Mindfully Gay Podcast

John Cottrell & Jerry Buie

Welcome to the Mindfully Gay Podcast hosted by Jerry Buie and John Cottrell. Listen to these heart-to-heart conversations that transcend the ordinary. Guided by a simple yet impactful questions, John and Jerry unravel a tapestry of emotional dialogues. They delve courageously into the essence of what it means to take risks as a gay man, navigating through the intricate pathways of bravery, vulnerability, and the ultimate quest for self-acceptance. Their personal narratives of courageously facing fears and embracing their true selves are not just stories, but powerful testaments to the resilience and vibrancy of the gay experience.

  1. 4d ago

    Survival to Thriving: The Evolution of Gay Pride (Epi 64)

    Send us Fan Mail Survival to Thriving: The Evolution of Gay Pride Airs June 26th In this Pride Month episode of The Mindfully Gay Podcast, John Cottrell and Jerry Buie reflect on the evolution of Gay Pride—from the activist roots of the Stonewall Riots to today’s massive Pride festivals, parades, corporate sponsorships, chosen family gatherings, and sacred queer spaces. As the 57th anniversary of Stonewall approaches, John and Jerry ask a powerful question: How do we move from simply surviving as gay men to truly thriving in our identity, community, joy, and authenticity? Together, they explore how Pride began as protest, resistance, and survival, especially for generations shaped by secrecy, stigma, HIV/AIDS, religious shame, and the need to find safety in bars, clubs, college groups, chosen families, and underground queer spaces. They also celebrate how those spaces became more than social outlets—they became sacred places of belonging, healing, self-expression, activism, and connection. This conversation looks at Pride beyond the parade. What makes Pride meaningful rather than performative? How do we honor the activists, elders, artists, drag queens, leather daddies, friends, lovers, and chosen families who helped create the world we now live in? And how do we carry Pride beyond June into our everyday lives? John and Jerry invite listeners to reflect on their own coming out stories, sacred gay rituals, personal milestones, and the communities that helped them feel seen. From Stonewall to same-sex marriage, from gay bars to brunch tables, from survival to joy, this episode is a celebration of queer resilience, gay history, LGBTQ identity, and the ongoing power of living truthfully. Download the audio episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and watch the video podcast on YouTube at Mindfully Gay Podcast. @mindfully_gay (Instagram)

    1h 14m

  2. 6d ago

    Mindfully Gay Podcast (Epi #64 Teaser: “Survival to Thriving: The Evolution of Gay Pride”)

    Send us Fan Mail Survival to Thriving: The Evolution of Gay Pride Airs June 26th In this Pride Month episode of The Mindfully Gay Podcast, John Cottrell and Jerry Buie reflect on the evolution of Gay Pride—from the activist roots of the Stonewall Riots to today’s massive Pride festivals, parades, corporate sponsorships, chosen family gatherings, and sacred queer spaces. As the 57th anniversary of Stonewall approaches, John and Jerry ask a powerful question: How do we move from simply surviving as gay men to truly thriving in our identity, community, joy, and authenticity? @mindfully_gay (Instagram)

    1 min

  3. Jun 19

    Coming Out as Ceremony: Reimagining Pride as a Rite of Passage (Epi 63)

