Episode Description
Supplemental Study Guide:
https://www.drdallasbragg.com/newsletters/blog/posts/chemsexcommunity
In this episode, Dallas is joined by Beau, creator of the Gather app, for an honest conversation about the challenge so many gay and queer men face in recovery: how do you build genuine community when your entire social world was built around chemsex, hookup apps, and party culture? Both Dallas and Beau share their personal journeys of recognizing the armor they built to survive homophobia — and how substances became a shortcut to the connection, playfulness, and belonging they were desperate for. They explore how media, pornography, and cultural pressure shaped narrow expectations of what it means to be gay, and how recovery becomes an opportunity to finally ask: who am I, really?
The conversation turns to practical ways of rebuilding connection — from attending ecstatic dance and cuddle puddles to joining run clubs, volunteering with queer nonprofits, and taking small, brave steps like simply walking into a room of strangers and smiling. Beau introduces the Gather app as a community-driven alternative to Grindr, designed to help queer people post spontaneous, low-pressure meetups — a walk in the park, a book club, a life drawing class — and find others nearby who share their vibe. Dallas and Beau both emphasize that the path forward requires self-compassion, pushing past discomfort, and a collective commitment to showing up for one another in new ways.
Download the Gather App: https://www.letsgather.app/
Find Beau here: Instagram @gaybritishbear
The AfterMeth:
Join our Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theaftermeth/
Dallas Bragg
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://www.drdallasbragg.com/newsletters/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drdallasbragg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdallasbragg/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drdallasbragg
YouTube: The Aftermeth Podcast
X: https://twitter.com/Drdallasbragg
Free online course to End the Relapse Cycle: https://www.drdallasbragg.com/offers/e7c2Eo22/checkout
Meth-Free Blueprint EBOOK: https://www.drdallasbragg.com/offers/o8qFhK5i/checkout