Sept. 1, 2021
Season 3, Episode 1
Eric and Gil return for season 3
Transcript
Eric:
Hello and welcome to the Q lounge. I'm Eric
GIl:and I'm Gil.
Eric:Join us as we discuss news stories and life situations. As they relate to the LGBTQIA+ experience, please visit us at theQloungepodcast.com and hit that subscribe button or listen wherever you get your podcasts. Hello and welcome to the Q lounge. I'm Eric and I'm Gil. And welcome back for season three, crazy. Isn't it? It is who would have thought that a year ago when we had this little brain child of ours, that we would still be here a year later.
GIl:Time goes by so fast when you're having fun.
Eric:True, great Janet song too. Yes. Control album. You know what else it is though? It's our one year anniversary. Like we literally dropped our first episode, I believe September 1st of last year. So this episode, although we're recording it before September 1st will be dropping September 1st. So we have a year, so let's drink to us. I'll have my White Claw and to have
GIl:my souvignon blanc.
Eric:Here we go, because you're all bougie and sophisticated and I'm trying to hold onto my youth.
GIl:Cheers. Cheers. You guys don't see us, but we are sipping
Eric:away. Yeah. I'm having a Ruby grapefruit white claw, which is as tart as it sounds. How was your break since we were on hiatus for two months? Thank you guys for actually, I'm going to cut you off really quickly. If I ask you a question. Thank you guys for joining us. Thank you guys for coming back to season three with us. Thank you to all the new subscribers. Thank you to Romania because we are ranked in the top 200. Culture and society, podcasts in Romania. It's crazy. We're like number 1 77, which is wow, like that's the like said, that's crazy. I can't believe that Romania has got some love for us, but thank you, Romania. We love you too. And thank you to all of our listeners because without you guys, we would probably still just be listening to each other to our faces, but thank you for listening to us, to our faces. And anyone who's new to us. Welcome. And thank you guys for checking us out at the cue lounge. You can check out any of our past episodes at theqloungepodcast.com or anywhere you get your podcasts. And while you're there, you can leave us a review five stars preferably, and also give us a written review, especially on apple podcasts, because that's how the magical podcast God's work.
GIl:Yes, they reward us generously that way.
Eric:And so Gil, let me ask you again. How was your hiatus? How was your break? Oh, and Gil celebrated a birthday. Gil turned 27, absolutely happy belated birthday Gil. Thank you. Thank you. He's at the end of cancer just before Leo takes over,
GIl:I am that cusp baby for 100%. Yes you are. That's why I'm not as whiny as a typical cancer crying, but. It's I'm there. Yeah,
Eric:but he still thinks the world revolves around him and he holds everyone accountable. If they don't know who he is.
GIl:Hello, cheers. No, it was a good little summer break that we had. I unfortunately also lost my grandmother during the time period. So it was a little bit rough, that beginning with the family, definitely reunited a lot with the family. We were already close as a group, but it was definitely nice for us to get together. And then I'm in the middle of the switching jobs
Eric:being coming a big old
GIl:baller. Oh, yeah. So I'm switching jobs, right? I joined the rest of every fricking what millennial Gen Z what's hopscotching at this point. But I think it was time. Not that I was treated badly, at my previous job. By any means, but it was time to go.
Eric:He is cha-chinging you guys with a big old bump in pay, so yeah, sure. So right
GIl:now we could afford the pony.
Eric:No. Oh, you can't afford to move your friend slash co-host to the bay area. Yes.
GIl:It's time to come this way, come west.
Eric:And I can be like, oh, I'm just visiting. As I have two men and truck move me out.
GIl:Oh yeah. So it's been very chaotic with that, and just a lot of things happening at the same time. And it was needed, but I can't wait to get this going again. And I can't believe it's been a year.
Eric:I know, I can't believe it's been a year either.
GIl:I really can't. How was your time
Eric:off time off was, it was pretty good. It I honestly, I really, when we're away from the podcast, I really miss the podcast. Cause like my nights are just not as full because I don't have anything to edit. No, but my time off was pretty good. It started off a little rough just because I was coming. Down from our last episode. And we talked about a lot of heavy stuff in the last episode. So it was a little intense for me for a few weeks, dealt with some depression stuff and then picked my way back up. But it was good. It was actually healing. I. Got to really look at myself again and just really put things in perspective and in order and think about what changes I needed to make and figure out like what my triggers are and how to deal with and accept my triggers and refrain from throwing my triggers on others. Because I think we all have a habit of doing that, but I know I've had a habit of doing that and it's not other people's responsibility to know what my triggers are. So there was a lot of like self-healing kind of stuff. I took another acting class and I will pro I need to pay for my next one coming up, but I haven't done that yet. And then other than that Not a whole lot. I just got back into town from Denver.
GIl:Oh, how was that?
