Latest / Gayish Podcast / Gayish: 297 Demi
Transcript
- 0:00when you know that you were queer but your favorite drink is beer.
- 0:03That skittish.
- 0:04You can bottom without stopping,
- 0:06but you can't stand going shopping.
- 0:07That's cash.
- 0:09Ok.
- 0:10You're probably fish.
- 0:12Life's just too short for narrow stereotypes with mike and kind Hello,
- 0:21everyone in the podcast universe.
- 0:23This is gaish,
- 0:24the podcast that encourages you to be yourself.
- 0:27Everyone else has already seen the movie taken.
- 0:32You're just,
- 0:33you're striking at the heart of my identity as a human.
- 0:35I knew it.
- 0:36I knew it.
- 0:38Mike johnson,
- 0:38I have a specific set of queers.
- 0:40I'm Kyle gets we're here to pitch the gap between sexuality and actuality.
- 0:45And today we're in a mood today we're going to talk about Demi because I think this,
- 0:50I don't know,
- 0:51this will be interesting.
- 0:51We're gonna talk about Demi Demi Demi Demi Well,
- 0:54no,
- 0:55the app Demi great because of the Yeah,
- 0:59because reasons.
- 1:00Well,
- 1:00yeah,
- 1:01we're gonna talk about the orientation,
- 1:03the gender and the person.
- 1:04Yeah.
- 1:05Well,
- 1:05one of them,
- 1:06one of them.
- 1:06But well,
- 1:07I mean,
- 1:08that's why I said Demi not to me,
- 1:10right?
- 1:10Yeah.
- 1:10Okay.
- 1:11But first,
- 1:11but first feedback and corrections I thought,
- 1:13you know,
- 1:14we get,
- 1:14we get a lot of feedback and um it's almost always like,
- 1:17you know,
- 1:18the correction stuff or like negative stuff.
- 1:21But I just every once in a while I just want everybody to know that we do read your notes and that they're lovely.
- 1:25And you mean the things we read two people are the negative correction.
- 1:29Yes,
- 1:29we get it.
- 1:29I was like,
- 1:30we get mostly negative,
- 1:32you know,
- 1:32in our email inbox,
- 1:34we get a lot of nice things and we don't always,
- 1:37but here's one of them.
- 1:38High folks just wanted to say thank you for your podcast.
- 1:40I'm a buy dude who grew up on the missionary field to super conservative,
- 1:43fundamentalist christians out there to save the heathens.
- 1:46Your podcasts helped me be comfortable with who I am.
- 1:49And it's really funny.
- 1:50T.
- 1:51J.
- 1:51Oh,
- 1:52that is,
- 1:52you're right.
- 1:53We do pick the,
- 1:55it's,
- 1:55it's good to correct ourselves or read things that are not of,
- 2:00you know,
- 2:00our opinion or all that ship,
- 2:02but you're right.
- 2:02That then just like we don't only get that stuff.
- 2:05Thanks.
- 2:06Thanks.
- 2:07Thanks for listening.
- 2:08And we do legit read everything that comes through our email facebook instagram like everything.
- 2:15So I can't,
- 2:17it's enough that we can't respond to every single thing either.
- 2:19Unfortunately.
- 2:20Hashtag first world podcast problems like right,
- 2:23But,
- 2:25but thank you for yeah.
- 2:26And now the news,
- 2:27shut your mouth hole.
- 2:29It's time for your ear holes.
- 2:31News,
- 2:32News,
- 2:33news.
- 2:35Okay,
- 2:35Kyle,
- 2:36do you remember um,
- 2:40the song hold me closer by Elton john,
- 2:42which was remixed into the Britney Spears song.
- 2:45No,
- 2:45tiny dancer,
- 2:46which would make it to hold me closer is the news about Britney Spears a new song,
- 2:49Hold me closer.
- 2:52I don't,
- 2:54did you stop knowing what I was talking about?
- 2:56I just,
- 2:56I'm,
- 2:57I am very seriously considering whether I even want to like validate anything that you just said bye,
- 3:04dignifying it with a response.
- 3:07Okay.
- 3:07Um so do you remember last year when Pete took parental leave and the republicans lost their goddamn minds,
- 3:17kind of like anything vaguely shitty?
- 3:20You can say to me that the republicans did.
- 3:22I would probably be like,
- 3:23Yeah.
- 3:24Yeah,
- 3:24I guess I remember that.
- 3:25I mean,
- 3:25they were accusing him of he's the secretary of the Department of Transportation and they were saying we've got supply chain breakdowns and there's all this sh it wrong with the country.
- 3:36Why are you going on parental leave?
- 3:38Pete,
- 3:38you sucking dick bag.
- 3:41Well,
- 3:41so Pete and his husband Cheston have just explained exactly what was going on with them.
- 3:49Um They're both of their Children had severe health issues and one of them almost died.
- 3:55They were in the hospital during that period of time trying to not have their baby die.
- 4:01Yeah.
- 4:01So uh it was it was it was it was interesting.
- 4:05So,
- 4:06so says that in medium there's a new piece in in in the publication medium,
- 4:12and they talk a whole bunch about like,
- 4:14what it's like to be dads and what their whole experience has been like.
- 4:17Um but they had their uh their their kids were born in september twins,
- 4:23twins.
- 4:23Penelope Rose and joseph august and uh they were indeed adopted,
- 4:30quote.
- 4:30It's what they call a surprise adoption scenario.
- 4:32A mother had given birth that day and wanted to arrange adoption.
- 4:36The agency explained that there were some sensitive circumstances and potential health complications for us away but also that we would need to quickly decide whether we were prepared to travel to the rural hospital and begin the process and one more thing to consider it was twins.
- 4:50So they decided that indeed that worked for them and they hopped in the car and drove to the hospital.
- 4:56Imagine like being that person giving birth and then being like the fucking secretary of transportation shows up and you're like,
- 5:03hello,
- 5:04I don't think this is an issue for you.
- 5:06Like Yeah.
- 5:07Um but yeah,
- 5:09yeah,
- 5:09yeah.
- 5:10Like who knows what famous assholes gonna show up and try to take your babies.
- 5:13I don't know.
- 5:17That's the funniest spin on this story.
- 5:19Famous asshole takes babies like I know that's horrible but I love anyway,
- 5:26they were born premature and they had a bunch of health issues,
- 5:29which is common among among Children who are born premature.
- 5:32And uh,
- 5:34so then their,
- 5:37their,
- 5:37their son joseph got a respiratory infection.
- 5:40They also had both of them had like severe reflux issues but quote by october we had started to feel more confident and comfortable with all the routines and surprises of parenting.
- 5:49Then one day the kids got a cold soon it was a cough,
- 5:51then Penelope started to have trouble breathing over facetime.
- 5:54Our doctor expressed concern about the way her belly was retracting under her ribs as she worked to take in air Chasson drove her to the emergency room while I stayed home with Gus,
- 6:03that's joseph's nickname.
- 6:04His skin took on a modeled look.
- 6:06And by the next day he was admitted to the hospital too.
- 6:08Just as we had during our first days with them,
- 6:10we again learn to live out of a hospital room.
- 6:12This time in Traverse City,
- 6:13we would take turns shuttling supplies from home and sleeping by the kids aside and I would try to not distract the nurses when the phone rang with a work call uh turned joseph took a turn for the worse and had to be intubated and was transferred to a Children's hospital in grand rapids michigan.
- 6:29Uh,
- 6:30Pete wrote that quote.
- 6:31I was reminded of my father whose last days played out on a ventilator in an I.
- 6:34C.
- 6:35I.
- 6:35C.
- 6:35U.
- 6:35Room like this as he lost his battle with lung cancer and as all of this was going on,
- 6:41he still had to work,
- 6:42he was still the secretary of transportation.
- 6:44Um the kids are now both a year old and currently healthy.
- 6:48But it's just really interesting to me that,
- 6:51you know republicans who are supposed to be the party of family values fucking jumped on this ship and you're goddamn right.
- 6:59It's because they're gay.
- 7:00Yeah.
- 7:00Yeah.
- 7:00Yeah.
- 7:01The family values mean traditional meaning.
- 7:05They're supposed to be a woman here,
- 7:06that's supposed to be home taking care.
- 7:08Like that's what that's that's what they mean.
- 7:10And so when it's two dudes,
- 7:12they can't even comprehend what that means.
- 7:14And also like even in a straight couple like the father can go home and take care of his kids like that.
- 7:21Yeah,
- 7:21there's also the game I think of like well I didn't know that their kids were in the hospital should they have said so,
- 7:29but they also probably shouldn't have had to that.
- 7:32I think I'm noticing this more and more,
- 7:35I think so often the blame gets.
- 7:38We start to question whether the person that is being attacked or the victim were harmed were like what should they have done better differently when ruth Bader Ginsburg died,
- 7:48this happened where everyone's ruth Bader Ginsburg should have quit earlier so that it's like you know what?
- 7:52Rather than blaming her,
- 7:54the person that's fought for justice and equality,
- 7:56especially for women and for LGBT people and everyone let's blame the people that fucking are causing the issue,
- 8:03which is republicans so much blame gets put on the people for not making perfect decisions that are in these scenarios.
- 8:10So I I understand why people would ask why people would think and reflect on the timing.
- 8:15Also it's the republicans that should not be attacking someone who's dealing with kids and you should let people do their own thing with healthcare and with childcare.
- 8:27Yeah,
- 8:27absolutely,
- 8:28Yeah,
- 8:29the victim blaming thing,
- 8:29you're super right and it's not,
- 8:31I didn't even think about it as that.
- 8:32But you're absolutely right.
- 8:34And as I've been thinking about it,
- 8:35I see it all the time.
- 8:37Someone in response to our Singapore episode was like on twitter was like the LGBT advocates pushed for,
- 8:46you know,
- 8:46to remove that section from the penal code and they barked up the wrong tree and got,
- 8:52you know,
- 8:53an outcome they didn't want which is added to the constitution.
- 8:55It's like,
- 8:56okay,
- 8:56you're blaming the LGBT advocates for pushing to decriminalize homosexuality.
- 9:01No,
- 9:01let's blame the religious groups and the politicians for doing the shitty thing of adding it,
- 9:06yep,
- 9:07you'll see it all the time now.
- 9:09Yeah.
- 9:11Well,
- 9:11I also I would be remiss if I didn't also include a piece of listener feedback right here.
- 9:16I have on the show said that I think that that Pete and Cheston are heteronormative and that's why they're palatable as political figures.
- 9:24And I thought this was really interesting.
- 9:26SJ texted us to the hotline.
- 9:28Hey guys,
- 9:29I think the word you're looking for when you talk about homo normative or homo normative,
- 9:34itty love the show and appreciate that you try to be trans inclusive,
- 9:37take care.
- 9:37SJ and homo normative itty at least according to Wikipedia is the privileging of heteronormative ideals and constructs onto LGBT culture and identity.
- 9:48It is predicated on the assumption that the norms and values of heterosexuality should be replicated and performed among homosexual people.
- 9:55Yeah,
- 9:55that's yes,
- 9:56that's the word.
- 9:56That yeah,
- 9:57I just didn't I didn't realize I didn't realize that there was a better word.
- 10:02I think it I think it's it is still heteronormative,
- 10:06at least those are the ideals that I'm identifying and this word encompasses that and the projection of it on to gay people.
- 10:13So i it's it's a better word.
- 10:14Thanks for the Okay,
- 10:15listen,
- 10:16Alright,
- 10:17news.
- 10:18The second,
- 10:19the second.
- 10:19Great.
- 10:19So the biden administration has outlined a plan for fighting HIV infection with the goal of eliminating it by 2030.
- 10:29So they are taking a multi pronged approach here.
- 10:32But they are are are looking at uh a combination of prep and education,
- 10:40antiretrovirals,
- 10:41HIV testing and other efforts to remove stigma,
- 10:46Get more education out there and barriers to health care,
- 10:49like insurance schemes and public health.
- 10:51So I think it's really it's cool.
- 10:54I hope they can do it.
- 10:55I don't know that they're gonna get there because anytime you bring up this kind of stuff,
- 11:01you'll get backlash from republicans who are like,
- 11:03HIV that's gay,
- 11:04that's it.
- 11:05Fight it.
- 11:05It's bad.
