For many people in the LGBTQ community, learning to love themselves isn’t something that happens overnight. It often requires unlearning shame, rejecting old narratives, and discovering the courage to stand proudly in your true identity.

In this episode, Stef reflects on key lessons from a powerful conversation with LGBTQ activist Rev. Dr. Cheri DiNovo, exploring how embracing identity, choosing joy, and taking small everyday actions can transform both personal self-love and community strength.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

1. Why accepting your LGBTQ identity is the first step toward genuine self-love and confidence
2. How Pride, joy, and community help sustain the LGBTQ movement for the long term
3. Simple everyday actions that allow anyone to protect LGBTQ dignity and identity

Listen now and discover how embracing your LGBTQ identity with Pride can help you build deeper self-love, confidence, and connection within your community. 

New episodes every Monday and Thursday.

More from Together Moving Forward:

Click here to contact me through the website to become a featured guest on the podcast or to get more information.

Or visit: https://togethermovingforwardpodcast.com

Now booking keynote speaking engagements:

From Survival to Self-Love

How I Finally Learned to Embrace My LGBTQ Identity With Pride — And How You Can Too

Click here for more information

Or click here: https://togethermovingforwardpodcast.com/speaking/

Click here to follow us on Instagram.

Or click here: https://www.instagram.com/togethermovingforwardpodcast/

This podcast celebrates LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQ+ and 2SLGBTQIA+ identity and Pride, sharing stories of Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual, and nonbinary people who are healing, building resilience, and embracing self-love, self-respect, and community.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wondered how self-love can turn into a powerful force for change in the LGBTQ community?

In this powerful conversation, Rev. Dr. Cheri DiNovo CM shares how embracing LGBTQ pride and identity helped transform personal struggle into lifelong activism. From experiencing homelessness as a queer youth to helping pave the way for historic LGBTQ rights in Canada, her journey shows how self-love and courage can spark real change.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

1. How embracing your LGBTQ identity builds the foundation for true self-love and confidence.
2. Why love and joy, not just anger, sustain long-term activism and community change.
3. How everyday people can protect LGBTQ rights and strengthen pride through small actions.

Listen now to discover how embracing your LGBTQ identity with pride and self-love can empower you to live authentically and help move our community forward.

Discover Rev. Dr. Cheri DiNovo CM: https://cheridinovo.ca

Rev. Dr. Cheri DiNovo CM is part of Day of Pink ECHO, a theme that calls us to tune in to the voices of queer and trans communities, past and present.

Day of Pink is a national movement in Canada that celebrates diversity, raises awareness of 2SLGBTQIA+ issues, and promotes inclusion and kindness in schools and communities. Learn more at https://www.dayofpink.org

New episodes every Monday and Thursday.

More from Together Moving Forward:

Click here to contact me through the website to become a featured guest on the podcast or to get more information.

Or visit: https://togethermovingforwardpodcast.com

Now booking keynote speaking engagements:

From Survival to Self-Love

How I Finally Learned to Embrace My LGBTQ Identity With Pride — And How You Can Too

Click here for more information

Or click here: https://togethermovingforwardpodcast.com/speaking/

Click here to follow us on Instagram.

Or click here: https://www.instagram.com/togethermovingforwardpodcast/

This podcast celebrates LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQ+ and 2SLGBTQIA+ identity and Pride, sharing stories of Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual, and nonbinary people who are healing, building resilience, and embracing self-love, self-respect, and community.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever feel like you had to hide parts of yourself just to be accepted?

For many people in the LGBTQ community, survival often meant adapting, staying quiet, or becoming who others expected us to be. But constantly abandoning parts of yourself can slowly disconnect you from your true identity and your sense of pride.

In this episode, Stef reflects on the most powerful lessons from the previous conversation with therapist Jace Armstrong and explores how self-abandonment, healing, and boundaries shape the journey toward self-acceptance.

You’ll discover:

1. Why many LGBTQ people learn self-abandonment as a survival strategy, and how to recognize it.
2. Why healing isn’t about fixing yourself, but remembering who you truly are.
3. How setting healthy boundaries becomes one of the strongest expressions of self-love and pride.

Listen now and start reconnecting with your LGBTQ identity, your pride, and the self-respect that helps you truly live as yourself.

New episodes every Monday and Thursday.

More from Together Moving Forward:

Click here to contact me through the website to become a featured guest on the podcast or to get more information.

Or visit: https://togethermovingforwardpodcast.com

Now booking keynote speaking engagements:

From Survival to Self-Love

How I Finally Learned to Embrace My LGBTQ Identity With Pride — And How You Can Too

Click here for more information

Or click here: https://togethermovingforwardpodcast.com/speaking/

Click here to follow us on Instagram.

Or click here: https://www.instagram.com/togethermovingforwardpodcast/

This podcast celebrates LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQ+ and 2SLGBTQIA+ identity and Pride, sharing stories of Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual, and nonbinary people who are healing, building resilience, and embracing self-love, self-respect, and community.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever felt like you were surviving your life instead of truly living it, especially when it comes to your LGBTQ identity and pride?

Many LGBTQ individuals grow up learning to adapt, shrink, or silence parts of themselves just to feel accepted. Over time, that survival strategy can lead to self-abandonment, where your authentic identity gets lost under expectations, fear, and the need to belong. In this episode, Stef speaks with queer therapist Jace Armstrong about how healing isn’t about fixing yourself, it’s about remembering who you were before you learned to hide.

You’ll discover:

1. How self-abandonment quietly shows up in LGBTQ lives and relationships, and why it once helped you survive.
2. Why real self-love often looks like setting boundaries and allowing others to be disappointed.
3. How reconnecting with your LGBTQ identity and pride can help you rebuild trust with yourself.

Ready to stop just surviving and start living with deeper self-love, confidence, and pride in your LGBTQ identity? This episode will guide you toward that first step forward.

New episodes every Monday and Thursday.

More from Together Moving Forward:

Click here to contact me through the website to become a featured guest on the podcast or to get more information.

Or visit: https://togethermovingforwardpodcast.com

Now booking keynote speaking engagements:

From Survival to Self-Love

How I Finally Learned to Embrace My LGBTQ Identity With Pride — And How You Can Too

Click here for more information

Or click here: https://togethermovingforwardpodcast.com/speaking/

Click here to follow us on Instagram.

Or click here: https://www.instagram.com/togethermovingforwardpodcast/

This podcast celebrates LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQ+ and 2SLGBTQIA+ identity and Pride, sharing stories of Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual, and nonbinary people who are healing, building resilience, and embracing self-love, self-respect, and community.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you celebrating LGBTQ Pride publicly… but still struggling to fully accept your identity privately?

In this deeply personal episode, Stef shares the powerful internal lessons behind his recent return to figure skating, and how that experience revealed what self-love truly means. If you’ve ever felt fear, shame, or hesitation around embracing your LGBTQ identity, this conversation will speak directly to you.

In this episode, you’ll discover:                                                                                 

1. How to stay grounded in self-love when fear and self-doubt show up
2. Why reclaiming your LGBTQ identity with Pride starts internally, not externally
3. How small, consistent steps rebuild self-trust and lasting confidence

Ready to stop abandoning yourself and start embracing your LGBTQ identity with real Pride? This episode will help you take that first powerful step forward.

New episodes every Monday and Thursday.

More from Together Moving Forward:

Click here to contact me through the website to become a featured guest on the podcast or to get more information.

Or visit: https://togethermovingforwardpodcast.com

Now booking keynote speaking engagements:

From Survival to Self-Love

How I Finally Learned to Embrace My LGBTQ Identity With Pride — And How You Can Too

Click here for more information

Or click here: https://togethermovingforwardpodcast.com/speaking/

Click here to follow us on Instagram.

Or click here: https://www.instagram.com/togethermovingforwardpodcast/

This podcast celebrates LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQ+ and 2SLGBTQIA+ identity and Pride, sharing stories of Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual, and nonbinary people who are healing, building resilience, and embracing self-love, self-respect, and community.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the fear you feel around your LGBTQ identity isn’t weakness, but an invitation to reclaim your Pride?

For so many LGBTQ people, fear, shame, and self-doubt don’t just disappear with time. They live in the body. They show up in moments where you want to shine. And if you’ve ever felt like hiding instead of stepping forward, this episode will speak directly to you.

In this powerful and vulnerable story, Stef shares what happened when he stepped back onto the ice after more than 15 years away from competition, and how learning self-love transformed not only his performance, but his entire relationship with his LGBTQ identity and Pride.

Inside this episode, you’ll discover:

1. How self-love helps you move forward even when fear feels overwhelming
2. Why reclaiming your LGBTQ identity with Pride starts internally, not externally
3. How small, consistent steps rebuild confidence, trust, and self-respect over time

Ready to stop surviving and start fully living in your LGBTQ identity with Pride? This episode will show you what’s truly possible.

Press play and take your next step toward self-love, confidence, and reclaiming who you were always meant to be.

New episodes every Monday and Thursday.

More from Together Moving Forward:

Click here to contact me through the website to become a featured guest on the podcast or to get more information.

Or visit: https://togethermovingforwardpodcast.com

Now booking keynote speaking engagements:

From Survival to Self-Love

How I Finally Learned to Embrace My LGBTQ Identity With Pride — And How You Can Too

Click here for more information

Or click here: https://togethermovingforwardpodcast.com/speaking/

Click here to follow us on Instagram.

Or click here: https://www.instagram.com/togethermovingforwardpodcast/

This podcast celebrates LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQ+ and 2SLGBTQIA+ identity and Pride, sharing stories of Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual, and nonbinary people who are healing, building resilience, and embracing self-love, self-respect, and community.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you fully embracing your LGBTQ identity, or are you still shrinking parts of yourself to feel safe?

If you’ve ever questioned your worth, minimized your truth, or struggled to feel confident in your identity, this episode is for you. Pride isn’t just a celebration, it’s a declaration. And your LGBTQ identity isn’t something to tolerate… it’s something to honor. Today, we go deeper into what self-love really means, how self-respect grows through visibility, and why community transforms isolation into empowerment.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

1. How embracing your LGBTQ identity becomes the true foundation of self-love and emotional peace.
2. Why Pride and representation strengthen self-respect and help you stop shrinking yourself.
3. How art, storytelling, and community turn shame into empowerment and quiet confidence.

If you’re ready to move from silence to Pride, and from self-doubt to self-love, this episode will help you take that next powerful step forward, together.

New episodes every Monday and Thursday.

More from Together Moving Forward:

Click here to contact me through the website to become a featured guest on the podcast or to get more information.

Or visit: https://togethermovingforwardpodcast.com

Now booking keynote speaking engagements:

From Survival to Self-Love

How I Finally Learned to Embrace My LGBTQ Identity With Pride — And How You Can Too

Click here for more information

Or click here: https://togethermovingforwardpodcast.com/speaking/

Click here to follow us on Instagram.

Or click here: https://www.instagram.com/togethermovingforwardpodcast/

This podcast celebrates LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQ+ and 2SLGBTQIA+ identity and Pride, sharing stories of Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual, and nonbinary people who are healing, building resilience, and embracing self-love, self-respect, and community.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you struggling to fully embrace your LGBTQ identity, even during Pride?

For so many people in the LGBTQ community, identity isn’t a straight line. It’s layered with mental health, cultural expectations, family silence, and the pressure to “fit” into neat categories. And when you don’t see yourself represented, it’s easy to question your worth or feel like you don’t belong.

In this episode, I sit down with writer and poet AJ Dolman to explore how storytelling, advocacy, and creative expression help reclaim LGBTQ identity and build real self-love, the kind rooted in truth, Pride, and self-respect.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

1. How embracing your LGBTQ identity strengthens your self-love and mental well-being
2. Why Pride and representation are critical for feeling seen, valued, and understood
3. How art and community help you move from isolation to empowerment

Ready to stop shrinking, fully embrace your LGBTQ identity, and build Pride grounded in authentic self-love? This episode will help you take that next step forward.

Discover AJ Dolman: http://ajdolman.blogspot.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dolman_aj/

AJ Dolman is part of Day of Pink ECHO, a theme that calls us to tune in to the voices of queer and trans communities, past and present.

Day of Pink is a national movement in Canada that celebrates diversity, raises awareness of 2SLGBTQIA+ issues, and promotes inclusion and kindness in schools and communities. Learn more at www.dayofpink.org

New episodes every Monday and Thursday.

More from Together Moving Forward:

Click here to contact me through the website to become a featured guest on the podcast or to get more information.

Or visit: https://togethermovingforwardpodcast.com

Now booking keynote speaking engagements:

From Survival to Self-Love

How I Finally Learned to Embrace My LGBTQ Identity With Pride — And How You Can Too

Click here for more information

Or click here: https://togethermovingforwardpodcast.com/speaking/

Click here to follow us on Instagram.

Or click here: https://www.instagram.com/togethermovingforwardpodcast/

This podcast celebrates LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQ+ and 2SLGBTQIA+ identity and Pride, sharing stories of Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual, and nonbinary people who are healing, building resilience, and embracing self-love, self-respect, and community.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever wondered if suppressing your LGBTQ identity is quietly disconnecting you from your own Pride?

In this powerful follow-up to Ken’s story, we explore what his journey teaches us about self-love, self-respect, and setting boundaries. If you’ve ever felt torn between who you are and who others expect you to be, this episode will hit home. Your LGBTQ identity is not something to debate, fix, or hide, and Pride begins long before you say it out loud to the world.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

1. How self-love truly begins, and why honesty with yourself is the first step toward healing your LGBTQ identity
2. The difference between self-love and self-respect, and how both are essential to living with Pride
3. Why setting healthy boundaries protects your identity, your dignity, and your emotional freedom

You’re ready to stop abandoning yourself and start embracing your LGBTQ identity with real Pride? This episode will help you come home to who you truly are.

New episodes every Monday and Thursday.

More from Together Moving Forward:

Click here to contact me through the website to become a featured guest on the podcast or to get more information.

Or visit: https://togethermovingforwardpodcast.com

Now booking keynote speaking engagements:

From Survival to Self-Love

How I Finally Learned to Embrace My LGBTQ Identity With Pride — And How You Can Too

Click here for more information

Or click here: https://togethermovingforwardpodcast.com/speaking/

Click here to follow us on Instagram.

Or click here: https://www.instagram.com/togethermovingforwardpodcast/

This podcast celebrates LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQ+ and 2SLGBTQIA+ identity and Pride, sharing stories of Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual, and nonbinary people who are healing, building resilience, and embracing self-love, self-respect, and community.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you living your truth, or performing a version of yourself to survive?

For many in the LGBTQ community, especially those raised in religious environments, identity can feel like something to suppress rather than celebrate. In this powerful episode, we explore what happens when you spend decades hiding your truth, and what it really costs your heart, your health, and your sense of self.

Ken shares his journey from preaching anti-LGBTQ sermons to finally embracing his identity, reconstructing his faith, and discovering what Pride truly means. This conversation goes beyond coming out, it’s about learning to love yourself, respect yourself, and set healthy boundaries.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

1. How suppressing your LGBTQ identity can silently impact your mental, emotional, and physical health
2. What it truly means to deconstruct faith and rebuild identity on your own terms
3. Why it’s never too late to reclaim your Pride and live authentically, no matter your age

If you’ve ever felt trapped by expectations, struggling with self-love, or wondering whether it’s “too late” to live as your true self, this episode will remind you: your life was never meant to be a secret.

Press play and start moving forward into your truth, your LGBTQ identity, and your Pride today.

Find out more about Ken: https://www.instagram.com/createsome81/

New episodes every Monday and Thursday.

More from Together Moving Forward:

Click here to contact me through the website to become a featured guest on the podcast or to get more information.

Or visit: https://togethermovingforwardpodcast.com

Now booking keynote speaking engagements:

From Survival to Self-Love

How I Finally Learned to Embrace My LGBTQ Identity With Pride — And How You Can Too

Click here for more information

Or click here: https://togethermovingforwardpodcast.com/speaking/

Click here to follow us on Instagram.

Or click here: https://www.instagram.com/togethermovingforwardpodcast/

This podcast celebrates LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQ+ and 2SLGBTQIA+ identity and Pride, sharing stories of Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual, and nonbinary people who are healing, building resilience, and embracing self-love, self-respect, and community.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.