Welcome to a very special episode of Reaching Out with Michael Constable!  What's special about it, you ask? Well, it was the very first recorded episode!  It was recorded before the podcast was even named (referred to generically as "the podcast" in the ep).We start out of the gates with an incredible guest -- Blake Mitchell.  Blake is a friend of mine from San Francisco and was one of the very first people I thought of inviting on the show.  Blake's infectious positivity, passion for helping others, and obvious love of being queer made it just feel so right, you know?  Oh, not to mention that Blake is a local SF celebrity -- yep, you can find Blake all around SF thrilling crowds in drag as the GORG, Mary Lou Pearl.Blake shares with us what it was like coming out at as a teenager in a conservative and religious upbringing, what the power of self-expression in recent years has meant to him, and the differences in coming out as gay and coming out as a drag queen.I am so happy to share Blake's powerful story with everyone as the first guest for the podcast!Want to reach out to Blake?Instagram Blake MitchellInstagram Mary Lou PearlYouTube Mary Lou PearlWebsite Camp Brave Trails -- non-profit dedicated to LGBTQ+ youth leadershipYouTube Camp Brave TrailsFollow along with Reaching Out on Instagram:Instagram @reachingoutpodTwitter @reachingoutpodHost @michaelwingsit