The Bo Show

I’m a 33 year old man who truly loves the radio. I’ve been in the business for over 13 years. I guess you can say radio is in my blood. The only other thing that has been running through my veins longer… is something called being gay. I officially came out of the closet at the age of 25. In radio terms, that would be when Britney Spears and NSYNC were at the top of the charts. As they were battling it out for the number one position, I was battling myself… coming to terms with my sexuality.

Up until that point I dated women, or should I say, I tried dating women. I had a fascination with Alanis Morissette, and even tried dating a girl who looked like her. It didn’t last long… “isn’t it ironic… don’t you think.” Although that truly isn’t ironic, I truly did care for each beautiful girl I dated. But, I always knew something was missing… something just didn’t feel natural.

It wasn’t until I felt asexual that I became confused and very concerned for myself. It was about the time I was working at a radio station with the on-air name of Baxter Lewis. With a name like that, how could I not be gay? All joking aside, it was perhaps one of the hardest times in my life, feeling completely disassociated from other human beings on a sexual level. I truly felt like I didn’t belong… I wasn’t “normal.” Not to worry, this asexuality did not last too long. But, the transition from straight acting to being gay was definitely not easy.

Like most gay men, I was always swimming in a pool of suspicions. Everyone thought they knew something about me. I was very familiar with the whispers behind my back, the questions being asked to my friends… “is he or isn’t he?” Even some listeners would ask my co-host if I was gay. It’s because of these whispers and questions that I tried even harder to be straight and keep my secret a secret.

What I didn’t realize, was the more I kept a piece of myself a secret, the more I distanced myself from other people. It wasn’t until I fully came out of the closet that the whispering stopped and I started hearing… “You seem so calm, so much at peace.” It wasn’t until I started living my truth, that people began to see beyond my sexuality… and know the big answer to their big question… yes I am (sorry Melissa Etheridge… album title too good to pass up).

My main goal of “The Bo Show” is to create an environment for LGBT women and men to come together and share common stories and experiences. I know how lonely it is keeping your sexuality a secret. No one deserves to feel alone. I’m hoping for a stronger brotherhood and sisterhood among our community. It is only through loving and supporting each other, that we’ll be able to see the rights our brothers and sisters have fought for, continue on and grow before our very eyes.

I am very familiar with being that silly guy you hear on the radio. Similar to my transition from straight to gay… I’m making the transition from the radio airwaves to the Internet. Ok, it’s not exactly the same, but this time I’m in control of what I’m talking about and the message I’m trying to spread. What’s my message… whoever you are listening to this show, please know I am just like you, and trying to make our lives better than yesterday… join me in knowing… you are not alone.