Eric:Denver's great. I used to live there, so I miss it. I missed it more. So this time than I have, I think in previous times it's changed a lot though. It's like totally built up. Oh, and so it's like haul, haul rise, high rise city, like everywhere. It's crazy. Like cherry Creek is all built up now and really, yeah. It's a little interesting. But it was a lot of fun. I had a blast. I got to reconnect with a lot of my friends and. That was beautiful. I got my nails painted for the first time while I was out there. I got a gel set. I didn't, I don't know anything about nails, but I painted my nails. I got my nails painted black though. Nail tech wanted to paint my nails and I'm like, sure, whatever. Do you know, what's funny you did that. And Chris did for the first time ever, also. Oh really? Yes. He did about three weeks ago. It was like right after we were done with podcast, we took a little break. Yeah. He's suddenly bought this kit, did this little, he just did his little nails to work on his inner demons and stuff like that. I guess, to break some of that. Yeah, that's what we did. I was like, Hey. Yeah. So my friends were like, get black. And I was like, sure. And she, the woman was like, can I paint your nails black? And I'm like, of course. And she was having a fun time with it. She was laughing about it. So I was cool with it. It actually, I've gotten a lot of compliments on them. Yeah. It also got me a little bit, not like actual action, but it got me a little bit of play. I got my first lap dance while I was in Denver, which is weird because it's hard to believe. I know. You would think, I'm actually shocked that I had never had a lap dance before. Like I'm like you would think I'd had plenty of lap dances. I've had go-go boys dance on me and I've had them like sit on my face and all that other stuff. And that's all well and good. But I naturally had, I never actually had an actual lap dance and they pulled me up on stage and gave me this whole lap dance. And it was absolutely amazing. I think I'm probably ruined for a future lap dance. Yeah. Do you want to get into that now? Or do you want to get into that later? Sure. What's right now. So we're here. Yeah. So we went to this club called Boyztown town, which is like one of my favorite places to go to in Denver. And I actually went Wednesday night when I got into town, then we went Thursday and then we went again Saturday night and I was so glad we went in Saturday night. Wednesday and Thursday were eh, yeah. Or weeknights. Yeah. And Saturday they had a guest dancer. Oh, who tours? His name was Elias. And super cute. He put on a show. Oh, I, oh yeah. I'm different when it comes to strippers than most people, especially most guys I want the presentation, I want the tease. I want the performance. I don't care if you just take your clothes off right away. That actually turns me off when they take our clothes off right away. Because I'm like, yeah, it's
GIl:like 15 seconds. Boom. Here you go. And I'm like, yeah.
Eric:Oh yeah. And I have to watch you for another eight minutes. Okay. Tempt me tease me, sell me that fantasy. I love all that stuff. You can see. I'm very. That person, I guess I was a performer for years, so I looked for that quality. He was an awesome performer. He had a different wardrobe. Every single time he came out, he worked at the pole, he worked the floor in the handstands. He worked the audience. He was great. He might be, yeah. Next season, not this season, but possibly next season we're we talked about it, but we'll see what happens. But yeah, he gave me, my friends paid for me to have a lap dance. Wow. It was weird because he was like talk, he'd, he would hung out with around us, the whole, almost the whole night or a lot of the night and kept talking to us and I know stripper sell fantasy. So I'm not going to say he was like truly hitting on me, but he was very friendly and he kept Talking to me about I can tell you're the kind of guy that I have to get to know before you become a freak. But once I get to know you, you're probably going to throw it down in the bedroom. I'm like, yeah, that's pretty much me. I'm a homie in the streets and a whore in the sheets, although I can be a whore the streets too. But so I was like, yeah, he read me pretty well on that. So anyways, I call it and then he loved my nail Polish. Yeah. So he was telling me that, like he thought one of the strippers was cute and he's there's only one stripper here that I would like really dance with there or anything else. And he's you know who it is too. And I was like, yeah, it's probably this guy. And I pointed to this one guy, he's that's him. Then he's do you want us to give both, give you a lap dance? And I'm like okay. Sure. I was like, but I'd rather just have one from you. Cause I wasn't interested in the other guy. Yeah. And it was like, okay, we can work that out. And he like grabs my hand and he's let's go. And then my friend's no. Cool. And I'm like, why? She's we're not doing that. There were, if she's, she looks at me, she's we pay for you to get you a lap dance. She was like, if we're going to pay for it, we want it onstage, not a private lab dance. So I ended up going on. So he's okay. Okay. So he like had to run back to get ready. And so then I got super nervous and I'm wearing a cum slut crop top this whole time which you can find online, but you can find out mine at seksteez.Com, S E K S T EE z.com. With, and I have a ma I have a matching face mask too. I don't know if that's online or not. I don't think I put my masks online anyways. Yeah, so he like runs backstage and then he like comes out and he lights a candle and he puts a candle off to the side of the stage, not on the stage, but off to the side and puts it in the grits, the chair up there. And then he runs back and then they have me go up there and what fucking song he picked, what. I was like, I literally almost came as soon as the song hits. He picked closer by nine inch nails, which to me is like one of the hottest songs ever recorded. I know a lot of people nowadays don't know what that song is. Cause then that's blasphemy to me, but he picked nine inch nails closer that song. Is like one of the sexiest songs ever written. I know I just said that, but it is such a hot song. It's totally on my stripper playlist. I have two or three versions of it on my stripper playlist. Yeah. I love me some Nin closer. Yeah. So I'm like sitting in this chair and he comes out like with this big old gas mask and all dressed out. And he like comes out and he takes the mask off and all this other stuff. And he's just just dancing. I have a few pictures of it. Then he danced for the audience too, but he wrapped like a dog collar around my neck with a leash on it. And it was like pulling it, which totally got me there too, because, and then he got his belt and he like wrapped my wrist and cuffed me. And had me tied up, which was also amazing, which I love that too. And then he caught the candle and he poured the candle all over his body. Like not all over, but he pulled the candle like on his chest and let it drip down. And then he like buried my face in his chest and had me rub my hands up and down his chest. And then he did all his little acrobatics as well. Yes. It was pretty great. Like it was, I was like, oh my God, I think this is better than a lot of sex I've ever had. Oh, it was pretty damn great. It
GIl:was first. That was your first time. And it's
Eric:here you go. It was an awesome time. I was, I very much enjoyed it. I am still like blushing from it. I loved it. It left a great impression on me.
