Together Moving Forward: Embrace Your LGBTQ Identity With Pride Through Self Love

How do you find hope, belonging, and courage when your childhood, family, or society tells you that your LGBTQ Identity is something to hide? In this powerful conversation with Greg, a Global Lecturer on LGBTQ Civil Rights, Allyship, and Community Engagement, we explore the realities many in the LGBTQ community still face: body shaming, isolation, rejection, and the pressure to shrink in a world t...

What if the holidays could finally feel like a season of healing instead of a reminder of old pain? For many in the LGBTQ community, the holidays bring complicated emotions, expectations, pressure, family dynamics, and memories that don’t always feel warm or welcoming. This episode dives deep into how you can reclaim this season and rebuild it in a way that strengthens your Pride and honors your I...

Have you ever felt disconnected from your true self, wishing you could embrace your LGBTQ identity with confidence and pride? Together Moving Forward  is a podcast helping 2SLGBTQIA+ people embrace self-love and self-respect, so you can celebrate yourself with pride. Hosted by Stef, a queer French-Canadian who’s walked his own path toward healing and acceptance, this show reminds you that you...

Are the holidays supposed to feel magical, yet somehow leave you feeling triggered, lonely, or disconnected from your LGBTQ identity and pride? So many in our community carry childhood memories of pretending, performing, or hiding who we were just to survive family gatherings. This episode brings those experiences into the light, offering real stories from queer voices about what the holidays trul...

This is PART 02 and conclusion of two back-to-back episodes. Are you struggling to hold onto pride and peace when the world feels heavy and divided? In this inspiring and emotionally grounded episode, Laura and MaryAnn return to talk about finding strength, hope, and love within the LGBTQ community, even when the world seems to be falling apart. Together with host Stef, they explore how choosing l...

This is PART 01 of two back-to-back episodes. Are you struggling to fully love yourself, even within the LGBTQ community? In this heartwarming and eye-opening episode, Laura and MaryAnn share their 29-year love story, revealing how embracing identity, pride, and mutual respect helped them live authentically long before today’s inclusive language and social awareness existed. You’ll discover: How e...

What if real LGBTQ pride starts with one simple act, standing together in solidarity? In this heartfelt episode of the  Together Moving Forward Podcast , host Stef Vachon opens up about reconnecting with his LGBTQ community and finding strength through unity. He shares how stepping back into solidarity has helped him heal, grow, and rediscover his pride, and how it will do the same for you. B...

This is PART 02 and conclusion of two back-to-back episodes. What happens when silence becomes the loudest voice in your life and it threatens your pride, your identity, and your truth? In this heartfelt first part of a two-part series, we explore what it really means to find your voice in a world that often tells you to stay quiet.  You’ll hear a mother’s powerful journey from facing rejecti...

This is PART 01 of two back-to-back episodes. What happens when silence becomes the loudest voice in your life and it threatens your pride, your identity, and your truth? In this heartfelt first part of a two-part series, we explore what it really means to find your voice in a world that often tells you to stay quiet.  You’ll hear a mother’s powerful journey from facing rejection and losing c...

What does it truly mean to shine your light when the world tries to make you small?   In this episode, we explore the raw beauty of resilience with MaQuade’ Angel, a non-binary, gender non-conforming artist whose lineage stretches back 13 generations in Louisiana. Through ancestral connection, creativity, and courage, they show us how survival can become art and how authenticity can become li...

What does it take to find your voice after years of silence?   In this powerful episode, I sit down with Sam Leeson, a Family Wellness Specialist, podcast host, and proud queer mom who turned her personal journey into a mission to empower LGBTQ families to live and love authentically. By the end of this episode, you’ll walk away with The courage to speak your truth, even when it feels un...

This is PART 02 of two back-to-back episodes.   What does it take to rebuild your sense of Pride and Identity after being told for years that who you are is wrong? If you’ve ever struggled with self-acceptance, internalized shame, or the pressure to conform, this episode will speak to your heart. Together, we explore how LGBTQ survivors like Lalo León transform trauma into...

