Every June is Pride Month where the world celebrates the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and/or questioning (LGBTQ) community. And although since the 1969 Stonewall Riots, huge progress has been made, we must not ignore the stats. LGBTQ adults are more than twice as likely as heterosexual adults to experience a mental health condition, and transgender individuals are nearly four times as likely as cisgender individuals (people whose gender identity corresponds with their birth sex) to experience a mental health condition.

So how do we best support our LGBTQ+ loved ones? Are we doing enough? We might not agree with the haters and fear mongers but do we stand up to them? How can we graduate from being a bystander to an upstander? How can we do better?

Olly Pike is a ​​Children’s Author, illustrator and YouTuber who created and is director for Pop’n’Olly, an LGBT+ equality educational resource for children, parents, carers and teachers with content in the form of books, stories and videos. Pop’n’Olly is now is now one of the UK’s leading providers of LGBTQ+ educational resources for primary schools. Their mission being to combat LGBT+ prejudice before it can begin to develop.

Olly has also created content for CBeebies, Tate Kids, Hopster TV and collaborated with UK charities Stonewall and Mermaids. Olly has spoken in Parliament and London City Hall, in 2020 made the UK‘s Pride Power List and in 2021 Olly was awarded an Attitude Pride Award.

Olly talks to host Gabby about the subtle ways we can support our LGBTQ loved one and the community overall. Olly also explains why it’s important (if safe) to stand up and diffuse negative and unpleasant acts of discrimination and homophobia, and why educating ourselves and others is the best way we can show that we care.

To find out more about Pop ‘n’ Olly: https://www.popnolly.com/

To follow Olly on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ollypike/

To download the free My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast