YOB ConvoCast 079: Alex Holds Hands with His Straight Guy Friends!

Alex is announced as our newest regular YOB contributor, and we get right into analyzing his blogs! We start with discussing a reflection of last fall’s YOBBERS retreat written by his mom and how this unique blog even came to be on our site. We also go behind the scenes and into greater depth with his recently posted blog about holding hands with his straight guy friends: one story in which a friend reached across a restaurant table to hold his hand, and another in which Alex extended his own hand toward a friend while walking with him in the park. How did fears of PDA impact both of these hand-holdings, and what other fears or insecurities did Alex wrestle with – both in the receiving and expressing of such open same-sex physical touch?

LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE

Alex’s 2023 retreat blog: “Renewing Hope and Forming a Liturgy for Brothers at the YOBBERS Retreat”
Alex’s mom’s 2023 retreat blog: “Impressions of the YOBBERS Retreat from the Heart of a Mom”
Alex’s hand-holding blog: “The Healing Power of Holding Hands with Another Man”

COMMENT ON THIS EPISODE

Have you held hands with a male friend, straight or otherwise, in a public setting? What fears and/or triumphs have you experienced in the realm of physical touch with other men?

About the Author

YOB

We are Your Other Brothers: a storytelling tribe navigating issues of faith, homosexuality, and masculinity. Together.

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Tom

I’m YOB’s cofounder and editor, and I also host our two podcasts. I’ve written a couple books as Thomas Mark Zuniga, including a 2013 memoir in which I first came out. Once upon another universe I anonymously blogged about my faith and sexuality under the Xanga username, twoBeckonings. I’m an INFJ, Enneagram 4w5, and my spirit animal is the buffalo. I love to travel, and my favorite place in the world is the one where coffee and vulnerability meet. When I’m not wandering, I live in Asheville, North Carolina – the Jewel of the Blue Ridge.

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Alex

Calling in from Los Angeles, the City of Angels! Originally from a quiet town in Georgia, I answered God’s call to leave the green forests of my youth. I am a bi, Thai-American Christian with an itch for adventure, a knack for writing, a forever gamer, and a love of all things 80’s (primarily music and movies). After coming to terms with my sexuality in 2014, I wanted to share the story of how God walked through this journey with me. Following His lead to be an active member of the Side B Christian community, I want to create a bridge between the LGBTQ+ community and the Church, where queer people can learn about the God who loves them.

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