What began as a passion project between TAG’s two cofounders has uniquely transformed into a transformative platform on which authors who share a diversity of perspectives on LGBT topics can voice authentic truths and opinions. The Authentic Gay was born out of a recognized need for free online self-help resources for the gay community, and was originally founded to spark much needed dialogue on important topics such as mental health, physical well-being, community, and interpersonal relationships. The name we chose for our blog is a reference to a famous psychological paradigm known as “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs” in which an individual strives for self-actualization only once he achieves the underlying foundational needs required to necessitate authentic living. These foundational needs include love and belonging, sexual i