew up in a tiny town at the top of Wisconsin, so far north he says people mistake Green Bay for "northern." He knew he was different by grade school, though he didn't come out until his twenties at UW Milwaukee, where a big, macho freshman-year roommate turned out to be entirely unbothered by it. The real turning point came in the summer of 1997, when a 12-year-old Richard stumbled on a rerun of The Rosie O'Donnell Show and instantly rewired his life plan from elementary school teacher to talk show host. He describes the show's radical warmth, how Rosie made every guest and every audience member feel like they belonged, and how he covered his childhood bedroom walls in her photos, built a scrapbook, and eventually rigged up his own closet with curtains modeled after her set. He started filming his own faux talk show alone in his bedroom, complete with a homemade "on air" sign, mock musical guests, and a strict no-siblings-allowed policy. Zach and Richard swap Rosie stories, including Zach's own real-life run-in with her in a South Beach club bathroom (and a DM-turned-Instagram-post connection over a Madonna photo years later). Both hosts admit they've been trying to book her for years with no luck — so this episode ends in a full audience callout: if you're one degree of separation from Rosie O'Donnell, send her Richard's website. From there, Richard walks through his winding career path: a clothing buyer job, a mobile fashion truck he ran out of a converted food truck in Maryland, and eventually founding-employee-turned-executive-director of an arts and health nonprofit in San Antonio that brought musicians, writers, and visual artists into hospitals to work with patients. He's been producing podcasts since 2011 — thousands of episodes at this point — starting with zero equipment, teaching himself editing from free software, and eventually running a five-day-a-week live daytime talk show format before pivoting to a full game-show concept for guests. He talks candidly about only pulling three episodes in his entire career, what makes a guest "not add anything to the conversation," and his philosophy that a host's job is to make the guest look good — even when that means killing an episode entirely. The conversation moves into the business and psychology of podcasting: how he finds guests now (Podmatch instead of literal Craigslist meetups), why bigger-name guests don't guarantee views, the emotional whiplash of going from "a kid who tried not to be noticed" to wanting to be seen, and his blunt take on Patreon-style bonus content ("I don't know why they're extra"). He also shares what he's building today: a podcast studio helping other creators produce their shows, a co-hosted slot with the Wolf Media Festival, a local South Carolina community show, and a brand-new project with his friend Stacy exploring what it means to be a creative entrepreneur. Zach and Richard close out comparing notes on going viral (or not), the mythology of "dream guests," and the shared, very real dream of one day being confident enough to sit across from someone like Chelsea Handler or Joe Rogan. Learn more about Richard: https://www.makeyourdayricher.com/     Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ryan Landry has been a fixture of Provincetown since 1979, and on this episode he opens up about nearly five decades of camp, chaos, and creative survival. He talks candidly about how the town's architecture and artist-friendly spirit have eroded under development pressure, and why he believes preservation matters as much as any economic argument for growth. From there the conversation moves into the legend of Showgirls, the longest-running show in Provincetown history. Ryan walks through his prolific output of adapted plays and musicals, his parallel life as a visual artist, and the found-family dynamic of running a company of performers he affectionately calls his "orphans." He shares a run of unforgettable backstage stories — including an act so outrageous it left Zach speechless, and a pyrotechnic mishap involving a fellow performer that turned into one of the most chaotic nights in the show's history. The two also dig into Ryan's relationship with his partner Scott, his years in 1980s and 90s New York, brushes with figures like River Phoenix and Anita O'Day, and his creative partnerships with performers like Dina Martina and Miss Richfield. Ryan is refreshingly blunt about treating his art as a business, protecting his work legally, and why he sees his career less as glamorous stardom and more as steady, disciplined labor — punching in and out like a factory shift, six days a week, all summer long. It's a conversation full of humor, grit, and genuine heart from one of Provincetown's most enduring performers. Follow Ryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captryanlandry Check out Ryan's Website: https://www.ryanlandryfactory.com/ Get Tickets to Show Girls in Ptown: https://kikipedia.app/event/showgirls-ptown Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Richard Wilmore grew up in a tiny town at the top of Wisconsin, so far north he says people mistake Green Bay for "northern." He knew he was different by grade school, though he didn't come out until his twenties at UW Milwaukee, where a big, macho freshman-year roommate turned out to be entirely unbothered by it. The real turning point came in the summer of 1997, when a 12-year-old Richard stumbled on a rerun of The Rosie O'Donnell Show and instantly rewired his life plan from elementary school teacher to talk show host. He describes the show's radical warmth, how Rosie made every guest and every audience member feel like they belonged, and how he covered his childhood bedroom walls in her photos, built a scrapbook, and eventually rigged up his own closet with curtains modeled after her set. He started filming his own faux talk show alone in his bedroom, complete with a homemade "on air" sign, mock musical guests, and a strict no-siblings-allowed policy. Zach and Richard swap Rosie stories, including Zach's own real-life run-in with her in a South Beach club bathroom (and a DM-turned-Instagram-post connection over a Madonna photo years later). Both hosts admit they've been trying to book her for years with no luck — so this episode ends in a full audience callout: if you're one degree of separation from Rosie O'Donnell, send her Richard's website. From there, Richard walks through his winding career path: a clothing buyer job, a mobile fashion truck he ran out of a converted food truck in Maryland, and eventually founding-employee-turned-executive-director of an arts and health nonprofit in San Antonio that brought musicians, writers, and visual artists into hospitals to work with patients. He's been producing podcasts since 2011 — thousands of episodes at this point — starting with zero equipment, teaching himself editing from free software, and eventually running a five-day-a-week live daytime talk show format before pivoting to a full game-show concept for guests. He talks candidly about only pulling three episodes in his entire career, what makes a guest "not add anything to the conversation," and his philosophy that a host's job is to make the guest look good — even when that means killing an episode entirely. The conversation moves into the business and psychology of podcasting: how he finds guests now (Podmatch instead of literal Craigslist meetups), why bigger-name guests don't guarantee views, the emotional whiplash of going from "a kid who tried not to be noticed" to wanting to be seen, and his blunt take on Patreon-style bonus content ("I don't know why they're extra"). He also shares what he's building today: a podcast studio helping other creators produce their shows, a co-hosted slot with the Wolf Media Festival, a local South Carolina community show, and a brand-new project with his friend Stacy exploring what it means to be a creative entrepreneur. Zach and Richard close out comparing notes on going viral (or not), the mythology of "dream guests," and the shared, very real dream of one day being confident enough to sit across from someone like Chelsea Handler or Joe Rogan. Follow Richard on IG: https://www.instagram.com/makeyourdayricher/ Visit Richard online: https://www.makeyourdayricher.com/ Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this deeply personal solo episode, Zach opens up about a psychic reading he did with medium Tracy Stella, who he first connected with in 2022 and later welcomed as a guest on the show in 2025. Zach walks through the session in detail — his late father coming through with a message about self-love and staying the course with the podcast, and his mother-in-law Irene, who passed away in November, offering comfort about the choices Zach and his husband Andrew made in her final days. He recounts a string of specific, unprompted details Tracy surfaced that he says she had no way of knowing beforehand — a lake house tied to family reunions, recurring quarters appearing around his house, ladybugs as a recognized sign, and the names of great-grandparents he'd never spoken about publicly. He also shares a moment involving his grandmother and a long-held family mystery uncovered through a DNA test. Zach reflects candidly on grief that surfaced months after loss rather than immediately, his shift from skepticism to a belief in reincarnation, and how the reading validated his decision to leave a corporate career and pursue podcasting full-time. He closes with an important note on what Tracy's mediumship is — and isn't — for, plus how to find her if you're looking to book a session. Book a session with Tracy: https://calendly.com/tracy-stella Follow Tracy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracy_stella/ Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week on The Gay Bit, Zach takes listeners through a brunch with his friend "Freddie" that spirals into a full breakdown of modern gay dating culture. What starts as harmless phone-snooping and prank messaging turns into a real conversation about Freddie's Grindr profile — outdated photos, a fudged age, and a "grid" full of one very specific physical type. From there, Zach zooms out into a broader reflection on gay dating culture at large: the elaborate, hyper-specific "type" so many gay men develop, the entire taxonomy of identity categories (bears, twinks, twunks, daddies, otters, and beyond), and why gay men have turned attraction into something closer to a personality trait than a preference. He shares his own story of meeting his husband nearly 28 years ago and how their relationship defied his own "list," landing on a tender case for holding onto your standards while still leaving room for surprise. Equal parts comedy and cultural commentary, this episode is classic Gay Bit: a little campy, a little raw, and rooted in real love for the community it's needling. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Palmer, known in the community as BabyArm, joins Zach to talk about Gathry, the app he built to help LGBTQ+ people find real events happening around them instead of just defaulting to the same bars every weekend. Greg walks through the origin story, from a themed drag night in London to a game night poster outside his New York apartment, and how those moments revealed corners of queer community he'd never encountered before. The conversation covers Gathry's rapid growth to 26 cities across North America, with distinct plans to expand into London next. Greg and Zach discuss how LGBTQ+ culture shifts dramatically from city to city; Atlanta's strong drag king scene, Montreal's bar culture without a real events calendar, and Berlin's uniquely open, diverse nightlife. They also talk candidly about the app's approach to listing the full range of community spaces, including bathhouses amid renewed conversation about legalizing them in New York City, and why Greg wanted Gathry to reflect the totality of LGBTQ+ life rather than function as another dating or hookup app. Zach and Greg touch on the app's community feature for meeting other members, Greg's plans to add in-app messaging, and a shared frustration with AI-generated profiles cluttering dating apps. They also shine a spotlight on the QT Library, a queer and trans community library opening in Boston, and talk about what it means to build spaces, digital and physical, where every part of the community can find their people. Download Gathry at gathryapp.com. Download the app on Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gathry-lgbtq-events-groups/id6749548071 Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Myles Morel is a Capitol Hill correspondent for The Gateway Pundit who's built a following filming candid, on-the-ground moments in DC — including a viral series of clips from outside Senator Mitch McConnell's home during his prolonged public absence. In this conversation, Myles walks through what he saw there, the theories swirling around McConnell's condition, and the behavior that convinced him something bigger is being kept quiet. From there, the conversation moves into how Myles got into video journalism (starting with campaign work during the 2024 cycle), how living and reporting in the DC area has softened some of his earlier hardline views, and why he believes independent, social-first media is the future of the industry. He shares behind-the-scenes stories from Capitol Hill, including surprising off-camera encounters with Rep. Tim Burchett and Rep. Nancy Mace, and reflects on the Epstein files, the push for transparency, and whether the public will ever see more. Myles also gets candid about voting for Trump and where he feels let down, his read on the 2026 midterms and the anti-incumbent energy showing up in both parties, and his dream interview list — including Governor Ron DeSantis, Governor Glenn Youngkin, and Governor Andy Beshear. He closes out talking about his long-term goals, including a possible future run for office back home in Florida. Follow Myles on social media: https://www.instagram.com/mylesmorell https://x.com/morellmedia https://www.tiktok.com/@morellmedia https://youtube.com/@morell_media Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Guest: Leila, Founder & CEO, RLC Models and Talent Agency In this episode, Zach sits down with Leila, the powerhouse behind RLC Models and Talent Agency, who has spent 23 years building one of LA's most versatile talent and modeling operations. Leila shares the story of landing her first major client, Budweiser, just months after opening her agency, and how that relationship (along with Tecate) led to years of work sponsoring major sporting events in boxing, football, and basketball. She talks candidly about working alongside major names like Drake, Enrique Iglesias, Bad Bunny, Snoop Dogg, and Jamie Foxx, and reflects on one of her proudest personal moments: meeting Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in 2025. Leila also opens up about what she looks for when scouting new talent, the personality traits that matter more than looks, and how her own 19-year career as a performer shaped the way she runs her agency. The conversation covers the evolution of RLC's fashion show business (post-COVID reinvention that grew into 55+ shows), the launch of RLC Talent Magazine featuring cover stars like Eric Roberts, Corey Feldman, and Sofia Milos, and the 2025 debut of her docuseries RLC Backstage at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. She also shares the heart behind her work — her Bambino foster kids initiative — and her vision for the next five years, including new ventures supporting working artists in an AI-disrupted entertainment industry. Topics discussed: Building RLC Models and Talent Agency from the ground up Landing the Budweiser/Tecate partnership and major sports sponsorships What Leila looks for in new talent (hint: it's not just looks) Working behind the scenes with A-list celebrities Launching RLC Talent Magazine and choosing cover stars The RLC Modeling School in Calabasas Producing the docuseries RLC Backstage and its Chinese Theatre premiere The Bambino foster kids charitable initiative Leila's five-year vision for her business and giving back Learn more about Leila Ciancaglini at https://rlctalentagency.com/.   Follow Leila Ciancaglini on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leilaciancaglinitv Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this week's "This Is Everything" segment, Zach gets personal about a question that's been on his mind: what does it actually mean to be a queer person living in a red state right now? Prompted by a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ news alerts and his own family's push to relocate, Zach walks through why he and his husband Andrew have ruled out moving closer to his brother, despite the appeal of buying a house outright and being near family. He talks candidly about growing up in Miami, the segregation he's noticed living in Massachusetts, and how racism gets learned rather than born. He also digs into the wave of state-level bills stripping rights from transgender people — including driver's license revocations happening with zero warning — and why he believes the volume of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation right now is a distraction from bigger issues. Zach lands on why Massachusetts, for all its quirks, is home: legal protections, a lesbian governor, direct flights, and a community where being loud and proud on a night out doesn't come with a second thought. It's a mix of the political and the deeply personal — family pressure, real estate math, small-town New Hampshire bike week, and what it means to choose safety over square footage. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Japheth Franco — the TikTok creator gay men (and everyone else) are calling their "gay big brother" — is back for round two. This time he and Zach get into the messy middle of modern dating: the catfish who never shows up on FaceTime, the guy who vanishes after weeks of daily texting, and why ghosting does more psychological damage than a direct rejection ever could. Japheth breaks down his core dating rule — get clear on what you want and say it upfront, because clarity saves everyone time — and explains why time, once wasted, is the one thing you can never get back. The conversation moves into friendship: why Japheth did a hard audit of his social circle in his thirties, the case for quality over quantity, and the "pen pal" texting pattern that kills a connection before it starts. They also cover the DMs Japheth gets now that his following is growing (feet pic requests included), his new weekly gig on a Hartford, CT FM radio show, and his bigger vision for turning his advice into something more than content. Then Zach fully commits to matchmaker mode, pitching Japheth three real prospects on the spot — because apparently this podcast now does that too. Follow Japheth: https://www.tiktok.com/@japhethfranco https://www.instagram.com/japheth__franco/ Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Happy Friday! This week's Gay Bit is a personal one — Zach digs into the real, decades-long backstory of how he became an interviewer, long before "podcast host" was ever the plan. It starts in childhood, filming home movies on VCR cameras and later mini-DVD cameras, a habit inherited from his father, who Zach describes as the family historian. Those tapes — now digitized — capture a teenage Zach already doing mock interviews with friends, including one memorable bit where he played Barbara Walters interviewing a very reluctant, very shy friend. From there, Zach revisits his high school prank-call era as "Barbara Midnight," a fake radio DJ character he used (with a group of friends on three-way landline calls) to run a fake singing contest promising $500 to anyone who could belt out a few lines of their favorite artist. Most of it was harmless fun — until one call to a woman who genuinely believed she'd won money for her kids' Christmas presents left the group too guilty to keep going for months. The episode's centerpiece is Zach's story of Phoenix, a bar in NYC's Lower East Side where he and his friend group — including his now-husband Andrew — spent years of nights out. Zach describes literally pulling strangers into a side room, sitting them down, and running impromptu, unscripted "talk shows" for an audience of friends, often turning the questions into an on-the-spot matchmaking game. He reflects on how many of those pairings turned into real connections, and how the instinct to find "interesting people who aren't selling anything" still drives how he books guests today. He closes with two future dreams: a live local AM/FM radio show — potentially exploring this with AM host Philip Anthony — and a proper in-person studio setup, styled after shows like Amy Poehler's, instead of remote interviews from his home studio. Along the way, he gives his husband credit (reluctantly) for his podcasting notes, and jokes about wanting to be the next Oprah — money included. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nathan spent years climbing the corporate ladder at L'Oreal, eventually reaching senior vice president level across brands like Kiehl's and Baxter of California. But the more success he found in corporate beauty, the more disconnected he felt from what stylists and their clients actually wanted — so he walked away to start his own company from scratch. That company became Filament Sciences, home to the haircare brand Filament. Unlike most beauty startups that lean on contract manufacturers or repackaged formulas, Nathan self-funded years of custom molecular research and development, building a patented technology that repairs broken bonds inside damaged hair — bonds broken by color, heat tools, sun, and chemical services — and holds that repair in place for weeks at a time. Nathan talks through what it actually took to build the company solo: designing his own packaging and logo, going through hair and aesthetics school while still working in corporate, and deliberately avoiding paid influencer marketing in favor of building credibility directly with elite stylists, dermatologists, and aestheticians. He also opens up about the brand's roots as an LGBTQ-owned company, his approach to hiring and representation on his team, and his exclusive launch partnership with retailer Violet Grey. The conversation moves well beyond business, too — Nathan shares his skincare and skin-resurfacing routine (no Botox, ever), his years living and working in China, his fluency in Mandarin, and how he met his husband of over 16 years. It's a wide-ranging conversation about building something real in an industry full of shortcuts, and doing it without losing yourself along the way. Learn more about Filament: https://filamentsciences.com/ Follow Nathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathaninthelab/   Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Zach welcomes Philip Anthony, host of Downright Upright on Minnesota's AM 950 — "the Progressive Voice of Minnesota" — for a conversation that moves from career origin stories all the way to the heart. Philip shares how he went from teaching and legal work to becoming a flight attendant, landing (unexpectedly) in Minneapolis-St. Paul, where he found a tight-knit community, met his husband, and eventually turned a pandemic-era podcast into a full progressive radio show. He and Zach swap first-date stories, laugh about the "Craigslist romance section" era of gay dating, and reflect on coming out to their mothers in very different decades. The conversation turns serious as Philip opens up about childhood physical and emotional abuse from his stepfather and from teachers who looked the other way — and what he wishes he could tell his eighteen-year-old self. He and Zach also discuss how interviewing transgender guests