GIl:Great to hear. Oh my God. It's so awesome.
Eric:And then we had, then I made friends with, I had made friends with this other stripper. He was really cute and sweet. He came up to me and started giving me a massage and it was amazing. And then we just ended up talking and then we ended up dancing together. And then I danced with the other guy as well. And there was this other stripper there. I was going to say he was like, he was totally into me. He remembered me. He knew, he remembered me all three nights. He kept coming up to me the first night I was there. He grabbed me and was like, oh my God, you have really big balls. I love big balls. And I was like, okay. And he was like all up on me and like whispering in my ear and breathing on my neck. And I'm like, wow. Okay. And then. We w we came back the next night and he like came up to us and a lot of the dancers didn't remember us. Cause they see lots of people every day. Like they're not going to remember everybody and he totally remembered us. My friend and I were like, all were surprised. Do you remember us? And he is I gave him a very specific. Compliment last night. Of course, I remember him. And then he was all up on me that night. He was all, and he actually, that night he was really up on me. He even grabbed my hand and put it on his cock and was like all rubbing it with my hand. And I'm like, this is always fun for me. Like I have no, no shame in that. And then. He remembered me Saturday night too. And he was like all up on me Saturday night, but there was so much going on Saturday night with those other two. It was just like, crazy. And they had so many compliments on my shirt, so that was awesome as well. And then what else? Oh, I went to tracks, which I love tracks big ups to tracks, although it has become a little bit more straight now. Yeah. It's still a gay bar, the dudes like to come all the hot girls are there, so it's a little bit more straight, but it's still a gay bar. Okay. And they had a roller rink in there now What? Alcohol and roller skates. I don't know if that's a good mixture, but it was cool. Okay. And it was fun to watch people skating around and falling. The weird thing is though, is that they can leave their skates on the whole time. They can go to all the different rooms with their skates on, and they're just like running into people. Shit. That was it. Interesting. But tracks is like really on it. So you have to be vaccinated and have proof of vaccination, good or negative COVID tests within 48 hours of entering in order to get into the club. And they had a station of rapid testing, like right outside their doors. Yeah. Oh good. Like they are on it. So I felt comfortable to go and I felt comfortable to not have to wear a mask because they're pretty on it. We had fun there. I made $10, huh? Yeah. I was just dancing. I was dancing and someone put $10 in. Pocket that's how that was fun. I know who it was. It was this girl that kept wanting to dance with me and we danced for each other for a little bit. And there was this one guy who was like, he kept coming by and dancing by me and my friends. And then he went by, he came by once and then he came by a second time and his shirt was completely unbuttoned. The cute little Asian guy. And then. My friend, went outside to smoke or get a drink and stuff like that. So I'm just sitting there dancing by myself. And then he came back by when she was there and was like, oh my God, your stomach is driving me insane. And I'm like, okay. Cause I've never had a compliment like that before, but I was like, oh, okay. And then I guess he asked my friend, if I was her husband. And I'm like oh no. We're or I'm going to gay bar, but I know there's a lot of straight people here, but I'm wearing a crop top that says cum rag on the front and cum dump on the back. I don't think I'm going to pass. I don't think I'm going to pass for straight right now. I know I can be very hetero passing. Yeah. And I've been reminded of that a few times lately, but. You're
GIl:not Michelle Bachmann's husband,
Eric:I'm not come on when I'm wearing a cum rag cum dump crop top. I think that pretty much answers that question, like right off the bat. Yeah. But anyways, it was fun. I danced for three hours and it was great time. And of course,
GIl:close it down or no.
Eric:No, we actually walked out just before they closed, but by the time our Lyft got there, they were like already closed and packed up for the night because Lyft and Uber like to do a surge charge. Oh yeah. As the bars closed. And it's 60 bucks instead of 20. Yeah.
GIl:Just to go like half a mile. So it's 900% up.
Eric:So we did the save and wait, like I'm saving that 30 bucks. That's
GIl:crazy. That is crazy.
Eric:Yeah. I was like, damn. And then we went to the triangle, which is a gay bar. I don't know if you've ever been. I've never been, I hadn't been there in a really long time, but they had a golden girls brunch. Oh, my God, this was amazing. And it was fun. It was definitely fun as a drag brunch. It was good times and they're really on it too. Like you have to have proof of vaccine or COVID negative. COVID within 48 hours. They didn't have a rapid tests right outside, but they make you get all of they make you bring all that. So I had downloaded mine from the New Mexico department of health. Good.
GIl:Yeah, I have mine, mine too. Cause in the city it's the exact same way right now. Or they will not, if we're dining purposes and clubs, stuff like that, where they will not allow you, no matter how caring you become. Yeah. All for that. Exactly. Yeah. Cause we've been, yeah, we have to do that. So if I go on my lunch break, I'm like ID, here's my passport. Here's my thing. Like ready to go.
Eric:So yeah, I have it in my phone. And then, yeah, so that was pretty much most of my Denver trip. I, my friend and I ended up getting our third vaccine while we were out there.