- 11:06But also like whether or not they hit a goal like setting a goal for yourself is helpful in getting closer to that.
- 11:13So that's great that they have uh do they have a smart goal?
- 11:17It seems like uh this plan is specifically targeting gay bisexual and other men who have sex with men,
- 11:24particularly black latino american indian and Alaskan native men.
- 11:27I was gonna add that that community is particularly affected both by like historical mistreatment by the health care system and being forgotten within the LGBT community.
- 11:40So like that's that's great that they are aware of that and focusing on that community.
- 11:43So interesting like when people are like well why don't black people go to the doctor more and like because first of all There's a huge poverty problem,
- 11:51right?
- 11:52And barrier to access.
- 11:53But second of all,
- 11:54do you know what Tuskegee was all about fucking educate yourself.
- 11:58Black people and like medical practices in this country do not have a good history.
- 12:02Anyway.
- 12:03The plan also targets black women,
- 12:05trans women and young people between 13 and 24 years old and intravenous drug users as well.
- 12:11Yeah.
- 12:12So so thanks.
- 12:14Thanks.
- 12:14Obama.
- 12:19I hope it works.
- 12:20News the last oh my God Kyle.
- 12:23I'm Yeah.
- 12:25Okay well so just just today uh there was a straight today sunday.
- 12:33Yeah there's a straight pride parade in Modesto.
- 12:37And uh it was organized by anti L.
- 12:40G.
- 12:40B.
- 12:40T.
- 12:40Q.
- 12:40Plus,
- 12:41an anti abortion group.
- 12:42Uh and it has ended in violence.
- 12:46So Modesto Police Department said around 250 people fought outside a planned parenthood as part of a straight pride event.
- 12:53It's organized by the National Straight Pride Coalition.
- 12:56It was yesterday sorry saturday.
- 12:58Uh none of the people who were arrested as part of this lived in that county.
- 13:02So it just became this like lightning rod.
- 13:05But the network,
- 13:06the national Straight Pride coalition says that they celebrate quote heterosexuality,
- 13:11masculinity,
- 13:12femininity babies born and unborn and Western straight civilization.
- 13:17Our wonderful country and Christianity.
- 13:20So the I'm sorry you absolutely read the Republican Party plan this this coalition.
- 13:28They have connections to the proud boys.
- 13:29So you know,
- 13:30you know they're good.
- 13:31Um But apparently when they showed up hundreds of L.
- 13:35G.
- 13:35B.
- 13:35T.
- 13:35Q.
- 13:35Plus people had already assembled and were there waiting for them and then it got violent.
- 13:41So the number of pro LGBTQ plus people far outnumbered the straight pride goers.
- 13:46Um The the the counter protesters came carrying signs that read fascists aren't welcome and straight pride is hate pride.
- 13:54About 20 minutes later Modesto police declared it an unlawful assembly called on both groups to disperse after a firecracker ignited a bush and objects were thrown.
- 14:04Um This this is it's not funny Kyle,
- 14:09This whole thing is not funny.
- 14:10But if there's a funny part to this it is this the L.
- 14:14G.
- 14:14B.
- 14:14T.
- 14:14Q.
- 14:15People retreated to planned parenthood and Straight pride retreated to Wendy's ah yes the safe streets Safe Haven Wendy's you're safe here.
- 14:28Straight people.
- 14:30Yeah they should get like a safe place sticker that's just I don't know what the whatever straight pride flag is or something.
- 14:37It's like you're safe to be straight here at Wendy's I'm fine with straight people and I'm okay with their orientation.
- 14:45But it seems like they're gathering is always turned violent.
- 14:48I just don't like all of the violence that comes out of straight people.
- 14:51That's right.
- 14:52That's right.
- 14:53Indeed.
- 14:54Property damage should not be tolerated.
- 14:58Mhm.
- 15:01Um Well,
- 15:02speaking of property damage,
- 15:04we've been wrecking these wallets.
- 15:06Thank you.
- 15:07Following remembers Troy arias,
- 15:10who sounds like he was probably on Troy Areas.
- 15:14That sounds like a character on high School musical.
- 15:17Sounds latin.
- 15:19Okay.
- 15:19Uh swing you that you're taking?
- 15:22Orlando?
- 15:24Orlando Orlando boom.
- 15:26Um,
- 15:28Butler's daddy.
- 15:30But Butler is your daddy?
- 15:32Rich Butler's daddy.
- 15:34Get a separate subscription for Butler.
- 15:37Butler deserves it.
- 15:38Um Daddy and Lindsay.
- 15:42Hey alec Lindsay,
- 15:43Thank you.
- 15:44Hey,
- 15:44like me?
- 15:44You get that all the time.
- 15:46Sorry,
- 15:47thank you so much.
- 15:49If you want us to make the obvious joke about your name,
- 15:52go to patreon dot com slash podcast.
- 15:54We have 35 bonus episodes alone,
- 15:56plus bonus segments for every single episode.
- 15:59So there's a lot.
- 16:00There's a lot more of us.
- 16:02Should you tell us?
- 16:05Butler's daddy?
- 16:06Let us know what to think after you listen.
- 16:10Do you wanna talk about Demi?
- 16:12Alright,
- 16:13man,
- 16:14what,
- 16:15what an adventure.
- 16:16So we're doing this is your fault.
- 16:17This is my fault.
- 16:18Um I'm I'm anxious and nervous,
- 16:21are you okay?
- 16:23Because because your stuff,
- 16:25Is that why you wanted to go last.
- 16:26Okay,
- 16:27great.
- 16:27Yeah,
- 16:27are you gonna cry?
- 16:29You know,
- 16:30let's find out together.
- 16:34I thought last night.
- 16:35I thought I have very much been under like personally just as we've been planning this like under selling some of these conversations and kind of like,
- 16:44let's do this.
- 16:45It's a personal like,
- 16:46you know,
- 16:46we we haven't done something that's very personal and you know,
- 16:50like so it made sense.
- 16:53But also I have been kind of underselling it partially because I'm like extremely nervous.
- 16:57So we're gonna talk about you first.
- 16:59We're gonna talk about another one of the like generally don't attempt to look at someone or investigate someone and decide what their orientation gender what labels they should use.
- 17:16Like don't do that.
- 17:17That's shitty do as we say don't do as we do to each other,
- 17:20y'all because we're friends and sure you're listening in but like it's different.
- 17:24I think,
- 17:25okay,
- 17:25that's something I don't think people understand is like there are all these recommendations on,
- 17:29you know what to do,
- 17:30how to,
- 17:30how to handle LGBT issues,
- 17:32how to handle transitions,
- 17:33how to like all of these general recommendations are also like,
- 17:37you know,
- 17:37your friends best you and I can do this with each other.
- 17:40I can say,
- 17:41I think you're this label,
- 17:42you wouldn't do that to a random on the internet,
- 17:45but like we're friends so we know we have the relationship like,
- 17:48you know your friends best allegedly we'll find out if this podcast is to be believed.
- 17:54Um you know,
- 17:55your friends best,
- 17:56you know what's appropriate for your friendship.
- 17:58So don't let the,
- 17:59I think especially non LGBT people let the general rules that they hear then affect their actual personal friendships where they're like,
- 18:07I don't want to ask you about this thing because I know you're not supposed to put the burden of educating on.
- 18:12It's like,
- 18:13you know,
- 18:13we're friends though,
- 18:14like you that doesn't fit our relationship,
- 18:17you know,
- 18:18that we ask each other stuff and talk,
- 18:19you know,
- 18:20so we're gonna make content.
- 18:27Okay,
- 18:29I'm okay,
- 18:30I'm going to talk to you talk to you about Demi sexuality.
- 18:33You have been accused by some,
- 18:35some,
- 18:36some minimum of one person in this room has accused you.
- 18:41Yeah,
- 18:41of being Demi sexual.
- 18:43We're gonna talk about that.
- 18:44I did want to do a brief like history,
- 18:47but like an etymological sense because I think these things are interesting history.
- 18:52Do you awesome doesn't include like where the the prefix Demi comes from.
- 18:58Okay,
- 18:58great.
- 18:59So words that start with the letters D E M I.
- 19:03So that that prefix that you add comes from the latin meaning from the middle or in the middle,
- 19:10which I think is a bad name.
- 19:12I don't know like sexually in the middle,
- 19:17what they're going after is that you're somewhere between a sexual and alot sexual.
- 19:23That there's a spectrum of like horny to not horny and that you're in the middle of that somewhere and I think that that's a gross oversimplification of what Demi sexuality actually is and how it's defined.
- 19:34It also gets conflated sometimes with gray sexual,
- 19:36which I'm not going to super go into.
- 19:38But like one thing that everybody is in agreement about is that Demi sexuality falls somewhere on the a sexual spectrum,
- 19:46meaning people whose sexual attraction is not the norm or the typical is that I think oversimplification,
- 19:57especially when looking at labels.
- 19:59Part of the importance is or like part of the thing that I've noticed is all of them are over simply calling yourself gay extremely oversimplifies these things.
- 20:11And I think we have a tendency to want them to be fully descriptive.
- 20:16And and every because of such a variety of human experiences,
- 20:21we we try to come up with words that categorize things.
- 20:24But yeah,
- 20:25I agree.
- 20:25They're gross oversimplifications,
- 20:27but that's just language and words and labels,
- 20:31so Yeah.
- 20:32Yeah.
- 20:32Yeah.
- 20:32Yeah.
- 20:33Yeah,
- 20:33Yeah,
- 20:33that's a good point.
- 20:34That's good feedback.
- 20:35Thanks Thanks for being here and saying words on your podcast.
- 20:38I do it every week.
- 20:39So what is damaged sexuality?
- 20:41I think this is hilarious demo sexuality dot org is a treasure trove of all about this shit.
- 20:49They say Demi sexuality is a sexual orientation in which someone feels sexual attraction only to people with whom they have an emotional bond.
- 20:57Most homosexuals feel sexual attraction rarely compared to the general population and some have little to no interest in sexual activity.
- 21:05So that describes a surprising number of people,
- 21:12at least according to the information that I can find Demi sexual uh sexuality dot org does link to a whole bunch of resources about this and the way that it's studied.
- 21:22Um There was a 2016 community survey of self identified Asexuals.
- 21:27And uh they said that asexuals represents somewhere like in the 1% range of humans.
- 21:36And of those only about 8.8.6% of them identified as Demi sexual.
- 21:43And uh that was the second smallest showing after the ubiquitous.
- 21:47None of the above asked.
- 21:49Like which of these describes you the best.
- 21:51So really since about 1% of the population identifies as a sexual according to the U.
- 21:56S.
- 21:56News and World Report.
- 21:57Um that means it's likely that less than 1/10 of 1% of the population identifies as homosexual.
- 22:03But like with a lot of human percentages that's still a ton of people write their own people.
- 22:09And these are conversations that I think we have not been having at least in the last generation.
- 22:14So I think.
- 22:17Yeah.
- 22:17Yeah.
- 22:18Yeah.
- 22:18Yeah.
- 22:19And and um that's that's true.
- 22:22It's this whole thing that you talk about a lot on the show of like it's not new,
- 22:26we just have a label now and that is a vehicle to talk about it.
- 22:30So it seems like it's more prevalent when it's when it's when it's when it's not.
- 22:34Um studies studies have shown that Demi sexuality is a legitimate uh sexual orientation.
- 22:40There are lots of rumors out there that like it's fake or there's just a desire for a label or it's prudes who want to show their moral superiority by labeling themselves that for the purpose of shaming others.
- 22:52None of that's true.
- 22:53It's it's it's an actual legit orientation that someone neither chose nor can help.
- 22:59So nor change,
- 23:00which is interesting intentionally.
- 23:02Anyway,
- 23:03there's no conversion therapy for homosexuality.
- 23:05Okay,
- 23:05so a lot of that stuff seems in line with the asexuality overall.
- 23:09Yeah.
- 23:10Yeah.
- 23:11Yeah.
- 23:11Absolutely.
- 23:13So the word homosexuality was first coined by user on the a sexual visibility and education network to A.
- 23:22V.
- 23:22N.
- 23:23In 2006.
- 23:24So A.
- 23:25V.
- 23:25N.
- 23:26Started in 2001 and in 2006 this user made the word Demi sexuality.
