As a fellow queer who grew up in the church, I wanted to comment on the fact that the question-asker wants to stay on the committee to make things better: You don't have to set yourself on fire to keep others warm. The burnout you get from it is real, the people might not EVER be willing to change, and sometimes you need to put your happiness first. I've tried to do similar things in churches in the past, as a teacher in Florida, and even now in my corporate job. It's EXHAUSTING. Also, don't let the sunk cost fallacy get you! Just because you've put in time and work there doesn't mean you have to stay.
I have come out recently as Trans, and I really feel the 'lost years' part of coming out, but there really is no point in looking back with regret because there is nothing that you can do about it. A fantastic episode as always, Jon and Andy have always been two of my favourite people at RT and its wonderful to see you all together
About 'needing to come out', I (34F) have been 'openly' bisexual for over a decade, but I'm probably leaning towards ace too, so while I've never hidden my sexual orientation, I've also never dated or anything, so I've never had the 'confrontation' of showing up with a girlfriend for instance. I'm sure my parents and sister know, because again, never been shy about saying a girl looking pretty and things like that. But my attitude is and always has been; why should I have to tell anyone? Why is the default straight and anything else needs to be specified? The way I see it, it would be their fault for assuming I was straight in the first place. Ask me and I'll tell you, but aside from that, I'm not obligated to tell anyone unprompted, unless I wanted to date them I guess. And that's honestly how I feel about every part of my identity, be it sexual or gender. If I want to tell you, I'll do it, but I don't have to.
It was so much fun to see Andy and Jon here! And great to hear their perspectives as bisexual men - bisexual representation is getting better but still sorely lacking. There's so many people in the community who think bisexuals are people who just can't pick, or are cheaters, etc. It's wonderful to see these two happy and open about being bisexual.
Inspiring to see the confident, happy person Andy has become. Thank you Barbara for bringing him back into our consciousness! Appreciate the honesty all around this ep. Real talk ❤
I have been a straight male my whole life. However when I was 20 my mother mentioned to me that she thought I was gay until I brought home a girlfriend one day... She didn't seem to mind either way. So I feel confident that if I were gay my coming out would have gone easily.
Jon has brought Andy up several times over the past couple years but it was absolutely great to see him and hear him tell his story and I'm so glad he's doing well!
I had to come out as bisexual because my non-binary teen asked me point blank if I was and watching them run around telling my friends that I’m half gay was definitely a great memory. Now all my kids randomly say boobs and we all grin.
I'm so glad to see the pronouns in the LW3s! Also, have Andy and Jacob Fullerton ever been in a room together? I feel like between the two of them, they probably know everything about everything that is Star Wars 😅
Andy being bi is making me feel represented even more Jon has always been the #1 person I looked up to in RT but I truly respect and appreciate Andy for his growth and Barb you’ve always been this inviting presence that’s just always open and elegant
As someone who is a Catholic, but doesn't subscribe to the dogma of the Church as an institution, my initial reaction to the viewer question is to call out that such anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment as politics through and through. Granted, it is politics fueled by religious teachings, but teachings that have been warped and twisted in such a way as to forget the basic tenants of what being a good Christian, and a good person, is really about. When such anti-LGBTQ+ people hyper focus on the dogma put forth by the Bible Thumpers (that don't actually know what the Bible truly says), they forget about the lessons in compassion, empathy, and selflessness that Jesus actually stood for. Religion is flawed only because the people preaching it are flawed, which is why faith and spirituality is inherently personal IMO, and this person shouldn't let other people influence their faith that they themselves have cultivated. With that being said, the question from the viewer then becomes a question of politics. Is this person willing to put up with the politics involved in order to open up their church for more inclusivity? Are they willing to butt heads with people in the process? Some people may (understandably) not want to engage in that battle against ignorant and stubborn people who refuse to change, and there is only so many times one can bash their head against a brick wall before they become concussed. It sucks that such efforts may prove to be fruitless, but if they want to try while they are on the board, then they absolutely should. They probably know better the inner workings and the people involved to assess what actions will or won't work. It may ultimately come to pass that this person's efforts are better served with a different organization, one that shares their values in providing a safe space for people to be open about themselves.