    Send us Fan Mail Coming Out as Ceremony: Reimagining Pride as a Rite of Passage Aired June 19 What if coming out was honored not just as a personal revelation, but as a sacred rite of passage? In this powerful Pride Month episode of The Mindfully Gay Podcast, hosts John Cottrell and Jerry Buie explore a bold and meaningful question: How can we reimagine Pride and the coming out process as something ceremonial, communal, healing, and deeply affirming? Too often, coming out is treated as a private struggle followed by a public declaration. But for many LGBTQ+ people, the journey is much more layered than that. It can be lonely, emotional, liberating, and life-changing. In this episode, John and Jerry imagine a different possibility — one where coming out is witnessed, celebrated, and held with intention, much like rites of passage found in cultures around the world. Drawing from personal stories, spiritual traditions, queer experience, and community wisdom, this conversation explores the need for ritual, symbolism, belonging, and intergenerational connection within LGBTQ+ life. From the idea of a “coming out birthday” to ceremonial thresholds, rainbow sashes, community blessing, elder guidance, and a living “quilt of life,” this episode offers a moving vision for what queer celebration could become. John and Jerry also talk about the deeper hunger many gay men and queer people feel after coming out: the search for real community, authentic connection, and spaces where they can be fully seen beyond labels, apps, and surface-level identity. They reflect on the importance of honoring queer elders, learning from different generations, and creating meaningful traditions that affirm who we are all year long — not just during Pride Month. If you’ve ever wondered how to make Pride feel more personal, more spiritual, more healing, or more rooted in community, this episode is for you. In this episode, you’ll hear: Why coming out can be viewed as a rite of passageHow ritual and ceremony can bring more meaning to PrideThe importance of queer community, visibility, and belongingWhy intergenerational connection matters in LGBTQ+ spacesHow symbols, storytelling, and celebration can help affirm identityWhat it means to honor queer life while we are living itThis is a thoughtful and heartfelt conversation about gay identity, queer healing, LGBTQ+ spirituality, Pride Month, coming out stories, and building stronger queer community. Watch the video podcast on YouTube: Mindfully Gay Podcast Download the audio episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Join us for this special episode airing June 19 and be part of the conversation about what Pride could look like when it becomes not just a celebration, but a meaningful ceremony of authenticity, courage, and belonging. @mindfully_gay (Instagram)

    57 min

  4. Jun 17

    Mindfully Gay Podcast (Epi #63 Teaser: “Coming Out as Ceremony: Reimagining Pride as a Rite of Passage”)

    Send us Fan Mail Coming Out as Ceremony: Reimagining Pride as a Rite of Passage Airs June 19 What if coming out was honored not just as a personal revelation, but as a sacred rite of passage? In this powerful Pride Month episode of The Mindfully Gay Podcast, hosts John Cottrell and Jerry Buie explore a bold and meaningful question: How can we reimagine Pride and the coming out process as something ceremonial, communal, healing, and deeply affirming? @mindfully_gay (Instagram)

    1 min

  5. Jun 5

    More Than a Celebration: Embodying Pride (Epi 62)

    Send us Fan Mail What does Pride mean after the parade ends? In this new episode of The Mindfully Gay Podcast, John and Jerry reflect on the deeper meaning of Pride during a time when many LGBTQ+ people are asking bigger questions about identity, belonging, self-acceptance, and how to live authentically in a world that still applies pressure to conform. Pride Month is often celebrated through festivals, parades, and public visibility, but it can also be a time for personal reflection, healing, and reconnecting with who you truly are.  In “More Than a Celebration: Embodying Pride,” John and Jerry move beyond the party atmosphere and explore Pride as something more personal, spiritual, and lasting. They ask: Is Pride something we perform for a season, or something we embody every day? What does it mean to live openly, confidently, and in alignment with your truth—not just during Pride weekend, but in ordinary life?  This conversation touches on some of the most meaningful topics many listeners are actively seeking during Pride Month and beyond: coming out, queer identity, internalized shame, gay self-acceptance, LGBTQ mental health, healing from religious conditioning, community, authenticity, and the search for purpose. John and Jerry talk about the loneliness that can come with coming out, the challenge of leaving old narratives behind, and the importance of finding rituals, practices, and supportive spaces that help queer people step more fully into themselves.  They also explore the difference between gay identity and gay essence—between how queerness may be seen from the outside and how it is actually lived, felt, and embodied from within. The result is a thoughtful, heartfelt episode about radical self-acceptance, spiritual growth, and why Pride can be more than a public celebration—it can be a way of being.  If you have ever wondered how to carry the energy of Pride into the rest of your life, this episode offers an honest and compassionate conversation about what it means to celebrate yourself, release old shame, and show up more fully as who you are. @mindfully_gay (Instagram)

    1h 5m

  6. Jun 3

    Mindfully Gay Podcast (Epi #62 Teaser: “More Than a Celebration: Embodying Pride”)

