What if the parts of yourself you were taught to hide are actually proof of how strong you are?

If you’ve ever struggled to fully love and respect yourself as an LGBTQ person, this episode is for you. Stef Vachon shares his personal journey through bullying, shame, survival mode, healing, and ultimately rebuilding his identity with pride. This conversation isn’t about perfection, it’s about truth, resilience, and learning how to protect the parts of yourself that were never broken.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

1. How the parts of yourself you were taught to hide became proof of your strength and shaped your LGBTQ identity
2. Why survival mode doesn’t mean weakness, and how it quietly builds resilience and pride over time
3. What self-respect truly looks like after trauma, and how to practice it while honoring your full identity

Listen to this episode to see that the parts of yourself you were taught to hide are not flaws, but proof of your strength, and to begin living your LGBTQ identity with pride.

New episodes every Monday and Thursday morning, Eastern Time (ET).

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

Click here to follow us on Instagram.

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

This podcast celebrates 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 pressure to fully define your LGBTQ identity, and felt anxious when you couldn’t?

So many people in the LGBTQ community feel like they need answers, labels, and certainty just to be accepted. In this follow-up episode, Stef reflects on a powerful conversation with De’mon and explores why identity is not something to solve, but something to live, with honesty, compassion, and pride.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

1. Why your LGBTQ identity is allowed to evolve, and how releasing certainty can actually strengthen your sense of pride
2. How letting go of gendered boxes becomes an act of self-respect, not rebellion
3. Why self-acceptance and community can soften anxiety and help you feel less alone in your identity journey

Stop proving who you are and start honoring it! This episode will remind you that your LGBTQ identity is valid exactly as it is, and that pride grows through self-trust, not perfection.

Discover De’mon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/de_monlikede_vil/

New episodes every Monday and Thursday morning, Eastern Time (ET).

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

Click here to follow us on Instagram.

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

This podcast celebrates 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 feeling pressured to define your identity before you’re ready, or to fit into boxes that never felt right?

In this episode of Together Moving Forward, Stef sits down with De’mon (Demonqueen), an 18-year-old drag artist from England, to explore how LGBTQ Pride and Identity can be reclaimed early, without shame, fear, or rigid labels.

This honest conversation dives into growing up different, managing anxiety, finding chosen family online, and why self-expression matters more than following a rulebook.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

1. How embracing LGBTQ Pride can strengthen your identity and self-confidence at any age
2. Why letting go of masculine and feminine boxes creates real emotional freedom
3. How community and self-acceptance can help ease anxiety and self-doubt

Press play now and find out why self-expression matters more than following a rulebook, and how it can offer you reassurance, wisdom, and Pride-filled encouragement.

Discover De’mon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/de_monlikede_vil/

New episodes every Monday and Thursday morning, Eastern Time (ET).

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

Click here to follow us on Instagram.

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

This podcast celebrates 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.