Our Chosen Family: "The gay community is much bolder today."

Summary

Silver Linings with The Old Gays: Episode Summary – "Our Chosen Family"

Release Date: May 13, 2025 | Host: iHeartPodcasts

Introduction and Formation of The Old Gays

In the premiere episode of "Silver Linings with The Old Gays," hosts Robert Reeves, Jessay Martin, Bill Lyons, and Michael "Mick" Peterson introduce themselves and share the origins of their vibrant community. With over 300 years of combined wisdom, the quartet emphasizes their mission to bridge generational gaps within the LGBTQ+ community.

• Robert Reeves describes the group as "four senior citizens, gay, who accidentally came together over the years and spread our wisdom and humor to the world" (02:31).
• Jessay Martin likens their dynamic to a typical family, highlighting their ability to "fight and laugh and love" (02:46).

The Concept of Chosen Family

A central theme of the episode is the importance of chosen family within the queer community. The hosts delve into how selected friendships often provide the support and love that biological families may not offer.

• Jessay Martin poignantly states, "Chosen family is the closest thing you've got to a real family when your family isn't around anymore" (05:14).
• Mick Peterson adds, "There’s no really titular head. It kind of moves around," emphasizing the egalitarian nature of their chosen families (05:31).

Evolution of the Queer Community

The conversation transitions to the transformation of the queer community over the decades. The hosts reflect on their personal experiences and societal changes that have shaped the LGBTQ+ landscape.

• Robert Reeves reminisces about the early days in San Francisco during the 1980s, highlighting the impact of the AIDS epidemic and the community's resilience: "We came up with all kinds of ways to support, raise funds, express outrage against the inaction of society and government" (10:22).
• Mick Peterson observes, "The definition of what is queer has changed dramatically," noting the community's broadened scope and the backlash faced despite its growth (08:07).

Personal Stories of Support and Friendship

The hosts share heartfelt anecdotes illustrating the profound support they provide each other within their chosen family.

• Bill Lyons recounts a critical moment during the 2008 financial crisis: "I lost my home in Palm Springs... without Bob's help, I would have been a goner" (15:50).
• Jessay Martin speaks of a friend's unwavering support during a health crisis: "He moved in to my place and... helped me through it" (16:40).

Advice on Making and Maintaining Friendships as Adults

Transitioning to guidance for listeners, the hosts offer practical advice on nurturing friendships in adulthood, emphasizing trust, communication, and adaptability.

• Bill Lyons underscores, "The most important thing is trust. Once you lose trust in someone, you can never gain it back" (21:20).
• Robert Reeves advises understanding human imperfections: "Don’t judge your new friends on the basis of a bad moment" (21:30).
• Mick Peterson adds, "Friendships aren't always made to last forever... but that's okay," encouraging listeners to cherish the value each friendship brings (22:32).

Personal Growth Through Friendship

The episode delves into how longstanding friendships have shaped each host personally, fostering growth, resilience, and joy.

• Bill Lyons shares, "The old gays have come around, and you have pointed out things that have made me make a lot of changes" (23:26).
• Jessay Martin reflects on patience and love: "I've learned patience... it's been an amazing journey" (23:59).
• Mick Peterson highlights the mutual support in their professional and personal lives, stating, "Holding onto your friendships and growing more professional... is part of our appeal" (24:27).

The Meaning of "Silver Linings"

Concluding the episode, the hosts explore the significance of "silver linings" in their lives, advocating for optimism and finding positives even in challenging times.

• Robert Reeves defines it as, "Looking for the good in every situation, no matter how bad it may be" (33:02).
• Bill Lyons adds, "Dealing with a bad situation and having it turn around and feel really good again" (33:22).
• Mick Peterson emphasizes opportunity amidst crisis: "During periods of great stress... that's when the most opportunities arrive" (33:46).

