Season 4, Episode 4

Eric: 0:02

Hello and welcome to the Q lounge, I'm Eric

Gil: 0:06

and I'm Gil.

Eric: 0:06

join us as we discuss news stories and life situations, as they relate to the LGBTQIA plus experience, please visit us at theQloungepodcast.com and hit that subscribe button or listen wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to follow us on social media, you can hit us up on Facebook @theQloungepodcast or on Instagram or Twitter @theQlounge. Hello, welcome to the Q lounge. I am Eric

Gil: 0:35

and I'm Gil

Eric: 0:36

and we are back. I know we missed last week, but Gill was celebrating his birthday in Canada. Yes. Oh, happy belated birthday Gill. Go. Thank you. Thank you. So we're back now and yeah. So Gil, tell us a little bit about Canada. How was your trip? How was your birthday? How was all of it? Give us a whole low down on everything. We had a great time. So we were out in Canada for eight days, I believe is what it was. You and Chris, right? Me, Chris, my mom and my sister. Oh, okay. We did a whole little family affair. We went out we started a trip in Montreal. In Quebec. First, it's the first time any of us have gone east to the Eastern half of Canada, cuz we've always gone to Vancouver and Victoria and everything on the west coast just easier. So we kicked it off in Montreal. Couple of nights there we did the whole Airbnb experience had a really, it was really cute. The place that we stayed, it was very quirky. It kinda matched the vibe of the city. And it's not partly talked out about it, but it was just, Montreal is a, it's kind on a Portland esque its vibing at its own pace. They do have a lot of French influence, including the attitude to non French speaker. It doesn't matter that you're American. Cause the first thing I thought of at being, American I'm like, oh, they probably hate me cuz I'm from the states. No, they just don't like English speakers in general. But the food is amazing. We've you know, we did we had Spanish food out there. We had this wonderful Persian place off the first night. It was, I love Persian food,

Gil: 2:16

fucking amazing. And then we did French on my birthday itself. Nice. Yeah, we did our, did little French thing. I love the conversion rate for the us dollar, the Canadian. That was wonderful. It was very humid as all hell. And our first day there, it was just downpour rain soaked just oh wow. Soaked. Yeah. It shocked me for a major city. Their airport is not connected to the downtown area, like by transit. So you pretty much rely on taxi Uber. There's no Lyft Uber or a personal driver to get you from the airport directly to downtown, but that's kinda like Denver. Yeah. I'm not used to it being in San Francisco or, cuz they have a Seattle lot above have a connector. Yeah. So like a train or something that at least gets you to the major transit there. So it's just like a bus.

Eric: 3:08

Denver does have a train that goes when the airport to union station.

Gil: 3:11

Sorry. And yeah, no, you know something, cause Toronto had that when we went to Toronto, that was not an issue, but it just Montreal did not. So it was kinda like, oh this is old school. OK. Here we go. Interesting. Yeah. So that was like the trip with Montreal. It was like, it was kinda underwhelming. Okay. And like I said, some people love it. I just wasn't one of 'em at all. It would just I'll go back probably when I'm older. Less things to do. I'm like, sure. I'll return. Toronto on the other hand is very cosmopolitan. It's gonna be your Highrise, really, it just it's think like a cleaner New York. Okay. I guess it's the best way to put it a lot of high rises. Most of that area is very flat for the most part, like I said, we're coming from the west coast, so it's very, we're used to Hills until some kinda topography. Yeah. It's very flat but it's a very beautiful city. Toronto is gorgeous. We, on our first night we did an Airbnb. We stayed at this high rise were on the 27th floor. Oh wow. And we had the corner unit. So we had, windows ceiling floors of we got to see everything. It was really nice. It was really nice on our second night or no third night, our final four night, three nights, I think four nights, we ended up staying at the Fairmont Royal New York so we did it up for the hotel ex thing, it'd be all fancy. Yeah. Not as well. So we we did that great location cuz it's right in front of their union station. So that was kind like the hub of everything that you needed to get around town. OK. Food was really good in Toronto as well. Like anywhere we've gone to in Canada, we've gone many times. I have not had a bad experience with food. Oh, that's cool. Even like there I just, I can't complain. We had Chinese. We had what else do we have? We had Spanish again, some Brazilian, like it's a little bit of everything. It was really delicious. Oh amazing. Cause it's a multicultural city, so you're gonna find some good stuff

Eric: 5:04

and they have a great pride out there too.

Gil: 5:06

Oh yes. I wanna go. We did go to their. To the village in Montreal and that's been re obviously re changed. So if you've been there a long time ago, you be called the gay village and they had a kind of like reckoning about it, where it's very isolating. We're saying just the gay village when it's part of the whole LGBTQ I a so there's just the village. It's a pretty long, about two miles, about a mile of St. Catherine street. I'm putting I'm izing. What the street name is. I think it's Catherine, something like that. I can't pronounce it. I apologize to our French listeners, but its St. Catherine street and it's really to have this beautiful art insulation. Of course my luck. They took it down last year, but it's these little rainbow balls that went all the way to lake street. So it was pretty cool, but we didn't get to see it. Unfortunately like the photos said it was there, but it's not. Oh, wow. But it was very. It was kind, like I said, its it just didn't have that same vibe that we're used to. Okay. In their village. Same thing for Toronto. It's only couple blocks. Big in every direction we sat there. We had, cookies. We had a little drinks. It just didn't have, I don't know. I'm sure during pride it's probably

Eric: 6:25

cut out. Oh, sorry. Am I still here? You're still here now. Okay. Sorry. We're having technical difficult died and his mic's dead. So we're this remotely. Yeah.

Gil: 6:39

Yeah, like they area in Toronto, they're their village equivalent. Same thing. It's kinda, it's not bad, but it's just a little under for me. It just felt a little bit underwhelming. Maybe had to go there, drink pride.

