116. Queer Crossroads: Navigating Gay Dating and Relationships with Nathan Serrato

Coming up on this episode of Flirtations, we’re talking all things queer and gay dating with the incredible Nathan Serrato! Nathan is a trauma-informed coach and host of the Queer Conscious podcast, helping LGBTQ+ individuals and couples build thriving, intentional relationships rooted in self-worth, communication, and emotional intimacy. Inside the episode, we explore the beautifully complex, sometimes messy, and yet always real world of queer dating.  We talk about the “Queer Crossroads” and how to navigate that blurry line between friends, flings, dates, sex, and more. We get into meeting in real life vs. online, and how to flirt while staying grounded and authentic. We’ll also talk about breakups within friend groups and social cirlces, monogamy and open relationships, the concept of a second adolescence, and how to handle dating when it feels more like a search for validation than a path to true connection. Nathan also shares his insights around body image in our swipe culture, what to do when dating apps feel more exhausting than exciting, and how to build the kind of queer connection that feels safe, sexy, and fun. Finally, we’ll touch on mental health, the importance of friendships, how to make friends, and how we can love ourselves, perhaps, a little bit more. So, whether you're new to queer dating, have been around the block and back, or are just curious (hello, straights!), this episode has something for you. Let’s do the Flirties, and meet Nathan! Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review Flirtations on your favorite podcast platform, and share this episode to spread BFE - big flirt energy, all over the world! Enjoying the show and want to support my work? Buy the Flirt Coach a coffee! About our guest:  Nathan Serrato, PCC (he/him) is a Queer Love Coach and founder of Queer Conscious. Through coaching, courses, and community, Nathan helps LGBTQ+ individuals and couples build thriving, intentional relationships rooted in self-worth, communication, and emotional intimacy. His somatic approach offers lasting transformation, while his expertise in communication allows him to mediate between partners and guide them toward alignment, understanding, and tangible solutions. Whether you're dating, deepening a partnership, or healing from past relationships, Nathan offers a grounded space for growth and connection. Learn more at www.queerconscious.com or Instagram: @queerconscious. About your host:  Benjamin is a flirt and dating coach sharing his love of flirting and BFE - big flirt energy - with the world! A lifelong introvert and socially anxious member of society, Benjamin now helps singles and daters alike flirt with more confidence, clarity, and fun! As the flirt is all about connection, Benjamin helps the flirt community (the Flirties!) date from a place that allows the value of connection in all forms - platonic, romantic, and with the self - to take center stage. Ultimately, this practice of connection helps flirters and daters alike create stronger relationships, transcend limiting beliefs, and develop an unwavering love for the self. His work has been featured in Fortune, NBC News, The Huffington Post, Men's Health, and Yoga Journal. You can connect with Benjamin on Instagram, TikTok, stream the Flirtations Flirtcast everywhere you listen to podcasts (like right here!), and find out more about working together 1:1 here.