The ghouls were out this Halloween, but some gays are still in 🫣. This HalloHoeWeen special dives deep into queer life’s funniest and most haunting realities... from closet culture and (pea)cocking at the mall to why people keep soft-launching their boyfriends online.
It’s equal parts humor, heartbreak, and self-reflection — unpacking identity, internalized shame, and the absurdities of queer dating in 2025.
🎃 Tune in for laughs, light, and maybe a little liberation.
Keywords (Spotify SEO): queer podcast, LGBTQ humor, gay culture, identity, self-acceptance, closet culture, gay dating, pride, bisexual podcast, queer Indian, lgbtq storytelling, Halloween special
Diwali is about light over darkness — but for many of us, that light comes from within.
In The Gay Diwali Episode: Light, Liberation & Letting Go, I talk about what it means to celebrate the festival of lights as a queer South Asian — the struggle to feel represented, the resilience it takes to exist authentically, and the beauty of finally letting go of expectations that don’t serve you.
This episode is a reflection on identity, healing, and self-liberation — with humor, honesty, and heart. ✨
🎇 Part 1 of my Diwali series — stay tuned for Part 2.
Grab your chai — because this one’s spicy. 🌶️ In Tortillas y Naan: Being Latino, Gay, and Proud, Shane welcomes his best friend Toni for a heartfelt and unfiltered convo on growing up gay and Latino, surviving relationships, dating apps gone wrong, and carving out pride in a world full of stereotypes.
This episode is equal parts funny, messy, and moving — touching on culture, queerness, love, familia, and identity in ways only two best friends over chai could.
Whether you’re here for the laughs, the chisme, or the deeper truths about being brown and queer, Toni’s story will stick with you. 🌈
What does it mean to be a good Punjabi boy when you’re bisexual? In this episode, Shane breaks down the stereotypes, tropes, and cultural expectations that come with being queer and South Asian. From the “DL/masc” obsession to navigating family traditions, this is an honest exploration of bisexuality through a Punjabi lens.
Part identity talk, part cultural unpacking, part hot takes—this one is for anyone who’s ever questioned what it means to hold multiple identities at once.
✨ Topics include:
💬 Share your story in the comments: What does being bisexual or queer mean to you in your culture?
#Bisexual #Punjabi #SouthAsianQueer #QueerStories #ChaiMeARiverPodcast #BisexualRepresentation #QueerPodcast
Are we only queer when we have sex?
🌈 Too often, queer identity gets reduced to hookups, stereotypes, and hypersexual tropes — but is that really who we are? In this unfiltered episode of Chai Me a River, Shane takes on the catch-22 of queer identity: how society boxes us into being “too sexual” or “not queer enough” if sex isn’t part of our story. From labels and politics to intimacy, chosen family, and what it really means to live authentically, this conversation peels back the layers of identity beyond the bedroom.
💬 Topics we spill tea on:
This one’s for the girls, gays, theys, and allies questioning what queer identity really means in 2025.
🔥#QueerIdentity #QueerPodcast #LGBTQCommunity #QueerEnough #LGBTQPodcast
🚨 DL men don’t exist, marriage equality is under attack, and toxic gay masculinity is out of control in 2025. Shane spills the hottest queer takes you won’t hear anywhere else. 🌈🔥It’s 2025, and Shane is back with another bold, unfiltered podcast episode diving into the messy, hilarious, and sometimes infuriating world of LGBTQ+ culture, queer identity, and marriage equality in America. From calling out the myth of DL (downlow) men to exposing performative “fake masc” energy, this episode takes a hard look at how toxic masculinity and heteronormative expectations still shape queer lives.We unpack:
This is the podcast for the girls, gays, theys, and allies who are tired of shrinking themselves to fit into outdated roles. Whether you’re here for queer commentary, hot takes on gay culture, or raw conversations about LGBTQ+ identity, this episode delivers.If you’ve been searching for queer podcasts, LGBTQ+ commentary, or unfiltered discussions on love, identity, and culture, you’ll feel right at home here.✨ Subscribe for more episodes on queer culture, identity politics, LGBTQ+ relationships, and life in 2025. ( / @chaimeariver ) Follow me on social media: TikTok: @chai.me.a.river // @punjabipapii21Instagram: @shanelamba21LINKS TO PUBLICATIONS:GallUp Study on Same-Sex Marriage Sentiments: https://news.gallup.com/poll/646202/s....RAND Study:https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_re....#lgbtqpodcast #QueerCulture #MarriageEquality #GayCulture #ToxicMasculinity #QueerIdentity #DLMen #LGBTQ2025 #GayPodcast #QueerHotTakes
In this bold and unfiltered episode, Shane Lamba spills the hottest chai on queer dating, brown identity, and friendship drama. From “no fats, no femmes” bios to the pastel-washed aesthetic takeover, we’re calling out loser men, corporate Pride bailouts, and the myth of being "booked and busy" as a personality.