Eric: 6:52

You're also coming from San Francisco. So that's tall. Order to try to match. I'm sure if I went there from Albuquerque, I'd be like oh my God, this place is amazing. Yeah.

Gil: 7:07

That's true. That is true. And I, I put it try to put in where we're at, but Toronto overall, it was very fun. There's a lot of things to do a lot of nice museums topnotch universities, if you wanted to continue your education. it's, like we did the whole tourist thing going up to the top of CN tower and it's beautiful. That was really fun for us with. It's worth, it's definitely worth a trip. And we took the train from Montreal to to Toronto. OK. So there's a different experience. 30 more dollars put you in business class, and then you get drinks, unlimited drinks and meals. So why would I not spend 30 more dollars right. Business class. So we did that. We had that experience and it take to ride along the lake Ontario. Okay. It was really nice. I did, I, first time I gotta see the great lakes, I've never been to Chicago. I refuse to go to Detroit. I might go Detroit.

Eric: 8:02

It's been a really long time since I've been to Chicago. Yeah. Long time. It's been over 20 years since I've been to Chicago.

Gil: 8:10

I would love to go probably in spring or autumn. Winter.

Eric: 8:16

definitely not winter. Yeah, they have don't they have 300 days of winter or something.

Gil: 8:22

Pretty much. Yeah. It's iced over half the damn time. But yeah, it was really cool. The train went along a lake Ontario and we were just amazed at how big it was. I was thinking like lake Tahoe and I'm like, oh God, no, this is 10 times that in, in the

Eric: 8:36

size. Yeah. Yeah. Oh yeah.

Gil: 8:39

It's a amazed us. Yeah. I didn't, I don't know what I was thinking. I was like, this could be a cute little pond. No.

Eric: 8:45

how was how was the train ride? Was it a long train ride?

Gil: 8:49

It's OK. So it should have been a four hour train ride, but because it was delayed due to I guess we were waiting for a connector train to meet us. So they were waiting for people from Halifax. Okay. To come meet us. And this is ironic because the same thing happened. We were trying to leave for San Francisco. Our flight was delayed because we were waiting for. It was coming inbound from Halifax. I'm like, what the fuck is it with Halifax delaying everyone? I don't under it. Like I said, did it once on my rail and now my flight home, we're waiting for the aircraft from Halifax. I'm like fucking Christ. It should have been about a four hour, but the cool thing about it is that it was delayed about an hour and a half on the train itself. And immediately you could hear over the overcome, they're like, oh, we're sorry about the delay. We're gonna go ahead and give you guys 50% off your next train ride. And you have a, six months to use it. And I'm like, oh, I didn't have to ask and beg like a typical American because it is where I'm gonna go vent about Southwest. And this is something that I bitched about with Southwest on my 30th birthday. Oh, I actually revealed my age many years ago when I was 30. We got stuck with the whole Southwest glitch. It was 2016 and. When they canceled all the fights got canceled. So we were got stranded in Boston and they rerouted us from Boston to Columbus, Ohio from Columbus to love field in Dallas. We're stuck in fucking Dallas for three days and obviously shot from Boston to Oakland. Somehow Southwest's found that $200 was enough compensation. Wow. And I've still been bitter since about it, it's like I, with that, it was computer glitch that is issue on them. Should compensating versus this Canadian thing. I didn't expect anything they're like here's compensation, 50% off your next one. Thank you. We apologize.

Eric: 10:50

That's pretty awesome though, that they did that.

Gil: 10:53

Yeah, they did it without anyone. Begging and pleading and having to show the receipts. so sorry. I just, oh, this still hurts me. So agitated. Anyways, Toronto was fun. That's good. Definitely a city that you guys need to visit or things go awry in the United States for us homosexuals. we need to find refuge.

Eric: 11:19

Yeah, for sure. Definitely. Hopefully they'll open the borders and let us in know the questions asked if it comes to that. And then you get to come back to the us and we're having our little outbreak of monkeypox, which is actually happening around the world. So yes, it's who has classified it as a point of concern, a disease of concern as it's a public health concern. So that's fun. Oh, monkey hos. So let's talk,

Gil: 11:54

go ahead. I was gonna say, is that what they're,

Eric: 11:58

that's what the right wing is trying to it as the disease because it is spread by close contact skin to skin contact. If someone has exposed lesions and gay men tend to have tend to be in closer proximity with one another. Yeah. Whether through sex or through clubs or whatever else. So the right is trying to call it a gay disease. But one thing to be clear of is it's not an STI at all. It can yeah. Be passed on from person to person. So I wanted go into a few little things about it. This is from the department of public health and wellness. And it says, let's talk about monkeypox. Anyone can be infected by monkeypox regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity or any other identity monkeypox is much less contagious than COVID 19, but it still good to know the facts about the symptoms spread and what to do. If you get sick, how monkeypox is spread, the virus is not a sexually transmitted infection. It's mostly caught through close physical skin to skin contact, which is why it can be spread to sexual partners. Monkey P spreads by large respiratory droplets via prolonged face to face contact with body fluids, contact with contaminated objects or surfaces like clothing or bedding. So that's how monkeypox is spread anyone can spread it, anyone can get it and then spread it to more people. Yeah, symptoms of monkeypox symptoms are usually mild and many patients may not feel sick at all. The incubation period from monkeypox ranges from seven to 17 days symptoms to look out for include rash with fluid field bumps, especially on the face, palms, arms, legs, genitals, or Peral region fever, headache, muscle aches, and back ache, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion, UR infecti from initial symptoms until the bumps crust and fall off, which may take two to four weeks. Damn. I also have heard cuz there's a lot of people on TikTok that are go that are talking about it and showing the lesions that they have or the bumps that they have. And I hear that it's very painful like that. The rash in itself and the pus are very painful. You can also get anal lesions, which I hear are extremely painful. Oh my God. So those are just a few things to be aware of treatment and care. If you have flu like symptoms and an unexplained rash, you should contact a healthcare provider as soon as possible. If you only have flu-like symptoms with no rat with no rash, please call or get tested for COVID 19, or you could have the flu or a variety of other illness or infection. There is a vaccine for the monkeypox. But it is unlimited supply. I know that the country has ordered more. I know initially they were using a small P vaccine, but I know that's also a very old vaccine and the technology is pretty outdated. Last I heard that it's probably gonna be a two, ER, okay. So we'll see what happens with that. But it's important to reiterate that, although it is majority being seen in the men who have sex with other men population, it is not an STI. It is not only a gay disease. So you can tell your Bible, loving Christian friends to back the fuck up.

