Surprise, It's My Birthday!
Sort of...
Hello friends and happy….Friday?!
You might be thinking, wait, what’s happening here? Well, it’s a surprise birthday party (keyword being surprise)! And you also might be thinking, “Aidan, you’re a Libra, this is Gemini season.” And you’d be right. Because it’s not MY birthday…
It’s Gay Buffet’s Birthday!! It’s two years old!!
If you had told me two years ago that Gay Buffet would still be around and have grown into an incredible place of community and joy, I would have wanted to believe you, but I probably wouldn’t have. So today I want to take a look back at where we’ve come from, have a little celebration, and look forward!
In The Beginning
Many of you weren’t around for my humble beginnings of Gay Buffet. In the first year, I used Gay Buffet mainly to keep myself sane as I toured the States with Girl From The North Country. Writing gave me the opportunity to learn about the Queer history in each city I went to and fundraise for LGBTQ+ nonprofits around the country. Back then, each article had six little sections, but I found that that didn’t always allow for the depth that I wanted to explore.
My most popular piece from year one was all about love, which gave me a great indicator about what resonated with folks.
The Terrific Two’s
The beginning of year two was mostly the same as year one. It wasn’t until my tour ended that I really had time to delve deeply into what I wanted Gay Buffet to be as I moved on from my travels and had more time to write. Plus, without the baked-in travel to generate writing ideas, what would I write about?
Then, the election happened.
I found myself desperately wanting comfort and hope but wasn’t finding it, so I decided to write what I wanted to hear. I wanted to channel my inspiration, Harvey Milk, and try to help people find hope through the challenging times we were all experiencing. This really struck a chord, and Gay Buffet found its footing in a whole new way. Being able to provide a source of calm resilience and realistic yet hopeful optimism felt really in line with who I am and what I want to present to the world.
Then, in February of this year, I launched the paid portion, Gay Gourmet. This addition to Gay Buffet allows me to get a little bit of money from wonderful subscribers to help sustain me during times when I’m not performing. What started out as a relationship column quickly morphed into a sex column when I realized that that was where my energy naturally wanted to flow and how much stigma and misinformation is out there.
And to those who might think that a Queer sex column isn’t for them, I’d posit that if you have Queer folk in your life, this is actually an excellent chance to learn about the very real things that we have to deal with, that we aren’t taught about in school. I promise that you don't have to experience Queer sex to become a better ally by reading what I have to write!
And to celebrate this second birthday, I’m giving you a gift! Just for today, you can get access to all these spicy articles for $2/month or $20/year! This is the perfect opportunity for all you folk who say you keep meaning to upgrade!
Some future topics to look forward to include poppers, an exploration of gooning, eternal questions about d*ck size, and so much more! It’s the best birthday present we could ask for!
Some Snacky Stats
As you all know, I love numbers and statistics, so I decided to take a little look under the hood and see what how my last year stacked up.
In my first year, I wrote exactly 52 articles (one a week, that makes sense). In my second year, I wrote 64 (which also makes sense with about an extra three months of Gay Gourmet).
My Most Popular Free Piece
My Most Popular Piece Overall
Then, I decided to compare my numbers from years one and two. Below you’ll find a chart with my numbers from June 18, 2024, and then the numbers from June 18, 2025.
When I look at the numbers in this way, I am simply floored by the support that I’ve received thus far. People think that writing is solitary, but this kind of writing and this kind of growth are only possible because of the amazing people I’ve met along the way.
The Substack Queermunity
What has moved me the most about this whole experience has been the community that I’ve been so fortunate to find here on Substack. From writing “Dating A Throuple is LIke a Martini Glass” for
’s , that I got to read out loud last month, to my first guest piece for Gay Buffet written by to writing about their experience with fatherhood just last Sunday, the community is by far one of the most rewarding aspects about writing for me.And beyond those three, here are some of the other incredible writers whom I’ve been fortunate enough to get to know, call friends, or who just delight my heart whenever their pieces pop into my inbox (in no particular order and a paragraph because I’m nearing the dreaded email length limit). I hope you all take a moment to get to know these incredible folks like I have!
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, and !Gratitude
Sitting here, I am struck by overwhelming waves of gratitude. There are so many people who have touched my life and made me the person I am today, allowing me to bring Gay Buffet to you.
Thank you to my parents for being so supportive of every project I’ve ever done and for reading every article I write (even the sex ones). Thank you to my siblings, who have fostered in me a sense of emotional depth. Thank you to the old friends who give me endless ideas I should write about and who understand when I can’t hang out because of said writing. Thank you to the new friends whom I’ve met through this work. I can’t wait to see how our collaborations and friendships grow.
Thank you to every person who has come up to me and said how much they enjoy my writing. Knowing that there are people out there who are enjoying what I have to say enough to tell me in person is a gift that I cannot express my gratitude for enough.
And the biggest thank you to Casey. Case, you have been with me through every part of this journey. You encouraged the seed of this idea. You helped me brainstorm names. You told me I should go for it and see what happens. You’ve been my brainstorm captain, my editor, my test reader, and my biggest fan. I could not be luckier to have a partner like you.
What’s Next
So, what’s in store for year three?
Honestly, I’m not sure. If there’s anything that’s remained true about Gay Buffet, it’s change. But there are so many exciting things in store, from collaborations to maybe even a podcast; there’s lots to come. And know that the core of Gay Buffet will never change.
This will always be a place for empathy, kindness, and unapologetic Queerness. This will always be a place where we celebrate wins and uplift joy. This will always be a place where I bring you topics that are making me think and wonder. And it will always, always be a place that is filled with love and community.
So with that, onward into year three!
P.S. If you missed that deal up above and want to take advantage of it now, here it is again, just in case you want to give me a $2 birthday present!
Congratulations, my friend! So excited for you, and so proud of you and the work you do!
Happy birthday Gay Buffet!!!