personally deepened their understanding and allyship, and they talk candidly about the current wave of anti-trans legislation, misinformation in right-wing media, and the emotional toll of watching political violence hit close to home in the Twin Cities. They close on a lighter note, previewing Philip's upcoming live shows at Golden Valley Pride and Twin Cities Pride, where he'll be handing out Downright Upright swag and meeting listeners in person. Topics covered: From flight attendant to radio host: Philip's winding career path Meeting his husband before dating apps existed Coming out in the late 1970s vs. the 1990s Podcast-to-live-radio: what changes when you can't edit yourself How interviewing trans guests shaped Philip's understanding and advocacy Childhood abuse and what he'd tell his younger self Political division, misinformation, and the current wave of anti-trans legislation Golden Valley Pride and Twin Cities Pride live show details Where to follow Philip Anthony and Downright Upright online Listen to Philip's radio show here: https://www.am950radio.com/category/podcasts/phil/ Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Neyla Pekarek spent eight years as the cellist and vocalist for The Lumineers, joining the band just weeks after graduating college in 2010 after answering a Craigslist ad. What started as a way to get out of her parents' house turned into Grammy nominations, a Saturday Night Live performance, opening for U2, playing Madison Square Garden and Red Rocks, and an invitation to perform for President Obama at the White House. In this conversation, Neyla talks about why she eventually left the band to pursue her own songwriting and return to her musical theater roots, and how being the only woman on tour with two men shaped that decision. She and Zach dig into the imposter syndrome that follows creative people even after real success. The heart of the episode is the story of Rattlesnake Kate, a real Colorado folk hero Neyla discovered in a small-town museum while in college. Kate killed 140 rattlesnakes in a single afternoon in 1925 while protecting her young son, then made a dress out of the snakeskins. Neyla turned Kate's story into a concept album and eventually a full musical produced at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in 2022. She also discusses her follow-up project, "Queen of Magic," inspired by Adelaide Herrmann, the first woman to headline her own magic show during the Victorian era, and why she keeps gravitating toward overlooked women in history. Neyla also shares details about her new five-song EP, her collaborators including jazz pianist Annie Booth and Broadway performer Mary Kate Morrissey, and her upcoming vaudeville-style "extravaganza" shows — August 13th in New York City at the Green Room 42, and August 27th at Cat's Crawl in Los Angeles. Buy tickets to the NYC show (August 13th at Green Room 42) https://thegreenroom42.venuetix.com/showdetails/vuFeQ60kMUNB4ZDWbiRo/f0IR4jSqAt5bvbfyv2LG Buy tickets to the LA show (August 27th at Cat's Crawl) https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vaudevillian-extravaganza-tickets-1992233653487?aff=oddtdtcreator The Queen of Magic: https://www.joymachinerecords.com/artists/thequeenofmagic Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Support for same-sex marriage in America just dropped six points since 2022 — and Zach wants to know why. In this week's solo episode, he digs into a recent Gallup poll showing acceptance falling from 71% to 65%, even as LGBTQ+ identification among Gen Z and millennials continues to climb. It's a contradiction that's been sitting with him, and he works through it out loud. The conversation ranges from anti-gay laws spreading across parts of Africa, to Budapest's pride parade defying a hostile government, to the swelling wave of anti-trans legislation moving through U.S. statehouses. Zach pushes back hard on the argument that trans people living authentically has any impact on anyone else's life, and reflects on why the disappearance of DEI commitments across companies and institutions worries him. He also gets personal — recounting what it was like coming out to his father in his early twenties (and the six months of silence that followed), and to his mother, whose first questions revealed just how little exposure she'd had to LGBTQ+ people. Zach compares that to how differently a coming-out conversation might go today, using his cousin's transgender child as an example of a much more accepting generation of parents. The episode closes on something more intimate: why Zach, despite 27+ years with his husband, still isn't fully comfortable holding hands in public — a hesitation rooted in something he witnessed growing up in Miami. It's an honest look at the gap between wanting full visibility and knowing when it doesn't feel safe. Zach also hosts Listen Up Girl, a daily LGBTQ+ news podcast, and The Gay Bit, a weekly Friday dose of campy commentary — both available wherever you listen to this show.   Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this deeply moving episode, Zach sits down with Arnold Dahl-Wooley — a nationally recognized Two Spirit public speaker, advocate, and founder of Two Spirit Advocacy in Minnesota — for a conversation about identity, culture, and survival. Arnold opens by defining "Two Spirit" for listeners unfamiliar with the term: a sacred identity within Native American culture referring to those within the LGBTQ+ population who are seen as embodying more than one gender, historically honored as leaders, healers, and teachers. He traces how colonization stripped that sacredness away, and explains why the term is culturally specific — not a label for non-Indigenous people to claim, even as its teachings of sacredness and self-worth are for everyone. The conversation moves through Arnold's own journey of hiding his authentic self as a kid to protect himself, into 25+ years of public speaking and founding Two Spirit Advocacy — the only organization of its kind in Minnesota — offering crisis outreach, healthcare connections, ceremony, drum-making classes, and community nights. Zach and Arnold also go deep on spirituality: what happens to Two Spirit people after death in Ojibwe tradition, spirit guides and spirit names, and how continuation (not reincarnation) shapes Arnold's worldview. The episode turns serious as they discuss the MMIW/MMIR crisis, the pain of being "erased twice" through misgendering and disappearance, and what real allyship and visibility can do to save lives. Arnold closes with a message to the wider LGBTQ+ community: Two Spirit people are part of the alphabet too, and walking together — sharing culture instead of appropriating it — is how healing happens. Arnold also shares his 27-year love story with his husband, and reflects on what it means to live loudly and authentically after years of hiding. Learn more: twospiritadvocacy.com Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's Friday, which means it's time for The Gay Bit — Zach's weekly dose of camp, commentary, and community talk on Everything & Anything…and a Bit Gay. This week: summer is officially Zach's least favorite season, and he's not sorry about it. He breaks down why he'd rather be bundled up in a sweater than baking in the heat, why he's never been a beach person despite growing up in Miami, and why his skincare routine comes before his tan. From there, it's a full tour of gay summer culture: the annual pilgrimage to Provincetown, the joys and exhaustion of tea dance, why the "gay beach" walk is an outright scam, and the very specific rhythm of a P-town week (breakfast, tea dance, dinner, drag show, Spiritus Pizza at 1am, repeat). He ranks the best and worst weeks to visit — skip July 4th, aim for Labor Day — and reflects on how the town has changed over the years, including a tribute to a beloved local performer who's since passed. The episode closes with a chaotic, hilarious, oddly touching story about "Ann," a P-town regular from summers past who Zach and his friend Tony can't stop talking about — and an open call to the internet to help him find her. Along the way: thoughts on Florida politics, dream towns, and why Boston might just be the right amount of gay. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kathy Anderson joins the show to talk about her new short story collection, Vamoose, fifteen stories centered on older lesbians standing on the edge of something new. She traces the book's title back to a single line of dialogue that captured the collection's spirit of letting go of the old to make room for the new. The conversation moves through Kathy's own path: coming out at 17 in the late 1970s, building a career as a public librarian at a time when librarians were among the first professionals to organize an LGBTQ task force, and publishing her first book after 60 following years of writing, mentorship, and contest submissions. She and Zach talk candidly about writing humor alongside loss, why she resists cynical endings, and what it means to finally stop worrying what people think. They also dig into queer literary history and access, from the 1989 Texas Pride Parade to present-day book bans, and Kathy highlights two resources for readers: the Queer Liberation Library (accessible free through the Libby app) and a new community library opening in Boston. Vamoose is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and directly through Vine Leaves Press. Guest: Kathy Anderson, author of Vamoose (Vine Leaves Press) In this episode: The story behind the title Vamoose Coming out at 17 and building a career as an out public librarian Balancing queer identity with literary fiction that reaches everyone Writing humor and loss in the same story Publishing a first book after 60 The Queer Liberation Library and free access to queer books via Libby A new LGBTQ community library opening in Boston Reflecting on Pride history and today's book bans Want to support the show? Subscribe, rate, and leave a review — and share this episode with someone who loves a good coming-of-age-at-any-age story. Kathy's Book:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/3988322067?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Zach opens up about the relationship people ask him about most: his 28-year partnership with his husband, Andrew. Prompted by the same question on every radio and podcast appearance lately — "how did you two make it work?" — Zach walks through the whole origin story: meeting on AOL in 1998 (dial-up, flip phones, and all), their first date, moving in together, and the honeymoon phase giving way to who they really are. Along the way: the infamous "unique boutique" closet purge, the DC trip that ended the honeymoon phase, and the birth of the phrase "DC hungry." Zach gets honest about what nobody tells you about long-term relationships — that the hard parts are normal, that the first nine months aren't real life, and that surviving decades together isn't about avoiding conflict, it's about choosing to stay through it. This is the first in a series where Zach breaks down what to actually expect in a long-term relationship, including a preview of the "seven year itch" chapter of his and Andrew's story, coming in a future episode. Rate, review, and follow the show — it helps more people find these conversations. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today on Everything & Anything…and a Bit Gay, Zach sits down with British author Matt Cain — bestselling novelist, former editor-in-chief of Attitude magazine, MBE recipient, and founder of Pansy, the UK's dedicated LGBTQ+ publishing house. Matt opens up about growing up gay in a working-class town outside Manchester during the height of the AIDS crisis, being bullied for being "too girly" before he even understood what being gay meant, and the years he spent internalizing shame he didn't create. Zach and Matt trade coming-of-age stories — including their very different first experiences stepping into gay bars and gay culture for the first time — and talk honestly about the residual shame that follows so many gay men even after coming out. The conversation moves into Matt's career: a decade making documentaries and reporting arts and entertainment on UK broadcast news, the online abuse he faced simply for being visibly gay on camera, and his time leading Attitude magazine. Matt shares how every publisher rejected his early novels for being "too gay," how he crowdfunded his first book and broke a national fundraising record to prove them wrong, and the moment 18 months ago he received a letter from the Prime Minister informing him he'd been awarded an MBE for services to LGBTQ+ culture — presented to him personally by Prince William. They dig into Matt's new novel, The Castle of Stories, inspired by his husband's real-life inheritance of a centuries-old hideaway in rural Italy, and Matt's lifelong fascination with erased queer history — from Michelangelo's love sonnets to Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid. Matt also opens up about why he founded Pansy, reclaiming a childhood slur as the name of his publishing house, and what he'd say to queer writers being told to tone down their identity to get published. It's a conversation about shame, self-acceptance, queer history, and building something that didn't exist before — because no one else would. 📖 Get The Castle of Stories by Matt Cain — available now in the US and UK, in print, ebook, and audiobook, wherever you buy books. Learn more about Matt and his books here: https://www.mattcainwriter.com/ 🎧 Listen to more of Everything & Anything…and a Bit Gay wherever you get your podcasts. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Author Ryan La Sala joins the show to talk about his new horror novel The Dead of Summer, now out in paperback, and the fictional island of Anchor's Mercy — a queer sanctuary modeled on Provincetown, right down to the drag queens who run the town after the tourists clear out. Ryan opens up about writing horror as a way to process fear and courage, the complicated dynamic between year-round locals and seasonal visitors in queer resort towns, and the mother-son storyline inspired by (but not literally) his own mom. He also talks about his earlier books Honeys and Beholder, the upcoming Dead of Summer sequel, movie news on the Honeys adaptation, his cat Haunted Little Girl, and why he thinks everyone should put on a wig at least once. Ryan's books, including The Dead of Summer.  https://www.ryanlasala.com/ Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Every gay content creator has a Karen. Mine has several — plus a Brent, a Donna, and a Gary with exactly six followers and one Pokémon post to his name. This week on The Gay Bit, Zach breaks down the taxonomy of the strangers who slide into his comments and DMs to inform him he's going to hell: the drive-by, the scripture bomber, the concerned auntie, and the rarest breed of all, the debate-me bro. Some of it is pure comedy (Donna's 47 public photos of her granddaughter's birthday party while lecturing Zach on family values). Some of it is genuinely moving — a mother named Linda, quietly wrestling with her faith and her love for her gay son, who had nowhere else to put her fear. Plus: the time Zach accidentally cross-posted his gay news podcast into a West African community Facebook group at midnight, and lived to tell the tale. Mentioned in this episode: BAGLY (Boston Alliance of LGBTQ+ Youth) — bagly.org New episodes of Everything & Anything...and a Bit Gay drop regularly — subscribe, rate, and share this one with a friend who's got their own Karen story. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Everything & Anything…and a Bit Gay, Zach talks with Felix Eller — the Richmond, Virginia native who unexpectedly went viral for winning a Heated Rivalry-themed lookalike contest. In this episode: Felix's coming out story — being told he was gay before he'd considered it himself Middle school bullying, a death threat, and a year of homeschooling A first relationship ended by a conversion therapy threat Full-circle acceptance from parents, siblings, and even his great-grandmother How the lookalike contest led to a real date — and a viral jumbotron kiss at TD Garden in Boston Setting boundaries with press to make sure his full story got told, not just the viral moment Handling trolls and online hate with perspective Building Hit the Town, his app spotlighting queer-, Black-, and woman-owned businesses Plans for modeling, Rocky Horror Picture Show, and a move to New York City Follow Felix and check out Hit the Town  https://www.instagram.com/felix.eller/ https://chirp.me/felixeller Hit the Town Crowdfunding https://www.freefunder.com/campaign/hit-the-town If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe, rate, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this week's This Is Everything episode, Zach takes listeners on a trip back to Southern Illinois, where he visited his mother for her birthday and revisited the tiny rural town he lived in until age seven. He reflects on what his life could have looked like had his family never relocated to Florida — the bullying he likely would have faced, the lack of diversity in his childhood school, and the very real possibility his life would have taken a darker turn. He traces the ripple effects of that one relocation decision all the way to meeting his husband in New York City 27+ years ago, and reflects on gratitude, chosen paths, and the "what if" moments that shape a life. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Title: Inside the Furry Fandom: A Veteran's Journey Through Fursonas, Community & Healing Episode Summary: This week on Everything & Anything…and a Bit Gay, Zach sits down with Mika (Mikadothebusky25), a content creator and proud member of the furry fandom, for a conversation that goes far beyond the stereotypes. Mika breaks down what the furry community actually is, how fursonas are created, and why the fandom has become a comfort space for people navigating identity, gender expression, and mental health. He also opens up about his background as a former Israeli military sniper, his experience surviving the October 7th attacks and the loss of his children, and how art and community became part of his healing process after being medically discharged and relocating to the United States. The two also dig into the economics of fursuits (some costing upwards of $20,000), what conventions like Anthrocon actually look like, the overlap between the furry world and LGBTQ+ culture, and the community's own accountability standards around protecting minors and animals from the small minority who give the fandom a bad name. Episode Notes: What the furry fandom is (and isn't) — and its roots as a comfort community How fursonas are created and how they can evolve over time The cost and craftsmanship behind fursuits ($1,500–$75,000+) Mika's path from growing up in Israel to serving as a sniper, surviving October 7th, and starting over in the U.S. How the furry community helped him process trauma and repressed emotion The overlap between furry culture and LGBTQ+ identity and expression A look inside furry conventions — Anthrocon in Pittsburgh draws up to 180,000 attendees Community safety norms: how the fandom identifies and excludes anyone who harms minors or animals Furries vs. bronies — how the two communities differ Finding love and chosen family through the fandom, including meeting his fiancé on VRChat Advice for anyone curious about exploring the community Where to find Mika: TikTok @Mikadothebusky25 Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Author Neil Adams joins the show to talk about his memoir chronicling the extraordinary life of his late best friend, Michael Dorian — a veterinary technician who talked his way past the barricades on 9/11 to help exhausted firefighters at Ground Zero, despite having no medical credentials and living with HIV. Neil traces Michael's story from a chaotic childhood in the Bronx, through an HIV diagnosis at 16, to the found-family relationship that helped him finish school and rebuild his life. They discuss how Michael juggled relationships while managing his status, the guilt he carried over unknowingly transmitting HIV to a partner, and how his 24 hours at the pile on 9/11 ultimately led to a rare cancer diagnosis nearly two decades later. Zach shares his own experience being inside the World Financial Center on 9/11, and the two reflect on the fight for Victims Compensation Fund recognition, Michael's NYPD Medal of Valor, his appearance in Spike Lee's 9/11 documentary, and why preserving LGBTQ+ history — including the realities of the AIDS crisis — still matters today. Guest: Neil Adams, authorWebsite: readneiladams.comTopics: 9/11 first responders, HIV/AIDS history, LGBTQ+ memoir, chosen family, Victims Compensation Fund Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's Friday, and that means it's The Gay Bit — where Zach makes sure the week ends as gay as possible. This week, Zach takes us on a tour of a very specific type of friend: the one who knows every owner, attended every opening, and has somehow been to every event before you even finish your sentence. You know the type. Zach does too — and he's got receipts. He also flashes back to a wild chapter from his Chase Manhattan Bank days, featuring a coworker who claimed she dumped LL Cool J because he got too famous, and whose daughter allegedly went from zero piano lessons to a Carnegie Hall solo in two weeks flat. Two weeks. Plus: what happens when someone lets a corporate promotion go completely to their head, a red Australian clay mask prank that did NOT go according to plan (Andrew remains unbothered), and the big news — Zach got his ears pierced again at 53 and has zero regrets. In this episode: The "I know the owner" friend and what the psychology might be behind it A corporate crash course in how not to act after a promotion The Chase Manhattan coworker who dated LL Cool J (allegedly) Carnegie Hall: two weeks of piano lessons, one impossible story Andrew vs. the red clay mask prank Ear piercing, belly buttons, and doing whatever you want at 53 New episodes drop daily. Subscribe so you never miss a Gay Bit — or the guests coming your way every Sunday. 📲 Follow Zach on Instagram: @TheRealZachRE 🎙️ Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more people find the show. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens after the cancer is gone? For actor, filmmaker, author, and cancer survivor Edward Miskie, the answer is: the hardest part. In this raw, deeply honest, and at times hilarious conversation, Edward joins Zach to talk about being diagnosed with lymphoma at 24 while performing in Hairspray in Reno, Nevada — a tumor the size of a grapefruit growing under his arm, costumes being let out to fit around it — and what came after surviving the unsurvivable. Edward pulls zero punches. He talks about drinking his way through chemo, swimming in the ocean during radiation and getting a parasite, and the moment he thought his life was actually over. But the conversation goes even deeper into what he calls surviving cancer sucks — that devastating, disorienting realization that "back to normal" is a lie. That the person you were before cancer is gone. That while you were in treatment fighting to stay alive, the rest of the world just... kept going. Edward also shares the story behind his acclaimed documentary short Back to Normal, which has won Best Story at the Toronto and Los Angeles Documentary Short Film Festival, and why he made it — to finally have the conversation no one was having about life after cancer. He talks about the Remission Film Festival he founded in New York City (the only film festival of its kind, focused on creators impacted by cancer), his book Cancer, Musical Theater, and Other Chronic Illnesses, and what he tells anyone who's still pretending they're fine: stop it and swing for the fences. This is one of those conversations where Zach forgot he was even recording a podcast. Episode Notes: 🎬 About Edward Miskie: Edward Miskie is a New York-based actor, filmmaker, author, and cancer survivor. Diagnosed with lymphoma in 2011 while performing in regional theater, he went on to build a second life defined by radical honesty, creative audacity, and a refusal to pretend everything is fine. 