- 23:31So there are a bunch of questions on the page.
- 23:35What is Demi sexuality that I think are worth talking about?
- 23:39Um what is the emotional bond,
- 23:41demo sexual need for sexual attraction?
- 23:44And the answer here is that it is it's different for everyone.
- 23:48It's a spectrum like everything else.
- 23:50So many of these definitions are like,
- 23:52you both want something like some kind of definition and there are a lot of,
- 23:56some people do like some people experience this,
- 23:58some people experience this and so it's it's hard to be both inclusive of lots of different experiences but also give something a definition so we can understand just overall.
- 24:09Yeah.
- 24:10Absolutely.
- 24:11So usually emotional intimacy is a main component.
- 24:16So dem a sexual find themselves attracted to close friends or romantic partners,
- 24:20but just having an emotional bond also doesn't mean that a sexual attraction is going to happen.
- 24:26It's just that it has to happen.
- 24:30One of the questions here,
- 24:31is it normal?
- 24:32Isn't it normal to only want sex after getting to know someone.
- 24:38That's why I had that written in the notes.
- 24:40That this is this is the noise that you knew that noise just come out of my mouth,
- 24:46s s and P smashed into random.
- 24:51Um so,
- 24:53so most people,
- 24:56most alot sexual feel sexual attraction regardless of whether or not they have a close emotional bond with someone and they may have sexual feelings for attractive people on the street classmates or coworkers they've barely spoken to or celebrities now,
- 25:09they might wait to have sex for a variety of reasons,
- 25:13it might not be feasible or appropriate.
- 25:17They want to make sure the person is respectful and kind it's against their religious beliefs.
- 25:21They only want to have sex in a romantic relationship.
- 25:24The difference is that Demi sexual don't start out with these sexual feelings at all.
- 25:29There are other other other questions in here.
- 25:33But uh one thing,
- 25:37one thing I thought that we could go through is there's another article of what Demi sexual is Demi sexuality is not Demi sexuality is not only having sex with people you love.
- 25:46So Demi sexual folks can can,
- 25:49can bang whoever,
- 25:51whether they love them or not emotion,
- 25:53emotional attachment doesn't necessarily mean,
- 25:55like,
- 25:56you're in a relationship,
- 25:57you're in love,
- 25:57you're Yeah.
- 25:58Right.
- 25:59Yeah,
- 25:59exactly.
- 26:00So it just means that there has to be an emotional bond of some,
- 26:04some kind,
- 26:06it's not abstaining from sex until marriage.
- 26:08Uh people think demo sexual are waiting until marriage.
- 26:12That that's that that's a that's a not that they don't think of it as a sexual orientation,
- 26:17but they think of it as like a lifestyle choice,
- 26:20that once they're in a committed relationship,
- 26:23then the floodgates are open and they'll be horny all the time and want to bang.
- 26:26Um and uh it's also not how most people or women operate normally,
- 26:33and it's just reiterating that,
- 26:34like,
- 26:35it's a sexual orientation and these people are legitimately different.
- 26:41Um not and not how people operate normally,
- 26:44like,
- 26:44meaning it isn't uncommon,
- 26:46like most people are not this,
- 26:48it's not that it's bad enough that it's just uncommon.
- 26:51Yeah,
- 26:51yep.
- 26:52Exactly.
- 26:52So getting to,
- 26:55I'm gonna talk about me now.
- 26:57Okay,
- 26:58great,
- 27:01I think I have said a lot on the show that anonymous sex doesn't work for me and that I need to have some kind of a level of relationship or trust built with someone.
- 27:17If I'm to have a pleasurable sexual encounter,
- 27:22where I have struggled with the label of Demi sexual,
- 27:24which someone may or may not have used for me once on this show,
- 27:29uh eric is that the the number of places where it's at least in in the literature that I find in my sexuality,
- 27:39out of work,
- 27:39blah,
- 27:40blah,
- 27:40blah.
- 27:41Is that you don't feel sexual feelings at all until that has been built up,
- 27:47and that's just not true.
- 27:49Like,
- 27:50I will go to the bar and be like,
- 27:52oh,
- 27:52he's hot,
- 27:53oh,
- 27:53he's hot,
- 27:54oh,
- 27:54he's hot and and be very physically attracted to someone and whatever they have going on.
- 28:01The stuff that I read about demo sexuality seems to preclude that.
- 28:05I just think that the labels are less,
- 28:08aren't they less prescriptive than that.
- 28:10Like,
- 28:10does it say every like,
- 28:12you never have,
- 28:13no one has sexual feelings.
- 28:15Like,
- 28:15it always seems like I'm saying,
- 28:17like,
- 28:17all of them seem to say like,
- 28:18most or some people don't.
- 28:20Others too.
- 28:20But Yeah,
- 28:21well,
- 28:21so I found an article on Best Life and I think we've been to that site before.
- 28:26Don't know if it's reputable or not,
- 28:28Don't care.
- 28:28Here we go,
- 28:29signs of homosexuality.
- 28:31And I'm just gonna talk about like,
- 28:32how I feel about them.
- 28:33Maybe you can talk about how you feel about them too,
- 28:35so we can compare notes,
- 28:36dem a sexual people usually aren't big fans of physical touch.
- 28:41Now,
- 28:42I vehemently do not identify with that physical touch is my love language and,
- 28:50like,
- 28:50I'm down for a good cuddle sesh with a perfect stranger at any point in time.
- 28:56Um I don't know,
- 28:58you don't like hugs.
- 28:59I don't know,
- 28:59I don't know,
- 29:00I'm weird about physical touch,
- 29:01but that's for like other reasons because I like that's like body image issues and like,
- 29:09I don't know,
- 29:10trust issues are like,
- 29:11yeah,
- 29:12there's but there are multiple kinds of,
- 29:15there are multiple kinds of attraction and sexual and romantic are the two most common.
- 29:20I mean,
- 29:21even breaking it down like,
- 29:23You know,
- 29:23homosexual home,
- 29:25a romantic,
- 29:25like those two things are often the same,
- 29:28but breaking that down is often the first step to understanding like,
- 29:31oh there's different levels.
- 29:32There's also there are even beyond that more.
- 29:35There there's and I looked them up like some people are like their five,
- 29:38they're 10,
- 29:39they're 32.
- 29:40But like the ones that kept coming up sexual romantic,
- 29:43there's also physical,
- 29:44so that is wanting to cuddle someone but not necessarily fuck someone like there,
- 29:48that's physical attraction to someone.
- 29:51It's not it's it's for a lot of people connected to sexual attraction,
- 29:55but not necessarily.
- 29:57I wanna cuddle Griffin Mcelroy.
- 29:59So I think I have a physical attraction that Griffin Mcelroy.
- 30:02Um let's let's consider Demi sexual from the lens of Griffin.
- 30:10That's how I think will be helpful to evaluate this.
- 30:13Um there's also emotional attraction which you've been mentioned in this and there is aesthetic attraction that is as an example,
- 30:22a completely straight dude looks at chris Hemsworth and like,
- 30:26yes,
- 30:26that looks good.
- 30:27I don't want to fund him.
- 30:28I don't want to date him.
- 30:29I can tell that he is an attractive man.
- 30:32That's aesthetic attraction.
- 30:33So part of why I bring that up is because like,
- 30:37that wanting to like wanting physical touch,
- 30:41whatever is not necessarily the same as,
- 30:42like,
- 30:42sexual attraction.
- 30:44That doesn't mean that you want a sexual.
- 30:47Yeah,
- 30:47So that's yeah,
- 30:51Demi sexual.
- 30:52People usually aren't big fans of physical touch.
- 30:54I think that that's that's an interesting like,
- 30:57maybe maybe you disagree.
- 30:58Oh no,
- 30:59no,
- 30:59no.
- 30:59I I don't know enough to disagree with what they say.
- 31:02Okay,
- 31:02I was going to say this later,
- 31:03but I'll say it now.
- 31:04So there is this thing I'm very torn.
- 31:07I'm torn about this label for myself for a number of reasons,
- 31:10and I'm happy to go to go into those.
- 31:13But this quote when I was like,
- 31:15absolutely not.
- 31:16I'm completely not demo sexual.
- 31:17There's just no way.
- 31:18And I have a whole like,
- 31:19argument for that that I'll go into.
- 31:21But uh,
- 31:23this this quote,
- 31:23like sort of sort of is the thing that has had me spinning all morning quote many Demi sexual confused sensual attraction,
- 31:33wanting to touch cuddle etcetera with sexual attraction.
- 31:36And it can be difficult to differentiate the two.
- 31:37I have felt sensually attracted to people,
- 31:39but not sexually attracted.
- 31:41And I know this because the thought of cuddling with them is pleasant,
- 31:44but the thought of doing anything sexual with them feels weird.
- 31:47You might conduct a similar thought experiment if you're wondering whether or not you're sexually attracted to someone.
- 31:53And I definitely,
- 31:57I just so torn Kyle,
- 32:00I'm so torn because for me I will see a hot dude,
- 32:07I'm like immediately down with like a whole range of things that I want to do with that person,
- 32:12I want to touch that person,
- 32:14kiss that person cuddle with that person,
- 32:16rub up on that person.
- 32:17Like all of those things are very immediate.
- 32:21Then there's also like,
- 32:23I want,
- 32:23I want to do stuff with our penises together that would be fun and,
- 32:26and then maybe anal,
- 32:29but that's actually I'm not a side,
- 32:30but that's like that comes last out of my like desire of things to do with someone.
- 32:37And so then in a hookup though,
- 32:42I'll end up going home with that person or bringing that person home if I haven't built up enough of a trust with that person if we do any of those level two or level three things and by that,
- 32:54I mean,
- 32:54blowjobs are anal,
- 32:56I will maybe sometimes even likely have a panic attack and won't enjoy it and will want to leave and but it feels about it,
- 33:09it feels like it's about safety,
- 33:11I get up in my head,
- 33:12I don't trust this person,
- 33:14I don't know this person,
- 33:15this isn't fun,
- 33:16How am I going to get through this?
- 33:19And then my boner goes away and um,
- 33:23I'm like unsatisfied and embarrassed.
- 33:27What's interesting to me though is I always,
- 33:31I always want to,
- 33:32I always,
- 33:33I always feel like this is like what I want for myself and like sometimes the stars align and it's magical and it's wonderful and it's exactly what I wanted.
- 33:45Like a slot machine,
- 33:46It keeps coming,
- 33:46keeps me coming back for more like a slot machine.
- 33:51I keep putting my quarters in that slot machine because I get a perfectly fun,
- 33:56awesome,
- 33:56wonderful jackpot payout often enough that it keeps me going.
- 34:01So it,
- 34:01it doesn't feel like it's anything constitutional.
- 34:04It feels situational to me.
- 34:06Like if I just have a beer with someone and measure their mutual attraction in a conversation that improves the chances that the wheels aren't gonna fall off the bus for me mid coitus God,
- 34:18I hate the word.
- 34:19Okay,
- 34:20this is yours.
- 34:20No,
- 34:20no,
- 34:20but wait,
- 34:21if you have a beer or someone the greater the establishment of a mute of the,
- 34:26of a connection with someone,
- 34:27the greater the chances you will enjoy the sexual experience.
- 34:30Exactly.
- 34:31Exactly.
- 34:32And is that not the definition of It's not because Demi sexuality.
- 34:37The stuff that I've been reading anyway.
- 34:38It's about the feeling sexually attracted to someone,
- 34:42not your ability to act on it.
- 34:46I something I here and this is what I like after you said when I or someone,
- 34:52I forget who said that you might be this and your response was like,
- 34:55no,
- 34:55I see people and I,
- 34:56you know,
- 34:57think sexy thoughts or think about like what I realized later part of it is there there's a difference between fantasies and what actually happened.
- 35:05A lot of people have fantasies.
- 35:07There are plenty of fantasies that I don't want to actual come true or even porn.
- 35:10I look at that,
- 35:11I'm like,
- 35:12that would be hot.
- 35:13I don't actually want to do that when actually have sex with someone.
- 35:16Like so many things that are hypothetical or fancy or even I talk about on the show of like loving or being really into,
- 35:23I don't actually want that.
- 35:24It's like,
- 35:25I wonder how much is things you fantasize about,
- 35:28but that doesn't mean you actually want them to happen.
