The Old Gays Guide to the Good Life

Lessons Learned About Love and Death, Sex and Sin, and Saving the Best for Last

By: Mick Peterson, Bill Lyons, Robert Reeves, Jessay Martin

Narrated by: Mick Peterson, Bill Lyons, Robert Reeves, Jessay Martin

From America’s most beloved foursome—the TikTok sensation @theoldgays—a book of unexpected aspirational advice and inspirational stories drawn from their decades of living, from pre-Stonewall to the rise of the LGBTQ+ movement to gay marriage and beyond.

Ranging in age from 67 to 80, Mick, Jessay, Robert, and Bill are the real-life Golden Girls of the social media era, a quartet of old gays whose hard-won confidence and awesome authenticity have taken the culture by storm. They are America’s beloved Queens—and more importantly, they are survivors whose lives have been transformed by sweeping cultural change. In this fabulously fun and entertaining book, they share their stories—humorous, heartbreaking, shocking, and profound tales which only older gay men can tell. It was their generation that was devastated by AIDS, a health crisis that deprived us of so many brilliant, creative lives, including many of their friends.

In this delightful group memoir, Mick, Jessay, Robert, and Bill intimately reveal all about their lives, revealing who they are beyond TikTok, where they came from, and how they found each other. They offer their collective wisdom on a rainbow of topics, including coming out, sex, gay liberation, gay marriage, AIDS, aging, and saving the best act for last. Outrageous and hilarious, refreshingly earnest and unfiltered, engaging and insightful, they’ve been through it all—harassment, divorce, depression, bankruptcy, even near-death experiences. Between the four of them, there's not much of life they haven't seen or done, and now they dish on everything from fitness and fabulous dinner parties to church and orgies.

An intimate and moving portrait of four friends who have experienced the good, the bad and the ugly—and look forward to the best that is still to come, The Old Gays Guide to the Good Life is a celebration of lives lived to the fullest—sometimes against all odds—and a lesson for all of us that age is just a number and that getting older can be outrageously fun.

Outstanding!

I have followed the Old Gays on social media for a long time and was so excited to see their book! This is one that, if you're going to read it, you MUST listen to this one! The book is narrated by the Old Gays and their passions and personalities just ooze out. I laughed, I cried, I smiled, and thoroughly enjoyed getting to listen to the histories and wisdoms shared by each of the members of the group. This is a 10/10 MUST for any fan of these men... and, if you aren't following them yet on social media, you are missing out on daily sunshine from these national treasures!

how much this book made me laugh

I really enjoyed this book! it was heartfelt and heartwarming. also heartbreaking in some of the moments. I loved listening to these adorable old men share there stories on love and finding a way out of the hard times. I'm glad each one of you guys is still alive. I know what it's like to be on deaths door. when Jessay shared his MRSA story it reminded me of when I had a horrible intestinal infection that was causing havoc on my digestive health. I didn't know for 6 months if I was gonna die or not because no one was telling me what was going on just like what happened to Jessay. I went to a doctor who finally took me seriously. love you guys!

The truth !!

Thank you so much for this book it was truly inspiring helpful and I provided a lots of laughter
Thank you so much for producing it. It’s wonderful.

Tea with The Old Gays

Loved the book!! It felt like I was sitting on the couch n chillin with The Old Gays!

I love them so much! Each of them is a treasure!

How fun to hear all four of them narrate their book! I loved the candid stories about their lives. Highly enjoyed listening to their book.