134. A Message of Hope for the LGBTQ+ Community

Episode Introduction (0:20)

Rob Loveless

Hello, my LGBTQuties, and welcome back to another episode of A Jaded Gay. I'm Rob Loveless and, today, I am a jaded gay because yeah.

So, if you're listening to this the day it comes out, then that means that yesterday, Donald Trump became president of the United States.

So, 2025 is off to a great start, and obviously there's a lot of concern, a lot of doom and gloom. I know we covered this topic in the episodes about the Trump administration from 2017 to 2021 and the Project 2025 episode.

There's a lot of concern right now, within the LGBTQ+ community, and uncertainty about what's next and how far backwards the pendulum is going to swing.

And while it is a scary time, and while rights may be challenged and rights may be lost, they they can't take away our existence. And I think it's really important to remember that.

And that doesn't mean that we shouldn't continue voicing our concerns or pushing for our rights and for equality, but we will be here no matter what.

So, with that in mind, I really wanted to dedicate this episode, the first one of 2025, to a more optimistic note by having some guests who had previously been on podcast episodes submit messages of hope for the LGBTQ+ community, both for the year forward and just for the duration of this presidential administration.

Because let's not sugar coat it, it's going to be a bumpy ride, to say the least. But I think, through the themes that you'll hear from these guests and their messages that there is hope on the horizon, and hopefully, you will feel inspired to find the joy in our queer existence going forward, regardless of what's to come, and also feel energized to continue speaking up and speaking out against discrimination and hate and continue advocating for the community.

So, a little deeper of an episode, but something very necessary, of course. But before we get into that, you know the drill, let's pull our tarot card.

Tarot (2:37)

Rob Loveless

And actually, that's a little bit deceiving, because we're not pulling a tarot card for today. Since it is the first episode of 2025, I want to read the card that aligns with the year.

So, as you know, in numerology, we add the digits together, so two plus two plus five equals nine, and the number nine in the Major Arcana is The Hermit.

So, in numerology, the number nine means we're nearing the end of a cycle or chapter, but we're not there yet, so we need to keep pushing forward.

And The Hermit is telling us that there's wisdom to be gained through solitude. Now, while some people fear being alone, having time to ourself allows us to do some soul-searching, so our intuition can guide us in the right path forward.

This card usually comes to us when we're taking a break from everyday life to draw our focus inward, so that way we can find the answers we seek from within.

Basically, we're tuning out the noise and distractions to understand what really matters to us and what we want to journey toward.

This also gives us time to reconnect with our personal values and principles and the hermit usually comes into our lives when we're at a pivotal point, and it helps us look into the deeper aspects of our lives, rather than the superficial or material things.

And again, there's a difference between spending time in isolation and spending time in solitude, and the latter is necessary and healthy.

So, we can re-energize ourselves to continue moving forward. And with that in mind, let's turn it over to our guests to hear their inspirational messages for the LGBTQ+ community.

A Message from Travis McMaster

Travis McMaster (4:04)

Greetings. This is Travis McMaster; pronouns are they/them. I am the host of Caffeinated N' Queer, a caffeine-fueled series with an LGBTQ+ focus.

What I love most about being a part of the LGBTQ+ community is that our existence and being is naturally punk rock. When I say punk rock, I'm referring to punk culture.

We are a rebellious, vibrant, and resilient group of people found in every ethnicity, age, race, nationality, socioeconomic status, religion, and ability level. We are everywhere.

I'm going to say that again because it's important. We are everywhere.

More and more towns and cities of all sizes have organizations hosting Pride events and nonprofits supporting the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ people.

Research to see who may be doing great work to support the LGBTQ+ community in your area. Then, follow them on social media and attend their events. Going to their events is a great way to build your network of people and circle.

While the weight of everything happening in the world right now can be a lot to process, I would encourage everyone to focus on the power they have to make positive change.

Continue to create and foster online and in-person spaces that are inclusive for all people. Consider getting involved with local nonprofits supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

Keeping safety in mind, if you're out and visible, please continue to be out and visible because your visibility will mean something to someone somewhere. I promise.

Stay caffeinated. Stay fabulous. Cheers, friends.

A Message from Bev, Philly’s Queen of Comedy

Bev, Philly’s Queen of Comedy (6:01)

Hello. Yes, it's me, Bev, Philadelphia's drag queen of comedy and previous Jaded Gay podcast guest. And I'm happy to say that, in 2025, I remain a jaded gay.

And I was asked to provide some inspirational messages and thoughts for us to take into 2025, especially with the changes coming up on the landscape, politically and within our country.

And if you know me, you know that inspirational and uplifting are not necessarily what I do best, but I'm here to try to at least give my take on what we can all do to survive this time and not just survive but hopefully thrive.

One thing that I keep telling myself is that art comes from, the best art rather comes from times where we are fighting back against something, or we are trying to come from a place of, of momentum and movement forward.

