David Lauterstein co-founded Nasty Pig, one of the most unapologetically sex-positive brands in queer history. Everyone expected his first book to be about that. Instead he wrote Sodomy Gods, a love story about meeting his husband Fred in the 1990s, because 33 years into the marriage he learned something nobody markets to gay men: fun and happiness are not the same thing.
Lauterstein talks about what three decades of work, sacrifice, and adaptation actually looks like, what the AIDS crisis taught him about resilience and community, and why chasing fun instead of happiness is how good men end up alone.
This one is for the man still confusing a good Saturday night with a good life.
Key Takeaways
- Fun and happiness are not the same thing, and most men spend years chasing the wrong one
- David Lauterstein co-founded one of the most sex-positive brands in queer history, then wrote a love story instead of a founder story
- Thirty-three years of marriage taught him that great relationships require work, sacrifice, and constant adaptation
- Lessons from the AIDS crisis still shape how he thinks about community and resilience today
- Recording the audiobook in his own voice let him say things print never could
- Older gay men find real purpose through charitable work and community, not just through fun
About David
David Lauterstein is among the most influential forces in queer culture, celebrated as an unapologetic champion for sex-positivity since co-founding the iconic Nasty Pig fashion brand in 1994.
As its CEO, he has been honored for his trailblazing entrepreneurship, his philanthropic efforts supporting homeless queer youth, and by the White House for his decades of public health advocacy.
A formally trained poet and house music producer, Lauterstein resides in New York City with his husband and Nasty Pig co-founder, Frederick Kearney. Sodomy Gods is his first book.
Connect With David
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