- 35:31Yeah.
- 35:32Great question.
- 35:33I wonder that too.
- 35:36I also think,
- 35:40mhm I don't want to identify as that because I don't want it to be true.
- 35:47I don't want to be a Demi sexual,
- 35:49even if Demi sexuality does encompass what's true for me,
- 35:53these are things about myself that I want to change that?
- 35:55I wish I could change that.
- 35:57I wish I could figure out that I talk to my therapist all the time about,
- 36:00Like,
- 36:00do I just need to practice more?
- 36:01Do I just need to,
- 36:02like find the people I feel safer with and like,
- 36:04bang them more so that I get better at that.
- 36:06Like it is not an identified an identity that I want to claim if it's true,
- 36:13I want it to be different.
- 36:14So I don't want to call myself that that's wow what that says,
- 36:25that there's something they're not necessarily that that label issue,
- 36:28but there's something very big and important there.
- 36:31I don't,
- 36:34I don't feel that I don't want to change the way I have sex or what I do.
- 36:38Like I would like people to not judge random hookups because those can be,
- 36:43I think so many people in our community judging like I want to change how other people perceive it or I want to like,
- 36:48but I don't think about,
- 36:49I don't want this myself like this,
- 36:52like how I handle sexual tracks.
- 36:54I don't,
- 36:54I wish I was less anxious about hookups before they happened.
- 36:58I wish,
- 36:59you know,
- 36:59there's lots of things,
- 37:00but I don't have like what you're describing feels like a more inner,
- 37:03deep seated,
- 37:05like dislike of something about yourself that that means it's big and important and um yeah,
- 37:19also I'm okay,
- 37:23I do this in therapy too.
- 37:24I'm debating whether like,
- 37:26I am like intentionally moving on to something else because I want to avoid talking about what we were just talking about or if it's actually related and okay to bring it anyway,
- 37:33blah,
- 37:33blah,
- 37:33blah.
- 37:35There's the added component that makes me shy away from the demo sexual label that there is a window of knowing someone if I know someone to,
- 37:44well I absolutely will not be sexually attracted to them whatsoever.
- 37:48Which seems like the opposite of demo sexuality,
- 37:50right?
- 37:50Like,
- 37:51like it seems like go ahead.
- 37:52What?
- 37:52No,
- 37:53no,
- 37:53keep going great.
- 37:55You'll be,
- 37:56you'll be happy to hear.
- 37:57I have no desire to funk you,
- 37:58Kyle.
- 37:59And it's because we're very,
- 38:00very,
- 38:01very good.
- 38:03No,
- 38:03you know,
- 38:04I know that about you.
- 38:05Yeah.
- 38:05And there are other situations too that are,
- 38:08are similarly uh nonstarters for me,
- 38:10like fraternity brothers,
- 38:11I have a hard time with that.
- 38:12Even the hot ones being gay doesn't mean you have to be attracted to every dude.
- 38:19I understand that.
- 38:20I think this is a similar thing.
- 38:21Just being the sexual label does not mean people you have an emotional attraction to you will want now want to have sex with them.
- 38:29Okay.
- 38:30Okay.
- 38:32Oh,
- 38:33wow.
- 38:33Okay.
- 38:34Uh,
- 38:34there was a non reciprocated period of time when I would have been into you and kind of was so like,
- 38:42that's,
- 38:44I don't,
- 38:45it's not,
- 38:45it's not because I wouldn't,
- 38:47I can't find,
- 38:48I don't find you attractive.
- 38:49Like that's that's not what that is.
- 38:54Okay.
- 38:56I want to talk about that now,
- 38:58but we're talking about important shift.
- 39:00You're talking about mike what she wants me.
- 39:04Oh my God,
- 39:06wow,
- 39:07wow.
- 39:08What?
- 39:09Oh my God,
- 39:10Kyle now I'm bright Red,
- 39:12This is awesome.
- 39:14I just,
- 39:15I just felt it happened.
- 39:16It's like I just did a bunch of poppers that read like from New Orleans.
- 39:23No,
- 39:23I don't want to me okay.
- 39:25So like early,
- 39:26early,
- 39:26early on,
- 39:27like when we were first getting to know each other and we were hanging out with some regularity.
- 39:30I found you attractive and,
- 39:32and like then that's right about the same time that I met my ex husband and like the ship changed and we became better friends and you got friend zoned and like that's how it happened.
- 39:45Mike.
- 39:46Don't make me say I wanted to suck you.
- 39:47That's like,
- 39:47that's awful.
- 39:48But if you say no,
- 39:49then I'll feel sad.
- 39:54You don't have to say anymore.
- 39:57Why is that a weird thing to talk about with your friends?
- 40:01I mean,
- 40:01I don't know.
- 40:03Yeah,
- 40:03I get it.
- 40:03It makes sense with what I know about you of like kinds of things you like and,
- 40:10and we've talked about enough that I know like we both are like,
- 40:14this is platonic and will not happen And sorry listeners.
- 40:17But um,
- 40:18maybe you aged out you and Davey Wavey man.
- 40:24Um,
- 40:25okay,
- 40:26back to you.
- 40:28But like what about me or other people like you're attractive?
- 40:33You're not gonna always include my,
- 40:35me and my in the list of people you are attracted to.
- 40:38Um,
- 40:38like,
- 40:39but we got like we,
- 40:40we became friends and got to know each other.
- 40:42Is that during the process when you like,
- 40:45but,
- 40:45and then we got to know each other more and clearly that stopped.
- 40:48But like is that during the course of the process where,
- 40:51like,
- 40:52you felt that there was like,
- 40:55there was a there was a connection there that involved us becoming friends,
- 41:00like,
- 41:01okay,
- 41:03but okay,
- 41:04but the all of this new found evidence that everyone gets to enjoy uh is just that I think,
- 41:13I think from what I'm maybe I'm just wrong and understanding Demi sexuality,
- 41:17that that's that's sort of the opposite of of what they experience in,
- 41:21that if the connection is too strong,
- 41:24if it hasn't become sexual already,
- 41:26it's never going to,
- 41:27like,
- 41:28there's a proximity that a person reaches emotionally from a trust and vulnerability perspective that then becomes very much not sexual and and won't be.
- 41:40And that's the that's confusing to me because,
- 41:44like,
- 41:44homosexuality,
- 41:45the implication is that if you're going to be into someone,
- 41:49the emotional bond strengthens that,
- 41:51like,
- 41:51there's all this focus on,
- 41:52like,
- 41:53long term relationships or like six months to a year for some demo sexual before they feel sexually attracted to somebody and then it's their super into it or whatever.
- 42:03This this feels like the opposite of that.
- 42:06Is that the case with everyone that a stronger emotional connection makes you not want.
- 42:12You are less likely to have sex with him.
- 42:14I don't know.
- 42:15I mean,
- 42:15is that true for everyone for you as you,
- 42:19you know,
- 42:20your ex husband,
- 42:22you got married and hopefully established a stronger emotional connection.
- 42:25Did you feel less sexually attracted by that?
- 42:28Okay,
- 42:31It's all about like,
- 42:32the sex has to start before the window closes,
- 42:34because once the window is closed,
- 42:36it's closed.
- 42:36Yeah.
- 42:37My point is just,
- 42:39it is not that after emotional connection you don't feel sexual attraction.
- 42:44It is that it works only with certain number of people.
- 42:47And I don't think any identity requires it to be with every person.
- 42:52They're certain it's not that doesn't happen with everyone,
- 42:55it's doesn't happen again.
- 42:59We're doing we're doing so much of the ship that you should not do with,
- 43:03like,
- 43:03I would never with anyone else,
- 43:05but you try to explain to them.
- 43:08I I think the biggest thing that you said is like,
- 43:12I don't want this label to be true.
- 43:17Yeah.
- 43:19And there's a there's a whole bunch of,
- 43:20like,
- 43:21reasons for that.
- 43:22We've we've talked about the fact that I feel defective when I when I look around at my,
- 43:25like,
- 43:26gay male friends who just hook up and funk and it's amazing and they have so much fun and like,
- 43:32that that's not how my sexuality works very much feels like,
- 43:36like a problem deficiency.
- 43:38A I don't like I don't like it.
- 43:41And then if it were that,
- 43:43like,
- 43:44I never enjoyed anonymous hook up,
- 43:46that's the other thing.
- 43:47It's not that like,
- 43:48it's not my batting average is zero when it comes to the casual random hookup,
- 43:54it's it's I have had a fantastic time with a random stranger that I just met before.
- 44:00So if I don't know it's black and white thinking and for that,
- 44:04that sucks.
- 44:05But like if it,
- 44:06if it were,
- 44:07if it were truly never,
- 44:08ever,
- 44:09ever did that work for me,
- 44:10then I might have a better time accepting it.
- 44:13It would be Yeah,
- 44:13I agree.
- 44:14You definitely be easier if there were some of these like,
- 44:17oh,
- 44:17definitively never.
- 44:19I mean also that's why the term great sexual is like something that we talk about because asexuality does not mean you never have any sexual feelings or hookups that are good.
- 44:29I don't know like you're describing,
- 44:32you have had hookups with random people that have been good.
- 44:36It sounds like that is the rare case,
- 44:38not the norm.
- 44:39And what you said is when you had those,
- 44:42you wanted to continue those hookups but okay,
- 44:49I don't need that judgy face.
- 44:52But okay,
- 44:53okay,
- 44:54again,
- 44:56so much of the documentation that I've read talks about sexual desire and mine has always felt like a deficiency of ability and because I very much have desired both the like the strong,
- 45:11like physical feeling of,
- 45:13of wanting to be sexy time with someone.
- 45:17But then also I want to act on that and have it be successful.
- 45:22It's,
- 45:22it's the execution and ability.
- 45:25That is where the wheels fall off the bus for me.
- 45:29And it's always,
- 45:30there are themes to when I will be successful and when I won't be none of those themes are are black and white,
- 45:38like absolutes,
- 45:41but I because it feels possible and that's how I want to be,
- 45:47I wanna,
- 45:47I wanna figure it out and fix it or whatever um and I and something about something about taking that label on and using it for myself,
- 45:56feels like giving up on something that I'm not done struggling against.
- 46:04Why do you want to struggle against it and change this thing?
- 46:08Like what?
- 46:09Like it sounds like you want to change an aspect of who knows whether it's because because this is how you are or there's an issue or whatever.
- 46:17Why why do you want to struggle against it and make like random hookups happen for example,
- 46:23because because when it works,
- 46:26it's awesome.
- 46:27Who doesn't like Gisin with a stranger like me most of the time,
- 46:31but but sometimes I love it and it would be great if I could have that happen more often.
- 46:37What are the what are the things that you said?
- 46:39There's like a constellation of things that that can make it good.
- 46:42What are some of some of those things?
- 46:44Um knowing the person beyond just like random s text messages,
- 46:51a comfortable environment,
- 46:54especially one in which I am able to lay down or they can whatever.
- 46:59Someone who likes to make out a lot of dudes,
- 47:02especially in an anonymous situation,
- 47:04don't want to use their mouth,
- 47:06uh there's a vibe like a if I feel like there's a reciprocation of like,
- 47:14I'm not just being used for that person to get off,
- 47:17but like that we are invested in each other's pleasure um,
- 47:21and responsive to each other's feedback that tends to be more successful.
- 47:27Um,
- 47:27I'm answering the question Yeah,
- 47:29you are some of the things you're describing feel like a connection with a person,
- 47:32but who am I to judge?
- 47:35Well,
- 47:35literally I'm doing that.
- 47:37So you said you you don't want to take on this label?
- 47:41What would it mean if this label were true?
- 47:44Okay,
- 47:44I hold on,
- 47:49I'm serious.
- 47:50I'm gonna say it,
- 47:51but I'm just like,
- 47:52I can't believe that I'm gonna say it.
- 47:54Something else that will make it successful is if I have paid for it,
- 48:00I don't know.
- 48:01That's something to unpack for sure.
- 48:04But like,
- 48:05yeah,
- 48:07uh,
- 48:09I don't,
- 48:09I don't know,
- 48:14especially since that tends to,
- 48:16because the transactional nature of that sort of precludes an actual genuine connection or something.
- 48:23I don't know.