This is PART 01 of two back-to-back episodes.   What does it take to rebuild your sense of Pride and Identity after being told for years that who you are is wrong? If you’ve ever struggled with self-acceptance, internalized shame, or the pressure to conform, this episode will speak to your heart. Together, we explore how LGBTQ survivors like Lalo León transform trauma into...

Are you ready to move from feeling “different” to fully celebrating who you are? So many in the LGBTQ community struggle to embrace their full identity, often hiding the most authentic parts of themselves out of fear, rejection, or past pain. In this episode, genderqueer Art Therapist and advocate  Wednesdae Reim Ifrach  joins the conversation to explore how creativity, self-compassion,...

What does it really take to find your voice and live authentically, no matter who’s watching? Too often, members of the LGBTQ community are told to stay quiet, hide, or fit in. But as trans man singer-songwriter and activist  Ryan Cassata  shares, silence can only last so long before truth demands to be heard. In this powerful season opener, Ryan opens up about his childhood, creative pr...

What does it take to live authentically when the world is watching? Olympic figure skater  Jason Brown  knows this challenge well. In this heartfelt conversation, Jason opens up about his journey as a  gay athlete , his coming out story, and the moments that shaped his path toward self-acceptance and Pride . Together, we explore how authenticity fuels courage, on and off the ice, an...

Can love, courage, and authenticity really overcome a lifetime of pain? In this deeply moving episode,  Billie McBride O’Neel , a 62-year-old trans woman, lifelong figure skater, wife, and advocate, opens up about her extraordinary journey of  resilience, identity, and Pride . From a difficult childhood to standing proud as a champion on and off the ice, Billie’s story reminds us that he...

Please note: This episode was originally recorded in French #17. The interview segment has been translated into English using AI for a wider audience.   Can creativity really help heal the wounds of rejection and silence? In this moving episode, artist and writer  Steeve Huet  opens up about his journey from a painful past marked by abandonment and homophobia to a life grounded...

Veuillez noter : cet épisode est entièrement en français.   Please note: this episode is entirely in French. For the English version, please go to #16 where the interview segment has been translated into English using AI.   La créativité peut-elle vraiment aider à guérir les blessures du rejet et du silence ?   Dans cet épisode émouvant, l’artiste et écrivain  Steeve Huet &nbsp...

Have you ever questioned whether Pride still matters, or if your LGBTQ identity is truly seen, respected, and celebrated? In this heartfelt episode, host  Stef Vachon  sits down with  Ian Catindig , a Filipino-American performer, choreographer, and tech professional, to explore what it really means to live with authenticity. From growing up surrounded by racism and homophobia to fin...

What does it take to truly honor your identity, when the world around you tells you not to? In this powerful episode of  Together Moving Forward , host  Stef Vachon  welcomes  Lanzz Trilène , a proud Black, queer, gender nonconforming parent and advocate who shares their transformative journey from Martinique to Montreal, Canada. Lanzz opens up about growing up in silence, brea...

Have you ever wondered how much your LGBTQ identity has shaped your growth, or how Pride shows up in your everyday life beyond the parade? In this heartfelt solo episode, host  Stef Vachon  kicks off  Season 2  of the  Together Moving Forward Podcast  with a powerful reflection on everything Season 1 brought to life, the lessons, emotions, and healing moments shared b...

What happens when the life you thought you couldn’t have becomes the one that defines your Pride and identity? In this heartfelt  season finale  of the  Together Moving Forward Podcast , host  Stef Vachon  welcomes  Gary Sutherland , a proud gay father and advocate for minority rights. Gary opens up about coming out in the 1980s, a time when being gay often meant givi...

Can a simple game of football become a revolution for gender equality and LGBTQ Pride? In Buenos Aires, one powerful project is proving that it can. In this inspiring  bilingual episode , host  Stef Vachon  speaks with  Vanesa López , founder of  Salimos Jugando , an Argentinian organization using football to empower women, girls, and gender-diverse people. Along with...

What if creativity could heal your heart and help you rediscover who you are? In this heartfelt conversation, host  Stef Vachon  welcomes  Alan Lessik , a Berlin-based novelist, Zen practitioner, figure skater, and LGBTQ activist, whose life story blends love, loss, and transformation. Alan opens up about his personal journey: from navigating grief after the death of his partne...