Notable Quotes

• Jessay Martin: "There's no place I want to be than now in the silver linings time of my life" (33:34).
• Mick Peterson: "You have to be active, even if you're in a repressed environment" (26:32).
• Robert Reeves: "You’re never too old to enjoy life" (26:33).

Conclusion

"Our Chosen Family" sets a heartfelt and inspiring tone for "Silver Linings with The Old Gays," offering listeners a blend of humor, wisdom, and poignant reflections on friendship, community, and resilience within the LGBTQ+ experience. The hosts effectively communicate the essence of chosen families and the enduring strength found in supportive relationships, all while celebrating the joys and challenges that come with age and life’s transitions.

For those looking to explore deeper into the lives and stories of these remarkable individuals, "Silver Linings with The Old Gays" promises engaging conversations and invaluable insights in future episodes.

Transcript

[Jesse Martin]

Ruby.

[Mick Peterson]

Is it too loud?

[Bill Lyons]

It is a little loud.

[Robert Reeves]

We like it. I like it.

[Jesse Martin]

Give me my music.

[Mick Peterson]

But in shock that I had sex with my psychologist.

[Jesse Martin]

Thank goodness it wasn't a dinner.

[Mick Peterson]

No, no. It was in the bedroom.

[John]

Yeah.

[Jesse Martin]

I'm not a slut like y' all.

[Mick Peterson]

Except on cruise ship.

[Jesse Martin]

Hello.

[Mick Peterson]

He's the biggest slut in the Western Mediterranean.

[Robert Reeves]

Decorum, guys. It sucks all the time.

[Bill Lyons]

She was a bitch too.

[Mick Peterson]

Oh, that's gonna get cut. Definitely get cut.

[Bill Lyons]

Maybe not.

[Jesse Martin]

From just beyond the lights of Los Angeles in steamy Palm Springs, California, it's Mick, Robert, Bill, Jesse, and this is.

[Robert Reeves]

Silver Linings with the Old G.

[Mick Peterson]

On our show, we'll bring you the wisdom from our lives as four freedom loving.

[Jesse Martin]

Gay men and share the silver linings we've collected along the way.

[Robert Reeves]

After all, we weren't always old gay.

[Bill Lyons]

And all I can say is we've come a long way, baby.

[Jesse Martin]

Ooh. Hi, everyone, and welcome to the first ever episode of Silver Linings with the Old Gays.

[Mick Peterson]

We are four senior friends from Cathedral City, California, and one of our goals is to bring the differing generations of queer people together as one community. I'd like to introduce myself. I'm Mick Peterson, and I'm known for both being wild and wise.

[Robert Reeves]

And I'm Robert Reeves and I'm the artistic one.

[Jesse Martin]

Hello, I'm Jesse Martin. I am love.

[Bill Lyons]

Hi. This is Bill Lyons and I'm the innocent looking one.

[Jesse Martin]

Looking?

[Mick Peterson]

You mean you're looking for innocence?

[Bill Lyons]

No, I'm not innocent, but I'm innocent looking.

[Robert Reeves]

That's the truth.

[Mick Peterson]

How would you describe the old gays?

[Robert Reeves]

Four senior citizens, gay, who accidentally came together over the years and spreads our wisdom and humor to the world.

[Jesse Martin]

The old gays are a typical family. We fight and we laugh and we love. We run away and then we come right back home.

[Mick Peterson]

Yeah. I would describe the Old Gays as a work in progress and as a group. We're not afraid to make fools of ourselves, and that's part of our appeal. If you've seen any of our dance videos, we want to make you laugh.

[Robert Reeves]

And it goes back over 40 years to Bill and I in San Francisco. We first met in the early 80s, became friends, reconnected in the early 2000s when Bill moved to the desert. And then next came Mick in 2013 when he answered an ad I was running for a roommate in the house, and that brought Mick into the fold. And then around 2014, Jesse moved into the neighborhood, and by 2018, he was part of the group.

[Mick Peterson]

This long format is A chance for us to really connect more with our current audience and also to expand our reach to the greater queer community throughout the world.