GIl:Oh, you're able to get a booster.
Eric:Yeah. Good job. Because they were getting ready to close down the makeshift clinic that they had there at this thing. And be like, we have these shots that we're going to be throwing away. Oh, no. Do you guys want your vaccine? We're like, oh, we're already vaccinated. We already had both. We can get your booster. So we ended up getting our boots and I was like I'm from out of town. They're like, it's no problem. So awesome. Okay. So I got my booster, my friend got her booster. Yeah, so I'm fine. I didn't have any side effects this time at all. Oh, good. A friend had a little bit, but I didn't have much. So
GIl:did you have a lot of side effects the first time you got your second shot?
Eric:My second shot. Yeah, my second shot, I had more side effects than I did the first time, but they were still really mild. Like I had cotton mouth. Like within five or 10 minutes of getting the shot. I had a metallic taste in my mouth, like within five or 10 minutes of getting the shot. I had a headache. Okay. I had a sore arm for a day and a half and the day I got my shot, I got really tired. I got very lethargic and I fell asleep at eight 30, which you know, is not at all. I was like asleep at eight 30 and I think I woke up. 7 45 or eight o'clock the next morning. You've never. Yeah, but then after that I was fine okay. That was my side effects. Did you have any side effects just
GIl:besides the soreness in my arm. Yeah. That's it like? I think that lasted good. 48 hours of soreness. But after that I was, I had nothing else. Okay. And I had Pfizer for mine, for the both shots and I was okay.
Eric:Yeah. I had Pfizer for mine too. And I know there's a whole like vaccine apartheid going on worldwide and. I do think all those poor countries need their vaccines, but of course, all the rich countries outbid them and are hogging them. So I feel bad that I got the third vaccine, but they were literally going to throw it away. So it's not like I was really holding a vaccine from anybody.
GIl:Everyone's going to get their vaccine at some
Eric:point. Yeah, or should people, they should, they're not all of them are going to, I actually know some Non Republicans that are very anti-vaccine too.
GIl:Now what's crossing the bow. That's been hot fire right now. Yeah, it's a anti-vaxxers. And then you have the, for us in this industry in California, we're dealing with the dam recall situation. So we're in another
Eric:shit show. I saw a few people saying like vote. No, on the recall. Yep. And
GIl:that's it. No mail back. Call it a day. Yeah.
Eric:And hopefully there's no recall. Is there that many conservatives in California to actually win the recall?
GIl:It's not going to be by a majority by a long shot. There's 40 something. People on the damn ballot, I'll send you a photo because my ballot just got to my parents' house. And then I'm going to go ahead and start filling out. My sister's got delivered to my house. Apparently she updated her address. Yeah. And I saw the ballot and I was like, holy shit. But it's literally just have more votes than the others. If the, do you recall him? So a person who could win, who like 13% of the votes suddenly your governor.
Eric:Okay. I thought, oh, so I thought there was going to be like a little primary rundown between the Republicans. Yeah, no, because it's
GIl:just, it's the
free
Eric:for all. So you're going to split between 70 people, correct?
GIl:The majority of monks to 70. Okay. So personally I could win, who had 6% of the total vote. Is the
Eric:winner. I know miss Jenner left the race, didn't she? No, she's a
GIl:lot. I always see I've actually, yeah. Tenderloin actually here in San Francisco yesterday. And she was apparently having an outer body experience and you're like, oh my God, I know it's this bad. Yes. Welcome to the normal streets. Wow. You want to see crazy and everything that's gone wrong. Yeah. She is
Eric:trash. Oh yeah. Speaking of COVID vaccines, cause there has been this whole, most, a lot of people not getting their vaccine. I will say though, 92% of LGBTQ adults have received at least one dose of their COVID 19 vaccine, which I think is awesome. I think it also shows that Us gays know what a pandemic is all about. We're we still, yeah. But I still think that's awesome. I think that's responsible. Hopefully. That's of people surveyed. I actually was not surveyed, but I would have been in that too. And I did see a further breakdown by race, but I don't know, or that I have that right now, but it was very interesting like that it's that high. That's another reason why I feel like a lot of the gay clubs. I'm like most of us are vaccinated. The gay clubs. I feel like all the clubs should do that. Yeah. But that's just my opinion. And that's just my politics and belief. So I know a lot of people probably won't believe that we might get some hate for that, but whatever.
GIl:I just, I genuinely don't understand. Not to that first to derail completely digress, but especially with the vaccinations and stuff like that I don't understand you have the modern technology and this is strung through similar to the flus and stuff like that. So there is a base to create these vaccinations. And then why is it so fucking political? I really do not know. I don't get it. It's almost like I'm not going to get my child polio. We've literally practically eradicated it we're a hundred year. You literally had a president die of this and I don't understand. It's like ignorance of first world issues.
Eric:I don't get it. And the thing is that public health should not be a political issue. No at all at all. Public health is public health and all these were like, oh, it's a hoax. Or it's being used to control the people around the world. This is happening around the world. It's not just the United States having a pandemic. It's literally a global pandemic. Yeah. Look at what happened in Japan over with the Olympics. There was no one there, they had such an increase and spike. Look at all the athletes who I think should have been vaccinated, or not go at all. They would have had the choice, but I think they should have been vaccinated. Yeah.