Gil: 15:58

Yes. Not. Thank you for clearing clearing that up.

Eric: 16:06

Oh, you're welcome. I think it's important to know

Gil: 16:12

yeah. Cause I know I'll hear London breed or the mayor of San Francisco has already declared state of emergency to kind get the dosage and stuff like that going okay. Even though we've I like out here, the outbreak started quite big, but the reaction was very slow.

Eric: 16:29

Yeah. And I know that. Yeah, I know there's been a, there's been like a lot of the larger cities have had free monkeypox vaccines, but then there's still a limited supply on who can get 'em. I know. Steam works, which is the bathhouse in Chicago. I believe, I think there's steam works other places, but the steam works Chicago specifically. They were give, they were doing monkeypox vaccines. Okay. But they ended up having two lines for people who just wanted to go to the bathhouse and then people who are the vaccine, but people who were paying like $35 to get into the bathhouse were then able to cut in line and get the vaccine. Oh shit. And there was a huge ordeal about that. So I don't know all the particulars, I just read about it briefly.

Gil: 17:17

Okay. That's interesting.

Eric: 17:19

Yeah. So they kinda got in trouble. so let's yes. Let's kinda. Talk about some other stuff. This is the year 2022, and it is already a record year for state bills seeking to curtail LGBTQ rights.

Gil: 17:40

There

Eric: 17:41

are, so we're gonna go through categories. Okay. Restrictions on youth athletics. Yes, there are hundred and 62 bills in different state legislations about restrictions on youth athletics that are anti LGBTQ as compared to last year 2021. When there was 151 bills, 2020 when there was 76 bills in 2019, when there was 55 bills.

Gil: 18:09

Wonderful,

Eric: 18:11

Restrictions. Let's see. Oh, I think I read that wrong. I think it's 162 bills total. So that's including restrictions on young athletic youth athletics, curriculum restrictions, adolescent healthcare restrictions, religious first amendment exemptions, and other. And then, so the 1 51 is the total bills for all of that too in 2021 and 76 and 55. So I do apologize for reading that wrong. Youth athletic restrictions. We have Wyoming, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. I believe that's New Hampshire, Virginia, Alaska, Hawaii, which is shocking. That is states where lawmakers have introduced bills. This session that restricts transgender athletes from participating in sports, consistent with their gender identities. States where laws have passed this session regarding youth restriction, youth athletic restrictions, Utah, Arizona, Oklahoma, Louisiana South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky Indiana, Iowa, South Dakota, and then other states like Idaho and Montana and Texas and Arkansas and Mississippi and Alabama and Florida have laws that have already been passed like that. and it goes on from there. I'm not gonna name all the states again, but for school, curriculum and restrictions, because you have a lot of these, don't say gay bills now popping up everywhere. Healthcare access restrictions. You have a lot of states that are trying to pass things. There's actually a lawyer in Texas who, and I forgot his name right now off the top of my head. And I do apologize, but you can look him up. He's the same lawyer who wrote the anti-abortion bill that Texas now has adopted He is trying to eliminate the coverage of prep from healthcare insurances, because he is going under the guise of religious freedom. Stating that It's not fair to expect employers to cover prep when it goes against their religious beliefs, that homosexuality is wrong and is a sin, so prep should not be covered. So what do you think about that?

Gil: 20:53

It's bullshit. Yeah. I just, I don't understand.