[Bill Lyons]

And I've never done a podcast before, and I'm very much looking forward to this.

[Mick Peterson]

Yeah, I mean, it's really now been seven years. And I think it is through those adventures and working on projects, whether they be partnerships or our dance videos or travel, that those experiences have helped to bond us closer together. And I think it's that sort of message that we want to convey to our audience as well. Again, we're a chosen family, and that is, after all, what this episode is about. I would describe Chosen Family as what it is not. It is not your blood family. Sometimes our friendships are thrust upon us due to circumstances really beyond our control and that we call fate. What does chosen Family mean to you?

[Jesse Martin]

To me, chosen family is the closest thing you've got to a real family when your family isn't around anymore. And yes, you do choose them, and you learn to love them, you learn to trust them. You learn to be there for them, and they're there for you.

[Mick Peterson]

And I don't look at role play within a chosen family the way one would do in a blood family. Whether it's patriarchal or. Or maternal, there's no really titular head. It kind of moves around.

[Jesse Martin]

Yes, we all play every role in this. We can be a mama, a daddy, a brother, a sister. Say you create the families that you want to live your life around.

[Bill Lyons]

And for me, the chosen family is the old gays, because I have gotten to love and respect these guys very, very much.

[Jesse Martin]

And it helps to be in the same neighborhood for us, too. I mean, two minutes to work. I've never had such a. Such a short commute.

[Bill Lyons]

Well, all the other guys live on the same street, and I don't. I live down below them. So they call me down the hill, Bill. But I can be summoned in 10 minutes.

[Robert Reeves]

And I think we would be remiss in not mentioning John and Ryan, who are also parts of our family. And they are more in that. Well, Ryan, he's actually the one who first sparked the idea of the Ogays.

[Mick Peterson]

You know, one of the other things that's a hallmark of a chosen family is the distances involved and the amount of work that it takes to maintain those friendships.

[Jesse Martin]

Yeah.

[Mick Peterson]

Now, how would you define the queer community? And has your perspective on community changed throughout different phases of your life?

[Robert Reeves]

Well, I see the definition of queer community has really broadened substantially over the years. When I was younger, the queer community was Basically my male homosexual friends, people I had met casually and otherwise. And I just see probably most symbolically how the queer flag was created in the 70s and how over the years the meaning behind it has expanded.

[Jesse Martin]

I. I tell you, I have never experienced the queer community seriously until I moved here, because they are all over and this is my heaven on earth. And I cannot imagine living somewhere else.

[Mick Peterson]

And just for our listeners, where do we live?

[Jesse Martin]

We live in Cathedral City Cove, Palm Springs, California. So you don't have to move here. We love for you to visit, but you can leave.

[Mick Peterson]

For me, the definition of what is queer has changed dramatically. When I first came out, I thought it was just, you know, a binary thing, but I, over the last, really, 10, 15 years, have come to understand that what it means to be queer is much more broader in scope. And I think one of the beauties of our community is its embrace of this change, of this greater diversity. And it is our embrace of this change that now, once again, has brought a really strong backlash against our rights, many of the rights that we fought for, and that we're not going to give up. The queer community has changed over the years because it's not passive. We used to accept the fact that we were going to be arrested if we were in a gay bar, and that was it. And that we made sure that we had a lawyer to make sure that our names were not printed in the local paper, that kind of thing that existed then, you know, the fact that you could be thrown out of work, you could be thrown out of your house, you could be stopped, you could be arrested just simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time with a plain clothesman. And, you know, we send out our hearts and prayers to our queer community, who in many countries fear being arrested or killed. And so, though the times are precarious, I also am really heartened by the fact that we continue to grow and expand despite everything that's being thrown against us.

[Bill Lyons]

I totally agree with you, Mick. And one experience I had when I was in a gay bar, I was 19, but I had a fake ID, so I. I was nervous, anyway, about that. And one of my friends walked in, saw a buddy of his, went over and shook hands and was immediately arrested. And he lost his job as a schoolteacher. And all I can say is, we've come a long way, baby.