GIl:I don't get it. I hear you. Like schools was supposed to be doing it, Texas and Florida and the opposite direction right now. Same thing. It's I don't understand if your kid's health is such your value, your number one priority. I understand. Why would you not like as a kid, I remember the nineties, you had to get the shit you had to get your vaccines regardless of what your parents believed it or not, because you could spread it the fucking measles, or if you had lice at school, like literally you go into lockdown. Yeah. I do
Eric:understand. Children are resilient. Yeah. I think they're like, okay, we're wearing a mask. Whatever. The only time it becomes an issue when you have all these kids who are not wearing masks and they start picking and bullying on those that are I saw this, I saw two memes today, actually that had the very much the same idea. And it was. I wish adults were as passionate about stopping school shootings as they are about keeping their kids from wearing masks.
GIl:Oh,
Eric:And then another one I saw was that people complaining about wearing masks in the trauma that it's going to cause to the children are fine. Making them go through active shooter drills. Yeah. Cause that's not traumatizing. Yeah,
GIl:of course though. So I remember you and I are from the the days we get a duck for case a nuclear bomb went off. I don't know if you guys had to do that, but we did. We did in California, how to do that. Yeah. To do the duct tech, your desk protected you from earthquakes, potential tsunamis and nuclear Holocaust, everything like that.
Eric:Yeah. See, I wasn't home. I was on the ho dunk Albuquerque. So actually, no, I should, I shouldn't say that because we have a lot of nuclear weapons out here in this state, so you really deal. So we actually would be a prime target. I shouldn't say that on the podcast, but I think that's probably common knowledge. It
GIl:is your Google search away.
Eric:Yeah, right?
GIl:Yeah.
Eric:Let's talk about what's happening the last year
GIl:to divert it away from politics. So we'll definitely come back. How was the last year for you for podcasts? And since this is our first time doing it, like literally made this a project. It was, thought of decade ago. Then it came to fruition through our our time.
Eric:Yeah, no, actually I want to, I did want to go here too, so I actually don't mind the segue away from politics because there's always time for politics. Can you ask the question again? How has it been for you this year
GIl:experience in it? And
Eric:I have to say this podcast for me has been pretty awesome. Yes. It's been really healing for me. I know like we, we try to just have fun with it, but I feel like we talk, we've talked with such a variety of people and who have different stories, which is what we wanted anyways. And I've learned a lot about others and a lot about myself and how I see others. And I catch myself, like even now, like all the other day I like said something and I was like, that was actually shitty of me to say it that way, because I don't know what these people's experiences are and it wasn't anything to do with the community per se. But I just thought it was rather interesting. So the podcast, this podcast has actually taught me a lot. It's actually given me like a new level of confidence, like I said, it's been really healing in and of itself. Being able to talk with all these different people and share their experiences and share our stories with their stories and see how we're similar and how we're different. It's just been really awesome for me. I liked the connections we've made with the different guests. It's awakened me a lot to the world around me and into better connection with myself as well. Yeah, I would say that's how the podcast has been. Once I get to talk to you a lot more often than I normally would. I don't really want to talk to you like once every seven years. So not really, but yeah,
GIl:it's been, yeah, I was gonna say it's been pretty cool. This gotta get a glimpse of people's backgrounds and what they went through and it's not all doom and gloom. No. And I think that's the assumption of, oh, you're a minority. Oh, you're automatically you have the worst possible coming out story. It surprised me how many people we interviewed in a short span and the actual people dealing with it, to that level of like in the movies as depicted in the movies, it's completely wrong. Yeah, because there's this stigma of oh my God, you came out. Oh my God, it was just bad experience after bad experience. And it wasn't a lot of them from some of that, you feel conservative families still had a good base. They, the parents didn't agree, but it was like, you're my child. It was very, it was interesting. I was like, It just threw me off
Eric:That was a shock for me too. Cause I honestly was expecting us to have a lot of harsh coming out story. I was prepared for it. Cause it's all sensationalized through like Hollywood and through the movies. And I know that those stories are very true. But, yeah, I was surprised when, like I would say probably at least 80 to 85% of our guests were like, I feel like I had the unicorn coming out story. It was all like cotton candy and sand castles. And I was like, oh wow. Like the first two times I was like, oh, wow. And then by the third and fourth time, I was like, and here's another beautiful story. So I'm glad that it's not this harsh. Brutalization, correct. That is often depicted as you said. Yeah, I thought that was really interesting too with the whole,
GIl:yeah, that was an eye-opener, And I know it was pretty, I love the way people talked about their lives. It was almost like they were finally, it's like us, I'm a little bit more reserved about, especially like this. Be depicted telling people live. I'm like, here's my life story. Here's my blah, blah, blah. It's been really interesting talking about it, having these guests come on, never. And I, we've never met them some, a lot of them. And just here you go. Here's my story. And they're willing to talk about it and it's just been, I love it. I just, it's great. Especially with COVID forced us all back into the house. Okay. Here's your four walls. You don't have the interaction or social media is a false way to get get to know someone true. Let's be real. It was really nice and it's. I've for me on my end. I've enjoyed the interviews and let them talk, let them go. Let them go.
Eric:Yeah, it's their story. Absolutely. We're just here to give an offer a platform and maybe steer a little bit, but it's like you said, it's their story. If they want to fully take the wheel and
GIl:go off the
Eric:cliff, let's go. I don't want to have to, if I don't have to ask any questions and you just want to go there. Great with that. Yeah. And if they want us to more questions, then that's fine too. No, I've really enjoyed all that aspect too. And like you said, we don't know a lot of these people and they've just been gracious enough to bless us with their time. We do long interviews. Yeah, we do. We do give up like an hour to an hour and a half of their day just to chat with us sometimes two and a half hours.