"Mission acommplished!, It's not a George Bush on a aircraft carrier moment" Jon is a genuis I'm stealing this and working into daily conversations now
Hearing y’all’s experience as people who came out as queer later in life was really helpful to me. I just recently came out at 28, even though I’ve known I wasn’t straight for over 10 years (my experience was VERY similar to Andy’s haha). I’m still figuring out how to express myself and navigate this part of me, so it was nice to hear how you did it. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
I love Jon so much! Love the conversations about bisexuality on the revamp of this podcast. Bi bois on here forever!! As someone who was raised Mormon and conservative christian, come out! Being your authentic self is the most rewarding thing. People will find you who enjoy you for who you are if you are true to yourself.
To Jon's point: I just made a post at the beginning of the month about how queer representation in media is still SO targeted to flamboyance and rainbows and fabulousness. I got an ad for Pride month and it was all RuPaul and "work it." Which, ok, slay queen, but what about those among us who are transgender women but prefer watching football with the dudes and cracking a beer while wearing our athletic shorts and tank tops because they're comfy? Where is the representation for gay men who work on a farm and love going to tractor pulls? I am the first person to disavow assigning genders to colors, clothing, and activities, but it's hard to be your true self when even the accepting queer community presents itself as looking, sounding, speaking, and acting a certain way. Imagine the amount of representation and how freeing it would be if the "stealth gays" were shown in media and actually represented... Also it would terrify the anti-gay community and I am all for that. I understand not being comfortable or wanting to stay hidden for safety reasons, that is completely valid. But in order to let everyone truly be themselves we have to show them that they're not alone and there are other people just like them. Also I agree, penises are not attractive, I only like my own because it's been with me so long... The more I listen to Jon in content the more I see my future 😂
I am bisexual in the sense that I am attracted to pretty much every single woman, but I am very selective about men. Like, sure, my preference to women is probably like 90% to 95%. But that doesn't change the fact that I am really attracted to men like Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa, Jensen Ackles or Troy Baker. I still haven't come out to anyone aside from my girlfriend and my two closest friends. It's not something I hide, I just don't feel the need to bring it up unless it's relevant.
Glad to see Andy back 😊
Omg Andyyyy!!!!! Been a while since I’d seen him glad to see him back
As a fellow queer who grew up in the church, I wanted to comment on the fact that the question-asker wants to stay on the committee to make things better: You don't have to set yourself on fire to keep others warm. The burnout you get from it is real, the people might not EVER be willing to change, and sometimes you need to put your happiness first.
I've tried to do similar things in churches in the past, as a teacher in Florida, and even now in my corporate job. It's EXHAUSTING.
Also, don't let the sunk cost fallacy get you! Just because you've put in time and work there doesn't mean you have to stay.
As someone who loved internet box about 10 years ago, it is great to see Andy and how he has grown :') great ep
Seeing Andy meshing with Barb and Jon again brings a tear to my eyes. I love this Trio and its good to see Andy again.
I have come out recently as Trans, and I really feel the 'lost years' part of coming out, but there really is no point in looking back with regret because there is nothing that you can do about it.
A fantastic episode as always, Jon and Andy have always been two of my favourite people at RT and its wonderful to see you all together
About 'needing to come out', I (34F) have been 'openly' bisexual for over a decade, but I'm probably leaning towards ace too, so while I've never hidden my sexual orientation, I've also never dated or anything, so I've never had the 'confrontation' of showing up with a girlfriend for instance.
I'm sure my parents and sister know, because again, never been shy about saying a girl looking pretty and things like that.