[Robert Reeves]

The gay community is much bolder today than it was coming out in St. Louis. The gay community there literally hid itself and stayed in the shadows and were forced by circumstances to meet other gay People in park cruising and other forms of back alley, if you will, meetings. But what really was very noticeable to me and has left a lasting impression is moving to San Francisco in 1980, and just by coincidence, the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. How the gay community came up with all kinds of ways to support, raise funds, express outrage against the inaction of society and government. So, yes, there have been dramatic changes over the years. And I recall recently seeing an article that used the figure of 25% of young people now identify themselves as the broad definition of queer.

[Mick Peterson]

Yeah, yeah. Why do you think chosen family is so central to queer life?

[Jesse Martin]

I can answer for myself only. It's important for me because I don't want to be alone. I'm thinking now I'm 71 and I think of dying. And luckily I have an adopted little brother who is there for me, has proven his love to me, had flown out here when I was sick. And that's what the family's about, having someone there for me when I really need them. You find out who your real friends and chosen friends are because they will reach out to you to make sure that you're okay. And that's very important as a single black man here.

[Bill Lyons]

Also, when I was coming out, I didn't have a chosen family. In fact, I didn't even have any friends or peers who were gay. And in high school, I had to act straight and all that. And today there are so many things available to young people. Like all the high schools in the Coachella Valley here have straight and gay alliances where it might not be a chosen family, but it's certainly someone who can answer your questions and set you straight about what's going on. Yes.

[Robert Reeves]

The importance of having a sounding board for your ideas, questions you have about yourselves that you can ask others, and knowing that they will give you constructive responses that help you process what you're going through. And just to me, the term ally is kind of a new term relative to the gay community, which opens a whole vast amount of people who do not have to be of the queer community, but yet be totally supportive of the queer community.

[Mick Peterson]

When I came out, which was in the 1970s, I had no other choice but to seek out friends. And what was incredible was that when I did come out, this is gonna get me into trouble. But this is the real reason why the song was written. It was called the ymca, but you gotta remember that Of Us is a song about gay liberation and the fact that you can go to the ymca, get yourself clean, and make a lot of New friends. Especially the YMCA in New York City.

[Bill Lyons]

Well, I say especially the YMCA in San Francisco, because after the bars closed, everyone went to the YMCA for their activities. And it was a wild, wild place.

[Robert Reeves]

Wonderful.

[Mick Peterson]

Well, in that vein, can you talk about a time when either your queer community friends or one of the old gays has helped you through a hard time?

[Bill Lyons]

I have something, and it's directly related to Bob. In 2008, during the financial crisis, I lost my home in Palm Springs, and I. I didn't know what to do. I was almost on the streets, and I told Bob what was happening to me. And Bob said, well, there's a new senior complex down at the bottom of the hill that you might check out. And in one week, I got the very last apartment in my apartment building. And I was so relieved, I can't tell you. I literally was on the street. And without Bob's help, I would have been a goner.

[Jesse Martin]

I had one friend, major friend, Kevin's his name, that when I had my last surgery, moved in to my place and he gave like I have never seen before. He cleaned, he made sure I was okay, that I was healing, that I was making it to my appointments. And I will forever be indebted to him for giving up his home for two months to live in mine and help me through it.

[Robert Reeves]

And I might add, he is the most wonderful massage therapist you have ever met.

[Jesse Martin]

He is. He's really wonderful. His massage is like him. He gives all of himself to you.

[Mick Peterson]

Yes. What is the most bizarre way you've met a new friend? I would say the most bizarre way that I met a new friend is that we didn't have sex first.

[Jesse Martin]

Cool. Yes. That probably was bizarre for you, wasn't it?

[Mick Peterson]

Oh, it was bizarre for me. You know the old line, I never do anything twice? I was just thinking, another bizarre way I met a new friend was on the Internet. Yes, actually through a dating app.

