40 Plus: Gay Men. Gay Talk.

You came out. You built the life. You survived decades when being a gay man was a risk, not a hashtag. So why are you still waiting for a sign-off on what you want? Eric G. Reid, a 60-plus husband, father, writer, publisher and man of faith, knows that wait from the inside: pushed out of a church men's group for telling the truth, raised by a father who only let himself enjoy life around 80, and still choosing faith on his own terms. The permission you're waiting for from the church, your family or the gay community itself isn't coming. You either give it to yourself now, or you spend the rest of your life asking. Key Takeaways Discover why waiting for permission to want something is just another way of staying in the closet.Learn why a church, a family or a community rejecting you doesn't get to decide your relationship with faith.Realize that being out and visible is not the same as being known, and only one of them changes your life.Understand why the work ethic you inherited may be the very thing keeping you from enjoying the life you built.See why the younger generation's easier road doesn't erase the battles you fought, or the life you still owe yourself. About Eric Eric G. Reid is a 60-plus-year-old gay man, husband, father, writer, publisher, and man of faith who has lived long enough to remember when gay visibility was not guaranteed—and stayed curious enough to wonder what we may be losing now that it can be packaged, posted, and monetized. He writes for the wounded faithful: people who somehow carry belief, grief, rejection, longing, and love in the same body. Eric has built a family, wrestled openly with faith and belonging, and spent much of his life learning the difference between being visible and being truly known. He is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Skinny Brown Dog Media and the author of *Leadership Was Never My Calling: The Letting Go of Title Culture*. He lives in Georgia with his husband, their two teenagers, three dogs, and a near-religious commitment to iced coffee with salted caramel cold foam. Connect With Eric Website Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Hey Guys, Check This Out! Are you a guy who keeps struggling to do that thing? You know the thing you keep telling yourself and others you’re going to do, but never do? Then it’s time to get real and figure out why. Join the 40 Plus: Gay Men Gay Talk, monthly chats. They happen the third Monday of each month at 5:00 pm Pacific - Learn More! Also, join our Facebook Community - 40 Plus: Gay Men, Gay Talk Community

Gay men are more discontent than ever, restless in relationships, careers, and everyday life, and Zac Russell says the reason isn't what happened to you, it's the story you keep rehearsing about it. He walks Rick through how patterns formed as early as age three quietly run the show decades later, why freedom isn't a slow climb but a switch you either flip or don't, and why ambition is often just running from a feeling you never let yourself sit with. If you've been telling yourself you just need to figure it out a little more before you can be at peace, this episode is about what that habit is actually protecting you from. Key Takeaways: Discover why the story you keep telling about your past has more power over you than the past itself.Learn why chasing the next goal can be a way of running from a feeling instead of building a life.Realize why freedom isn't something you ease into, it's a decision you either make or keep avoiding.Understand why needing to "figure it out first" is often just another way of staying stuck.See why peace was never on the other side of an answer, it was on the other side of letting go. About Zac Zac thrives on helping people experience peace, presence, and contentment in their lives. True freedom comes from letting go of limiting beliefs, stories, and narratives—through awareness—and living fully in the only place that objectively exists: the present moment. Connect With Zac Website Hey Guys, Check This Out! Are you a guy who keeps struggling to do that thing? You know the thing you keep telling yourself and others you’re going to do, but never do? Then it’s time to get real and figure out why. Join the 40 Plus: Gay Men Gay Talk, monthly chats. They happen the third Monday of each month at 5:00 pm Pacific - Learn More! Also, join our Facebook Community - 40 Plus: Gay Men, Gay Talk Community

Tom Wang, known in the leather community as Spicy Tuna, and Mr. CSW Leather (2006) survived homelessness and an abusive relationship before helping produce the Mr. CSW Leather Contest, only to spend years witnessing gay Asian men being called "Chopsticks" at bars and fielding "Rice Queen" messages that reduced them to a category instead of a person. He talks with Rick about refusing to internalize any of it, building real confidence instead of waiting for approval, and why so many of the older men who built these communities have quietly gone missing from them. If you've ever been wanted for what you represent instead of who you actually are, whether it's your race, your age, or anything else, this episode is about taking your story back in your own words. Key Takeaways: Discover why letting someone else's category define you costs you more than the moment itself.Learn why real confidence was never about waiting for people to see you differently.Realize what gets lost when older men quietly disappear from the community that shaped them.Understand why surviving what nearly broke you isn't the same as building what comes next, until you actually do both.See why telling your own story in your own words is what finally stops other people from writing it for you. About Tom Tom C. Wang is a Taiwanese American writer, healthcare professional, and memoirist whose work explores identity, belonging, and the complexities of being a gay Asian man in America. Drawing from his experiences as an immigrant, a survivor of family rejection, and someone who has spent decades navigating both corporate life and the LGBTQ+ community, Tom writes with honesty, curiosity, and compassion about race, aging, relationships, and what it means to build an authentic life. He is currently completing his memoir, Tears of the Desert Rose, while sharing personal essays and cultural observations on Substack that invite deeper conversations about resilience, human connection, and finding home. Connect With Tom Website Hey Guys, Check This Out! Are you a guy who keeps struggling to do that thing? You know the thing you keep telling yourself and others you’re going to do, but never do? Then it’s time to get real and figure out why. Join the 40 Plus: Gay Men Gay Talk, monthly chats. They happen the third Monday of each month at 5:00 pm Pacific - Learn More! Also, join our Facebook Community - 40 Plus: Gay Men, Gay Talk Community