Eric: 20:56

I don't understand people wanting to restrict access to things that will make for a healthier society. Correct. So HIV is not just a gay disease. That is back. That is the thinking of the Reagan era. Correct. And the H w Bush era that is eighties and nineties. So I, I think what's happening again is the right wing is basically trying to Gaslight their base and manipulate their base and get them all riled up. And they're trying to do away with protections that would help the LGBTQ community, but it doesn't just help us. It helps society and humanity in general. Yes. So that was an interesting little tidbit that I learned. I found that very upsetting. Cause I know there's a lot of people who disagree with prep and there's people in the G B Q I a plus community that disagree with. I personally can't take it because I had such a bad reaction to Truvada and my doctors are scared to put me on disco V or aptitude, which is the shot because of my reaction to Truvada. And I've talked two boring lengths on that, on this podcast about that. So I'm not gonna reiterate all of that. You can listen to like first season episodes cause it's in there somewhere. But there's a lot of people who don't agree with it and think oh, it's just giving these people a free pass to fuck around and do whatever they wanna do. A it's none of your business. So who, who really cares? People can do what they wanna do. People should not be punished for being sexual. So that is one thing that we need to get over ourselves. This puritanical attitude of Ooh, sex is bad. And if you're having multiple partners, then you deserve what you get. No, that's just a fucked up way of thinking. And I we've talked to guests about it and we've had guests who didn't necessarily agree with it. And because like, why should you put these added chemicals in your body and blah, blah, blah. But I also think of it as it's an extra tool in your toolbox. If you can use it, then by all means you should. You have a lower HIV rate now because of that. Yeah. It, it doesn't stop other STIs, but HIV is a aids is a big one. Yeah. So if it can curb the transmission of that, and there are, you have to get tested regularly. I believe it's every three months. To make sure that you're still negative while you are on prep. And there the lo the, what is it? The number of people who have actually been infected have been very low. And from the ones that I have read about, they had stopped prep or had forgotten to take the pills a few times. And didn't weren't necessarily following it to the tea. So I think that it's shameful that they are trying to do that. On some good news though, for the HIV front. And I don't mean to keep talking Gil. You can chime in whenever you are. No. We had a patient who became the fifth and oldest ever to be cured of HIV. Good. A gay man who has lived with HIV since the 1980s. So we're talking like first strain has become only the fifth person ever to be cured of HIV. According to doctors, the 66 year old, who does not want to be identified that's his right was given a bone marrow transplant to treat blood cancer leukemia from a donor who was naturally resistant to the virus. Doctors say the individual who has stopped taking anti antiretroviral, HIV medication has now been in re remission for 17 months. Now being referred to as the city of hope patient named after the Californian hospital, he was treated in. The man said he was beyond grateful. The virus could no longer be found in his body. When I was diagnosed with HIV in 1988, like many others, I thought it was a death sentence. I never thought I would live to see the day that I no longer have HIV, the patient set in a statement. So that's pretty awesome. That's awesome. That's some hope. It can be cured. It's a very, it's a very specific thing though. And I've read about other people being cured. They have a blood cancer leukemia. They have to do a trans, a bone marrow transplant, cuz they're and I don't re I should know this off the top of my head. And I apologize to our listeners that I don't, but there is a certain mechanism within the cell that I, that the most common strains of HIV cross used to cross through it's to see something, I forgot what it is used to cross so that they can multiply. Yeah. But there are people, there are populations in this world who naturally do not have that mechanism in the cell. Yeah. So HIV cannot cross. So therefore it cannot reproduce and it cannot take over the body and it cannot wipe out your Tcells. Yeah. When those people have donated marrow and it's transferred over you have you get that wiped out, cuz you have build a whole new immune system basically. There are other strains of HIV though, who that have adapted and have become more virulent in don't necessarily need that mechanism. But the majority of still need that mechanism. So that's interesting. I've also heard that being true of some autoimmune diseases, but I would need to do more research on it. Yeah. Whereas when, if people had a bone marrow transplant, because it wipes out your immune system and gives you a whole new immune system, basically you no longer have that autoimmune. But I don't know all the particulars on that. So please people don't quote me specifically for that. And let's see, what do you have any fun stories to tell us? You wanna talk about the one? Go

Gil: 27:33

ahead. I, I don't know the one I was entertained with before I left for vacation, cause I went on a, when I was on vacation, I just completely zoned everything out to try to see what the the whole, the only thing I was intrigued with is that while I was in Canada, we had, was it Pope Francis was out there. He was in Alberta, I believe for indigenous, with the indigenous people with the first nations. And it was just very interesting. I know a lot of people expect for, Lord knows the influence of the Catholic church, the, during the Spanish takeover, raping of the new world, of the, really the area that's already been inhabited. let's call it what it is. But least, like I said, the steps are being taken, or acknowledgement that shit was not right. Yeah. Back then. Absolutely. And I know, like I said, it's, it doesn't cover, everything's not a bandaid for everything. It's, there's a lot more that can still be done, but at least it's there's movement within the Catholic church could be don't

Eric: 28:41

can definitely be, was raised Catholic ish, like until I was five. So not like very strictly, which I feel like I'm lucky in that regard, the Catholic church has a lot of influence. And especially now, like in our country, there's a lot of influence because. You have all these Supreme court justices who are Catholics, who are making laws based on Catholicism and their beliefs and Catholicism. I saw this really funny meme the other day. And I, my jaw literally hit the floor cuz I was not expecting it to go there, but then I had to post it. I had to repost it, that the Catholic church would probably change their position on abortion. IFAR boys could get pregnant.

Gil: 29:37

probably,

Eric: 29:38

I was like, oh my God damn that went there, but it's true. Yeah. It's true. It's true.

Gil: 29:48

It was true if it was men could get pregnant or if men would force into getting just like you mentioned, there'd be. Change it heart suddenly.

Eric: 29:57

So I came across this study the other day. I came across, it was actually a to, so then I had to go make sure that it was a legit thing. And I, as soon as I typed it into Google, the pub N CBI study popped up. So I was like, okay, cool. Like this is actual legit thing. And I read through this study and it said everything that the guy on TikTok said, and he was talking about RISUG, which is a polymer. And it was developed by the scientist in India who was doing work with drinking water And then he ended up being moved over. Or, and for some, I think he was moved over, but he, for some reason, he ended up, started working with sexual health and public health. And there was this polymer that he had been working with while he was doing his other research. That turns out that you can put it, you can surgically put it or. You can put it into the vas deference. I think it said it was a nonsurgical implant. But basically you put it into the vas deference and it's this polymer that shreds the head and tail of the sperm, therefore knocking out its motility. So you can get pregnant because the sperm cannot function. Therefore it cannot meet the egg. Therefore you will not get pregnant. It is fully reversible it is not used in the United States. There are no clinical trials in the United States, of course, because it's basically like a one and done thing. Once you put it, put this inject, this polymer, it keeps you from producing. It keeps you from getting the woman from getting pregnant because the man sperm has no motility. It has no head. It has no tail. It can't move. But you can flush it out with this other substance. I forgot what that was called. But the interesting thing is, and this is just a hypothesis and theory of it, but it has a lower pH, so it's got a more acidic pH and due to the lower pH H I V cannot be transmitted. Oh shit. So I'm like, why isn't this available? A hospital in San Francisco is now doing the first clinical trials in the us under the name of Vail or Vail. Interesting. It's V a S a G E L Uhhuh. So everyone look up Vail, if you wanna know more about it or rices, R I S U G, which was the original That's but I thought it was very interesting and very fascinating. Like I would totally get that. I'm not ever having any kids, but I would totally get that. And if it's gonna lower the transmission of HIV, yes. Like I like that part is just theorized or hypothesized about, but it's interesting.