GIl:But it's great. Like I personally, I miss those interactions with people personally, so it's been really nice, to do it virtually and like you and I eventually we'll record in the same room one day, one day,
Eric:maybe out Folsom, hopefully before then actually. Cause that's not for another year, provided things get under control, correct? Yeah. Cause I'm sure Folsom not happening. And A month or three weeks. Yeah. Same day as your anniversary, which is national register to vote day. I
GIl:know I was making a statement at the time. No, I almost did not have my, our wedding on that day, by the way. Oh really? I almost fucked that one up, I literally could about to file for divorce the same day. Because Chris told me in advance Hey, make sure. Make sure it hosts like no problem. Who else is going to reserve in city hall that same day? Apparently everyone was because some street fair. It's about the things happening in the city at the time. Oh my God. I've had. Panic attack last spots.
Eric:Yeah. Can you talk about your reserved I'm actually, I know it doesn't seem like it on the podcast, but I'm actually really reserved myself. Like I'm super shy. I don't really talk to a whole lot of people. So the pandemic in itself was really nothing that my life didn't really change. I don't talk to anybody, but this has been a really cool outlet to like connect with people and even reconnect with people or, yeah. Cause there have been people that we have known that have been our guests and we've been able to reconnect with them or connect with them on a deeper level. Yeah.
GIl:I learned some stuff about people I'm like, oh, Hey,
Eric:I appreciated that. And really liked that. So no, this, I think this podcast has been really fun. Who's, I didn't think when we did our initial shows, like I was like this is fun. We'll see how it goes. And then it just took off from there with you and I, and. I've really enjoyed it. I'm glad that we're in season three. I can't believe we've been on for a year. Yes. But I think it's been really exciting and I think we've, I think we've stayed true to what we set out to do. I know initially it wasn't the actual show we were expecting when we like talked about it 10 years ago is actually having a panel show and like talking about. Politics and life as an LGBTQ plus individual, but I think I came out really good. And I've been, I've been happy with it. I'm glad that it just organically went into its own direction. Yes. And I liked the direction it went into. I'm very happy with the direction that it's gone.
GIl:It's not forced. And I, this is not like we mapped it out perfectly. No, we had an idea. Yeah. Concepts, I should say, this is an art form, so it's okay, we're going here. Here we go. Yeah.
Eric:So you mean, we don't have a lot of our episodes mapped out, ideally either. But that's okay. Like it, like you said, it's very organic. It has its natural flow. It's just going to go this way. That's part of what being in a lounge is about. Correct. Just chatting with your friends, which is how The Q Lounge name came to be. It's cause we're like we wanted that chill, ambient setting where, Hey, we can just chat with anybody and it's like hanging out with your friends.
GIl:Exactly. Because like, when you do have your conversations, Lord knows, at least for us, we tend to tangent into this. Like you go to this big gigantic. Circle and eventually get back to the point again, that's the way we've always flowed together anyway. So
Eric:yeah. And it's nice that others are willing to go on that journey with us. Our guests were like, okay, we'll go on this tangent too. But a lot of them go on their own tangents, which is awesome. Oh yeah.
GIl:Oh yeah. Absolutely. It is. It was fun. It's great.
Eric:Have you gotten any feedback from people?
GIl:They're just asking to make sure that are you guys continuing, stuff like that. And I tell them, they go, absolutely. We're just, like other artists who continue to go with the long careers for 20, 30 years is because we fund it. We do it ourselves. We're not dependent on others or don't like, we have to go a certain direction. No, it's our damn podcast. We do what we want. Yeah.
Eric:But if anyone would like to make a donation, you can hit paypal or buy me a coffee slash beer on our website at theqloungepodcast.com. I worked for coffee.
GIl:I
Eric:worked for coffee. I worked for karma. I worked for tea, herbal tea. I sold tea. I don't drink caffeine. Which is always fun.
GIl:Yeah. But the tea though gets me more jittery. Than regular coffee. Okay. Yeah. I've noticed that. Like I drink oolongones. The black teases don't like that. Oh my God. My soul is
Eric:like shaking. Oh, that's interesting. That's weird.
GIl:That'd be an Asian. I grew up in Jasmine teas and green teas, stuff like that, but it still gets me away. Word shittery then coffee, two cups. I'm like, Hey, nothing.
Eric:That's interesting. Coffee puts me to sleep. Like I don't like. I don't drink caffeine anymore. And I haven't in what, two and a half. Almost three years now. Yeah, it's been a lot, but prior to that coffee always put me to sleep and Tea just relaxed me. But I'm also very ADD, so that's good to know. Yeah. That's why I'm like, oh, squirrel.
GIl:Okay. So what are our plans for the fall season? So give people a preview,
Eric:a lot of guests coming up, which I think is going to be really fun. And we, as of right now have our first international guests, which I'm super excited about. So hopefully. So it works out. But we have a lot of guests from different avenues. You guys will have to check that out and see who's going to be coming up and who's not, but yeah, I think we have a lot of guests. We have some more tea time. I think tea time was a nice little success. So I hope I'm hoping to do that again. I thought that was a lot of fun. And you get to know a lot about people, but you also get whether it's nonsensical or what's the word I'm looking for on a deeper level, either one it's always fun to, to make that rhyme. Yeah, that's fine. But. I think it's always fun to learn about people, regardless of which avenue you're taking. So I'm excited for us to do some more T times. Of course, you and I will be chatting a lot as well, and we'll probably be giving a lot of our opinions as we always do.