- 48:26Yeah,
- 48:27I don't know why I'm so embarrassed when I'm so pro,
- 48:29like sex work is fine and moral and I have,
- 48:32I have used the services of sex workers in the past.
- 48:34Like that's I saying that out loud is hard anyway.
- 48:41What happens is it kind of akin to like those more anonymous hookups that you fantasize about,
- 48:47like,
- 48:48you don't have to,
- 48:49like,
- 48:49you don't talk like they come over,
- 48:51it's just the sex,
- 48:52it's,
- 48:52I think,
- 48:53okay,
- 48:54so breaking it down.
- 48:55I think it's because I trust because I'm paying this person,
- 48:58they're sort of contractually obligated to listen to me and I feel more comfortable in my ability to draw boundaries with them,
- 49:05say what I like and what I don't and it doesn't matter if it's compatible with what they want or not,
- 49:10their job is to just make that happen within reason,
- 49:14right?
- 49:15And,
- 49:15and uh,
- 49:17it's not a negotiation.
- 49:19It's,
- 49:19I don't,
- 49:21I don't require trust because it's transactional.
- 49:27I don't know.
- 49:29Yeah,
- 49:31did that even make sense?
- 49:32It did.
- 49:32And I'm just like,
- 49:33I'm thinking like,
- 49:34what?
- 49:35Like Kyle,
- 49:36what why did you do this?
- 49:37I did.
- 49:38You know this was gonna happen.
- 49:39I knew something would,
- 49:43and I didn't know we we hear that here,
- 49:46we'd be um,
- 49:49some of the,
- 49:50I'm so sweaty,
- 49:51okay,
- 49:53some people love it.
- 49:54Like what I didn't hear is I get to give them money so that they can come and rail me real hard and leave and I never have to talk to them again you said so that they will listen to me that we can communicate boundaries that we,
- 50:10I can describe things I'm into and not like I don't know which,
- 50:16so the narrative that comes out of that becomes I don't trust my ability to say no,
- 50:23not like that,
- 50:24please do it like this instead.
- 50:26And um that maybe I just need to practice being sexually assertive and that I'm not Demi sexual and perfectly alot sexual.
- 50:37I just have a bunch of trauma responses to sex and I need to practice.
- 50:42I think about on our episode about sides dr joe court.
- 50:46Um he talked when we were talking about sides,
- 50:49one of the questions that I had for him was about is there some people have issues with anal because they were grown up in a religion that gives them these kinds of issues or they associated with gay and gay is bad and you know,
- 51:04you know,
- 51:04is that is there something that needs unpacking there that you might miss with side?
- 51:09And he said like yes,
- 51:11we need to talk about some of these issues.
- 51:14Also does it matter why they are aside?
- 51:19I don't know.
- 51:21I know I ki I am pushing this in a way that I will stop now.
- 51:26It makes sense that maybe it makes,
- 51:31it seems.
- 51:32Yeah.
- 51:33I mean,
- 51:34I mean maybe like in a broader sense in life you being able to say here's what I want and like I think I'm really bad at that.
- 51:45You know this about me?
- 51:46I do great.
- 51:47Please continue.
- 51:48Yeah.
- 51:48So no,
- 51:49it makes sense that that comes up here.
- 51:52Have you considered being a therapist boy?
- 51:56No,
- 51:57I mean yes,
- 51:57yes,
- 51:58yes and I haven't.
- 52:00I don't.
- 52:01Yeah.
- 52:02Sounds like a lot of school and work.
- 52:03Yeah.
- 52:05I'm trying to think of.
- 52:06I don't know how to wrap this up so we can move forward.
- 52:09I okay.
- 52:10How about this?
- 52:12Did you want to suck me?
- 52:15There are definitely issues to unpack that are unrelated to this label about trust and whatever.
- 52:21Also,
- 52:22some of it reminds me of what you've described about being gay.
- 52:24You hooked up with a dude and we're like,
- 52:26oh no,
- 52:26I'm not into dudes because this one scenario,
- 52:29oh,
- 52:29I could fund a vagina and that meant I'm straight.
- 52:32Like you use some evidence to rally against yourself on why it's true.
- 52:38Yeah.
- 52:39So those are just some of the things,
- 52:42why don't we end it with,
- 52:43how do you feel about yourself in this label?
- 52:46After talking through it?
- 52:49I I yeah,
- 52:58I don't know right?
- 53:02I don't know.
- 53:04There's there's enough that I just don't feel fits that I'm not ready to claim the label,
- 53:14but it does seem,
- 53:16I don't know.
- 53:18I don't know what I am Kyle,
- 53:20that's okay,
- 53:21that's okay.
- 53:22Yeah.
- 53:22Um and if if it is that,
- 53:27I mean is that actually not like joke about her push?
- 53:32I mean that's okay if like you right now.
- 53:35No,
- 53:36I don't feel it fits,
- 53:38I don't know.
- 53:38Was it useful looking up some of these things like a little bit Yeah.
- 53:42Yeah,
- 53:43I definitely didn't understand some of it and had some misconceptions that have been cleared up?
- 53:50So Yeah,
- 53:51that's good.
- 53:51Yeah,
- 53:52we can leave it there if you want.
- 53:53Do you want to talk about Demi janitor.
- 53:55Yeah,
- 53:55I do.
- 53:56Do you have a long episode?
- 53:58Yeah.
- 53:58It is.
- 54:00Is that okay?
- 54:00I guess so do we.
- 54:03I mean the other option is like make the Demi Lovato part a the Patreon segment.
- 54:10Let's do that.
- 54:11Let's do that.
- 54:12Let's do that.
- 54:13We're gonna talk about Demi Lovato in the patreon segment,
- 54:17Demi gender.
- 54:18Gender.
- 54:18I will like you did tell you a little bit about it.
- 54:21It's c unlike Demi sexual.
- 54:23I think Demi for Demi gender if I understand correctly,
- 54:26which I probably don't.
- 54:27Which is good that you're going to explain here in just a little bit is like somewhere between in in the middle C this is the ship that I worry about for you.
- 54:36I'm going back to you but like Demi technically means between and like but that's not what.
- 54:41But then we use in a different way and you're I don't know.
- 54:43Great,
- 54:44okay,
- 54:45we don't have to go back to you.
- 54:46All right.
- 54:48The Mayo clinic,
- 54:51the Mayo clinic says Children um on fries,
- 54:56most Children categorize their own gender by age three.
- 54:59However,
- 54:59because gender stereotypes are reinforced some Children learn to behave in ways that bring them the most reward despite their authentic gender identity.
- 55:08I think this is why uh all of these labels feel new.
- 55:14A lot of people were socially rewarded to man or woman to fall into the binary.
- 55:20Um And I think it's helpful that there are a lot of new labels away were describing things to help better represent people's experience.
- 55:30I say that because Demi Demi gender may also be called at least the masculine version Demi guy,
- 55:37Demi man,
- 55:37Demi boys,
- 55:38Demi dude.
- 55:39Like all of those Demi dude Demi boy is the most common one that that you would see.
- 55:45Um the uh the trans Youth Equality Foundation describes it as a person who feels their gender identity partially identifies with a masculine identity but is not wholly binary.
- 55:55Many identify this way regardless of their assigned gender falls under the trans umbrella.
- 56:00Um um For like one of the downsides.
- 56:04So this was uh Started the word best they can trace back started in 2010.
- 56:09So like there's like a more recent kind of word and definition we've had.
- 56:15It was first defined on the asexuality visibility and education network which is interesting to me because it is they had apparently they have a gender form.
- 56:24It is not a in the asexuality spectrum,
- 56:28it is not like part of that.
- 56:30So I just think it was like they happen to have forums and discussions about other labels and I identify and intersectionality is a is a is a thing they talk about a lot,
- 56:39yep.
- 56:41So it started there um there was a there's a blog called gender queer I.
- 56:45D.
- 56:45That apparently is is popular that also included a definition.
- 56:50Flags and symbols were created on tumblr and deviant art.
- 56:55And anytime something is started or spread through tumblr that is like a like attack that then right when people can really levy against people like tumbler tumbler generation all these like you know young kids see something on tumblr that just word alone I think is like what they cling onto of why things aren't real which is dead.
- 57:17No more porn.
- 57:20You know what?
- 57:21Probably.
- 57:22Oh yeah this is back when they had porn.
- 57:24Yeah I miss those days.
- 57:27I never used tumbler.
- 57:29I don't get tumbler.
- 57:30I never like I mean you don't need to know I guess I don't I just I guess I don't care.
- 57:37Um and I think even though the words start around 2010,
- 57:40like Cosmo wrote an article in 2021 I think it is um Only recently like people are more widely talking about it like it's just like one weird example but just like the article Cosmo article about it feels to me like okay that's a it's not tumbler,
- 57:58it's not a V.
- 57:59N.
- 57:59It's a more like a bigger outlet that is talking about this definition and what it is that says something to me of what level it's reached google trends look up for it.
- 58:11No no I tried I was actually like trying to find them.
- 58:15I should have,
- 58:16I tried to find like percentage of people that that used this and I then found this whole like identity survey that then was I started reading this way bigger thing that I had to stop because it was like not about this specifically.
- 58:29So no,
- 58:30I don't I don't know.
- 58:31Um Um I first heard about it in 2017.
- 58:34I distinctly remember because I was a I was relieving for training for my new job and I saw this definition.
- 58:42I was like,
- 58:42Oh this might be me.
- 58:44Like,
- 58:44I've never heard this.
- 58:45And I was like,
- 58:46oh,
- 58:47that's like,
- 58:47that's interesting.
- 58:48And I even remember I asked you for the field recorder when I went on this training because I was like,
- 58:54oh,
- 58:54I want to talk about this and record like I'm just learning about this and this could make like something interesting.
- 59:00And then I stopped looking at it because I started I saw the Demi sexual thought it was that.
- 59:09And then like got confused on the different demis part of why I wanted to do this episode at all.
- 59:16And when I also have realized just about like even like gender identity or or or appearance that I've like explored when I'm really depressed,
- 59:27I don't I can't do or think about anything else.
- 59:30Like the moment.
- 59:31Um I started taking medication a while ago that actually worked for me and unfortunately stop a while ago when I felt better in depression wasn't the main thing I was dealing with.
- 59:41That's when I started to like look at gender and and think about some of these labels.
- 59:46So I mean I guess I'll talk about me.
- 59:51Um I like,
- 59:53I think a lot about this stuff,
- 59:54especially recently,
- 59:55I think about this all the time.
- 59:57And um it's it's interesting because I there's a conflation of symptoms or not a conclusion,
- 1:00:09like,
- 1:00:09this combination of symptoms that I wonder if I just want an explanation for.
- 1:00:14And this would like if if questioning gender and gender identity,
- 1:00:18like it explains depression,
- 1:00:19anxiety,
- 1:00:20body dysmorphia,
- 1:00:21like so many things that I feel,
- 1:00:24uh this is gonna sound weird,
- 1:00:27but sometimes I wish I had a brain tumor that they could be like,
- 1:00:29oh,
- 1:00:30that's the problem.
- 1:00:31I don't care if they could remove it or not,
- 1:00:32just to be like,
- 1:00:33that's why.
- 1:00:34Yeah,
- 1:00:35that's what's going on with you for sure.
- 1:00:37That would be real nice.
- 1:00:38Yeah.
- 1:00:39Yeah.
- 1:00:40So sometimes I fear that.
- 1:00:41Okay.
- 1:00:42Sorry.
- 1:00:42Same.
- 1:00:43Like everything everything I was saying at the top of the episode about like,
- 1:00:48I wish that there were a magic bullet that could just fix it for sure.
- 1:00:52Please continue.
- 1:00:53Yeah.
- 1:00:53So I I guess I don't,
- 1:00:59I wrote down a bunch of ship,
- 1:01:00but I don't know like,
- 1:01:00what,
- 1:01:01what um what do you want,
- 1:01:04what do you want to talk about?
- 1:01:05I don't know.
- 1:01:06I um there are some days where I'm like,
- 1:01:09oh,
- 1:01:10yeah,
- 1:01:10that label totally fits maybe a,
- 1:01:12like more like,
- 1:01:15maybe there's even more going on than just a partial connection to masculinity.
- 1:01:19Maybe there's none sometimes.