Book bans are back, and children's author Greg Howard is fighting to give queer kids something most gay men over 40 never got: proof, on the page, that they weren't alone. Greg writes YA and middle grade fiction confronting grief, identity, and found family, work that's earned him hate mail and death threats alongside letters from readers who call him the first person they ever came out to. He walked away from a thriving prior career to do it, and he won't back down from the political pressure trying to erase that work. If you spent your own childhood without a single story that reflected who you actually were, this episode is about what that cost you, and what you can still do about it now. Key Takeaways: Discover why waiting to feel safe to pursue your passion leads you to miss out on living.Learn the surprising common need for safe gay spaces for both youth and aging gay men.Realize the positive impact walking away from a career that pays can have, you and the world.Understand why standing your ground against people trying to erase you is still the right fight.See why gay life in a story, a room, a community, isn't optional. It's necessary to be human. About Greg Greg Howard was born and raised in the South Carolina Lowcountry where his love of stories blossomed at a young age. Originally set on becoming a songwriter, Greg followed that dream to Nashville, Tennessee, where he spent years producing the music of others before eventually returning to his childhood passion for writing stories. Greg’s critically acclaimed debut middle-grade novel, The Whispers, was nominated for an Edgar Award and was named a Best Book of 2019 by Advocate Magazine. His second middle-grade novel, Middle School’s a Drag, You Better Werk! is an Amazon Teacher’s Pick. His third middle-grade novel, The Visitors, was a 2022 New York Public Library Best Book. Also the author of the young adult novel Social Intercourse, Greg’s newest middle-grade book, The Travelers, a twisty time-travel adventure, is available now. Greg writes for and about LGBTQ youth, creating the kind of books he wishes he’d had access to as a young reader growing up gay in the American South. When he’s not writing books, Greg enjoys traveling, reading, hiking, and spending time with friends. He lives in Nashville with his ridiculously adorable Mini Aussiedoodle, Sadie. Connect With Eric Website Get Gregs Books Instagram Facebook   Hey Guys, Check This Out! Are you a guy who keeps struggling to do that thing? You know the thing you keep telling yourself and others you’re going to do, but never do? Then it’s time to get real and figure out why. Join the 40 Plus: Gay Men Gay Talk, monthly chats. They happen the third Monday of each month at 5:00 pm Pacific - Learn More! Also, join our Facebook Community - 40 Plus: Gay Men, Gay Talk Community

There is something that happens when a group of gay men travel together on a ship where everyone belongs. Walls come down. Generations connect. History gets personal. Eric Hodgson is the founder of Outbound, an LGBTQ+ travel company that builds exclusive small-ship cruises and intimate river journeys designed to do exactly that. He joins Rick to talk about why size matters in travel, what it means to move through the world in a genuinely safe space, and what gay men over 40 discover about themselves and their community when they stop touring and start connecting. From Egypt to Amsterdam to Sydney's 50th Mardi Gras in 2028, this episode will make you want to book something. Key Takeaways: Why small ships and intimate settings create connection that larger cruises cannotHow Outbound builds genuine safe spaces and what that actually requires from travel partners and crewWhat gay men learn about their own history when they travel to LGBTQ+ sites worldwideThe power of intergenerational connection that happens organically on group LGBTQ+ travelWhat Eric witnessed in Egypt around same-sex history and the gender-fluid god HapiWhat is coming up including the British Isles, Mediterranean, and Sydney Mardi Gras 2028 About Eric Eric Hodgson is a travel expert, entrepreneur, and the founder of OUTbound, a travel company dedicated to creating unforgettable experiences for the LGBTQ+ community around the world. With a passion for exploring new destinations and bringing people together, Eric has helped build OUTbound into a community-driven travel brand where guests can see the world, make lifelong friendships, and feel completely at home while doing it. From sailing through Europe and the Mediterranean to discovering destinations across Asia, Australia, and beyond, Eric brings a unique combination of travel expertise, curiosity, and a genuine love of connecting people with the places they visit. What sets Eric apart is his belief that travel should be about more than simply checking destinations off a list... it should be about the people you meet, the memories you create, and the sense of community you take home with you. Through OUTbound, he has created a welcoming space where LGBTQ+ travelers can experience the world together, surrounded by fellow travelers who share that same spirit of adventure. Whether he's planning an extraordinary itinerary, discovering the next great destination, or simply sharing stories with fellow OUTbounders, Eric is passionate about making travel more inclusive, meaningful, and fun... and encouraging people to get out there and see the world, together. Connect With Eric Website Instagram Facebook   Hey Guys, Check This Out! Are you a guy who keeps struggling to do that thing? You know the thing you keep telling yourself and others you’re going to do, but never do? Then it’s time to get real and figure out why. Join the 40 Plus: Gay Men Gay Talk, monthly chats. They happen the third Monday of each month at 5:00 pm Pacific - Learn More! Also, join our Facebook Community - 40 Plus: Gay Men, Gay Talk Community