GIl:Yes. And especially things have been surprisingly. News-wise lately. So this'll definitely keep us going. Yeah.
Eric:And I think I agree with you. We can talk about a lot of that stuff later. We don't need to do it on this first episode coming back,
GIl:kiddo. Get the cobwebs off. I'm like, okay, here we go. Get relaxed the jaw.
Eric:Yeah. I'm having to do jaw exercises again. I told her, I have to relearn how to unhinge my jaw.
GIl:Yeah. We'll pledge you your fall wedding or the fall of next year, 2022
Eric:2022, actually, you know what a good wedding date would be? 11, 11, 22. Cause I know 11 plus 11 is 22. So that was happy about that.
GIl:Yeah. So there's the goal. We're going to get him a guy from Denver.
Eric:So the wedding date is set. Now we just need to find a person to get married to cause my right hand is getting tired of having to hold it. And I try to say that an as double entendre, it's just possible.
GIl:I'm just going to drink a little bit more wide
Eric:and also at the golden girls brunch they had on Pearl necklaces. Oh, shut up. So I grabbed one and I like was like, I get to clutch my pearls. Now. I was super excited about that.
GIl:Or they grab some, I'll be like, oh my God,
Eric:it was good times.
GIl:Oh, I got that. That brunch sounds actually really awesome.
Eric:It was fun. It was a good time. I would go back. I think they do it every Sunday. Not necessarily a golden girls theme, but they do a different theme. Brunch.
GIl:Yeah. I still feel that show is still ahead of its time
Eric:was way ahead of its time. And they played a couple episodes and I'm like watching. I was like, wow, this show is way ahead of its time. Like it's still ahead of today's time in some
GIl:regards. It is, it really is. I've been watching it. I think it was on Hulu and I was just like, oh my God, how did it just stay period in the eighties?
Eric:Yes. In the eighties.
GIl:Shit, their show, not even modern. Now
Eric:I know that show. It was spectacular. That shows just a great, it's an iconic show. Yeah. And I was like talking to my friends, like I think I always was the Dorothy, but I always wanted to be the blanche, which I know we talked about it in another episode, but Blanche in the sheets, I'm definitely a planner. But a Dorothy in the streets. Yes, of course. Actually, sometimes I'm a rose too in the streets.
GIl:What?
Eric:I'm so not observance
GIl:St. Olaf. That's the reason I wanted to go to Minnesota. It doesn't exist, but it will still just be just for shits and giggles.
Eric:I have to tell a very embarrassing story. Oh, do tell I Googled St. Olaf to see if it was an actual place in Minnesota. Like probably not even that long ago. Like maybe just a couple of years ago. Cause I was like, I know that place cannot be real, but what if it is real? And what if they like really hate the fact that this is how they're known? So I looked it up and it was like on Wikipedia, which I know wasn't the master of truth or anything, but Was like, it's a fictional place. And I was like, okay. I knew it was fictional, but I can't really wait. Like actually looked it up. Cause I just needed to make sure I was like, I can't believe that would be an actual place and they would talk about it like that. But
GIl:to be fair, I had on that same thing, it's like, what is connect to key Schenectady or whatever from New York, upstate New York, with will and grace. I was like, what the hell? Because it sounds so funky. The name. It's so real shit. Yeah, it is. It is a real place.
Eric:I'm grace from Schenectady New York. I went to Catholic school and she was like, trying to say, like she was kinky in the boudoir, the boudoir
GIl:that was like me trying to describe it. I'm like, yeah, I like vanilla and honey, it's up to me to spice it up with said about God.
Eric:It
GIl:is, I'm like, shit, the pumpkin spice came out. I'm just like, oh my God, I'm joining suburban Housewives. I'm like, yes, I would like my hot spice.
Eric:Do not understand the whole thing with pumpkin spice. Your sister and I are on the same wavelength. She hates it. I despise it. I don't understand it. I don't get it. I don't know what's appealing about it. I saw something where they were going to have they were just making a joke out of it. Cause everything becomes pumpkin spice. I know they had pumpkin spice. I can't even talk pumpkin spice masks. Oh,
GIl:shut up.
Eric:And I was like, oh my God, that's exactly where it's going. And they were like, oh, white orange in color. I think it was totally like a fake thing, but I was like, that's exactly where it's going. I do not understand the pumpkin spice. Somebody make it make sense to. Because I don't get it. I do not get it. I think I just not a fan though, of like pumpkin. So like the S the spice associated with it just, it reminds me of pumpkin. Yeah. And I don't like pumpkin I've have like pumpkin. Yeah. Soup. I love, but pumpkin pie and pumpkin cookies and pumpkin loaf and pumpkin spice. No, I don't get
GIl:it. See for me, it's the cinnamon for, I liked that autumn that crisp that I like
Eric:cinnamon
GIl:nutmeg. And I think that's where the pumpkin like the pumpkin itself. I really don't care for pumpkin myself, but I love the drink that takes that fake taste of it, of what I think. I love it.
Eric:Jeanine. This is for you.