📽️ Back to Normal — Edward's documentary short film, currently on the film festival circuit. Watch for upcoming screenings and future distribution. Keep up with Edward on social media for details. 🎟️ Remission Film Festival — The only film festival focused on creators impacted by cancer. Held annually in New York City, with live streaming available. This past April featured 14 films, 35 submissions from across the globe, and raised money for Blood Cancer United. remissionfilmfestival.com (confirm URL with Edward) 📚 Cancer, Musical Theater, and Other Chronic Illnesses — Edward's book about diagnosis, survivorship, and coming out the other side — set against the backdrop of musical theater. Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Learn more about Edward https://www.edwardmiskie.com/ https://www.instagram.com/edwardmiskie Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Gay people have attitude. It's a stereotype — and it's also true. But the question was never why are gay people bitchy? The real question is: what did the world do to create that? In this episode of This Is Everything, Zach gets personal about the armor that LGBTQ+ people build just to survive — the thick skin, the shade, the sharp wit, the hypervigilance about who's safe in the room. It's not a personality flaw. It's scar tissue. From six months of silence in his childhood home after coming out to his father, to guests who were beaten, threatened, and tortured just for existing — Zach traces the real origin of gay attitude. He talks about ballroom culture as an act of pure defiance, the 700+ anti-LGBTQ legislative bills moving through government right now, and why a quiet, apologetic gay person is easier to ignore — and why that's exactly the problem. This one hits. In this episode: The stereotype that's actually true — and why it exists Guests who were beaten, threatened, and left death threats in their lockers just for being LGBTQ+ Six months of silence: Zach's father not speaking to him after he came out — and what happened after Why gay attitude is scar tissue, not personality Andrew's grandfather and mother, and what unconditional acceptance actually looks like Reading the room at work: the survival skill every LGBTQ+ person develops Ballroom culture, voguing, and building a family out of defiance Transgender guests at 50, 60, and 66 — and what choosing your authentic self actually costs Over 700 anti-LGBTQ bills in the United States right now The AIDS crisis, Stonewall, police raids, and why older generations carry what they carry A message to every LGBTQ+ person still standing: you are fucking incredible Connect with Zach: 🌐 everythingandanythingpodcast.com 📸 Instagram: @TheRealZachRE Everything & Anything…and a Bit Gay — new episodes weekly. Subscribe, rate, and share if this one hit home. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

One of the most recognizable names in beauty joins us for a deeply personal, wide-ranging conversation. Chaz Dean — the creator of WEN Cleansing Conditioner, with over 100 million bottles sold — sits down with Zach to talk about far more than hair. This is a conversation about following your instincts, building a legacy on your own terms, the chosen family that shapes you, and why giving back isn't something you do when you can afford it — it's something you do with whatever you have. Chaz shares the story of how he almost took a job at Vidal Sassoon but walked away when they told him he had to choose between cutting and coloring. He talks about the moments that shaped him: getting exploited early in his career, using those experiences as fuel rather than reasons to quit, and ultimately building one of the most iconic product lines in beauty history. He opens up about his celebrity clients — from Jennie Garth (a friendship of over 30 years) to Tori Spelling and Julianna Margulies — and shares a never-before-told story about asking the universe for Madonna and Pamela Anderson as clients, and the ice-cold lesson that redirected him. Beyond beauty, Chaz talks about the charities that have defined his adult life: 26+ years with the HollyRod Foundation supporting autism and Parkinson's research, nearly 30 years with Project Angel Food (which started with Marianne Williamson cooking meals for people with AIDS), and his deep involvement with Best Friends Animal Society. He reflects on the mentor figures who shaped him — including his minister of 25 years, the late Reverend Della Reese, and a woman named Spirit, a formerly homeless person who lived at his Hollywood salon for 12 years. The conversation also gets beautifully personal — his journey away from Botox and fillers, his natural skincare routine (and why he'll do a half-face challenge with Zach live on camera), the inspiration behind his low-heat hair dryer after watching clients destroy their hair with high-heat tools, and a brand new self-tanner born out of a first-date ultimatum. This is one of those episodes that makes you rethink what it means to build something real. Episode Notes: Chaz's early career: photography school → beauty school → walking away from Vidal Sassoon Being exploited early and using it as a stepping stone instead of a roadblock How WEN changed the haircare industry — and why people still ask "where's the shampoo?" 25 years later The never-told story about asking the universe for celebrity clients — and the lesson that redirected him 30+ year friendship with Jennie Garth His minister for 25 years: the late Reverend Della Reese Spirit — a formerly homeless woman who lived at his Hollywood salon for 12 years Why he stopped Botox and fillers in 2019 — and what his natural skincare routine looks like now Why his hair dryer maxes out at 240°F — and why that matters for your hair health A new self-tanner created from plant-based sugars with no orange, no streak, no smell HollyRod Foundation (26+ years), Project Angel Food (nearly 30 years), Best Friends Animal Society His skincare product recommendations: dry oil, facial cleansing treatment, night cream, body bomb, revitalizing mist The half-face challenge: use your current products on one side, Chaz's on the other for 30 days Links: Chaz Dean website: https://chazdean.com/ WEN Pets Ultra Plush Faux Fur Bed: https://chazdean.com/collections/wen-pets Subscribe to Everything & Anything…and a Bit Gay: [add link]Follow Zach: @TheRealZachRE on Instagram Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kink, Leather Culture & Sexual Authenticity with The Kink Collective What does it really mean to know who you are — and to be brave enough to live it? In this episode of Everything & Anything…and a Bit Gay, Zach sits down with three remarkable people: Cat, Joshua, and Natalie, co-founders and members of the Kink Collective, an organization built on a single radical idea: people before kink. The Kink Collective isn't about teaching people what to do in the bedroom. It's about helping people find the language to describe who they are — and creating a space where they finally feel safe enough to say it out loud. Cat, Joshua, and Natalie share their personal journeys: grief and loss, toxic relationships, reinvention, and ultimately, how they found each other and built something meaningful together. They get into what leather culture actually is (and isn't), the difference between kink as physical and kink as emotional intelligence, and why the people who find them are often the ones who've "done everything right" by society's standards — and still feel completely lost. They also open up about the very real price of authenticity, the risks of oversharing, and why discernment is one of the most undervalued skills in any relationship. Zach and the group also dive into pop culture — including the film Pillion and the show Billions — and how mainstream media is starting (slowly) to reflect these conversations. If you've ever felt like you were living a version of yourself that other people designed for you, this episode is for you. Find the Kink Collective: kinkcollective.net 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kink_collective/ 🎙️ Their podcast: Conscious Kinky Podcast on Spotify & YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@TheKinkCollective https://open.spotify.com/show/3faYv0gsR2G7IeGORwtD3V?si=ca3ef90904f54b5b&nd=1&dlsi=1cfcbb4e606b4698 Everything & Anything…and a Bit Gay is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio. 🌐 everythingandanythingpodcast.com 📱 Instagram: @TheRealZachRE If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it — and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week on Everything & Anything…and a Bit Gay, Zach sits down with Colombian actress, model, and former beauty queen Elisa — a woman who has done it all. From winning pageants in Barranquilla (the city that gave the world Shakira and Sofia Vergara), to earning a law degree she never used, to walking runways in Miami and eventually landing roles on Netflix and Starz's Black Mafia Family, Elisa's journey is one of grit, glamour, and genuine heart. In this conversation, Elisa opens up about growing up in Colombia, the magic (and chaos) of Barranquilla's legendary four-day carnival, and how watching Burn Notice as a background extra made her decide she wanted to be the one with the microphone in front of the camera. She also shares the story of how a well-placed string of Spanish curse words in an audition landed her a role on a major Netflix series — and why the producers actually asked her to keep them in. Plus: Hollywood diversity, teenage daughters and screen time, her Hands for Children Foundation that has served kids in Colombia for over 10 years, and her upcoming film RLC Backstage — a scripted drama set behind the scenes of LA's fashion world, premiering at the Chinese Theatre. Topics covered: Growing up in Barranquilla, Colombia — the city of Shakira, Sofia Vergara, and carnival culture From child pageants to Miss World Colombia — and a law degree along the way Modeling in Miami with Elite, working on Burn Notice, and the moment she decided to become an actress Her first acting role: sweet-hearted Rosalita on Telemundo Playing the wife of a drug lord on Black Mafia Family The audition story: how Spanish curse words got her cast on Netflix Hollywood diversity for Latina and LGBTQ+ actors — progress and frustration Dream co-stars: Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, and an honorable mention for Leonardo DiCaprio Raising a teenage daughter in the age of social media (and enforcing phone-free time) The Hands for Children Foundation — 10+ years of feeding, clothing, and supporting kids in Colombia RLC Backstage — her upcoming scripted film about the fashion world, premiering June 13 at the Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles 🔗 Follow Elisa: https://www.instagram.com/elisae.daily https://www.elisaberdugoactress.com/ 📲 Follow the show: @TheRealZachRE 🎙️ Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen!   Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Is your gaydar working — or is it completely broken? In this week's Gay Bit, Zach Randles-Friedman gets into one of the most timeless (and hilariously relatable) topics in gay culture: how do you actually spot a gay man in the wild? It all started at a bar when a guy walked in and Zach's friend called "straight" — but was he? Zach breaks down the unscientific but very real phenomenon of "gay face," the rise of the metrosexual, gender-neutral fashion, and why the current generation of guys has absolutely destroyed everyone's gaydar. From bears, twinks, and twunks to those screechy queens with approximately 400 extra S's on every word — Zach covers all the gay archetypes with love, humor, and zero apology. He also digs into the big double standard: why gay people can talk about their own community in ways straight people simply cannot. Plus: the classic gay tropes that ARE true (hello, U-Haul lesbians), how small-town gays are a different species, the Tom Ford rose prick cologne rabbit hole, cargo shorts as a sexuality indicator, and the accidental straight guy who spent an entire week drinking at a gay bar while on a business trip. Funny, self-aware, and unapologetically gay — this is The Gay Bit. Subscribe, follow, and leave a review wherever you listen. Find Zach on Instagram @TheRealZachRE. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