    Send us Fan Mail What does Pride mean after the parade ends? In this new episode of The Mindfully Gay Podcast, John and Jerry reflect on the deeper meaning of Pride during a time when many LGBTQ+ people are asking bigger questions about identity, belonging, self-acceptance, and how to live authentically in a world that still applies pressure to conform. Pride Month is often celebrated through festivals, parades, and public visibility, but it can also be a time for personal reflection, healing, and reconnecting with who you truly are. @mindfully_gay (Instagram)

    1 min

  7. May 22

    Rewriting the Gay Agenda (Epi 61)

    Send us Fan Mail Rewriting the Gay Agenda Aired May 22, 2026 What if the “gay agenda” was never what culture, politics, and religion said it was? In this powerful episode of The Mindfully Gay Podcast, John and Jerry reclaim one of the most loaded phrases in queer culture and give it an entirely new meaning. “Rewriting the Gay Agenda” is a bold, heartfelt conversation about gay identity, queer authenticity, internalized shame, coming out, self-acceptance, healing, and living truthfully in a world that has often tried to define LGBTQ+ people from the outside in. With humor, vulnerability, and wisdom, John and Jerry unpack how the phrase “gay agenda” was historically used as a fear-based political and religious talking point—often tied to anxiety around gay rights, same-sex marriage, LGBTQ visibility, adoption, religion, and queer existence in public life. But instead of rejecting the phrase, they ask a deeper question: What if gay men got to write their own agenda? This episode moves from cultural commentary into deeply personal storytelling. John and Jerry reflect on their own early experiences of being gay—when survival often meant hiding, suppressing desire, performing straightness, or trying to “fix” what was never broken. They talk openly about the emotional cost of living under old narratives shaped by fear, religion, shame, family expectations, and external validation. From there, the conversation evolves into something more liberating: a new vision of the gay agenda rooted in authenticity, connection, mindfulness, self-knowledge, intimacy, compassion, spiritual growth, and radical self-acceptance. Along the way, they explore questions many listeners may be asking themselves right now: What am I really seeking? Where am I still performing? What would a more mindful, aligned life look like for me? How do I stop living for approval and start living from truth? John and Jerry also explore why gay men sometimes struggle to show kindness toward one another, and why real dialogue, vulnerability, and community matter so much. They suggest that the true “gay agenda” is not a conspiracy at all—it’s a personal commitment to living fully, consciously, and without apology. This is an episode for anyone navigating queer identity, healing from internalized homophobia, self-worth, coming out later in life, religious trauma, gay male culture, authenticity, or the search for deeper alignment and purpose. @mindfully_gay (Instagram)

    1h 3m

  8. May 20

    Mindfully Gay Podcast (Epi #61 Teaser: “Rewriting the Gay Agenda”)

    Send us Fan Mail “Rewriting the Gay Agenda” Airs May 22, 2026 What if the “gay agenda” was never what culture, politics, and religion said it was? In this powerful episode of The Mindfully Gay Podcast, John and Jerry reclaim one of the most loaded phrases in queer culture and give it an entirely new meaning. “Rewriting the Gay Agenda” is a bold, heartfelt conversation about gay identity, queer authenticity, internalized shame, coming out, self-acceptance, healing, and living truthfully in a world that has often tried to define LGBTQ+ people from the outside in. @mindfully_gay (Instagram)

    1 min
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4.8
out of 5
22 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Mindfully Gay Podcast hosted by Jerry Buie and John Cottrell. Listen to these heart-to-heart conversations that transcend the ordinary. Guided by a simple yet impactful questions, John and Jerry unravel a tapestry of emotional dialogues. They delve courageously into the essence of what it means to take risks as a gay man, navigating through the intricate pathways of bravery, vulnerability, and the ultimate quest for self-acceptance. Their personal narratives of courageously facing fears and embracing their true selves are not just stories, but powerful testaments to the resilience and vibrancy of the gay experience.

Information

  • Creator
    John Cottrell & Jerry Buie
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    139
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Mindfully Gay Podcast
  • Show Website
    Mindfully Gay Podcast

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