It's December...the season of giving. And we have an AHHHH-mazing gift for you! Our December Sex Blogger of the Month is Andrew Gurza of the DisabilityAfterDark podcast! We love Andrew's podcast for so many reasons (and we know you will, too). It's a resource for everyone, but particularly those who are disabled and looking for those candid conversations about sex and sexuality that are missing from the sexual landscape. It's funny. It's real. It's our absolute pleasure to give you Andrew's 10 answers to our 10 questions!
It's December and we're giving you a present! Our December Sex Blogger of the Month is none other than Andrew Gurza of the DisabilityAfterDark Podcast!
Kinkly: Give us three words that describe your podcast.
Andrew: Funny, unabashed, and real.
Kinkly: What inspired you to start the podcast?
Andrew: I was inspired to start the DisabilityAfterDark podcast because I didn't see any podcasts specifically related to sex and disability. I wanted to use my knowledge base as a queer disabled person to offer that to an audience. Not enough people talk about sex and disability. I wanted to change that.
Kinkly: What's behind the name?
Andrew: The name for the podcast is a play on the fact that people think disabled people don't have a nightlife because of disability. It's also playing with the fact that people think we don't have sex or sex lives...so all the fun stuff happens after dark.
Kinkly: Who's your target audience?
Andrew: I want disabled people to listen to the show and hopefully feel seen. I also want non-disabled people to listen to the show and learn something about sex and disability that they may have been too scared or nervous to think about.
Kinkly: What's unique about your podcast?
Andrew: My podcast is one of the few podcasts actually consistently talking about sex and disability, and disability in general. I also try to make it funny and relatable to listeners who may not be experiencing disability (yet). I think that makes it unique.
Kinkly: What is the topic you find yourself covering most often and why?
Andrew: I find myself covering sexual ableism a lot, and I think that is really important because it happens all the time to disabled people and we never talk about how that feels - but my podcast tries to keep that in the forefront all the time.
Kinkly: What was your most popular episode ever? Why do you think it drew so many listeners?
Andrew: The most popular episode ever, and to date, is the first one where I announce the show. Second to that is an interview with Dating Coach on Wheels, Amin Lakhani. I think those ones drew so many listeners because we never hear someone really talking about sex and disability. I think both those episodes introduce it so frankly and with such a raw honesty that it intrigues people.
Kinkly: What's the best thing about producing a sex and disability podcast?
Andrew: I love that it's one of only a handful of programs about the topic, and that I can get on a mic and get out of all these emotions that I have about sex and disability, some of which I never told anybody. I also love the responses I get from listeners within the disabled community who tell me how important the show is for them and what that representation means to them. That is truly my favorite thing about doing DisabilityAfterDark.
Kinkly: What's the worst thing about it?
Andrew: The worst thing is trying to keep it relevant - finding interesting topics and guests to keep the show afloat. It's like...how many times can we talk about disability and sex??? Also, the constant fear of feeling like the show isn't good enough or worthy of listeners can be really difficult.
Kinkly: OK, now for the good stuff: Give us your best tip for great sex.
Andrew: Communication. As a disabled person, I gotta say that communication - really telling someone what I want - is ultra important. That's been hard for me a lot of the time, but it really does make the sex that much better. Also in terms of being disabled and being a sexual being, I say incorporate your disability as much as you can into your sex; it makes it more honest, more funny, and more real.