She married a man she didn't love because a prophet told her to. She buried her firstborn daughter. She taught abstinence-only education in Ohio while quietly asking questions no one wanted to answer. And now, Hope With Holly has 750,000 followers across platforms — and she's burning down every lie she was handed. In this raw, funny, and deeply moving conversation, Zach sits down with Holly, a former Liberty University-educated pastor, trad wife, and Christian nationalist who spent years inside one of America's most powerful evangelical networks — and found her way out. She opens up about losing her daughter at birth, the grief that cracked her faith wide open, her joyful divorce, buying a 15-acre farm, and building a healing sanctuary for women, LGBTQ+ people, and everyone the church left behind. Holly is the mother of a bisexual daughter and a transgender son — and she'll tell you that her children educated her just as much as she's educated the world. She talks about death threats, dead animals in her driveway, the male DM phenomenon she describes perfectly, and why she still shows up on TikTok every single day. This episode covers religious trauma, nervous system healing, LGBTQ+ allyship, anti-trans legislation, the manufactured fear behind transphobia, homophobic politicians (yes, Lady G gets a mention), and what it really means to love someone unconditionally. 🌿 Find Hope With Holly: Search "Hope With Holly" on any platform or click the link in her bio for retreat info, coaching calls, workbooks, and her free 20-page love letter defending the LGBTQ+ community.  https://www.tiktok.com/@hopewithholly https://www.instagram.com/Hope_with_Holly 📲 Follow Zach: @TheRealZachRE on Instagram 🎙️ Subscribe to Everything & Anything…and a Bit Gay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and YouTube.   If this episode moved you — share it. Pass it to someone who needs it. That's how healing spreads. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Every gay man has a journey. In this deeply personal episode of This Is Everything, Zach gets real — maybe more real than ever — about the phases of his own gay life, from confused seventh-grader sneaking looks at the JCPenney catalog to fully out, proudly gay podcaster in his 50s. Zach walks through the stages so many LGBTQ+ people will recognize: the denial phase, the "maybe I'm bi" phase, the club kid reinvention, the slow process of finding yourself, and finally — the unapologetically out phase. Along the way, he shares stories about his first time at a drag show (before RuPaul's Drag Race existed), his first gay bar in South Miami, his crew of friends who helped shape who he became, and what it finally felt like to stop hiding at work. He also reflects on how different the journey can be — from friends who knew they were gay as kids, to those who've gone back into the closet, to the uniquely profound journey transgender people navigate on an entirely different level. This one is honest, funny, messy, and deeply human. IN THIS EPISODE: Growing up with no internet — and a JCPenney catalog as your only "resource" Going to your first gay bar alone, and why that takes real courage The "bisexual" phase almost every gay guy goes through Life as a club kid in 1990s South Beach Moving through cities — Miami, New York, Atlanta, Switzerland — and how each one shaped Zach's identity Why the most homophobic people are often hiding something Coming out at work: what finally made Zach stop caring what people thought A former best friend who chose the closet over the friendship 🎙️ This Is Everything is the solo monologue segment of Everything & Anything…and a Bit Gay, where host Zach Randles gets personal and goes deep on the things that actually matter. 📲 Follow Zach on Instagram: @TheRealZachRE 🌐 everythingandanythingpodcast.com If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it — and leave a review. It helps more people find the show. 🏳️‍🌈 Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Actor, Broadway star, and cabaret performer Clayborne Elder sits down with Zach for one of the most anticipated interviews in Everything & Anything…and a Bit Gay history — and yes, Clay was literally on Zach's top five wish list. Clay opens up about playing John Adams on HBO's The Gilded Age, what it felt like when his character was written off the show, and the bittersweet experience of saying goodbye to a cast he describes as feeling like a theater family. He talks about the deliberate choice to cast theater people for the series and why that made all the difference on set — including staying close with co-stars like Cynthia Nixon long after filming wrapped. Growing up the eighth of eight children in a conservative Mormon family in Utah, Clay shares his journey of coming out — and the bond it deepened with his brother Billy, who also happens to be gay. Both were asked to leave BYU for being gay, and Clay reflects on what it means to have had family support in a story that doesn't always end that way for LGBTQ+ people from religious backgrounds. The conversation shifts to Clay's current Broadway run as the dentist in Little Shop of Horrors, his philosophy on keeping live performance fresh every night, and why he actually prefers the stage lights bright enough that he can't see the audience. He talks about what it means to share that experience with his son — who doesn't particularly care that his dad is famous, except when his best friend (who has seen Little Shop five times) nearly lost his mind knowing Clay was playing the dentist. Clay also dives deep into If the Stars Were Mine, his new album rooted in a cabaret show he's been performing for years. He explains the emotional weight behind his version of "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" — a song that as a young gay kid felt like a longing he wasn't sure would ever come true. He and his husband met working in theater 17 years ago, and that context makes the song land differently. The album is available now on streaming platforms and on vinyl (personalized and signed) at clayborneelder.com. Clay also reveals his dream collaborators — Catherine O'Hara and Daniel Levy on the acting side, and Sara Bareilles for a vocal duet — his experience as the bartender on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, his wild DM stories (yes, people want to buy his socks), and a standing campaign Zach is officially launching to get Clay and Daniel Levy on a project together. This one's a full-circle moment — Zach interviewed Clay's brother Billy on this very show two and a half years ago, and now the wish has finally come true. Links mentioned in this episode: 🎵 If the Stars Were Mine — available on Spotify, Apple Music & https://www.claybourneelder.com/ 🎭 Little Shop of Horrors — check listings for current run: https://littleshopnyc.com/ 📸 Follow Clay on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/claybourneelder Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What actually happens when we die — and is there real evidence for it? Researcher and author Brendan Murphy has spent 23 years studying near-death experiences, reincarnation, consciousness, and the nature of reality. In this conversation, we go deep — from NDE case studies that defy every materialist explanation, to how reincarnation actually works across different layers of consciousness, to what simulation theory gets right (and wrong), to why who you are psychologically may determine everything about where you go after death. This one genuinely shifted something for me. I think it'll do the same for you. In this episode: The book that started it all: The Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot What NDEs actually reveal — and why the "dying brain" explanation completely falls apart The stunning parallel between a 2008 NDE and a Rudolf Steiner lecture from 1904 Peak in Darien cases: encountering people in an NDE you didn't know had died How reincarnation works across different planes of consciousness — and why some souls come back immediately while others go deeper Why kids who remember past lives often died violently in their previous one The "oversoul" — a collective identity made up of thousands of lifetimes What simulation theory gets right, and where it goes off the rails What happens to someone like Hitler after death (no imposed punishment — but it's not pretty) Whether knowing all of this actually helps with grief Are we living in the hardest reality available — and can we incarnate on other planets? Why Brendan says everything he does is preparation for his own death Connect with Brendan Murphy:Reverse Engineering the Afterlife — Pre-order: https://brendandmurphy.com/pre-order/reverse-engineering-the-afterlife The Grand Illusion: A Synthesis of Science and Spirituality — Book 1: https://brendandmurphy.com/books/the-grand-illusion Regenetics Method facilitation with Brendan: https://www.evolveyourself.live Subscribe, rate, and review — it genuinely helps more people find the show. And if this episode hit differently, share it with someone who needs to hear it. 🎙️ Everything & Anything…and a Bit Gay is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio. 🌐 everythingandanythingpodcast.com 📸 Instagram: @TheRealZachRE Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's Friday, which means it's time for The Gay Bit — and this week, Zach is doing a full-on opinion dump on the things he absolutely cannot stand. If your podcast week wasn't gay enough, buckle up. Zach kicks things off with his deeply held conviction that tank tops are the enemy of civilization. Sweaty underarms, deodorant balls, and terrible fit — he's making the case that the world would be a better place without them. (Yes, even on hot guys at the gym.) From there, he shares the surprisingly wholesome origin story of how a TSA confiscation at the airport turned him into a lifelong Secret deodorant convert — and he has zero regrets. Then it's on to the cultural hot takes: Zach confesses he has never been able to get through more than an episode or two of RuPaul's Drag Race, despite genuinely loving drag queens. (The corny judge commentary is just not it.) Meanwhile, Andrew is out here sending him cat videos and Family Guy clips on a daily basis, and Zach is barely surviving. Circuit parties get their moment in the crosshairs, too — Zach traces his history with White Party and Winter Party in Miami and arrives at the same conclusion he always has: not for him, and he's not sure anyone under 40 is rushing to disagree. The episode takes a wonderfully chaotic detour through Provincetown — the full P-Town gay vacation routine from Joe's Coffee to Tea Dance to Spiritus Pizza — and Zach's honest assessment of what it means if you still can't meet someone after working through literally every opportunity the town has to offer. Then there's the beach, Speedos, and the nude beach. Zach traces his childhood Speedo trauma (courtesy of his mom, who put him and his brother in them at Larry & Penny Thompson Park in sixth grade — and yes, someone he later became friends with saw it), explains why he hasn't gone in the ocean since learning about barracudas and gold jewelry, and lovingly describes the very different beach philosophies of his mom (shells and peace), his husband Andrew (nude and free), and himself (pool, frozen margarita, SPF, umbrella, goodbye). The whole episode wraps with a story about a guy at a Dallas bar with a very specific kink involving underarms and pubic hair — and Zach's completely understandable reaction to the whole thing. It's unfiltered, it's funny, and it's exactly what The Gay Bit is for. Episode Notes: Tank tops: a wrongful cultural institution How a TSA confiscation made Zach a Secret deodorant convert for life RuPaul's Drag Race — great queens, could do without everything else Andrew's algorithm is 90% cats and 10% Family Guy clips Circuit parties: are they still a thing, and does Gen Z care? The full Provincetown gay vacation itinerary, including Spiritus Pizza as a last resort Speedo trauma courtesy of Zach's mom, sixth grade, and a water park in Miami Why Zach won't go in the ocean (barracudas + gold necklace = no) The pool vs. the beach vs. the nude beach: three very different people in Zach's life That guy at the Dallas bar and his very unusual interests Canyon Ranch dreams vs. $21,000 reality checks 🎙️ Everything & Anything…and a Bit Gay drops new episodes throughout the week, with The Gay Bit every Friday — a little more unfiltered, a little more chaotic, and exactly as gay as advertised. 