Good art doesn't come from a place of complacency and comfort. And I think it's best to remember that because I do consider drag to be an art form.

While it's my business, it's also my art and my creative outlet. And if you are listening out there, I think one thing that we can all do is support art and music and performance and shows.

Go see a show. Get out of the house. Don't doom scroll. Don't let the divisive language that's going to be bombarding us over the next several years take you to a dark place.

Get out, surround yourself in your community, and see a show. Keep, keep the lights on for all of us that have chosen to make this type of entertainment and art our life's work.

If you are not in an area that you have the luxury to do that, you can find it online. You can find performers on social media and on, certainly on television, and YouTube.

They can only silence us if we allow them to. So, get out there. Support all your local artists, performers, singers, dancers, drag performers, burlesque performers, comedians, and amplify the voices that we have in our resistance.

Thanks, and happy 2025. Beverly, out.

A Message from Ralph Anthony

Ralph Anthony (9:18)

Hey, I'm Ralph, and I host a podcast that I like to call my little variety show from hell called The Scream Society.

It's a podcast that dives into the spookier and darker aspects of life, true crime, hot topics, paranormal even, and a little bit of horror in there as well. But for me, it's always about more than just the scares. 

And I say that because I feel within every story, you can take something valuable away from it. I'm big on using the show to really encourage critical thinking, empathy, and pushing back against hate and discrimination.

And as a gay man, there is, of course, a little sass in there, but I think I do without stooping to negativity or lower vibrations, mostly.

And as we step into this new chapter, this new era, I would just like to share something that's really important to me, and that is mindset.

So how you think shapes everything. How you see yourself, how you treat others, and how you handle challenges.

I absolutely think that it's so important to think for yourself, question things, don't just take someone's word for it; dig deeper. And at the same time, I think it's just as important to stay empathetic.

That's the balance I try to hold here, thinking critically while remembering to care for others. Now, for those of us a part of the LGBTQ+ community, I know this isn't always easy.

There's a lot of negativity out there, even more now than ever, and it can definitely feel overwhelming, but I've learned that the real strength comes from how you respond.

You don't have to meet hate with hate. That doesn't mean ignoring the hard stuff. It just means showing up in a way that feels authentic to who you are and refusing to let negativity define you, to define our community.

One thing I try to focus on is the small stuff that helps you stay grounded. Talking to a friend, finding a support system, or even just taking a little time to take care of yourself. I find humor helps me deal with the world and society a little better.

And if you're struggling, I always advocate and say that you should never feel like there aren't resources or feel embarrassed to reach out for help because there are so many resources out there, like the Trevor Project, dialing 988, which is the crisis hotline that you can even text, or as close as a local LGBTQ+ center. That can be a lifeline when you really need it.

But I'll leave you with this. Don't lose sight of who you are. Think for yourself. Stay curious, stay informed, and don't be afraid to care about others. It doesn't make you weak. It makes you strong.

You are loved. Get out and use your voice. Let your creativity be seen or heard. And whatever comes next, take care of each other.

A Message from Tyrell Brown

Tyrell Brown (12:49)

Hello, everybody. My name is Tyrell Brown. I use they/them pronouns, and I am the Executive Director of GALAEI and Philly Pride 365.

I have a message that I want to share with you all of hope and resilience that I hope resonates with you all through challenging times in 2025 and beyond.

To all of my LGBTQIA+ siblings, family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors, Happy New Year.

This past year, I feel like I discovered a sort of an open secret that we are prepared for tomorrow with each step that we take today. That we are prepared for the future with every step that we make.

We are also prepared, each of us uniquely, for the challenges that will come our way as a community in 2025, 6, 7, and beyond.

We will meet them together despite individual shyness, shade, interpersonal issues, and disagreement on paths that we choose to navigate these times and patterns. We will meet these challenges together.

I am confident more than ever that love, unity, and visibility for us as a community is a path towards liberation.

It's not the only path, and yet it seems that when we practice these things for each other and ourselves as LGBTQIA+ people that we become stronger and simultaneously more threatening to those who seek to bully and oppress us.

Know that our elders have been here before, through times where the equation of divide and eliminate allowed AIDS to ravage our community and lives, futures, relationships, and that dented our community irreparably.

However, I once listened this past year to an elder who shared a story and explained the horrifying circumstances in the 80s and late 70s of death walking in and out of our lives and community spaces, and that, ironically, it was the best time of his life, and he didn't know how we would ever recapture those feelings of those days.

He tearfully hearkened back to how our community of doers harnessed the moment for some of the greatest, most profound, and life-saving moments in world history, as our elders and ancestors demanded that our plight be taken seriously, that our humanity be recognized, lifted up and valued.

We are prepared with unique gifts, stories from our ancestors, and because of our collective overcoming, we will march forward. Remember this.

This is why Pride is important, why how we treat each other and ourselves is so important. Understand that you are more powerful than you know and that the person that you are today, who you know, is not always the person that you can be.

