A Gay and a NonGay is an award-winning LGBTQ+ comedy podcast, presented by funny and energetic hosts James Barr (Gay) and Dan Hudson (NonGay). The show has gone from strength to strength in 2019, with the pair recently returning to Edinburgh Fringe Festival to record shows in front of a live audience.

The concept is simple but clever. Bring a gay guy and a non-gay guy together to navigate sexuality across the spectrum and find the common ground between them. The pair go back and forth on a wide range of issues facing 21st century dating, from dealing with long-distance relationships to “lad” culture.

But the show also takes time to address some of the more sensitive issues out there including AIDS and HIV, mental health, and highly controversial “conversion therapy” which recently caused community uproar in Northern Ireland.

Shedding light on such important issues in a lighthearted but informed way has helped to fuel the growth and popularity of the podcast. Since its 2016 launch, it has performed consistently well in the Apple Podcast charts, and in 2018 it won the Bronze award for “Best Comedy Podcast” at the British Podcast Awards. 

While the subjects touched are important, the key to the show is the undeniable likability of both hosts and the way they interact. The pair were both radio professionals before they started podcasting, so they know a thing or two about keeping an audience engaged. But ultimately, it’s the genuine friendship between the two that really shines through in the audio and brings the show to life.

The pair make it hard to imagine how any prejudice about either the gay or straight life can even exist in modern society. Commenting in the Metro, host James said:

Dan and I are in a really unique position in that we have a very mixed audience of gay and non-gay people. Because we’re both just living our lives, when we come together, we have a lot of different things to talk about, and a lot of different experiences, and we see things totally different. So a lot of our stuff just happens naturally

The show is highly accessible as episodes are kept relatively short (15 - 20mins). Listeners don’t need to give up big chunks of their day to just stay up-to-date with new episodes, they can be easily worked into a short commute or lunch break.

So if you’re looking for a new podcast to listen to this Pride Season, go check it out!