July 18, 2017 | Arts / Entertainment

Gay positive podcasts to tickle your earbuds

Talk radio and talk television are so last decade. Podcasts are all the rage now, and they run the gamut from serious to funny, and from pop culture to romance fiction to alien abductions. You name it and there's sure to be a podcast about it.

The best thing about podcasts is their portability. You can download one, two or a hundred and carry them with you on your smartphone or MP3 player. It certainly makes workday commutes a lot more enjoyable.

There are plenty of LGBT-focused shows to choose from, but they are not all created equal. Here is our list of some of the best queer and queer-friendly shows.

THROWING SHADE

Probably one of the most popular gay-ish Internet shows around, Throwing Shade is a comedic tour de force. The show's tagline: "Where we take a look at all the issues important to ladies and gays and treat them with much less respect than they deserve."

Comedians Bryan Safi and Erin Gibson basically chit chat about current topics from a gay man and a woman's perspective. The show was so successful that TV Land picked it up for a 10-episode television series (and renewed it for a second season later this year).

STRAIGHT TALK WITH ROSS MATHEWS

Ross Mathews got his big break as "Ross the Intern" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno way back in 2001. Since then, he has appeared on several TV shows (including Chelsea Lately and RuPaul's Drag Race), written a book and become one of the hosts of Hollywood Today Live.

He even finds the time for a weekly podcast that, more often than not, runs longer than two hours. In each episode he talks entertainment and news, interviews guests and gives advice to listeners.

"My favorite thing about preforming live on stage is that I get to interact with people, the podcast allows me to do that on a weekly basis," Mathews told E! News. "Whether I am at a restaurant, shopping, or at happy hour I love being all up in people's business. Straight Talk will be a hub for my fans to call me direct and solicit my advice; it's like Dr. Laura, only a little more high pitched."

SAVAGE LOVECAST

Dan Savage is known for his no holds -- and holes -- barred approach to sex advice. If you need to know the latest bedroom craze, or find out if your boyfriend is weird for wanting to put that thing in that opening, Savage is your man. The podcast is basically his weekly advice column in audio format.

In his most recent show, he talked about Tindr dates with erection issues, he explained whether or not a 13 year age difference with a partner is too Woody Allen-esque, and he chatted up porn's Buck Angel (a.k.a. "The Man with a Pussy.") 

If you can't get enough of the world's most famous drag queen, then you need to sashay this way, bae; RuPaul has his own podcast (which he hosts with Drag Race judge Michele Visage).

The show features interviews with big names in entertainment, from fellow drag queen Bianca Del Rio to pop superstar Lady Gaga.

TALK ABOUT GAY SEX PODCAST

This is a weekly podcast, hosted Steve V. Rodriguez, that explores the traditional craft of basket weaving. Kidding. Of course, this show is about one thing: gay sex. Rodriguez and co-hosts, Jeremy Ross Lopez and Steve Carpenter, meet with a special guest and discuss a sexy topic in detail.

HOMO SAPIENS

We can't speak to the quality of this particular podcast as it hasn't even come out yet. However, it features British pop star Will Young and filmmaker Chris Sweeney who will get together for a weekly conversation on a variety of topics that pertain to the queer community.