A Queer POV: Friends, Loves, & Life with David

Some kids dream of hitting the winning home run. Gregg dreamed of getting through Little League without having to actually touch the bat. His father was the coach, which made quitting more complicated—because it’s one thing to strike out, but another to let your dad down while doing it. Still, Gregg knew early on that he belonged more in the world of spotlights and scripts than dugouts and scoreboards.

Like so many of us, Gregg carr...

Every episode of The Queer POV: Friends, Loves, & Life is a chance to sit down with people I admire, and this week’s guest is no exception. I had the joy of talking with my friend Beau Stinnette—a man whose creativity and honesty shine through every part of his story.

Beau grew up as the kid who could always be found in the art room, sketching and painting when life at home was difficult. That early love for creativity shaped not on...

Join us in this heartfelt episode as we dive into the life and journey of Stephen Crouse. From his early days in very religious Colorado Springs to the decadence of San Francisco, Stephen shares his path from self-doubt to unapologetic self-acceptance. Along the way, he reveals unexpected passions, from the leather bars of the Bay Area to jaw-dropping LEGO MOC creations built during COVID, and how he rebuilt his life brick by brick...

Meet Brett Klein. If you haven’t crossed paths with him yet, get ready ‘cause here we go. Brett’s journey is a vivid tapestry woven with courage, humor, and the unapologetic pursuit of living life on his own terms.

At 32, Brett faced two life-altering truths at once: coming out and receiving an HIV diagnosis. In many stories, that might sound like a crossroads of despair. But for Brett, it was more like a clarion call, a message to ...

Every June, riders gather at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, helmets on, hearts full, and begin a 545-mile journey to Los Angeles as part of the AIDS/LifeCycle ride. But this year was different. This year was the last ride.

I sat down with two friends, Sean Rhodes and Mike Chandler, who trained for months and rode side by side (well, most of the time) on the final AIDS/LifeCycle. What they shared with me was more than a recap. It w...

Some stories don’t shout. They hum. They make you want to sit down with a glass of wine in a crystal goblet and a cookie someone’s grandmother taught them to bake.

This week on The Queer POV: Friends, Loves, & Life, I talked with Kevin Chiodini, who pronounces it Key-oh-dee-nee thank you very much, because it’s Italian and he’s earned the right to say it like they do back in Lombardy. Kevin’s the kind of person you notice not becaus...

Some people live out loud. Jeff Heinkel lives with just enough humor and mischief to keep you on your toes.

In this week’s episode of Friends, Loves, & Life, Jeff shares the kind of life story that reminds you we’re all just figuring it out as we go. He came out in his 30s, got sober after a meth addiction nearly stole his eyesight, and walked away from a long career in television to become a personal trainer in Palm Springs. What h...

In this week’s episode of A Queer POV: Friends, Loves, & Life, I sit down with James Lindquist, a community leader, a survivor, and one of those rare people who manages to make you laugh and tear up in the same breath.

James grew up in a group home, came out as gay when that still came with consequences, and spent years navigating addiction, shame, and a healthcare system that wasn’t built with people like him in mind. In 2004, afte...

Every once in a while, you meet someone whose presence reminds you that joy, resilience, and purpose are not just ideals — they’re choices. They’re the product of hard-won experience and deep personal growth. My guest today, Ted Guice, is exactly that kind of person. His life and work reflect a quiet strength and generosity that leave a mark on everyone he meets. He’s one of those people in the LGBTQ+ community who uses his own cha...

What does real allyship look like? Sometimes, it’s not loud or showy. Sometimes, it’s simply showing up—over and over again. That’s the kind of love and friendship I’ve been lucky enough to have with my guest this week: my high school friend and first true ally, Julie Arie.

In this episode of Friends, Loves, and Life, we catch up like no time has passed—from algebra class in 10th grade to cruising the Vegas strip in a Galaxy 500, to...

This week on Friends, Loves, & Life, I sit down with my dear friend Ed Moreno, a man whose life has been full of adventure, transformation, heartbreak, and healing.

Ed and I first met at Gold’s Gym in San Francisco back in the day. What started as a flirt turned into a decades-long friendship. In this episode, we talk about everything from wild trips across Europe to the years he spent living fast, after being diagnosed with HIV in ...

In this episode of Friends, Loves, & Life, I sit down with my dear friend Rich Hajjar for a conversation that’s as vulnerable as it is hilarious. Rich and I go way back—to the early 2000s when we were launching Sex4HotMen, dreaming big, and laughing even bigger. But beyond the shared memories, our friendship has weathered some of life’s most defining chapters. From the wild days of marketing parties in LA to the moment I adopted my...

In this week’s episode of Friends, Loves, & Life, I sit down with my longtime friend Mike Ryan — a creative force, a sharp wit, and someone I once shared an office with above Akbar in Silverlake. We talk about how we met, the business we built together (a gay men’s hook-up site, back before apps ruled the world), and yes — our daily lunches at El Pollo Loco that somehow never got old.

But this episode goes deeper.

Mike shares, with h...

In this week’s episode of Friends, Loves, & Life, I sit down with someone I’ve known for nearly 25 years—Dr. Alex del Rosario. He’s an HIV specialist, a leather man, a deeply thoughtful gay doctor, and one of the most open, generous people I know. Talking with Alex always feels like pulling up a chair with someone who just gets it—and this conversation is no exception.

We cover a lot of ground. We talk about sex (a lot of it), aging...

In this episode of Friends, Loves, and Life, I sit down with my longtime friend Sean Rhodes for a moving, funny, and deeply honest conversation about identity, reinvention at 60, and the messy beauty of starting over. Sean opens up about being adopted, finding his birth mother, ending a relationship in midlife, and what it really means to evolve. We also talk about his final AIDS Lifecycle Ride—a powerful tribute to resilience and ...

Welcome to the very first episode of Friends, Loves, & Life! I’m so excited to finally share this project with you—and it felt only right to start this journey with the person who’s been beside me for nearly two decades: my husband, Derek.

This episode is more than just an interview. It’s a conversation between two people who met in the most ordinary (yet hilarious) way and built an extraordinary life together. We talk about how we ...

Join me, David Begor, each week as I sit down with old and new friends to explore love, identity, growth, and the messy beauty of being human. New episodes drop every Wednesday.

A Queer POV: Friends, Loves, & Life launches May 14, 2025 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack, and YouTube.

To kick things off, my first guest is my husband, Derek.

We talk about what it means to grow together, what we’ve learned after 18 years, and how we ke...