👉 Subscribe, leave a rating and review, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear Zach's definitive take on tank tops. 📲 Follow Zach on Instagram: @TheRealZachRE Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Are gay men lonelier than ever — and why won't anyone admit it? In this week's This Is Everything, Zach gets brutally honest about the loneliness epidemic hitting the LGBTQ+ community, the apps that promise connection and deliver bots, the "shit friends" we finally stop tolerating after 50, and why cutting toxic people out of your life might be making you lonelier even when it's the right call. From a $500 phone bill in a fourth-floor walkup in New York City in 1998 to becoming the self-proclaimed Mayor of Gay NYC by starting a meetup group that blew up — Zach traces his own relationship with loneliness and shares what he thinks gay men (and everyone else) actually need right now. In this episode: The gay loneliness epidemic nobody wants to talk about Why the dating apps are broken — bots, fakes, and the Grindr scam rabbit hole Standards, self-awareness, and why some guys keep going after people out of their league Social media making everyone feel like their Tuesday night is a failure The slow death of friendships — no dramatic breakup, just stopped texting Cutting out toxic friends and the loneliness that follows Kevin and Greg: a love story and a shoutout From South Beach to New York to Boston — how your friend circle shrinks as you age The Newcomers Club idea that could save gay Boston Why Zach thinks a gay meetup group might be the answer — and why he's seriously considering starting one Connect with Zach: 🌐 everythingandanythingpodcast.com 📸 Instagram: @TheRealZachRE Everything & Anything…and a Bit Gay — new episodes drop weekly. Subscribe and never miss a This Is Everything episode. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jordan Rainer — country singer, preacher's daughter, and four-chair-turn phenomenon from Season 26 of The Voice — joins Zach for one of the most honest conversations you'll hear about coming out late in life, leaving religion behind, and reclaiming your identity through music. Jordan opens up about growing up in a Southern Baptist household in Altus, Oklahoma, where who she really was "was not safe, not talked about, and hated." She didn't plan to come out — until a phone call with her dad changed everything. Her younger brother was in tears at a park, struggling with the family's rejection of his being gay. Jordan called her parents and told them: if you can't figure out how to love him, you can't figure out how to love me either — because I'm gay too. That moment of courage became the seed of her debut album, Outlaw Revival — a record about deconstruction, freedom, bodily autonomy, and a different kind of rebirth. Jordan talks about why the album is sold exclusively on her website (streaming robs the little guy), how coming out literally changed the sound and register of her voice, and why she re-recorded key tracks — including the stunning "Days of Thunder" — to capture a freedom she didn't know she'd been holding back. She also shares: what it was like to audition with Reba McEntire's biggest hit on Reba's first season of The Voice (spoiler: she threw up after), Reba's warm and immediate reaction when Jordan came out, the story behind "The Night I Drank with Tanya" (yes, Tanya Tucker has heard it — and loves it), and her dream of making country music a truly inclusive space. If you're queer, if you've ever been confined by religion, if you're still in the closet — this one's for you. Jordan Rainer is a beacon. 🎵 Buy Outlaw Revival exclusively at Jordan's website —https://www.jordanrainerofficial.com/  📲 Follow Jordan:https://www.instagram.com/thejordanrainer/ 📲 Follow Zach: @TheRealZachRE 🎙️ Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode — it genuinely helps the show reach more people who need to hear it. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nic Dantes is a New York-based actor, singer, dancer, and songwriter with an IMDB page, a growing social following, and a talent pool deep enough to make anyone feel like an underachiever. In this episode of Everything & Anything…and a Bit Gay, Zach sits down with Nic for a wide-ranging conversation about building a career in entertainment as an openly gay man — from his childhood auditions for kids' TV to a guest spot on one of the most iconic crime dramas in television history. Nic shares what it was actually like being cast on Law & Order — the weight of stepping onto that set, the warmth of the cast, and the slightly surreal fact that he now shares a credit with Sabrina Carpenter. He also opens up about his time on What Should I Do?, the hidden camera show where he played a gay teen coming out, and how strangers in New Jersey during Pride Month showed up for him in a way that genuinely surprised him. But the heart of this episode is the conversation about what it means to be gay in the entertainment industry from a young age. Nic reflects on the anxiety of auditioning for straight romantic roles as a kid, the fear of being "found out," and how that weight shifted as he grew up and stepped into his identity more fully. He talks candidly about the progress the industry has made — and the ways it still asks queer actors to straddle two worlds. Zach and Nic also get into the fun stuff: dream collaborations (Sabrina Carpenter, a K-pop group, Jennifer Lawrence — yes, all three), the debate between a film career versus a long-running series, and what Nic is actually looking for in a relationship. Plus, Zach officially opens his Instagram DMs to matchmaking applicants — first date paid for, applications reviewed personally, no hate DMs accepted.   Follow Nic on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicdantes Everything Nic! https://linktr.ee/nicdantes?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGnsiyk4qyvQNXBa3XA3KfbWF8Ay84eKMQZbBU9cDm5eyYS-ysXjqIB_PZJOkw_aem_nPzndVWLK9d69uGsd9VkNA Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What was it like to be gay in San Francisco in the 1970s — when the city was wide open, Harvey Milk was your neighbor, and an entire community was inventing what it meant to be queer? Chuck Forrester lived it. He came out at 28, moved from Wisconsin to the Castro, and found himself in the middle of one of the most extraordinary moments in LGBTQ+ history — one that would soon be transformed forever by the AIDS crisis. In this episode, Chuck shares what it felt like to finally be free, what we lost in the epidemic, and why he spent decades fundraising and fighting for his community — including co-chairing the board of the Human Rights Campaign Fund and raising $3.5 million for the Queer Center at the San Francisco Main Library. He also talks about working as a special assistant to three San Francisco mayors, being a gay dad, and his book Bonding in the Time of Plague — a frank, unapologetic tribute to his generation of gay men. This is living history. And it's essential listening. 📖 Buy Chuck's book Bonding in the Time of Plague on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Bonding-Time-Plague-Chuck-Forester/dp/B0H2BQKBCP/ref=sr_1_1?crid=RHYU8UFH1Z39&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ff6s45NxJL6Kx7d_Y3sl3g.a1eQogOE1q8wtqjKTs-m5Ii7xfOlnLu7OWrz7uBiIL4&dib_tag=se&keywords=Bonding+in+the+Time+of+Plague&qid=1782929360&sprefix=bonding+in+the+time+of+plague%2Caps%2C165&sr=8-1 🎙️ Subscribe to Everything & Anything…and a Bit Gay wherever you listen to podcasts ⭐ Leave us a review — it means everything 📲 Follow us on Instagram: @TheRealZachRE Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Madonna is BACK — and she's never been better. On this week's Gay Bit, host Zach Randles-Friedman celebrates the release of Confessions on a Dance Floor 2, Madonna's highly anticipated new album dropping just before the Fourth of July weekend. Zach shares his lifelong love affair with Madonna — from hearing her songs as a fifth-grade safety patrol in Miami, to plastering every inch of his bedroom with posters from Spencer Gifts and Teen Beat, to paying $1,500 a ticket to see her live. He talks about her Coachella surprise with Sabrina Carpenter, why Feel So Free is already a certified banger that had an entire bar singing along, and why this album is exactly what Madonna's fans — and her critics — needed to hear. Plus: why Madonna would absolutely love Zach if she ever came on the podcast, and why he would 100% drop his friends Mandy and Jen the second she texted him back. 🎙️ Everything & Anything…and a Bit Gay drops new episodes every week. Subscribe so you never miss a Gay Bit, a guest interview, or a solo monologue that hits a little too close to home. 👍 Like this episode | 💬 Leave a comment with your favorite track on the new album | 🔔 Subscribe for more Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens when we die? Can our loved ones really reach us from the other side? Spiritual counselor and intuitive coach Laura Hoorweg joins Zach for a wide-ranging, mind-expanding conversation about life after death, mediumship, soul families, and what it truly means to evolve as a soul. Laura shares her extraordinary out-of-body experience at 15 that changed everything she believed about life and death — plus the car accident she believes was prevented by an actual angel. She breaks down the difference between psychics and mediums, why mediumship is a gift you're born with (not something you can be taught), and how she uses her abilities to help people heal from grief and rebuild their lives. They also get into: forest bathing and wilderness as spiritual connection, why Earth is the only planet of free will, reincarnation and soul contracts, what really happens when we pass over, and why there is no hell. 💻 Connect with Laura: 🌐 www.spiritspeaks2.me 📧 [email protected] 📬 Subscribe so you don't miss Part 2 with Laura — coming soon! 👍 If this episode resonated with you, leave a review, share it with someone who needs it, and hit subscribe. It truly makes a difference. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're flipping the table today. No guests. No interview. Just Zach, a microphone, and a very long list of verified, documented, reported facts — because an informed community is a powerful community, and silence is complicity. In this solo episode, Zach walks through the full record of what the orange convicted felon has done since January 20th, 2025. Not opinion. Not rant. Everything cited from news organizations, congressional records, nonpartisan watchdogs, and in many cases, his own words. In this episode: The promises vs. the receipts — prices, gas, energy costs, and "no new wars" Who this man actually is — the Access Hollywood tape, E. Jean Carroll, 34 felony counts, two impeachments The legislative war on trans Americans — 598 bills in 2025, 796 under consideration in 2026, and what's really happening in federal prisons ICE raids, civilian deaths, and 75,000 people with zero criminal record deported Venezuela, Iran, and the two wars he started after promising peace The Epstein files — what was released, what was withheld, and the questions we deserve to ask out loud Gaza, $12 billion in weapons, and what "peace" actually looks like The defunding of PBS and NPR — 58 years of public broadcasting, gone Freedom 250 and the only person who said yes: Vanilla Ice This episode is not the kind Zach usually makes. He prefers inspiring interviews and uplifting conversations. But this has been building — and sometimes you have to put it all on the table so the community can see the full picture in one place. If this episode moved you, share it. Send it to someone who keeps saying "it's not that bad." Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