[Jesse Martin]

Spit it out.

[Mick Peterson]

Well, that included sex. Okay. So, you know, I'm. I'm. I'm one of those homosexuals out there who believes that really a relationship doesn't really begin until you've had sex. And then afterwards, that's when the friendship starts.

[Jesse Martin]

You know, that's true a lot. I do coffee first.

[Mick Peterson]

Sounds very.

[Jesse Martin]

Sounds very boring, huh?

[Mick Peterson]

I was going to say it sounds very diuretic, but.

[Jesse Martin]

Michael.

[Bill Lyons]

We'll be back with Silver Linings after the break. This ad is brought to you by Vive Healthcare, the makers of Devato Dolutegravir.

[Robert Reeves]

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[Jesse Martin]

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[Mick Peterson]

80S and sadly witnessing the loss of friends and loved ones to HIV over the years.

[Robert Reeves]

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[Bill Lyons]

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[Mick Peterson]

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[Jesse Martin]

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[John]

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[Bill Lyons]

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[Robert Reeves]

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[Mick Peterson]

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[Jesse Martin]

Visit devato.com or call 1-877-8-44-8872 to learn more.

[Robert Reeves]

We're back with Silver Liners.

[Mick Peterson]

Now for our younger listeners, what's some advice for keeping or making friends as an adult? You know, this almost sounds like like question time at the Met Opera broadcast. Okay, again, the question is, what's some advice you have for keeping or making friends as an adult?

[Bill Lyons]

The most important thing is trust. Trust. Once you lose trust in someone, you can never gain it back.

[Jesse Martin]

That's right.

[Robert Reeves]

And I would like to add a perspective that we're all human and as human beings we have mood swings. Sometimes we have a bad day. And don't judge your new friends on the basis of a bad moment. Realize that they, like you, go through tough times and the true test of a friendship is maintaining your image of that person through the worst of Times.

[Jesse Martin]

It takes a lot of communication. It takes a lot of work. Sometimes you will be giving more than the friend will, and that's okay. But don't lose respect for yourself in all of it and make sure that you're getting back something from other people.

[Mick Peterson]

I would just add a caveat to our younger listeners and say friendships aren't always made to last forever. People come into your life, you become very close with them, your friendships are very strong. And then something happens where there is a change in both of you. And it's not the end of something, it's just the friendship changes. Maybe it's not as intimate as it was before, but that's okay. These are people who will be significant throughout your whole life, and that you will look back on those friendships and either see them for what they are or take something of value from that. And that's how you add on to the next friendships that you may have.

[Jesse Martin]

Yes.

[Mick Peterson]

Now, how has your friendship with each of us changed you?

[Bill Lyons]

Well, it's changed me a lot because I've been single now for 25 years. Haven't had someone really, really close, and the old gays have come around, and you have pointed out things that have made me make a lot of changes about what I do and. And how I think about myself.

[Robert Reeves]

And now he's a better dancer.

[Jesse Martin]

I've learned patience. I've learned a different type of love with you guys. I really have. And it's been an amazing journey because it's taken me through stuff that none of us probably would have been through. And it's made me who I am because I. I am a part of all of you, every. Everybody that touches my life. I become. I take some of you away with me, and I thank you for it. Some I'll leave because we're all human. And we can be little bitches sometimes, but it's okay. We're human. Yippee.

[Mick Peterson]

For me. I love the three of you very much. You know, you're the significant people in my life. I don't have anybody special in my life anymore. And sometimes I pine for that. But I realize between my health and this project, that's plenty time there spent. We're also in show business, and the nature of show business is such that it can actually drive people apart. And if you can hold onto your friendships and grow as, quite frankly, a business and become more professional in our outlook, that's a way I think that we will transcend any challenges that we have. And also I think that is part of our appeal. I think that's what's most important.

[Jesse Martin]

And y' all have given me exercise, too. Thank you all for that.