- 1:01:20I think like,
- 1:01:21that's all stupid and I don't know,
- 1:01:23I'm thinking about it.
- 1:01:23I just like,
- 1:01:24need to get over it.
- 1:01:25And I'm like,
- 1:01:26just a regular guy that like thinks about over thinks about some of these things.
- 1:01:31So it's um it's really weird to figure out what's actually true.
- 1:01:40I something that I thought was really interesting that for anyone,
- 1:01:45like when I think of someone questioning their gender,
- 1:01:47I think of the people that are like,
- 1:01:49I knew I was trapped a boy trapped in a girl's body from when I was a kid.
- 1:01:53And that to me describes gender dysphoria.
- 1:01:56And I found this article that requirement also another,
- 1:02:01it doesn't have to happen at age three doesn't have and you don't have to have dysphoria to like,
- 1:02:06there's there's a lot of new things that,
- 1:02:08that used to be kind of the phrase that we said or that explained to trans and is not the case.
- 1:02:15Uh there was this article called gender.
- 1:02:17Dysphoria isn't what you think.
- 1:02:19And it's by CAssie Labelle.
- 1:02:20It was on medium in 2020 and from a distance.
- 1:02:23Dysphoria can look like anxiety,
- 1:02:25depression,
- 1:02:25body dysmorphia.
- 1:02:26Dysmorphia or 100 other things,
- 1:02:29cassie put a list on twitter that was like,
- 1:02:32you know,
- 1:02:32the fish and water doesn't know it's in water or whatever.
- 1:02:35Like you don't recognize some of the things if you just constantly experience them and put a list of here things that I didn't know where gender dysphoria caveat that that cast included.
- 1:02:46They were like,
- 1:02:47it's possible some of these things assist people feel so and not a comprehensive list,
- 1:02:55not what everyone feels like.
- 1:02:56But just for that,
- 1:02:57I didn't look at their products.
- 1:02:59I don't know customs.
- 1:02:59Um,
- 1:03:00this is not a comprehensive list.
- 1:03:02This is just for them when they kind of figured this out.
- 1:03:04Things that they didn't realize whenever I watched a sitcom or listen to a stand up set,
- 1:03:08the men do X women do why I innately cited and identified with a woman.
- 1:03:13I have said before to you,
- 1:03:15this was surprising whenever there's a study,
- 1:03:18I always identify with what the women like the women's side and I said that because I thought all gay dudes did that and you were like,
- 1:03:24no,
- 1:03:25I don't.
- 1:03:25And I was like,
- 1:03:26oh,
- 1:03:26like that that confused me.
- 1:03:29I just like my name as well as all nicknames.
- 1:03:31I had a deep unwavering sense that I was going to die young.
- 1:03:34I felt name I had growing up.
- 1:03:39I didn't really like it because like all Kyle's punch walls or whatever.
- 1:03:44I didn't know I didn't know that until an adult,
- 1:03:46but I don't know,
- 1:03:47I,
- 1:03:48I don't know a little bit like,
- 1:03:49I think Kyle's boring.
- 1:03:51So like,
- 1:03:52I don't know,
- 1:03:52I don't,
- 1:03:53I never liked my name.
- 1:03:54Um,
- 1:03:56well that's what I worry about this being a checklist of like,
- 1:03:59but,
- 1:04:00but I do,
- 1:04:00but this is what I'm also doing of like yes or no,
- 1:04:03um had a deep unwavering sense that I was going to die young and felt disconnected to my body.
- 1:04:08I felt mysterious aches and pains,
- 1:04:09like a heart attack.
- 1:04:10Being in a male only or male dominated space made me feel on edge.
- 1:04:14There was always a sense of being an interloper or trying to speak in phrases in a language that I didn't understand in order to gain acceptance.
- 1:04:22I absolutely feel like that a lot of this to one of the struggles is I have then attributed some of these things to being gay and they are like gay men feel uncomfortable a lot of times in male spaces because you're like trying to be like a straight dude,
- 1:04:35but well,
- 1:04:36okay and you've said before that you don't necessarily feel that level of disconnection in a space of gay men,
- 1:04:45that it's,
- 1:04:46it's specifically straight men that you have this sort of tension about.
- 1:04:50Yeah.
- 1:04:50And growing up people's dads that always like,
- 1:04:53oh,
- 1:04:54there was one that was like,
- 1:04:55I don't know if I wrote down the moment if you're hanging out in a group and the last woman leaves and now you're around dudes,
- 1:05:02like,
- 1:05:02like there's just like,
- 1:05:04oh shit moment,
- 1:05:06like,
- 1:05:06yeah,
- 1:05:07there's a big code switch that happens for everybody to write,
- 1:05:10like it suddenly gets way due to your Yeah.
- 1:05:14Um,
- 1:05:15none of my deepest sexual fantasies involve me being me and they definitely didn't involve me being male.
- 1:05:21Um That one I don't know is not totally me but on occasion I think we've even talked about again like a lot of things I then like think about early on was like,
- 1:05:34did you imagine like having sex as a woman?
- 1:05:37Yeah,
- 1:05:39like that's a fun fantasy.
- 1:05:41Yeah.
- 1:05:42Yeah.
- 1:05:43I don't like being tall.
- 1:05:44I told myself I liked being tall because society privileges tall Nous and I definitely like being able to see the stage concerts.
- 1:05:51I like being able to reach the top of cabinets but I uh I would way rather be smaller and cuter.
- 1:05:58I have often said that I wish I was shorter which everyone like is confused by um I've sometimes wondered for you if that's because of of being conspicuous or if it's something more than that like Yeah and and it that's a good point.
- 1:06:22But also I want to be in a relationship where I get to be like the cute little one that someone cuddles and I will not have that experience.
- 1:06:28You don't know that their biggest dudes out there,
- 1:06:31that is very true.
- 1:06:32six ft four and up dudes hit me up on the mobile.
- 1:06:36Um That's from my brother,
- 1:06:38my brother,
- 1:06:38me Griffin Mcelroy,
- 1:06:40what's up um I don't know,
- 1:06:42it's moved to the Netherlands.
- 1:06:45Apparently they're super as tall republicans and lots of drugs.
- 1:06:53Yeah.
- 1:06:55I don't know,
- 1:06:55like very white,
- 1:06:57very white.
- 1:07:00I don't know,
- 1:07:01I so as I've been exploring like different kinds of clothing like skirts,
- 1:07:09there is something that I'm like,
- 1:07:10I,
- 1:07:11the first time I walked outside in the skirt,
- 1:07:12I was like,
- 1:07:13oh,
- 1:07:14I love this also,
- 1:07:16it's very breezy and feels good.
- 1:07:18So like that there's so many things that I question myself on.
- 1:07:23It's like,
- 1:07:24oh,
- 1:07:24that could be gender you for you Oh,
- 1:07:26or that could be feeling the cool breeze on your legs.
- 1:07:29Like I shaved my legs not too long ago and I very much like that.
- 1:07:35It's grown back since monkeypox.
- 1:07:36Then I shaved my legs and cut myself several times and then I was like,
- 1:07:39is this where I cut myself or is this a monkey pox?
- 1:07:42So that's was very poor timing.
- 1:07:44But yeah,
- 1:07:45so there's,
- 1:07:46there's a lot of things that I sometimes will gather evidence of why my gender is not completely male.
- 1:07:55And other times where I'm like,
- 1:07:56this is,
- 1:07:57I just have like some men experience these things,
- 1:08:01some game and experience these things and dudes can wear skirts and they can still be dudes.
- 1:08:06So I am very much,
- 1:08:09Yeah,
- 1:08:10I don't know,
- 1:08:11It has been interesting to me to watch you play with gender.
- 1:08:15It's been super awesome.
- 1:08:16I've been like legit proud of you for like saying it and doing it,
- 1:08:20you got your,
- 1:08:20your nails and,
- 1:08:21and you've done some makeup things and skirts and shoes and I've also been super interested in the fact that you continue to have,
- 1:08:35like,
- 1:08:35the rugged symbol of masculinity on your face all the time,
- 1:08:41and when you,
- 1:08:44when you have shaved your beard off,
- 1:08:46it has been for like something for the stupid for the podcast,
- 1:08:48like getting into drag or whatever,
- 1:08:50and then you grow back,
- 1:08:51like,
- 1:08:51like,
- 1:08:51that's a,
- 1:08:52that's a solid part of your identity.
- 1:08:54It's just interesting to me that it's such,
- 1:08:55it's such a like,
- 1:08:56quintessential masculine trait that you seem very much identify are uncomfortable without etcetera and trying to connect those dots and make it make sense.
- 1:09:08It has been difficult and it doesn't have to make sense,
- 1:09:10right?
- 1:09:10It's not,
- 1:09:11it's not my body or life,
- 1:09:13but like,
- 1:09:13I thought about it,
- 1:09:15you wanted it to be your body briefly when you first met me,
- 1:09:17I can't,
- 1:09:18Oh my God,
- 1:09:19and I can't,
- 1:09:20it's really just beard envy Kyle.
- 1:09:22I mean,
- 1:09:23I've been jealous of people that don't have any hair.
- 1:09:26Oh,
- 1:09:27well,
- 1:09:28I exact same things I think about two when I completely like body hair.
- 1:09:36I was always very uncomfortable about with it when I as a kid when I learned I would have to shave or um when I remember uncle joked about like,
- 1:09:46this,
- 1:09:46put hair on your chest.
- 1:09:47I was like,
- 1:09:47gross.
- 1:09:48I do not want that to happen when I started getting body hair,
- 1:09:51I was extremely uncomfortable and hated it.
- 1:09:54And I even had got my mom to help me like trim my underarm hair because I thought it was like too long,
- 1:09:58gross I have when I have shaved it nowadays as an adult.
- 1:10:03One of the reasons I don't like it is because I don't like the way my body looks and having a beard and having body hair.
- 1:10:09Some people are into that and that at least I have that.
- 1:10:12At least if I have a gross body,
- 1:10:14at least there's something on it that someone likes people like beards and are into them.
- 1:10:19So,
- 1:10:20so I've gotten positive rewards from it and I think it makes me look better in in my world where I don't like the way I look,
- 1:10:28it at least helps.
- 1:10:32It's Yeah,
- 1:10:35no,
- 1:10:35but it's exactly the questions I ask myself and think through and don't and then and go back and forth on like going to the deeply uncomfortable subject of body dysmorphia,
- 1:10:48what would your perfect body look like?
- 1:10:49Like what,
- 1:10:50what,
- 1:10:51what,
- 1:10:51what standard are you measuring yourself against and falling short of?
- 1:10:54Oh,
- 1:10:54like like hot Jack dudes.
- 1:11:00Okay.
- 1:11:01That's uh a stereotypical masculine ideal that you're pointing at and also one that men are trained to on.
- 1:11:12That's I mean that's I think that's why like at the beginning so much of this is like what I I in I've seen people's transition photos where they are like a jacked dude and turn and turn turn into like then the update is like skinny hot girl,
- 1:11:27like body dysmorphia.
- 1:11:28Like what is the outlet to make that feel better?
- 1:11:32It is getting positive rewards,
- 1:11:34like whatever that Mayo clinic was like,
- 1:11:36Children learn to behave in ways that bring them the most rewards and it's hard to separate out what is something that I've been conditioned to think is the right thing or want and,
- 1:11:49and what gender is what I've been conditioned to think I am and what is real.
- 1:11:55And as someone who,
- 1:11:58if,
- 1:11:59if you text me and say like my parents were like,
- 1:12:02can I call you on the phone?
- 1:12:04I need like at least 30 minutes to like take in this and process and be like ready for it.
- 1:12:11I take such a long time to like accept and process information that there is never going to be an identity that I find I'm just like you done,
- 1:12:18I take so long to think and reflect and,
- 1:12:21and like be ready.
- 1:12:23That um,
- 1:12:25that's why it's hard to unpack like how much of this is just like,
- 1:12:30I need to reflect on what has been trained into me or what is genuine part of it is that,
- 1:12:36is that a meaningful distinction to write?
- 1:12:38Like whether something that's trained into you is genuine,
- 1:12:42right?
- 1:12:43It's your,
- 1:12:45no matter where it came from.
