In this Getting Fresh episode, Dave welcomes his in-studio guests: the creators of the Seattle-based Gayish podcast, Kyle and Mike and asks them about their podcast’s origin and its unique format: unpacking gay stereotypes one episode at a time. Then we listen to a listener-submitted story that describes the writer’s first time at an orgy and we discuss our own orgy adventures and our different experiences and expectations when it comes to group sex.

Kenny is the definition of a survivor. After experiencing abuse by a family member and getting kicked out of the house by his single mom while still in high school, Kenny lived in his car until he decided to move in with his first boyfriend. A move to Chicago for a job seemed like an opportunity to start fresh until he was laid off and had to turn to sex work in order to support himself.

But despite all the challenges, he refuses to feel shame about his past and his sexuality. His advice: embrace all the different parts of your queerness: the masculine and the feminine; don’t let others dictate who you are and develop friendships with people who show you love.

Lilian grew up in Sedalia Colorado, a small community outside of Denver. Growing up, Lilian was a good little straight boy who judged other kids for having pre-marital sex. It wasn’t until college in LA that Lilian began her journey into becoming a self-described non-binary, genderfluid transgender woman who is a solo-polyamorous, relationship-anarchist pansexual lesbian slut.

Growing up in a small California town in the late 90s, Drew didn’t have any exposure to queer people or culture except for the brief mentions on broadcast sitcoms. NBC’s “Must See TV” was a particularly rich source of information. A secret relationship with another guy in his high school confirmed Drew’s budding sexuality but it wasn’t until college at UC Santa Barbara that he had his first legit boyfriend. Years later, a shocking discovery made him question their relationship but it also provided Drew an opportunity to forgive and move on instead of focusing on anger and regret.

Ari grew up in Milwaukee until age 10 when his family moved to Tucson, AZ. The new environment brought him out of his shell in spite of being raised in a religious family. Raised as a girl, Ari had the most difficulty with his mom when it came to his family’s acceptance of his identity first as a lesbian, then as a trans man. Ultimately, Ari had to prioritize his own mental health and happiness over his mom’s objections about his “lifestyle.”