[Mick Peterson]

Yeah, the dancing. The dancing can be difficult at times. And I don't know about you guys, but I look forward to afterwards because I do feel stronger afterwards.

[Robert Reeves]

Afterwards.

[Bill Lyons]

Just that thing that I look forward.

[Jesse Martin]

To the most, I tell, you know.

[Mick Peterson]

You mean recovery.

[Jesse Martin]

People look and they think that we just walk in there and start doing this. It's like, y' all just don't know the hours us old folks got it. Loosen the bones up and everything and.

[Robert Reeves]

And memorizing scripts.

[Jesse Martin]

Girl, please.

[Robert Reeves]

Helps keep our minds a little more activated.

[Jesse Martin]

Stress is mine.

[Mick Peterson]

Yeah. You know, because, you know, here we are in our 70s and 80s and RA rather than winding down, we seem to be winding up. And this activity has really helped keep.

[Jesse Martin]

Us active, young, healthier, and alive and living.

[Robert Reeves]

Yeah.

[Mick Peterson]

Yeah. Which is a message I think we can send out to all our listeners, that you really have to be active, even if you're in a repressed environment. Look for your friends now. If you know who you are, there are plenty of resources out there for you to. To access. More resources than you could take a stick at. I mean, concerning what little we had when we were your age.

[Jesse Martin]

Yes.

[Robert Reeves]

And I think our message that we're giving about how you're never too old to enjoy life, and we do seem to be enjoying life more and more as we progress. And I think it's an important message to the world, and I see it reflected in many comments on our videos that people will state, I no longer fear getting old. And I think that is one of the most important responses that I value the most. Yeah.

[Mick Peterson]

Okay. Moving on to the real tea. What was your first impression of each other?

[Jesse Martin]

Okay, Mick, I'll start there. I saw pain. I saw a lot of pain. But I didn't realize how much pain there was until you were healed this year, how much you'd been going through. And my eyes water for it, because I do care about you, and I'm so glad that you're doing better now. Robert. It's just been laughter for me. We've yelled across the street to each other even before we knew each other. And I look forward to every morning hearing a saw or something going, because then I know Robert's okay. Down the hill. Bill. Lousy, clousy. What must I say about you, honey pie? Bill is one of these people. He can get nervous. He gets all worked up over stuff, so I have to keep him calm. It's like, Bill You've got this, you got this. And then he'll take a breath and we go on through. Y' all work me, but I love.

[Bill Lyons]

The word and I appreciate it very much to say I love you.

[Jesse Martin]

I love you all. I do.

[Bill Lyons]

Well, my first impression of Robert was a professional one. It was in San Francisco. I was running an interior design showroom and Robert was working for the city. And to be very honest with you, I didn't know if Bob was straight or gay. He carried himself very strong. He looked like a stalwart kind of guy. And that was my first impression. And Mick, I thought Mick was one of the most intelligent persons I've ever met because every subject I would bring up, Mick would have an answer or an opinion on. And it was right on. And I greatly respect him for that. I really didn't know to say until he came onto the scene with the old gays. Bob and Mick knew him because he lived right across the street. But to me he was new and. And here he was just this happy, go lucky, loving guy whose main object in the world was to hug everyone he met.

[Jesse Martin]

Yeah. Still.

[Robert Reeves]

My first impression of Bill was similar to his impression of me in that it was a business type setting. And then Mick. My first impression of Mick came from a painting at a gallery show where he was the subject matter because Mick had this beautiful, muscular, sculpted body which people react to. And then when I met him personally, that impression kind of overpowered everything else.