Topics include:• Queer dating preferences vs internalized bias• Brown friendship breakups and accountability• Straight Pride, Project 2025, and LGBTQ rights under threat• Burnout glamor and why rest still feels radical• A reminder that your softness, queerness, and full feelings deserve space
This one’s for the girls, gays, and theys who are tired of shrinking to fit. Sip carefully.
Keywords: queer podcast, LGBTQ+ hot takes, brown queer identity, friendship drama, masc4masc, Pride politics, burnout, South Asian queer, dating culture, self-worth.
Subscribe to my podcast via YouTube: (https://www.youtube.com/@ShaneLamba)
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What does it mean to feel proud when the world taught you to hide? In this episode of Chai Me A River, we explore queer self-acceptance, internalized shame, and the slow, radical act of building pride from the inside out. From the quiet victories to the loud celebrations, host Shane unpacks the journey of being brown and proud, navigating identity, and practicing pride as resistance, not just during Pride Month, but every day after.
Whether you're still coming into your queerness, unlearning generational silence, or reclaiming joy on your own terms, this one’s for you.
💬 Topics: LGBTQ+ pride, queer mental health, South Asian identity, coming out, self-love, radical rest, internalized homophobia.
Follow me on social media below:
Instagram: @shanelamba21
TikTok: @punjabipapii21 & @chai.me.a.river
Why do so many of us try to be extra everything, extra straight, extra successful, extra unbothered, just to prove we belong? In this episode, Shane gets real about bisexuality, awkward coming outs, and what it means to be queer and Indian in spaces that don’t always understand either. From overcompensating in college to finally embracing softness, desire, and self-worth, this is a messy, funny, and honest exploration of identity and the armor we learn to wear.
Whether you're questioning, healing, or just here for the emotional rollercoaster with chai, Chai Me A River brings big feelings with bite.
🎙️ Keywords: queer identity, bisexual podcast, LGBTQ+ coming out, Indian queer stories, college and identity, queer podcast funny, chai me a river, queer South Asian, overcompensating
Why are so many queer spaces obsessed with being "man enough"? In this spicy and soulful episode of Chai Me A River, Shane unpacks hypermasculinity in gay culture from masc4masc and muscle gays at the pool party, to how brown queer men navigate toxic masculinity, internalized homophobia, and racialized desire. We get into dating app tropes, gym culture, emotional repression, and the fear behind the façade. If you’ve ever been told to “act straight,” “be a man,” or felt invisible for being too femme, too brown, or too soft, this one's for you.
🎧 Topics: gay dating culture, queer masculinity, toxic masculinity, masc4masc, body image, internalized homophobia, queer POC identity, South Asian queer experience, muscle gays, emotional vulnerability, queer friendship dynamics.
Articles referenced:
Join host Shane Lamba and guests to explore what it means to be all of your identities in one bundle. Shane will explore his identity as someone who is Indian American, 3rd generation, bisexual, and is overall a lot. Each week you can expect raw conversations, opinions, and perspectives about identity, love, desire, relationships, family, mental health, and just the drama of being queer and everything in between.