📋 Show Notes Everything & Anything…and a Bit GayEpisode: The Questions That Exhaust Us There's a particular kind of tired that comes not from overworking or overextending — but from decades of explaining your existence to people who feel entitled to interrogate it. In this solo This Is Everything episode, Zach Randles-Friedman names that feeling out loud: exhaustion. And then he does something more interesting than venting about it — he unpacks it. Zach walks through some of the most common (and most maddening) questions and phrases that follow LGBTQ+ people through life, not just to dismiss them, but to sit with what they actually reveal — about the people who say them, about the culture that produces them, and about the extraordinary amount of labor our community has long performed just to be seen. In this episode, Zach covers: "Why isn't there a straight pride?" — The history matters. Stonewall wasn't a party. It was a survival riot led by trans women of color who had nowhere else to go. Pride was chosen deliberately because society demanded shame. Straight people have never had to build a movement to reclaim their dignity — and that's not an insult, it's just the truth. "I'm fine with gay people, I just don't want it shoved in my face." — Zach breaks down the quiet cruelty in this one: the entire architecture of public life was built around straight love — every movie, every commercial, every magazine — and no one ever asked him if that was shoved in his face. He made room for their story his whole life. All we're asking is: can you make room for ours? The bachelorette party problem. — Why do straight people flood gay bars seeking safety, then perform hyper-masculinity to prove they don't belong there? Zach unpacks the dynamic with empathy and a little exasperation. "I'm gay, but I don't need to make it my whole personality." — This one comes from inside the house, and it's the hardest to sit with. Zach shares a personal story about a close friend who slowly disappeared into an acceptable, contained version of himself — and what it cost him. There is no correct amount of gay. There is no right way to express it. But if your self-expression includes looking down on people who are more visible or more flamboyant, that's internalized shame — and it doesn't disappear when you come out. It just changes clothes. "You don't look gay." — Not a compliment. Not an insult. A window into someone's imagination built with incomplete information. Zach reflects on how deeply he once absorbed the idea that "passing" was protection — and what it cost him to unlearn it. "When did you decide to be gay?" — We don't decide. We discover. And usually long before we have the language for it. But Zach goes further: even if it were a choice, so what? The premise that choice would make love less legitimate is the thing worth challenging. "Pride has gotten too corporate." — Rainbow capitalism is real, and worth calling out. But Zach remembers when no company would touch the LGBTQ+ community at all — when being associated with anything gay was brand poison. The fact that companies now want to be associated with pride is a reflection of cultural power. Just hold them accountable for what they're doing the other 11 months. "The community was better before all these new labels." — Translation: things were simpler when fewer people felt included. Every new label represents someone who spent years feeling like they didn't exist and finally found a word for themselves. That's not a problem. That's the whole point. Zach closes with something clear and hard-won: after nearly three decades with Andrew, after a lifetime in this community, the people worth explaining yourself to are already trying to understand. They come to the conversation with something open in them. The others? You don't owe them your exhaustion. You owe yourself your energy, your joy, and your pride — not the kind that disappears on July 1st with the merchandise, but the kind that's quiet, certain, and lives in you every single day.   Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode: Martha Jo Atkins — The Language of Dying What does it feel like to be with someone as they leave this world? Death doula, psychotherapist, and end-of-life specialist Martha Jo Atkins has spent 35+ years answering that question — and she joins Zach for one of the most profound conversations this show has ever had. Martha Jo has been present for more than a thousand deaths. She's watched people reach for loved ones no one else can see. She's heard patients narrate their own journey through doors, ladders, and lights in the ceiling. She's received phone calls — in her dreams — from people who've passed. And she's found a way to hold all of it with grace, curiosity, and zero BS. In this episode: How losing her brother Jim at 24 sent Martha Jo toward a life's work in death and dying What the "language of dying" actually sounds like — and why most families miss it The phenomenon of "friendlies": spirits that appear to the dying before they recognize anyone Why hearing is believed to be the last sense to go — and what that means for the people left in the room Terminal lucidity: when someone who hasn't communicated in years suddenly comes back — and then quietly goes The story of the woman who died smiling, and the three people in the same room who all saw light in the ceiling Butch and the ladders — one of Martha Jo's most unforgettable bedside stories What Martha Jo believes actually happens when we die: "the balloon pops, and we go everywhere" Her evolving views on heaven, hell, and reincarnation — and why she's okay not having all the answers Medical aid in dying: where it's legal, who it helps, and the complicated grief it leaves behind What it means to be a gay death doula — and why LGBTQ+ people deserve end-of-life care that truly sees them Dreams, visitations, and the phone calls that wake Martha Jo up at 5am Zach also gets personal — sharing stories about his father's death, the picture that flew through the shower curtain, six photos that flipped at once, and how a dream from his aunt convinced him to quit smoking for good. Connect with Martha Jo: 🌐 MarthaJoAtkins.com 📺 TEDx Talk: The Language of Dying (2M+ views) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg8WAv0YT9c If this episode moved you, please share it with someone who needs it. Subscribe, rate, and review — it means everything. See you next episode. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

SHOW NOTES Episode Title: Psychic Medium & Pet Communicator Medium Mari on Signs, Grief & the Gift She Was Born With Episode Summary: This week Zach sits down with Medium Mari — a Boston-area psychic medium, animal communicator, and licensed clinical social worker — for a conversation that goes deep into the world of spirit, intuition, and healing. Mari has spent decades bridging two worlds: the clinical and the metaphysical. The result is a reading experience that's both evidential and deeply compassionate. Episode Highlights: Mari shares what it was like growing up seeing angels at age four and keeping her gift as her "dirty little secret" How her family responded — and why she followed the "normal path" of degrees and clinical work before fully embracing her abilities The moment a UK psychic told her she was meant to do this work — and why she didn't believe him The Orlando airport tarot card story: one card, standing upright in an airport bathroom stall, that read Trust What a reading actually looks like from Mari's side — clairvoyance, images, movie clips, scents, and spirit drawing her words and symbols How her background as a licensed clinical social worker shapes the way she delivers messages with care and intention Energy protection: golden bubbles, grounding meditations, and why grocery stores can be overwhelming when you feel everything A heartfelt message for anyone grieving a pet or a loved one — and how to start noticing the signs they're sending Mari's Books: Heaven Sent — a multi-author compilation of stories about the miraculous ways pets have helped people (available on Amazon and mariamari.com) Reflections Between Two Worlds — a compilation of psychic mediums sharing their experiences, including Mari's account of physically seeing a Revolutionary War soldier at Minuteman National Park Connect with Medium Mari: 🌐 https://www.mediummari.com/ Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

My Anti-Aging Secrets: Skincare, Botox, Micro-Needling & What Actually Works It's The Gay Bit — where Zach packs all the gay into one episode. This week, he's pulling back the curtain on his full anti-aging routine: the supplements, the devices, the spa treatments, and yes — the salmon sperm. In this episode: Zach breaks down everything he does to fight aging at 53 — from his 18-pill morning supplement stack (collagen, NAD, multivitamins, and more) to his double-cleanse routine with oil and soap-based cleansers, multiple toners, serums, vitamin C, and SPF. He talks about the LED face masks he buys and never uses, a $2,000 red light wand from South by Southwest that did absolutely nothing, and the treatments that actually make a difference — including micro-needling with salmon sperm facial, Botox every three months, and lip filler. He also gets candid about quitting smoking in January 2020, gaining weight during COVID when the gyms were closed, hating his 40s, and why turning 50 actually felt like a relief. Plus — he's signing up for a personal trainer twice a week at the fitness studio at the end of his block, because accountability is the only thing that gets him to the gym. Oh, and he definitely went on Facebook to look up his straight high school classmates and feel good about himself. No shame. Topics covered:   18-supplement morning routine: collagen, NAD, multivitamins, and horse-sized pills Double-cleanse method, toners, serums, and SPF LED face masks, red light wands, and skincare devices (mostly gathering dust) Micro-needling + salmon sperm facial — yes, really Botox every 3 months, lip filler once a year Quitting smoking in January 2020 and gaining weight during COVID Joining a personal trainer studio twice a week Being 53, gay, and aging on your own terms The Facebook scroll of shame (looking at old classmates)   Want to know the exact collagen supplement Zach swears by? Send him a DM on Instagram! New episodes drop Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. The Gay Bit drops every Friday. Follow, subscribe, rate, review, and share — it genuinely helps the show grow. Find Zach on social and at TheRealZachRE on IG.  Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.