But my attitude is and always has been; why should I have to tell anyone? Why is the default straight and anything else needs to be specified? The way I see it, it would be their fault for assuming I was straight in the first place. Ask me and I'll tell you, but aside from that, I'm not obligated to tell anyone unprompted, unless I wanted to date them I guess. And that's honestly how I feel about every part of my identity, be it sexual or gender. If I want to tell you, I'll do it, but I don't have to.
It was so much fun to see Andy and Jon here! And great to hear their perspectives as bisexual men - bisexual representation is getting better but still sorely lacking. There's so many people in the community who think bisexuals are people who just can't pick, or are cheaters, etc. It's wonderful to see these two happy and open about being bisexual.
Awesome to see Andy!
This episode was delightful, can’t wait for more andy!
Really proud of Andy for how far he's come. I've known of him since the Internet Box days so seeing this growth in his is just fantastic.
Inspiring to see the confident, happy person Andy has become. Thank you Barbara for bringing him back into our consciousness! Appreciate the honesty all around this ep. Real talk ❤
I loved this episode. Missed Andy so much and I seriosuly could have kept watching for hours and hours on end
As someone who grew up in a roman catholic community and is now an open atheist, I empathize with Jon and Andy a lot
I have been a straight male my whole life. However when I was 20 my mother mentioned to me that she thought I was gay until I brought home a girlfriend one day... She didn't seem to mind either way. So I feel confident that if I were gay my coming out would have gone easily.
Jon has brought Andy up several times over the past couple years but it was absolutely great to see him and hear him tell his story and I'm so glad he's doing well!
I had to come out as bisexual because my non-binary teen asked me point blank if I was and watching them run around telling my friends that I’m half gay was definitely a great memory. Now all my kids randomly say boobs and we all grin.
I'm so glad to see the pronouns in the LW3s!
Also, have Andy and Jacob Fullerton ever been in a room together? I feel like between the two of them, they probably know everything about everything that is Star Wars 😅
Holy shit Andy 😮 good to see em
Great episode.
Andy!!! What a fucking treat to see my favourite man again
Just started watching this episode and can not get over how similar Andrew and sips from Yogscast look
Andy being bi is making me feel represented even more Jon has always been the #1 person I looked up to in RT but I truly respect and appreciate Andy for his growth and Barb you’ve always been this inviting presence that’s just always open and elegant
I missed Andy! he brings such an endearing vibe to the show
I'm binging old internet box podcast episodes during my work commute at the moment, so seeing andy and barb joshin' it was so awesome
I just rewatched "Andy's Crazy Night" ;)
Good to see Andy back
ANDY!!! Sure am happy to see his face
My crush on Barbra as a teenager made me more ok with being a lesbian ❤
Aww, that's very cute
As someone who is a Catholic, but doesn't subscribe to the dogma of the Church as an institution, my initial reaction to the viewer question is to call out that such anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment as politics through and through. Granted, it is politics fueled by religious teachings, but teachings that have been warped and twisted in such a way as to forget the basic tenants of what being a good Christian, and a good person, is really about. When such anti-LGBTQ+ people hyper focus on the dogma put forth by the Bible Thumpers (that don't actually know what the Bible truly says), they forget about the lessons in compassion, empathy, and selflessness that Jesus actually stood for. Religion is flawed only because the people preaching it are flawed, which is why faith and spirituality is inherently personal IMO, and this person shouldn't let other people influence their faith that they themselves have cultivated.
With that being said, the question from the viewer then becomes a question of politics. Is this person willing to put up with the politics involved in order to open up their church for more inclusivity? Are they willing to butt heads with people in the process? Some people may (understandably) not want to engage in that battle against ignorant and stubborn people who refuse to change, and there is only so many times one can bash their head against a brick wall before they become concussed. It sucks that such efforts may prove to be fruitless, but if they want to try while they are on the board, then they absolutely should. They probably know better the inner workings and the people involved to assess what actions will or won't work. It may ultimately come to pass that this person's efforts are better served with a different organization, one that shares their values in providing a safe space for people to be open about themselves.