- 1:12:47If it's true,
- 1:12:48it's true,
- 1:12:51I get what you're saying.
- 1:12:52Like it's still happening.
- 1:12:55I think that I was trained to be straight and I changed my voice and preferences so at the time it was true that I liked the music by fuel.
- 1:13:02I mean,
- 1:13:02can you reframe it as like the things that you have control over and the things that you don't write because whether it was trained into you or it's your word,
- 1:13:11quote unquote genuine.
- 1:13:13There are some of those things that you can change now and fix and there's some of those things that you maybe can't and I think that's a more valuable thing to look at my talking about me now anyway.
- 1:13:24But like what,
- 1:13:25what,
- 1:13:26what what can you change and what can't you,
- 1:13:27regardless of how it happened.
- 1:13:29Yeah,
- 1:13:30yeah,
- 1:13:31yeah.
- 1:13:31I think like what I am doing right now,
- 1:13:33my path is I think I attach a lot to wanting to have,
- 1:13:39wanting to,
- 1:13:40for there to be to know,
- 1:13:42have an answer.
- 1:13:43Uh,
- 1:13:45and a word that describes things and um and there's an ambiguous state that I feel that I'm in and is uncomfortable and I'm trying to think of it as I am exploring this.
- 1:13:59I am questioning and that should be enjoyable and that there are parts of it that have been that are fun and I want to keep doing that and I don't have to know and have an answer.
- 1:14:11I can just continue to pursue things that I like and try things and not do things I don't like.
- 1:14:16Um,
- 1:14:17so it's I'm getting very hung up on this label that um,
- 1:14:25you know,
- 1:14:26I think everyone kind of wants,
- 1:14:28it's nice to feel a label that explains things,
- 1:14:31but we also don't need well and maybe maybe you gotta like maybe a label or a box is comfortable,
- 1:14:41like you're hidden from the elements in there,
- 1:14:43you've got something to lean on and it's an identity and maybe not being in a box is super uncomfortable.
- 1:14:49It's windy up here.
- 1:14:50It creates like an existential agoraphobia to not have your set of things you can rely on to help define you.
- 1:14:59Maybe uncomfortable is the right place to be.
- 1:15:03Maybe maybe you're doing it and just kind of sucks.
- 1:15:05Yeah.
- 1:15:06Yeah,
- 1:15:06yeah,
- 1:15:07yeah,
- 1:15:07I agree what I've learned that being in to things like come to mind of like being in the box of when I when I went to get my monkey pox vaccination,
- 1:15:19they asked for gender pronouns because they're part of,
- 1:15:23you know,
- 1:15:23knowledgeable and no other ship.
- 1:15:26And I said he him anytime.
- 1:15:27I'm like,
- 1:15:28that doesn't happen that much.
- 1:15:29It's happened a couple times since I've like changed my pronouns on my profile and talk about it here of like when I and then I instinctively say he him and any time I do that I it is,
- 1:15:40I am like I feel bad.
- 1:15:41I don't I like not just like why wasn't I assertive,
- 1:15:45but also like I don't like that pure categorization also when we both do this,
- 1:15:51when we talk about our podcast often we want to make clear who we are and who we are,
- 1:15:57and we will say we are two gay cis men.
- 1:15:59And the descriptor of CIS feels I've realized feels so dismissive of all the like I'm thinking about and working through all this stuff all the time.
- 1:16:07And even when I say it or when you said it,
- 1:16:09it just feels very dismissive of where I'm at and that sucks.
- 1:16:13And the other part of it is like,
- 1:16:16I don't I don't feel good about claiming the label trans,
- 1:16:20so,
- 1:16:20I don't know what that means.
- 1:16:21I just know that I feel it feels very dismissive when I just say I'm CIS or when I just say he him.
- 1:16:27So I know I don't like that,
- 1:16:29even though those are easy boxes that I could put myself in and that that feels comfortable or you know,
- 1:16:36but it doesn't boxes don't feel good to me.
- 1:16:40Uh you're not delivering the point,
- 1:16:42but I will I can stop saying that I can try to I yeah,
- 1:16:46I don't know,
- 1:16:47maybe I can stop.
- 1:16:48I don't know.
- 1:16:51Let's try.
- 1:16:53I think what I what I will say what I feel most confident saying.
- 1:16:59It's so weird,
- 1:17:00like give people advice on their sexual orientation all the time and like there's so much that I try to think about my advice to people on sexual orientation.
- 1:17:08Try to think about me giving it to myself when I'm exploring this.
- 1:17:11It is okay,
- 1:17:12that's another fantasy is that masturbation.
- 1:17:18I am questioning right now.
- 1:17:21What I feel weird about what I've told other people is that puts you in the LGBT umbrella.
- 1:17:26Like that is a that is a Q.
- 1:17:29There's queer and questioning that puts you in that category.
- 1:17:32Even if later you realize it's not true.
- 1:17:34So I don't anyway,
- 1:17:36that the parallels are uncomfortable to me,
- 1:17:39but like that that's where I'm at right now.
- 1:17:44That's good.
- 1:17:44I think it's healthy.
- 1:17:45Mhm.
- 1:17:47Um How do you feel?
- 1:17:50I think one of its I think its opposite for us that you walked in wanting to or being afraid afraid sounds too.
- 1:18:00I don't know like you walked out there.
- 1:18:03You know what?
- 1:18:04That's why you never liked me.
- 1:18:05I you know,
- 1:18:08I can't let this go.
- 1:18:10Okay.
- 1:18:10Um uh You walked in.
- 1:18:15It seems like not wanting this label.
- 1:18:17I walked in being afraid that you would I mean,
- 1:18:21some of the things that was like,
- 1:18:22no,
- 1:18:23everyone does this being afraid that it would like justify that.
- 1:18:27I'm just someone overthinking this.
- 1:18:30I walked in being afraid of the opposite.
- 1:18:32Like Yeah,
- 1:18:34that makes sense.
- 1:18:35I mean,
- 1:18:35I think the thought had crossed my mind,
- 1:18:41you're an anxious mess and that maybe you could like,
- 1:18:44you know,
- 1:18:45talk yourself into this as a as a as a receptacle into which to pour that anxiety.
- 1:18:51God,
- 1:18:52that sounded almost so hot.
- 1:18:56Um But I don't I don't actually I don't actually think that's that's true.
- 1:19:01We don't think that's true.
- 1:19:03I don't I think that there's legit something going on with your gender identity and it's not a phase and it's not your pretending and it's not just you making shut up because you're anxious.
- 1:19:14Like I I think that there's legit,
- 1:19:16there's there's a legit some process that's happening here.
- 1:19:19I think maybe where we differ is I don't know that you need to figure it out.
- 1:19:24Um And that you're kind of already doing it.
- 1:19:28You feel like you're not at the destination yet and that troubles you.
- 1:19:33And I mean,
- 1:19:35yeah,
- 1:19:36that's uh if we're if we're opposite,
- 1:19:39it's in that like,
- 1:19:40I'm reluctant to go to a destination that seems to maybe fit some stuff and you are reluctant to stay where you're at in this undefined space.
- 1:19:52Um Yeah,
- 1:19:54I mean,
- 1:19:54like saying you don't need to figure it out is like,
- 1:19:57I don't I don't want to live here.
- 1:19:59I would like I said like,
- 1:20:00it's okay to question and me and I can,
- 1:20:02you know,
- 1:20:03embrace and enjoy parts of it,
- 1:20:05but it would be nice to have a better sense of self and hopefully that will come along.
- 1:20:11You know,
- 1:20:11maybe a label will come along with that,
- 1:20:12but I I very much want to better understand this may be your Kyla sexual.
- 1:20:19Like,
- 1:20:20okay.
- 1:20:21I have legit that's weird,
- 1:20:22but I have legit thought I'm only attracted to Kyle's I've legit thought about we all create these labels.
- 1:20:30That kind of God,
- 1:20:33she ruined the name.
- 1:20:35Kylie.
- 1:20:35Now,
- 1:20:36I have thought what if I just make up a name and call myself that and whatever.
- 1:20:42Because everyone's experience of gender is different even within all of these different labels that we have.
- 1:20:47No,
- 1:20:47everyone is a little bit different.
- 1:20:49What if I I made it my own name and I'm this this gender and it's just whatever.
- 1:20:55All the things I do feel are that gender,
- 1:20:58would that help?
- 1:21:00So,
- 1:21:00I don't know.
- 1:21:01I don't know.
- 1:21:03I think it's funny.
- 1:21:04I think we're also both landing in a I don't know like you when I see how you felt you were like,
- 1:21:09I don't know.
- 1:21:10So both of these feel like things.
- 1:21:13Some there's there's something there that is important and very personal and I don't know what it means.
- 1:21:19And um and I think,
- 1:21:22I don't know.
- 1:21:23I want to keep exploring.
- 1:21:24Stay tuned.
- 1:21:25Maybe we'll do Demi part two in a year and we'll have all the answers.
- 1:21:28Yes.
- 1:21:29Um everything will just make sense because this episode turned along week you can listen to us discussing Demi Lovato and yes,
- 1:21:40we will talk about their gender and also some other,
- 1:21:43you know,
- 1:21:44I don't like to use the word crazy,
- 1:21:46but she's like,
- 1:21:48yeah,
- 1:21:48she's sweet.
- 1:21:49But it's like her new album,
- 1:21:53check out the song Eat Me so good.
- 1:21:55So go to Patreon if you want to listen to the full conversation about Demi Lovato,
- 1:21:59Demi Lovato dot com slash that's not the website.
- 1:22:06I'm a wreck.
- 1:22:08Patreon dot com slash podcast.
- 1:22:11Where we put up our bonus segments every week.
- 1:22:13So,
- 1:22:14check out the full thing.
- 1:22:15Okay,
- 1:22:16let's take a break for some tests.
- 1:22:20All right.
- 1:22:23Where Mike.
- 1:22:28Okay,
- 1:22:28are you ready?
- 1:22:29I'm ready.
- 1:22:30Are we back?
- 1:22:31We're back.
- 1:22:31We're back.
- 1:22:33I'm tired.
- 1:22:34Let's just end it.
- 1:22:35All right.
- 1:22:36I should not make jokes.
- 1:22:39All right.
- 1:22:39Okay.
- 1:22:40We're at podcast out internet.
- 1:22:42Check us out.
- 1:22:42We're going to but first you dirty fuckers.
- 1:22:46Listen up.
- 1:22:47Right now listen The Podcast Awards.
- 1:22:51If you nominated us like a good person that didn't want me to quit the show,
- 1:22:55you may or may not have been selected as a judge.
- 1:22:57Check your email and check your spam folder to see if you were selected as a judge because the voting is happening now and the votes have to be in by September the 13th or I will quit the show.
- 1:23:09Um and we know we have connections at NASA NASA and say my brain is done skis okay.
- 1:23:17And next,
- 1:23:18next few motherfucker's our 300th episode.
- 1:23:23Our live stream for the 3/100 episode is gonna be sunday september the 18th,
- 1:23:262022 at two p.m. Pacific time.
- 1:23:30There will be a event on our facebook page that will let you get to the stream and uh we need queues so so that we can a them.
- 1:23:40Um we're doing a unique spin on it this time.
- 1:23:42We are going to try to guess if it's from you all or from my mom or did Derek find it off the internet?
- 1:23:49Um the email address is on our instagram or you can go to Gaia podcast plus 300 at gmail dot com.
- 1:23:57That's the plus symbol.
- 1:23:58So Gaish podcast plus symbol +300 at gmail dot com.
- 1:24:02Yeah,
- 1:24:03please send in questions.
- 1:24:04We need them,
- 1:24:05we want them,
- 1:24:06we like them.
- 1:24:07Um yeah and then we are also doing a merch competition.
- 1:24:12So uh if you're a designer,
- 1:24:16if you can make cute things,
- 1:24:18if you kind of know how to use paint,
- 1:24:20send us some ideas for merch.
- 1:24:22Um they are due September 11 because we are going to announce the winner on our 300 livestream.
- 1:24:28So by Sunday September 11,
- 1:24:31did I make up that?
- 1:24:32That was a Sunday.
- 1:24:33I didn't write that down anyway by september 11th.
- 1:24:35Uh some of the specs max of 200 megabytes.
- 1:24:38A PNG file type,
- 1:24:40the D.