Gil: 32:55

That is interesting. Huh? The more, yeah. And shooting star

Eric: 33:01

good. Old NBC. So also we recently had the house just tried to pass LGBTQ rights protections of same sex marriage, and a lot of Republicans voted against it. Of course, shocker including one rep representative Glenn Thompson.

Gil: 33:23

Oh, do you tell,

Eric: 33:26

Republican representative Glenn Thompson attended his gay son's wedding, his gay son's wedding three days after opposing a bill in the us house that would codify federal protections for same sex marriage. The son of Republican Pennsylvania representative confirmed to NBC news that he married the love of his life on Friday, the 22nd of July. And that his father was there. Madison Stone, a spokesperson or spokesperson for Thompson said the Congressman and his wife were quote, thrilled to attend and celebrate their son's marriage. As he began this new chapter in his life, quote Thompson was one of 157 house Republicans to vote against the respect for marriage act, which would provide an array of federal protections for same sex and interracial marriages nationwide. Hypocritical the

Gil: 34:26

hypocrisy show up, right? It's by the way, I just voted you regards.

Eric: 34:32

Yeah. I don't know how I would feel having that as my father-in-law

Gil: 34:41

God, I don't know. I don't know.

Eric: 34:48

It's such a slap in the face too, to be like, oh yeah, like this is my son. And I love you, which is great that he has accepted his son and he loves his son and is willing to at least put on the show that is true. Considering that he's a GOP and most GOs would crucify you and try to condemn you to hell and burn you and yeah. Want to hang you and all this other stuff that we talked about. So I'll give him the. Mild thumbs up that he did that part, but to then go and vote against that same marriage that you're now celebrating of your son. Is disgusting. And I know he voted before the wedding, but still to have just voted no on this wedding and make a mockery of your son's wedding and then to go there and be like, oh, we're here to celebrate their love that you just voted against.

Gil: 35:45

Correct.

Eric: 35:46

How does that work? Make it make sense to me? Cause it makes no sense to me at all. Other than it's hypocritical. That's the GOs for you. That's all I can. That's the only way I can even slightly justify it in my head, but it's not even, that's not really a justification to just be like, oh, that's who they are.

Gil: 36:10

I don't know. I genuinely don't know. It's just hypocritical. It's voting against, I guess maybe that is the Republican way you vote against your own interest because I dunno. And I, especially the son he had to have, no, his father was gonna vote that way. Blame the but like what the fuck? The wasn't just thrown in three days. It wasn't like, you just found out you got you're, you knocked up and I need to get married right away. Kind of thing. This isn't the olden. This wedding was planned. This is a gay wedding, it's very much planned out. Yeah. in the sucker, in the, in the work for let's call it what it, so I dunno. It's ridiculous. It's insulting.

Eric: 36:56

It is. It's very insulting. It's mad. I'm

Gil: 36:59

glad we're not buried into that family. I grew

Eric: 37:02

well, yeah, like I said, I don't know that how I would feel if that was my father-in-law. Yeah. But then you also have to look at Carly KLO, who is a supermodel in case people who don't know who she is. She's married to Joshua Kushner. Jared's brother she's very liberal. Yeah. She's pro-choice she's not anything like those other Kushners. Correct. It happens.

Gil: 37:34

It does,

Eric: 37:36

I know you fall in love with the person and not their family, but that would just be really weird to be like, yeah, I just married the love of my life. This guy is so great and so wonderful. But yet his father is a Congressman who just voted against my right to happiness and my right to my marriage. Correct. It's like when we had that guest in on season two Amy Sigil, if you want, if anyone wants to go listen to that episode where her father's a pastor and he won't marry her and her partner, because it goes against his beliefs. But as she said, he'll marry strangers who have come in for one counseling session and they can get married. It's just so crazy to me. They're similar, but I know there are differences cuz this person's actually voting against actual entire group, the entire group, but pro protections like lawful protections. Correct. And he has the quote unquote power or at least the say so to a degree on the matter, because he is a representative

Gil: 38:57

but that's the thing he voted with his party over his old family. And that's what it is. He maybe he on his personal side, he doesn't necessarily, he's not against the gate movement, but it's party over family party over country. That's literally what it comes down to with the Republicans.

Eric: 39:14

Yeah. They're very much, he doesn't party.

Gil: 39:17

It's all about the party. I guess that matches the Christian faith, because there's so many more Christians out there. Protestants, however you wanna look at them, but the churchgoers are that same group. They all meet up at the same time. They're going the same olive garden at 12 o'clock and they're all petty as fucking hell.

Eric: 39:34

I like the olive garden, but I don't go at all.

Gil: 39:38

It's it's the same thing. They're all talking that shit behind everyone. There's that passive, aggressive Southern hospitality situation going on here. And that's exactly what the Republican party is. None of them wanna vote outta conscious. God forbid use the brain that literally your, the creator has given you. Why it, I don't understand that, but they would rather do that for the sake of keeping a name, the publican party. Yeah. The Christian faith, whatever the fuck you wanna put over. And that's kinda what they do.

Eric: 40:07

You did hear that homeboy 45 and MTG. yeah. Have both stated that the Republican party is now the party of the Christian nationalists. Yeah. Which one I hear that I hear is now the Nazi party,

Gil: 40:25

correct? Headline that thanks everyone. It should concern people, but then again, as a Democrat, and this is something that I would hope that others kinda unite on at some point is stop the we can't be a bunch of stray cats. It's this internal bickering, it's this, knit picking over the bigger thing when you're going lose it's one or the other. And at some point it's either grow some balls and playing play hardball with the Republicans, or if you're gonna roll over, take it all the way in don't do this half as little. I kinda agree, but only if I get my way and I, there's so many, ah, you're, justing.