[Mick Peterson]

Yeah. Bob remembers that day very well. This was a piece of work that somebody had commissioned for my 55th birthday. And I remember walking in and I was looking at this painting and I was going, what's so familiar about this painting? Why am I just staring at this? And when I realized what it was, my jaw dropped. I mean, I had to pick it up from the floor. And now it sits in my bedroom and I look at it every morning. Yeah. And just say, my first impression of Jose really was during a taping when we were doing those 30 minute things for YouTube and Josay said, oh, I've never been happier than when I'm being. Being a blonde. Now, my first impression of Bob was not at that painting. I don't remember meeting him. It wasn't until later when I answered the ad for a new roommate. And I drove up in my sports car and I pulled into the driveway of the house and there's this 70 year old man stripped to his shorts, clearing brush. And I looked at that and I thought, what am I getting myself into?

[Jesse Martin]

Life is so interesting. Like that how we end up here.

[Mick Peterson]

Sometimes it's on a wing and a prayer.

[Jesse Martin]

Yeah.

[Mick Peterson]

You know, you have to go with your hunches. You know, sometimes your intuition is right, sometimes it's not. But you have to. You just have to go with it.

[Jesse Martin]

Yeah. Take a chance. Lord, we've all taken so many.

[Mick Peterson]

This show is called Silver Linings. What does silver linings mean to you?

[Robert Reeves]

Silver Linings for me means looking for the good in every situation, no matter how bad it may be. What are you learning from this experience that can make your life, life better?

[Bill Lyons]

Silver Linings is dealing with a bad situation and have it turn around and feel really good again.

[Jesse Martin]

It gets better. There's no place I want to be than now in the silver linings time of my life. And God only knows how long it's going to last. So we have to live.

[Mick Peterson]

Yeah. I've had so many silver linings in my life that during periods of great stress or when things look the most abysmal, that's when the most opportunities arrive. You really have to be an optimist and understand that, you know, within a crisis, there are opportunities.

[Robert Reeves]

Okay, folks, that wraps up the first.

[Bill Lyons]

Episode of Silver Linings with the Old Gays.

[Mick Peterson]

Silver Linings is a production of iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and the Outspoken Network. We're your hosts, Mick Peterson, Bill Lyons.

[Jesse Martin]

Jesse Martin and Robert Reed.

[Bill Lyons]

The Old Gays. Our executive producer is Sierra Kaiser and.

[Robert Reeves]

And the show is produced and edited by Joey Pat. Theme music was composed by Max Herchenau with audio, direction and design by Matt Stillo.

[Jesse Martin]

And if you're having fun with us, don't forget to subscribe and follow along. And while you're at it, please rate and review Silver Linings wherever you get your podcasts. See you in two weeks.

[Robert Reeves]

Every weekend there's fresh meat.

[Bill Lyons]

Tell us about that dancer that came to your place at 1am in the morning.

[Jesse Martin]

If you can't kiss, baby, we ain't gonna do it.

[Robert Reeves]

Any memorable sex experiences?

[Mick Peterson]

Well, not vanilla.

[Ryan]

This ad is brought to you by Veiv Healthcare, the makers of Devato Dolutegravir Lamivudine. Whether it's cuffin season or hot girl summer, embrace life's possibilities. And if you're living with hiv, find out how you could stay undetectable with fewer medicines. No other complete HIV pill contains fewer medicines to help you stay undetectable than Dovato Divato is a complete HIV treatment by prescription only for some people 12 and older. Your doctor will determine if Devato is right for you.

[John]

It is unknown if Devato is safe and effective if you have HIV and hepatitis B. If you have Hep B. Don't stop Dovato without talking to your doctor as it may get worse or harder to treat. Don't take Dovato if you're allergic to its ingredients or taking dofetilide due to serious or life threatening side effects. If you have a rash or allergic reaction symptoms, stop Dovato and get medical help right away. Other serious or life threatening side effects include severe liver problems and lactic acid buildup. If you're female or obese, you may be more at risk. Tell your doctor about your medicines or supplements, medical conditions, liver or kidney problems, pregnancy, breastfeeding or planned pregnancy.

[Ryan]

Do create your own path forward. Visit devato.com or call 1-877-844-8872 to learn more.

[Mick Peterson]

You're listening to an iHeart pod.