Barb telling me not to do the math three seconds after I did the math because I can’t help it
Holy cow. I used to watch achievement hunter and haven't seen Andy in forever
Internet box was a big part of my teens, so this feels like seeing old friends you havent seen in a while (and most of us are queer now)
ANDYYYYYYYY!!!
IT'S BEEN SO LONG!!!
Andy is everything
"Mission acommplished!, It's not a George Bush on a aircraft carrier moment" Jon is a genuis I'm stealing this and working into daily conversations now
Fave drinking vessel: my old college roommates yelled at me for having too many mugs, theyre just so convenient to hold and can hold lots of liquid
OMG ANDY ❤❤❤❤❤
Hearing y’all’s experience as people who came out as queer later in life was really helpful to me. I just recently came out at 28, even though I’ve known I wasn’t straight for over 10 years (my experience was VERY similar to Andy’s haha). I’m still figuring out how to express myself and navigate this part of me, so it was nice to hear how you did it. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Ok, to be fair "I Don't Like Me" and "Coming Out with a Religious Upbringing" have a fair amount of overlap in the Venn diagram of emotional struggles
Andy Andy Andy ahhhhh💜
andy is one my favorite people
Having people who openly accept you is one of the most beautiful things that can happen.
So glad to see Jon on this episode, him coming out as Bi made me realize that was an option for me as I was struggling with my sexuality
No one wants to talk about xmen with me either, talk to me!!😂
I think it's a universal X-men fan problem since I was a kid I've had this issue lol
I love Jon so much! Love the conversations about bisexuality on the revamp of this podcast. Bi bois on here forever!!
As someone who was raised Mormon and conservative christian, come out! Being your authentic self is the most rewarding thing. People will find you who enjoy you for who you are if you are true to yourself.
The Blanch!
Interesting very interesting how interesting
small internet box reunion
I'm glad to see Andy's doing so well, I kind of lost track of him after he left RT/AH so this was a lovely surprise
That was awesome. More Andy Content!
ANDYYYYY
Andrew Blanchard o shit
To Jon's point:
I just made a post at the beginning of the month about how queer representation in media is still SO targeted to flamboyance and rainbows and fabulousness. I got an ad for Pride month and it was all RuPaul and "work it." Which, ok, slay queen, but what about those among us who are transgender women but prefer watching football with the dudes and cracking a beer while wearing our athletic shorts and tank tops because they're comfy? Where is the representation for gay men who work on a farm and love going to tractor pulls?
I am the first person to disavow assigning genders to colors, clothing, and activities, but it's hard to be your true self when even the accepting queer community presents itself as looking, sounding, speaking, and acting a certain way. Imagine the amount of representation and how freeing it would be if the "stealth gays" were shown in media and actually represented... Also it would terrify the anti-gay community and I am all for that.
I understand not being comfortable or wanting to stay hidden for safety reasons, that is completely valid. But in order to let everyone truly be themselves we have to show them that they're not alone and there are other people just like them.
Also I agree, penises are not attractive, I only like my own because it's been with me so long... The more I listen to Jon in content the more I see my future 😂
ROLF
He's still so red
So happy to see Andy!!! And is he single asking for me
Babs in her egg era still like “so how does one come out as bi this is definitely information I don’t need personally or anything for sure”
Bumblebee Prt 2?
drink vessel of choice: drinking mason. I don't know why more drinking vessels don't have lids.
I am bisexual in the sense that I am attracted to pretty much every single woman, but I am very selective about men. Like, sure, my preference to women is probably like 90% to 95%. But that doesn't change the fact that I am really attracted to men like Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa, Jensen Ackles or Troy Baker.
I still haven't come out to anyone aside from my girlfriend and my two closest friends. It's not something I hide, I just don't feel the need to bring it up unless it's relevant.
OMG ANDYYYY!
ANDY BLANCHARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRDDDDD YEAHYEAHYEAHYEAHYEAHYEAHYEAHYEAH
I now have a new X-Men podcast. Thanks Jon.
Andy, coke back to the contenttttt