Butterflies can't necessarily see their own wings, but they still know how to fly.

Remember, in 2025, each day that you wake up, that the challenges that are sure to come tomorrow may not be what we anticipate. They may startle us.

They may startle you individually, but know that we're all here together, meeting these challenges together, and that we are prepared, nonetheless.

Happy New Year, everyone. Have a good 2025.

Episode Closing (17:15)

Rob Loveless

All right, and connecting it back to the tarot, The Hermit. Again, this card is talking about the completion of a cycle or a chapter. So, we're almost there in our journey.

And for me, I'd like to interpret that as we're almost at the end of this cycle of hate since, to me, 2015 onwards, it seems like the pendulum has been swinging backwards where the progress we've made within the LGBTQ+ community is being challenged and somewhat undone.

So, I'd like to think that the number nine is telling us we're almost to the end of this cycle of discrimination and hate.

We just need to keep pushing forward and holding out a little bit longer, and soon the pendulum will swing back in our favor.

So, I'm choosing to believe that we're almost there. But with these challenges we're facing, it's really easy to feel burnt out and to feel isolated from our neighbors, our family, our friends, our community, especially those who have different political beliefs than us.

And sometimes, when I'm going through a rough time, I like to just be alone.

However, it's important that we're being healthy in the way that we spend time alone, so that way we're not just cutting ourselves out from society for the sake of being left alone, but that we're choosing to prioritize ourselves, giving ourselves time to re-energize, reflect, see what we really want, and tune out the noise because God knows, there's going to be a lot of noise in the next four years.

I mean, remember the last time Trump was in office? Just all the headlines, the tweets. There's going to be a lot.

And not that we shouldn't pay attention to the news, but Trump likes to make a lot of noise, so I think it's important that we don't let ourselves get riled up by every covfefe tweet, every little this and that, but that we really look within to recognize what's important and know what we need to stay in tune about and be aware of and what we need to speak up for.

Because the name-calling this and that, yeah, it's annoying. Yeah, it's unprofessional, but a lot of times, I feel people are using that to distract from what's going on behind the scenes, like stripping away rights and undoing progress.

So, we can't let that noise distract us from the path we're trying to move forward toward.

So really, when you feel the need to, take the time to be alone to recharge because as much as we're having LGBTQ+ people speaking out, it can be grueling work, and it could be thankless, and it can feel very vulnerable, and having people criticizing you and feeling like you're putting in the work to try to achieve some sense of equality, and you're just being kicked down and told you're not good enough.

And it takes a toll on us. So, we need to take that time to be alone, to recharge, and remind ourselves that we are worthy of equality. We're worthy of respect and dignity and love.

We're worthy of all the things that so many people just take for granted on a daily basis. And by taking the time to recharge, it also helps us reorient ourselves on the path forward.

Again, we're almost to the end of this cycle of hate, so take the time to prioritize what matters, so we can reorient ourselves to pushing the needle forward so we can get through the cycle and get onto the new horizon where there will hopefully be a brighter future for the LGBTQ+ community.

And as a brief and personal message of hope from myself, I just want to say that to anybody listening, it feels kind of silly to say to this, but I'm here for you. I mean, even though I may not know you personally, I'm still going to be here putting out new episodes and putting out resources for our mental health, for protection of our civil rights.

Sometimes the episodes might be funnier or lighter. And I think just as important as it is that we raise awareness around issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community, it's also important that we find time to laugh and celebrate and find joy because sometimes it feels like our identities are politicized and we could feel like a pawn, maybe almost.

For either trying to get legislation into effect or for the other side condemning us and saying, this is the reason why these people shouldn't have X, Y, and Z.

But at the end of the day, we're still people, and we should be able to have fun and should feel joy and feel happiness.

So, I'm here for you. I'm putting out episodes to try to raise awareness around certain issues, maybe spread some light and joy on other topics to offer a sense of escapism when things are getting rough this year.

But yeah, and somehow, we'll get through this together because generations of gay men before us had a lot less and faced a lot worse, and they continued to not only just survive, but thrive and really find ways to progress forward and provide new opportunities for generations to come.

And we'll do that as well. We are going to continue pushing for equality and create a better future for generations of LGBTQ+ people to come. So, let's hang in there.

Connect with A Jaded Gay (22:06)

Rob Loveless

As always, thank you for listening. I hope you found this helpful, and I hope you're feeling okay. If you have any questions or feedback, you can reach out to me rob@ajadedgay.com.

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And remember: every day is all we have, so you got to make your own happiness.

Mmm-bye.

Outtake (23:35)

Rob Loveless

So, I'd like to think that the number nine is telling us we're almost to the end of this cycle of discrimination and hate.

We just need to keep pushing forward and holding out a little bit longer, and soon the pendulum will swing back in our favor.

Or it could signify the end of America. Who knows? Oop, that might not be the right tone for this episode.

Sorry, we're trying to be optimistic in 2025. Let's try that again.