- 1:24:40P.
- 1:24:40I should be at least 100 and 50 no higher than 300.
- 1:24:43The S.
- 1:24:44R.
- 1:24:44G.
- 1:24:45B color profile.
- 1:24:46The max print area for a t shirt will be 12 inches by 16 inches.
- 1:24:49Don't let that scare you,
- 1:24:50send in your designs.
- 1:24:52Uh no matter what um you don't have to be a professional to do this.
- 1:24:56So yeah,
- 1:24:57send us some ideas.
- 1:24:58We'd love to see them.
- 1:24:59It's time for the local gay bar review.
- 1:25:02Yeah.
- 1:25:03Okay,
- 1:25:03so I went to in Grenoble France and I went to the Love People pub,
- 1:25:09which it's really funny to me when you're in a foreign country and the gay bar has an english name.
- 1:25:14The love People pub.
- 1:25:16Grenoble is right at the foot of the alps,
- 1:25:18which that surprised me because it was 100 and five degrees.
- 1:25:22It was the goddamn central european heatwave.
- 1:25:24That time I was like,
- 1:25:25it's supposed to be like the mountains,
- 1:25:28why is it so goddamn hot?
- 1:25:29It's at the bottom of the alps,
- 1:25:30it's not in the mountains,
- 1:25:31it's next to the mountains.
- 1:25:33Anyway,
- 1:25:34the love People pub.
- 1:25:35It was a tiny little place.
- 1:25:36I went on a Tuesday and it was just always a Tuesday.
- 1:25:40Yeah,
- 1:25:41yeah,
- 1:25:42yeah.
- 1:25:43It was a Tuesday or a Wednesday.
- 1:25:44Is that true?
- 1:25:45My lying to?
- 1:25:46You know,
- 1:25:46I'm lying to you.
- 1:25:47It was a thursday.
- 1:25:47Anyway.
- 1:25:48Yeah.
- 1:25:49Uh when?
- 1:25:50And it was,
- 1:25:51it was a cute little spot.
- 1:25:52It was just like a bar and a few stools and then like a,
- 1:25:56like a,
- 1:25:57like an outdoor seating area,
- 1:25:59like french people do like most of their stuff just kind of spills out into the street,
- 1:26:03but I got the very distinct sense that I did not belong there.
- 1:26:07This is a problematic observation and for that I wholly apologize.
- 1:26:10And uh over half of the clientele of which there were only like nine appeared to me to be visibly trans.
- 1:26:19And um I think I think I accidentally went to a trans bar which was fine,
- 1:26:25had a cocktail um and talked to a couple of people.
- 1:26:29Um but I just,
- 1:26:31I didn't,
- 1:26:32I felt like that space wasn't for me and I didn't know if it was because I didn't belong or because I didn't speak french or both.
- 1:26:38Probably both.
- 1:26:40Um but it was cute and I enjoyed myself and I give it three dildos.
- 1:26:43Oh um I mean part of the thing about like you can't judge if someone is trans or not based on their appearance is you you no one can say for sure if anyone belongs there and you trust as long as you don't make a ruckus and be shitty that like if you're there it's fine.
- 1:26:59So yeah.
- 1:27:01Yeah I was also,
- 1:27:04I was also like there were only like there's only like one or two other like masc presenting people there.
- 1:27:12So anyway this is what I mean,
- 1:27:14this is what our podcast is why this this is a heavy thing for the end of the episode.
- 1:27:18Like I do the same thing where I look at people and in my head I'm like oh they present or appear trans and it's like one of those things that's weird to talk about because the as is reiterated correctly,
- 1:27:34you don't know that for sure.
- 1:27:36And also I think it's okay to have,
- 1:27:39what I hope we do is say to people.
- 1:27:41It's okay to have these thoughts and observations it so people are just like people are racist.
- 1:27:46People see race and have these instinctual reactions and lots of people do.
- 1:27:51And also what you do next with that is what's very important.
- 1:27:56So I don't know.
- 1:27:57It's weird talking about those things,
- 1:27:58but I also think useful.
- 1:28:00I also wonder if I should have said gender nonconforming.
- 1:28:03Is that more like pc way to say?
- 1:28:06I anyway,
- 1:28:07what you're saying is your initial reaction was that's that's what you thought was happening.
- 1:28:13So I don't know.
- 1:28:14Yeah,
- 1:28:14I get I get that some of the discomfort was I'm for sure repping a gender binary and like that is that's not what I'm seeing in this location.
- 1:28:22Anyway,
- 1:28:22it was fun.
- 1:28:24Ready to wait.
- 1:28:27No,
- 1:28:27first.
- 1:28:28Our website is podcast dot com.
- 1:28:30Um We are on Youtube instagram social media twitter.
- 1:28:35Um and at podcast,
- 1:28:38our hotline,
- 1:28:39you can send text messages or leave us voicemails is 5855.
- 1:28:42Gaish.
- 1:28:42That's 5855429474.
- 1:28:45Standard rates,
- 1:28:46apply our emails.
- 1:28:47Gaish podcast at gmail dot com.
- 1:28:49Remember if you want to send a question,
- 1:28:51do gay podcast the plus sign 300 at gmail dot com.
- 1:28:56And our physical mailing addresses.
- 1:28:57Post office box 1988 to Seattle Washington 98109.
- 1:29:01I will uh since derek has been here,
- 1:29:04he's been doing a lot with our instagram posting there every week.
- 1:29:08Uh asking about people's gaze and straightest and posting some of the answers.
- 1:29:13So that's been great.
- 1:29:14So check out instagram.
- 1:29:15There's,
- 1:29:16there's more stuff going on there uh,
- 1:29:18than you've seen in the past.
- 1:29:20So yeah,
- 1:29:21I'll go hold me closer,
- 1:29:24Tony Danza.
- 1:29:25The new Britney song.
- 1:29:26I of course had to listen to it the day it came out.
- 1:29:29Is that what it's called?
- 1:29:30No,
- 1:29:31no,
- 1:29:31no,
- 1:29:31no that's,
- 1:29:32that's Phoebe on friends making a joke and the song is called Hold Me about Tiny Dancer by Elton john Yes.
- 1:29:43The song is a remake of Elton john's song Tiny Dancer.
- 1:29:47It is called Hold Me Closer.
- 1:29:49There's Britney Spears vocals.
- 1:29:50There's,
- 1:29:50I don't into my status.
- 1:29:53I don't love it.
- 1:29:54Like I don't need a reboot of songs like all the Tv shows are reboots.
- 1:29:58I don't need songs to be rebooted again which seems to be like what Elton john is doing is Sir Elton on the track.
- 1:30:03Like new stuff for samples.
- 1:30:05Good question.
- 1:30:07I watched a video now we're back to Gaius.
- 1:30:09I watched honest vocal coaches take on the new Britney Spears and Elton john song and she had a hard time hearing.
- 1:30:16She was like there's so much production and ship on top of this that it's hard to tell what's even Brittany and what's Elton john,
- 1:30:23There are parts that are like,
- 1:30:24what's that?
- 1:30:25She seemed,
- 1:30:26she said that this was new stuff that Elton had recorded and she pointed out some good ship that Britney did and there was a leak track that then I went to this,
- 1:30:37there was a leak track that I went and listened to and that got a lot better reviews because you actually let both of them sing a little bit more.
- 1:30:44Anyway,
- 1:30:45that's My gay.
- 1:30:45I also wore a Britney Spears t shirt in honor of that which no one can see here it is.
- 1:30:51Um And My Straightest is the fact that I both don't love the song and also any pop music.
- 1:30:56I don't love it first.
- 1:30:57Like people like the catchy pop,
- 1:31:00like all the divas that gays are supposed to love.
- 1:31:02It still takes me a few times to really get into songs.
- 1:31:06Um even ones that I end up loving even Britney Spears songs so I don't have the same like all the new this is out and I'm obsessed musical.
- 1:31:20Well the straightest thing about me this week actually I think you were here for our some of our D and D.
- 1:31:25Friends just bought a house and just all of the like talking about house stuff,
- 1:31:31right?
- 1:31:31Like doing the here like the ship with the hot water heater and the valve replacement.
- 1:31:37Like in the gardening and like like I need to buy a lawnmower?
- 1:31:42I just happy straight couples and participating in their happy straight couple lives.
- 1:31:48Are they?
- 1:31:48Is that a heteronormative thing that they're doing by at least this step of buying a house step.
- 1:31:54Yes.
- 1:31:55Yeah,
- 1:31:55maybe I use that word.
- 1:31:56Right?
- 1:31:57Yeah,
- 1:31:57I hope so.
- 1:31:57And then the gayest thing about me this week was realizing 30 seconds before a work call that I was wearing my manscaped shirt that said your balls will thank you and having to do a quick change.
- 1:32:07So I have sometimes like put that on and then like gone outside and be like,
- 1:32:11oh that's this is a weird thing to be like what I'm presenting to the universe.
- 1:32:16Suddenly image conscious and and having having a shirt that talked about testicles.
- 1:32:20Um,
- 1:32:20okay,
- 1:32:21listeners gaze the straightest.
- 1:32:22So uh I posted on facebook and Kyle posted on spaces.
- 1:32:26So we're gonna do one of each on on facebook though.
- 1:32:28One of them is uh From rob Straightest had a sex dream about MEREDITH Gray from Grey's Anatomy.
- 1:32:36Who hasn't gayest talked my husband into a rewatch of the expanse and cannot stop talking about how much of a fucking goddess Shora Aghdashloo is.
- 1:32:45I would listen to her read the fucking phone book.
- 1:32:47She's magic.
- 1:32:49I don't know who this is.
- 1:32:50I know you don't,
- 1:32:50I know you don't know what am I on spaces we have over 1000 people in our spaces groups.
- 1:32:58So you know and it's a new social media app.
- 1:33:04Sometimes things are wild in there.
- 1:33:05So join if you want to.
- 1:33:06Um I posted their straight one of those ones that I like the best straightest,
- 1:33:11I'm a teacher.
- 1:33:11So preparing my classroom for a bunch of fifth graders if you're a teacher right now,
- 1:33:16God,
- 1:33:16that's I just,
- 1:33:18especially one that's any kind of queer,
- 1:33:21I bet it's hard and please do it for the rest of us.
- 1:33:24You were taking a bullet that I couldn't um gayest making a video montage of my trip to Fire island with my husband said to Beyonce's alien superstar to introduce myself to my new students.
- 1:33:36Oh my God,
- 1:33:37they're gonna know,
- 1:33:39they might,
- 1:33:39they might have some questions and you know what republicans,
- 1:33:44That's okay.
- 1:33:45It's okay if I have questions.
- 1:33:47Oh God yeah,
- 1:33:50that's it.
- 1:33:51This is engaged.
- 1:33:52Uh,
- 1:33:53Kyle,
- 1:33:53thank you to you for labeling me catch there now.
- 1:33:59Um no,
- 1:34:00thanks,
- 1:34:00thanks for talking through and like we said,
- 1:34:03we're doing it that you shouldn't do for other people,
- 1:34:06but you are always so like,
- 1:34:09okay and just accepting and and down to,
- 1:34:13you know,
- 1:34:13talk through things and receive the accusations levied against you.
- 1:34:18Also thank you to following super gap bridges,
- 1:34:21john Crowley,
- 1:34:22Stephen,
- 1:34:23josh Copeland,
- 1:34:24Jonathan Montana's for us now.
- 1:34:25Patrick,
- 1:34:26an anonymous James barrow,
- 1:34:27steve Douglas explosive lasagna.
- 1:34:28Just Jamie kevin Henderson O'Ryan and jerome york,
- 1:34:34that is it from the studios,
- 1:34:37I'm mike,
- 1:34:37johnson,
- 1:34:38I'm Kyle gets until next week,
- 1:34:39be butch be fabulous bu right,
- 1:35:01okay um if it makes you feel better better in some of the life shows,
- 1:35:07Griffin always like has tabs that um won't load and everyone's like,
- 1:35:12take a screenshot.
- 1:35:13So you and Griffin Mcelroy are the same.
- 1:35:16We are the same.
- 1:35:17Yeah,
- 1:35:18I'll take that.
- 1:35:19I would take that griffin because he's adorable.
- 1:35:24Okay.