Unpacking Live: Growing Up Gay and Catholic

Hi everyone — Christian here from Hunky Tops! We just wrapped up Episode 3 of Unpacking Live and wow, this one really hit close to home. If you missed the live stream (no worries — life happens!), you can catch the full replay below.

Joe Federico, our resident Marketing Maven, joined me again as my co-host, and we went deep into a very personal topic: growing up gay and Catholic.

It all started after we casually talked about Easter and the recent passing of Pope Francis. That naturally led us to share our own upbringings — me, raised Catholic in Chile, and Joe, raised Catholic in New Jersey, from an Italian-American family. Different corners of the world, same stories of Catholic school, catechism classes, and that ever-present cloud of Catholic guilt.

Navigating Faith and Identity

We unpacked how religion shaped our early years, especially around creativity, fear, and (eventually) coming out. There’s a funny irony we both noticed: as kids, we didn't think too deeply about it. Stories about saints and angels were just... stories. But as we grew older — and realized we were gay — the teachings around sin, guilt, and "acceptable" love started to weigh heavily on us.

Joe opened up about how fear of priests, fueled by the news scandals of the 90s and 2000s, became a real part of his Catholic experience. Meanwhile, I shared a personal story about witnessing a homeless man get kicked out of mass for collecting money for himself — while the church was passing the basket for donations. That moment shattered my trust in the institution.

It was a deep, real conversation about how spirituality can be such a personal thing, even when organized religion sometimes fails us.

Ripped Jesus and Religious Iconography (Yes, Really!)

One of the lighter (and funnier) moments of the live was when we talked about ripped Jesus — you know, those Renaissance paintings where Jesus looks like he just crushed a CrossFit workout? It got us thinking about how even children’s Bibles and religious art subtly (or not-so-subtly) sexualized religious figures. And how, as young gay kids, we definitely noticed... even if we didn’t know exactly why back then.

We also touched on how Madonna’s "Like a Prayer" scandalized the Catholic Church back in the late '80s — even though by today’s standards, that video seems almost tame. (Also, when it comes on, you better believe we’re still getting up and dancing.)

Finding Our Own Spiritual Paths

Joe and I both agreed: while we no longer practice organized religion, spirituality is still very much a part of our lives. We’re just doing it on our own terms now — no guilt, no fear, no gatekeepers. And honestly? That freedom is a blessing all on its own.

What We Wore

Of course, it wouldn't be Unpacking Live without a little fashion moment! Joe rocked our Dissolve the Binary t-shirt (size Large — hugs him in all the right places!) and I wore the Be the Kaiju You Want to See in the World – Trans Pride Edition tee. Quick reminder: 100% of the profits from that Kaiju design go to Trans Lifeline, a non-profit supporting the trans community.

You can grab these and more at Hunky Tops — or just scan the QR code in the video.

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👇 Watch the full replay here! 👇

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic, whether you grew up religious, spiritual, skeptical, or somewhere in between. Drop a comment, share your story, and let’s keep building this incredible Hunky Tops community together.

Until next time —
Christian 🖤