GIl:She, yeah, she's already in hate mode already about it.
Eric:It's like Starbucks was like, oh, it's because everyone's so sad. And they w they want their pumpkin spice, or let's give him a treat and drop at 17 months early. I'm like, we're still in fucking summer. Yeah. It's time for us. Summertime sadness. And then we can go into pumpkin spice, which I still don't get. And I don't know why it's even a thing or a season. Yeah. I was like, I was so mad when they're like, we're dropping at 17 months early and then like Dunkin donuts followed suit. And it was like all pumpkin spice time. And I'm like, no, it's not like we haven't even had the Autumnal Equinox yet. Come on.
GIl:You know how it is. It's already in some of the retail stores, we already see Halloween dropped
Eric:already. I was at Walgreens actually today to go pick up something and. They were playing Halloween music on the loud speaker, like outside. And it was like this dark deep, like organ music. And I was like, oh, that's like haunted, house music. That's interesting because it is still August. We are still in summer. It's don't get me wrong. I love Halloween. I think Halloween is like a great holiday. I can't wait to be able to dress up for Halloween and be a whore again. But we're not there right now. I love Halloween.
GIl:I like to wait till September for the official fall kickoff. I hate when we get into August and they're already trying to put Halloween and then talk already. Thanks giving. And I'm like it's August has no holidays as nothing going forward. It's hottest. fires galore,
Eric:you guys have a lot of fires right now,
GIl:everywhere. Thank God. And being in the bay area where that Marine layer has really protected us, but what soon you get out of the bay? Oh yeah. It's
Eric:Apocalypto I have a lot of friends in California. Oddly. I just didn't say oddly, but like oddly and yeah, it's crazy.
GIl:Yeah. It's not cute. Right before the Tahoe fires that are, or I guess getting right on top of that, like by little area that we do Airbnbs up there probably twice a year now since the pandemic, because I'm a little bit nervous about going so Cal, so it'd be going to Tahoe and Northern California and it's just been, yeah, fire galore. That's all. Please. Don't
Eric:put it down. You don't want to go hang out in the OC.
GIl:Oh, God, I don't go south of the bay. I just like to ride down there. I'm like these people. No,
Eric:I'm going to, so Cal is me going to yeah, no, what's isn't I don't know. I'm trying to like picture the bay right now. This is you're going to laugh at me. It's San Francisco is the Southern part of the bay. Isn't it? No,
GIl:we're relative. That's right in
Eric:the middle. What's the Southern part of the bay. Okay, so you're going to, so Cal was like, you're going to San Jose. Yeah. That's I was
GIl:just Ugh. Okay. I'm good. I'm good. Yeah. Once you pass the grapevine, that is so Cal officially, I'm just like, oh God, be down there with a fake tan.
Eric:You're so bougie.
GIl:I just cannot, it's just what it is.
Eric:Our weather in Albuquerque has actually been pretty amazing. It hasn't been like amazing, but it's like in the mid nineties to low eighties or no to high eighties, sorry for August.
GIl:Yeah. Cause I used to skip town during the summer months Albuquerque go home and then come back.
Eric:It is hot. Yeah. I was like, oh no, it is hot, but it's not as hot as it normally is. Not on what? And we've been getting like rainstorms through.
GIl:Oh,
Eric:that's good. Yeah. So it's been interesting.
GIl:You
Eric:need all different. Yeah, actually I think Denver is hotter than Albuquerque is right now. Oh, that's weird.
GIl:Very weird. It's like us. We're in Seattle and Portland. I believe we're going through that 100 degree heat wave for whatever, into the San Francisco bay over here, like checking my weather. It's 59 62.
Eric:Let's go. Has like the bomb weather though. Year round. Oh yeah.
GIl:It's colder in the summer come winter. You're like, ah, it's not too
Eric:bad. It's good. Crazy. Cause like you're talking about Seattle and all that, like all that Marine wildlife, like boiled in the water, it was hot. Yeah. That's not a good time.
GIl:I think our friend, Micah, who's a guest on our show. Yeah, he came down during that heat wave, he missed it and I totally lobster red. So that's why I'm so grateful. I'm like, come down by, could come down here to the bay.
Eric:Awesome. One guy. I'm sure he was happy. He missed.
GIl:Oh, yeah, that was ridiculous. I was out there for just a few days. Okay. Because he gets to work remotely and he, he's cool. He's cool like that, bougie,
Eric:bougie.
GIl:Yeah. So anyway, so I play
Eric:bougie on TV. Oh, yeah, but I'm not in real life.
GIl:Oh, I see. Yeah. That's where we're at.
Eric:Gil, I think it was a great return. I'm super excited for this season. And we're super excited that you guys have all decided to join us again. Thank
GIl:you.
Eric:And yeah, so we will be around next week and we'll be dropping episodes every Wednesday. I think we're going to keep on that schedule. I don't, there's no need to change it. So we'll keep on that schedule dropping a new episode on Wednesdays, and we're glad to have you back with us for this next season. Thank you so much. And we will talk to you guys all the way. Bye.
GIl:Thank you for joining us. We hope you enjoyed your time in The Q Lounge. If you have any comments, questions, suggestions on topics, or if you would like to be a guest or contributor, please email us at info.theqlounge@gmail.com or through our contact page at TheQLoungepodcast.com while you're there hit that subscribe button or listen wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to further support us, hit that donation button
Eric:until next time live in your authenticity.
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