Eric: 41:06

I think the Democrats a there's a lot of internal bickering. I all agree with that. I also think it's a wording slash packaging issue. True. We can't do it the way we phrase things. I was listening to this podcast actually the other day or today. And cause I do listen to other podcasts and they were talking about how most Republicans are single issue voters, Uhhuh and how the Republican party is really good at spinning those single issues or creating the issue. So they. Control the narrative of what they think or what they want their people to quote unquote want, but that when the Democrats come back to combat those, the wording is off or the wording comes off as condescending. Correct. And so there in lies the issue because it's the delivery or the package in which you are presenting your solution.

Gil: 42:18

It's always deemed Democrats deemed as elitist because of so many educated on the left is what I've always heard.

Eric: 42:27

And, but that, talked about that before, too. Yeah. Yeah. And look at all your big urban metropolitan areas are very much blue for the most part. I would say Dallas is probably an exception. And there's a few others here and there. But for the most part orange county, but for the most part you would have most of these metropolitan and urban urbanized areas are where your higher education is, tend to be blue. Yeah.

Gil: 43:02

It's very blue. It's also diverse. And like I said, it's, you are dealing with these people who are from Timbuktu and it's you've never seen anyone darker than a shade of vanilla in your life. And you're over here talking about their, oh, how much they're gonna be taking away your job. I'm like, are they real? Gotta be taking away your job. No one wants to move here. God, for sake of state, let alone the town that you're from. Yeah. Or you're not you're the border in any capacity. You're the middle of the country. Who are you bordering Mexico with four states in between you. It doesn't affect you.

Eric: 43:41

Then you have to think. Yeah. Yeah. I'm not gonna go into that. Sorry right now, but yeah, no, you're right now. I will say though,

Gil: 43:50

Democrats need to out slogans or, things that, if nothing else, at least just figure out what are we fighting for. We cant fighting for 90 issues, or if you're gonna ignore the one issue the Republicans are doing, don't ban 'em directly at on it's for, I'm not gonna talk about your fucking issue because it's stupid as hell. Let's go talk about this and just make it all about that.

Eric: 44:11

Yeah. See here's I don't wanna, I don't think I'm a single voter issue. Single issue voter. Sorry. I said that really weird single issue voter But my whole thing is like human rights. In humanitarianism. If you're not gonna, if you're voting against human rights and you're voting against equality, that's where I have an issue. Yeah, it's economics is fine, whatever, like that can be up there, but that is not my priority by any means. And I am not like, by any means well off either, but to me, equality is the foundation of it and you have everyone stripping away rights and the Supreme court has now agreed to listen to Moore versus Harper. And that's all about gerrymandering So you have that whole thing happening. You have the Supreme court who also. In addition to all the other horrible stuff that they've done recently has also said that this is one of the horrible things that they've done recently that border patrol can now search your houses within a hundred miles of any border without reason, or cause, and that's two thirds of the country on a border. Correct. And then you have Arizona who just now passed a law that you cannot record a police officer within eight feet of that officer. And if they tell you to shut off your recording and you don't, you are now committing a crime and can be arrested. And any video that you have of it can be thrown out and is non permissible because you broke the law by not listening to them when they told you to shut it off, which I think is total bullshit.

Gil: 46:15

What the fuck. Yeah. Please, correct me. These police officers, their income, right? The fund them comes outta our collective taxes as a community. Yes. These are employed by my money. I'm giving them money. A portion of my dollar. Yes. So that they are funded to protect me. From someone in taking away my rights to freedom, my liberties and stuff like

Eric: 46:46

that, except for your right, except for your right to live, because correct. You are a gay male and the gun has more rights than you, but go on.

Gil: 46:58

And I think that's the part I'm just trying to understand this, like these, they aren't just funded by. A Mira is list, like just like a, I don't know, it's like the money's just been thrown to them from the heavens this is coming out of our pocket. They are paid for and funded by us as residents of that area. Look, go ahead.

Eric: 47:20

I just don't get it. Look at what happened in Uvalde. We're still talking about that because it is horrifying. The more information that comes out about that. Oh yes. And I'm like, this is this, that is a prime example of why people say defund the police.

Gil: 47:36

Yeah. I think it's defund and rethink the, what we expect of them. Instead of just, oh, it is what it is. It's not what it's no, we're paying for it. I'm taxpayer. They had don't mind taking that money outta my fucking. Especially here in California. So I expect more. Yeah. My demand is more of the people we put in office and it should be from every voter, every person in this country. you should demand more. You should be expecting. What do you want from your police? I, in the fearing, the person of fucking paying. Exactly. Who does that hell no, that's the thing that we need to re I think as a country, really reanalyze, kinda what do we want going forward? The boomers are gonna die off. They're already dying off as we speak. They are the minority. So as a millennial, gen X chin Z and alpha it's really, I think we need to regroup. I love gen Z rethinking the, rethinking. I think the social contract of this is what we expect the Supreme court. What do we need outta them? This needs to work for us. This is a work for us. We're not England. We're not European. Thank God. Because we are didn have to spend a thousand years trying to figure out maybe a king in green is not the rest best route. They're not ordained from God from this mystery being.

Eric: 48:50

Yeah. But we people in this country who are saying Trump is ordained by God.

Gil: 48:55

Yeah. Cause they're idiots and we allowed it. Yeah. I think we sat there on our lo too long laughing and haha, this would never happen to us. And we got lazy. I think we re reevaluate says F right

Eric: 49:10

now we're gonna we're only gonna be saved once gen Z comes into power.

Gil: 49:14

Yeah. And that's the thing it's, it's time to make it happen. Yeah.

Eric: 49:20

And then we have speaking of Supreme court stuff just Samuel Lito that as hat, that little oh, scap field cut bag. Was seen mocking foreign leaders who criticized the Supreme court's decision to overturn Roe versus Wade. The majority opinion that made it so was written by justice Alito. The justices comments were made at a conference in Rome. He told the crowd, it was quote an honor to have written the only Supreme court decision that has caused an uproar all over the world. He also made fun of prince Harry and the former British prime minister, Boris Johnson for criticizing the decision. Yeah, I think there should be some sort of penalty for that for him. Yeah, because he is talking to foreign powers about decisions and he's boasting. Correct about the fact that he wrote this opinion to it, it's like a, to he's basically admitting that it was all power, a power trip. It was small Dick syndrome. I don't know. I just, I feel like there should be some more accountability. I think there should be a lot of accountability for these justices who lied to get onto the Supreme court, but that's just my opinion.

Gil: 50:49

So no. I'm with you because it has, and this is the thing. People have short term memory with the Republicans within what? 10 years ago. I think it was like during the Obama had to be during the Obama administration. That's I'm trying to recall. They used to say that the Supreme court, oh, they should not be forcing, forcing the will or something like pretty much taking on their own power. They need to reinforce the law itself, not to create, go outta their way. Obviously now it's part, oh, thank you. Supreme court for going out your way and using your power to overturn something that has been present for the last

Eric: 51:28

50 years. But see, that's what happens with the Republicans in general. I think that it's very much oh no, you can't do that. You can't do that because. That's not right until it's something that they want and they get their way, then they're like, okay. Yeah. That's exactly how it's supposed to go. You're supposed to be working with the other party and working across the aisle and it's supposed to be bipartisan until it's not, and until they wanna get their way, then they're like, oh yeah, we're just gonna vote along party lines because we have the power and we're not gonna listen to anything we're gonna do away with the filibuster. When we want something, we're gonna go with the nuclear option to get all these judges through, because we're not gonna get the 60 votes.

Gil: 52:18

Yeah. And that's the thing is the Democrats should have been red flag then, but the Democrats have held onto to. We are gonna work with them. We're gonna do every why. And that's my first question. Why? Yeah, that's fine. What are you gaining from it? Are we getting meant? I don't gain electoral votes for every time. You hope and pray that they'll work with us. They're our friends. They're not your fucking friends. They haven't been for quite some time. Yeah.

Eric: 52:46

The hope to work with across the aisle is right up there with your thoughts and prayers.

Gil: 52:52

It is. It's a bullshit. When I, every time you hear Deborah say it's about working across the aisles because you're trying win more vote with the independence. There is no neutrality. There is none in this and there's none of this. Oh I dunno where I'm gonna vote your votes in the, we look at your voting pattern. It tells you what kind of voter youre. It's not of this. Oh, I'm not vote half the time Republican half the time Democrat. That's bullshit. We know that it's, I've always hated the independent vote. It's absolutely bullshit. I built third party 30 right away. It's the same thing. You're in a two party system, honey, until it gets abolished,

Eric: 53:30

which it should be abolished though. Cause I don't agree with the

Gil: 53:32

party system. I'm not disagree, but right now we're still in it. Okay. So you gotta figure out a way you gotta win or do what the Republicans did to get hijacked from the tea party and you turn it to the shit show its hijacked the democratic party and turn something better.

Eric: 53:50

Yes. A and

Gil: 53:52

I'm noted to that. It's time to I'm fed up with it. It's bullshit. Yeah. I try to work with Republicans. That's why when I bring up with the Supreme court, it's like the same thing. We try to follow the rule. We try to be nice with the Republican party. At what point is the gonna say that's. Add some lube let's change this stuff. A little. They're taking up the, all the time and then they're shocked every time. Oh my God, the Republicans did. What are we shocked? Are we really shocked? Look at what happened in 2000, when we know Bush, you wanna talk about stealing election Bush, stealing that election against gore. We know that ship was shady as hell. All of it was shady. You, that is a stolen election. If you wanna talk about something like that. But like I said, Democrats didn't figure out a, their pathway. But they definitely, like I said, with the court, they need to have better guidelines for it. Look at in the constitution. Very vague. It's not very specific. Yeah, it's not. And that's the thing is it's a living, breathing document. It's okay to update. It's okay. I promise you, it should probably have been updated decades ago.

Eric: 55:06

Yeah, but you, the sad thing is you have certain people in power and on that bench, that lifetime appointment that don't think it's a living, breathing document and think that it needs to in its original form,

Gil: 55:26

the same Christian people who don't, they take their Bible and a guy don't because they love to pick and choose and the same thing, the same people follow it to a tea. If we did, we'd still be in the 12 hundreds at this rate that,

Eric: 55:41

and you wouldn't, and you wouldn't be able to eat those shrimp cocktails that you like. I know, or that you like, wouldn't the one. I'm say or you wouldn't be go ahead. Go ahead. Yep. Go okay. I'll say it really quick. Yeah. You wouldn't be wearing that polyester with that cotton. Okay, go ahead. I was gonna say it's

Gil: 56:01

still ironic. Cause Clarence Thomas is the one who's not talking about interracial marriage. Go ahead. Yeah,

Eric: 56:07

it's interesting though, too, that he was like a black Panther at one point. And he was, oh, he was a demo. He was a Democrat at one point. And then he saw that the Republicans had the power. And so he decided he was gonna become a Republican and he very much votes on when he votes and makes decisions. It's very much about his own personal opinion and how it's affected his experience. And that's how he makes his decisions. Not what's actually better for the country or what the country wants. Yeah. It's what he personally feels because of whatever bullshit he's been through. And he's been through a lot. Don't get me wrong as a child. He went through a lot. but then he just turned out to be this monster of an asshole. He's also very, I've learned this recently is very much a per like I knew he was a per cuz of the whole Anita hill thing, but to the point where people said that like he's super quiet and reserved until he's not. And then he's actually has a porn addiction and he will talk about this is his floor. Like this example I'm gonna give is his floor on like the thing that he will talk about a lot is like sucking come out of your asshole. Oh, is his floor like where most people that's his floor. That's most people's ceilings. Yes. That's like probably my couch, like me personally. That's probably like my couch, but cause I do talk about worse than that. But for that to be a floor is crazy.

Gil: 57:46

But we both like, oh, kinda a clutching of Pearl moment. Damn. Wow. That's the way to start.

Eric: 57:59

Yeah. And that was an actual quote from a colleague, a former colleague of his. I honestly don't wanna picture that though. Either.

Gil: 58:10

No. Got no. Got no I think that's something did you're correct me. You are listening to a podcast, correct?

Eric: 58:21

About him. Yes. Yes. It's from the podcast behind the bastards.

Gil: 58:26

Yeah. I love it. Oh my God. I love that.

Eric: 58:29

And so if anyone, you should check it out. It's a really good podcast. They talk about a lot of bastards throughout history.

Gil: 58:39

Wonderful.

Eric: 58:41

And they were saying that they he's a bastard and he's an asshole. They weren't gonna, they never thought they were gonna do anything on him. And then it turned out to be a four part series.

Gil: 58:49

Oh,

Eric: 58:55

that's talk a little bit about the pedophile, Matt gates.

Gil: 59:00

Oh God, another BA another bastard. Here we go.

Eric: 59:03

How he has attacked Olivia Juliana. Oh,

Gil: 59:09

poor thing. Yes.

Eric: 59:10

He made the comment of these people are odious on the inside and out. They are like five, two and 350 pounds. And they're like, give me my abortion or I'll get up in March and protest. And I'm thinking March, you look like you got. Ankles weaker than the legal reasoning behind our Roe versus Wade. A few of them need to get up in March. They need to get up in March for an hour a day, swing those arms and get the blood pumping, maybe mix in a salad and went on to say that these people who are protesting against the overturning are not attractive and people would not want to get them pregnant anyways. Okay. So Olivia Juliana tweeted his attack on her. Or responded to his attack on her. It's come to my attention that Matt gates, alleged pedophile he's a pedophile. Yes. Has said that it's always the odious 5, 2, 3 50 pound women that nobody wants to. I pregnant who rally for abortions. I'm actually 5 11, 6, 4, and heels. And I wear them. So the small men, like you are reminded of your place. but she's also used that to raise funds for yes, she did abortion funds.org. So people go check out abortion funds.org. She has turned this whole Twitter debacle into a fundraiser and she has raised over a million

Gil: 1:00:49

over a million. Yes. So good for her. 1 million in 72 hours is what she was able to do. Good for her.

Eric: 1:00:57

And also remember you guys to check out elevated access to, because they provide flights free of charge for women who cannot get appropriate and proper healthcare from their states. And they fly them to states in which they can get that healthcare. So elevated access, just putting it out there, check them out as well. Let's end on a more positive thing though. Yes. Cause there was a lot of like negative bullshit happening cause it's the USA go figure. Let's talk about Spain. Yes. So Spain just approved a landmark bill for trans rights. Spain is moving toward the passage of law, giving of a law, giving trans people greater autonomy in declaring their legal gender. The Spanish government approved a draft of a bill, allowing anyone over the age of 14 to correct their legal gender without a diagnosis of gender dysphoria or any medical treatment such as hormone replacement therapy under its current laws, trans people in Spain must be diagnosed with gender dysphoria, have undergone hormone replacement therapy for two years and be an adult in order to change their legal genders. So they are actually changing those policies that already exist and saying that, no, if this is how you identify, we don't need the proof. We are gonna take you for your word and people. At age 14 and above can now do it rather than having to be a quote unquote adult. So I think Spain is moving in the right direction. I think the USA could learn a lot from that. I'm all for the progress. Yeah. So I'm on the progressive agenda. I'm not gonna lie. I think everyone knows that though. So

Gil: 1:02:56

what Eric. No, it is actually very, it's fantastic to hear that Spain is especially politically with, when it comes to the social movements that they're having out there. I, cause I've been out there to in Barcelona and the community is shit. It is open and people holding hands left and right. It's not hidden. It's not oh my God, they're right. Somebody might look or certain neighborhood. I saw it in all. Nook and C crannies on that damn city and it felt comfortable and safe and it was just that's from coming from San Francisco. I was like, God, I was amazed. I was, it just made me so good. I felt like young kids, younger boys, probably with like just turned 18 or seven or whatever. And they're just holding hands with their partner. It's not, I love that. I saw old people seeing them. No one was like making snarky remarks or, and not that I have Spanish, but you could tell from facial reactions and there was nothing people just walking by, like all in a day.

Eric: 1:03:58

That's Beau that's beautiful. One. I love that.

Gil: 1:04:01

I was impressed. Impressed. It was same thing in Barcelona. We saw the same thing. It was just, eh, it was every day.

Eric: 1:04:10

That's awesome. That's wonderful. That, and that brings truth to the show elite that I just finished watching too. Cause it takes place in Spain and they're very free and accepting of that in that show.

Gil: 1:04:21

Yeah, at least there it's like it's in your, yes. The Spanish history on, especially on this side of the hemisphere is very jaded as it should be. It was not done. But at least there's, like I said, there's some optimism, at least with the, where they're going socially. And even when they voted in the gay marriage and all that, that was voted at astronomical numbers with approval ratings. Yes. And I'm very proud of Lizabeth, Spain, certain countries are slowly, at least like they're giving back by you can't change the past, but it's how you're moving forward. How are you gonna, what can you do? True. So that's a good story. Good to hear. I agree. We need a little positivity. There has to be can't be all

Eric: 1:05:05

dooo. True. I agree. And I think that's a good place for us to leave it on a high note. Thank you all for listening to us, we will be back next week as well. Until next time. Remember to live in your authenticity and take care.

Gil: 1:05:31

thank you for listening to us. We hope you enjoyed your time in The Q Lounge. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions on topics, or if you would like to be a guest or contributor, please email us info.TheQlounge@gmail.Com or through our contact page at theqloungepodcast.com. Don't forget to subscribe to continue listening wherever you get your podcasts. If you want to be our sugar, daddy hit that donation button.

Eric: 1:05:58

Until next time live in your authenticity.