Episode 1: The Risk in Our Silence: Sexual Health and The Danger Of Assumption

In this powerful episode, Big Loon delivers a compelling message on the dangers of silence, especially among men, when it comes to accountability and emotional expression. He challenges the misconception that silence equals strength, revealing how avoidance can lead to broken communication, strained relationships, and even risk to one’s well-being. The discussion underscores the importance of honesty, vulnerability, and open dialogue—both in personal relationships and within the broader community. Big Loon encourages listeners to replace silence with transparency, reminding men that true strength lies in communication, connection, and self-awareness.

This episode is brought to you by Healthysexual from Gilead Sciences.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
What's up y'all? This big loan from It's Up that podcast.
In this powerful episode, we're breaking down the danger of
silence and how way too many of us are talked
to protect the vibe instead of protecting ourselves. You ever
notice how quiet men get when the conversation turns real.

(00:20):
I mean, we can argue money, music, legacy, but the
second it requires accountability, our vocabulary disappears. We've been trained
to look strong in silence and our safe in honesty.
See comfort tricks you. It tells you it feels right.
But feelings don't always mean safety, and sometimes they mean familiarity.

(00:40):
A lot of men are addicted to familiar danger because
silence got celebrated. He don't talk too much, He's solid.
But silence ain't always strength. Sometimes it's avoidance dressed up
like maturity. We tend to call feel control. See I've
set across from some brothers who would rather risk their
life rather than ask an awkward question something like hey, yo,

(01:04):
when you test it, that question don't cost a thing,
but pride makes it feel like a threat. We spend
more time researching calls, microphones sneakers, then we will researching
on how to protect our bodies and our partners. Protection
isn't a vibe. It's a decision. It's not chemistry, it's clarity.

(01:27):
It's shocking to know what people are risk for pleasure.
We'll know your playlist, not whether or not you have
a health plan. And it's a gamble. We lay down
before we speak up. We call it trust, but it's
really assumption. See silence costs you more than the conversation
ever could that vibe you're trying to protect. It's not

(01:48):
safe from the circumstances if you have an honest conversation,
One uncomfortable minute can save you a lifetime of regret.
The CDC says nearly one in five people carrying STI
and most don't even know it. You can't see safety.
You literally have to ask for it. And it's not paranoia,
it's leadership because leadership isn't about domination, it's about direction,

(02:12):
and direction starts with a dialogue. You cannot protect what
you refuse to discuss. You can't claim maturity if you
treat prevention like an insult. And the next generation is
watching us. They're learning how to communicate and what to
communicate about. And also they're paying attention to what we avoid.
If you want to raise sons who lead with intelligence

(02:33):
instead of in posts, we gotta model that. Read the
room they told us no speak up in it. Real
intiman isn't built in the dark. It's built in the
disclosure condoms, testing transparency. Those aren't passion killers, they're peace builders.
It's safe. You can't have freedom in your body if

(02:54):
you're living in fear of your truth. Safety doesn't start
with take your clothes off. It starts with op in
your mouth. Talk to me. So before you lay down,
I'm gonna ask that you speak up, because if you
don't talk about it, you don't know. And if you
don't know, you're not protected. You may be comfortable, but
you're not protected. And what really is comfort without clarity,

(03:17):
That's how people lose everything. You can make a decision
that you cannot come back from. We've been raised to
chase the feeling. We've been raised and been taught to
be lawyer to our emotions. Oftentimes, as men will figure
out how she moaned before how she moved. You might
have knew the rhythm, but you did not know the record.

(03:39):
You laid down before you even spoke up, and when
the lights cut on. You call that maturity, But comfort
without a conversation is a gambo. You betting your peace
on the hope that somebody else did the work you
refuse to ask about. I've seen men lose everything, not
because they didn't care, but because they didn't ask. It's

(04:00):
too much risk in our silence. See, nobody showed us
how to have a conversation that can change how we feel. See.
Half of the game that they give us is just
read the room. Read the room, feel the energy. You
hear a lot of people talk about energy. Some things
you have to clarify some things that energy can lie about.

(04:21):
So I said it again. We've been taught to read
the room, not speak in it. We can read the energy,
but nobody taught us how to address it. Silence feels
like safety, but it's really avoidance and the wild part
we call it strength. Protection ain't a feeling this information.
You can't protect what you refuse to talk about. It's

(04:43):
not enough to wear a condom if if you can't
even ask that somebody when they was last tested, it's
not enough to pull out if you never pulled up
a conversation about health. My name is Lonin. I want
to let you know that silence is expensive, you more
than comfort ever could have gave you. And the truth

(05:04):
is you're not just protecting yourself, you're protecting a version
of you that's supposed to lead. Love it last. Leadership
starts in the conversation before you lay down. Speak up,
because if you didn't talk about it, you don't know.
And if you don't know, you're not safe. You're just comfortable.
If we protect your name, protect your peace, protect your partner,

(05:28):
that's not fear talking, it's discipline. Real men don't gamble
with that legacy. They guard it. It's too much risk
in our silence. Speak up. This special episode of It's
Up That Podcast with Long brought to you by Healthy
Sexual from Gilead Sciencist