Follow Shane on social media:
Can you really be just friends with someone you’ve seen naked? Or spooned at 2am and then ghosted by Tuesday?
In this episode, we’re wading into the murky waters of friends, friends with benefits, and the spicy gray area where things get platonic, erotic, and chaotic!! From emotional disclaimers to unspoken expectations, I unpack the messy magic (and mayhem) of intimacy without labels.
We’ll talk about:
The blurry line between friendship and sex
Gay/bi dynamics, emotional hangovers, and “no strings” lies
What happens when one of you catches feelings — or catches a vibe and disappears
Whether you’ve survived a situationship or are still crying into your chai about one, this episode is for you.
Sip up. It’s getting personal. ☕💋💔
Do you take PrEP? Got the COVID-19 vaccine? Like clean water? Buckle your seatbelt when a cop drives by?
Congrats, babe—you’re part of a public health strategy.
In this episode, I’m kicking off my new mini-series Public Health Papi by breaking down what public health actually is—and why it deserves main character energy. We’re talking pandemics, seatbelt laws, political drama, and why public health is the invisible force behind the scenes… until it fails.
Public health isn’t just hand-washing posters and boring charts—it’s community care at scale. It’s who gets clean air, who has access to care, and who gets left behind when systems are broken by design.
Grab your chai (iced if you’re a little chaotic) and let’s unpack how public health shapes everything—from the air we breathe to the rights we fight for.
Follow me on socials: Instagram (@shanelamba21) & Tiktok (@chai.me.a.river). Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and share with someone who enjoys hearing more about public health.
Ever been everyone’s cultural touchpoint and nobody’s actual person? In this episode, Shane spills the chai on what it’s like to be the token Indian man at the gay bar—not just among white gays in mesh tops, but also in brown queer spaces where being yourself still somehow makes you “other.” From being someone’s ethnic awakening to getting side-eyed for not performing your culture the “right” way, we’re unpacking the weird, wobbly space between visibility and belonging. It’s funny, uncomfortable, and honestly a little too real. Because if one more brown guy asks me if I speak Hindi, I will LOSE it.
Follow me on socials: Instagram (@shanelamba21) & Tiktok (@chai.me.a.river). Don't forget to subscribe, rate and share with someone who enjoys hearing more about being brown and kookie.
Dating apps are a mess. In this episode, Shane spirals lovingly through queer dating fatigue, from swiping till your thumbs hurt to realizing you’re just a "vibe" in someone’s situationship. He tackles the illusion of infinite options, the ache of feeling like a placeholder, and the line between love and validation — all while being a Brown bisexual man in a sea of bias. This one's for anyone who's ever been ghosted, tokenized, or just tired of pretending to “look” without looking too thirsty.
Spoiler: The apps may not see you, but this podcast does.
Follow me on socials: Instagram (@shanelamba21) & Tiktok (@chai.me.a.river). Don't forget to subscribe, rate and share with someone who enjoys hearing more about being brown and kookie.
Shane spirals (lovingly) through identity imposter syndrome: not Indian enough, not bi enough, not chill at all. From cultural side-eyes to queer confusion, he asks the question no BuzzFeed quiz can answer — are we ever truly enough? Spoiler: yes. But the journey? It’s giving chaos, cvnt, and character growth.
Follow me on socials: Instagram (@shanelamba21) & Tiktok (@chai.me.a.river). Don't forget to subscribe, rate and share with someone who enjoys hearing more about being brown and kookie.
In this debut episode, Shane unpacks the bizarre, exhausting, and oddly familiar experience of being everything but recognized for who he is. From being mistaken for Middle Eastern to feeling invisible in queer spaces, this episode dives into misidentification, cultural erasure, and the quiet ache of never quite being seen for who you are. Equal parts spicy and sincere, it’s a chai-fueled reflection on identity, queerness, and carving space where there isn’t any.
Follow me on socials: Instagram (@shanelamba21) & Tiktok (@chai.me.a.river). Don't forget to subscribe, rate and share with someone who enjoys hearing more about being brown and kookie.