Twin Cities Pride Amplified

Hosts Andi Otto, Rina Heisel, and Kelsey Alto discuss the “wild” political climate, from the Supreme Court’s recent marriage equality decision to divisive online tactics. Andi shares an “Andi Talk” from a recent conference, sparking a deep conversation on what makes a space truly inclusive for the LGBTQ+ community and allies. They argue that true…

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Join hosts Andi Otto, Rina Heisel, and Kelsey Alto for a powerful discussion on Trans Day of Remembrance and the violence facing the trans community. Andi shares a raw, personal story about the harassment he recently faced for wearing a “Protect Trans Kids” shirt, illustrating the daily anxieties trans people navigate even in supposed “refuge”…

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Andi Otto, Rina Heisel, and Kelsey Alto get real about the heavy emotional toll of the current political climate and the recent government shutdown. They share the powerful, personal story of how TC Pride’s “Trunk or Treat” event unexpectedly transformed into a massive impromptu food drive. It all started with a single, desperate phone call…

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Hosts Andi Otto, Kelsey Alto, and Rina Heisel get real about the mental health struggles hitting the LGBTQIA+ community and the heavy emotional toll of the current political environment. They discuss how crucial organizations like Twin Cities Pride are for providing community and support, especially with all the legal and legislative attacks targeting queer and…

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Terresa Hardaway, who owns Black Garnet Books and is the Creative Director of Blackbird Revolt, joins hosts Andi Otto, Kelsey Alto, and Rina Heisel to chat about everything she does as an educator, designer, and business owner. Her work focuses on centering Black, queer, and marginalized voices in the fight for social justice and cultural…

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Hosts Andi Otto, Kelsey Alto, and Rina Heisel get real about the mental health struggles hitting the LGBTQIA+ community and the heavy emotional toll of the current political environment. They discuss how crucial organizations like Twin Cities Pride are for providing community and support, especially with all the legal and legislative attacks targeting queer and…

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This week Andi Otto and Rina Heisel are joined by Sean Hayes, executive director of Trans Northland. They talk about the challenges rural communities face, the influx of people coming in from out of state seeking refuge, and how Trans Northland is working on building communities that are safe, inclusive and interconnected.

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Kelsey Alto, the director of programming for Twin Cities Pride, returns to host this week’s show. We had so much fun talking about Andi Otto’s life that we decided to have one more episode on Andi! This time we reflect on Andi‘s last three years as executive director of Twin Cities Pride. What do a…

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This week Kelsey Alto takes over the show once again as she continues her conversation with TC Pride executive director Andi Otto. What do drag kings, the Burnsville Mall food court and frosted cookies have in common? Find out this week as dive into the story of Andi’s life!

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This week Kelsey Alto takes over the show as our usual host, Andi Otto, will be in the hot seat! You’ll get to learn a lot more about Andi, including his journey from lesbian to wife to Mom to trans Dad.

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This week Andi and Rina are joined by Dr. Kade Goepferd, the Chief Education Officer and the past Chief of Staff for Children’s Minnesota, the Medical Director of Children’s Minnesota Gender Health Program and a pediatrician in the Children’s Minneapolis Primary Care clinic. We talk about what going back to school means for LGBTQ youth,…

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This week Andi and Rina get to know Hannah Wydeven, owner of Solcana Fitness in Minneapolis. Solcana is a queer owned, women owned gym designed for all body types. We’ll talk to Hannah about the inspiration behind the gym, their amazing drop dead lift gorgeous event and how you can get involved.

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This week Andi Otto gets real about the concerns of the LGBTQ community. Andi shares his perspective on what it’s like to live as a trans person right now, from something simple as taking his kids back to school to attending the State Fair. We’ll also talk about what we can do as a community…

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Andi Otto and Rina Heisel are joined by Dobbs DeCorsey, the Director of the Pride Cultural Arts Center. We’ll chat with Dobbs about all the great things happening at the PCAC, what to expect if you stop by for a visit, and how you can get involved.

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It’s back to school time! Andi and Rina are joined by Tara Martini of Becoming Together Therapy and Wellness. While it can be exciting, back to school can also bring stress and anxiety, especially for LGBTQ+ students and families. We’ll share tips for smoother transitions to school, how parents can help ease anxiety and ways…

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This week Andi and Rina are joined by Hannah Edwards, executive director of Transforming Families. This incredible Minnesota non profit is doing some great work with transgender, gender non-conforming and questioning youth along with their families. We’ll talk about their monthly gatherings, upcoming events and support that they offer in Minnesota.

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This week Andi Otto and Rina Heisel welcome back Anne Sutkowi-Hemstreet, the founder and director of Rainbow Collective for Change (https://www.rainbowcollectiveforchange.org/), a Twin Cities organziation looking to help connect Rainbow families from allover the area, from rainbow play dates, workshops the new book mobile and more!

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Andi and Rina are joined by TC Pride’s Director of Programming, Kelsey Alto. Kelsey will tell us all about the great programming coming up this fall as we continue to celebtrate our community. Fall programming includes the career fair, book fair, Trunk or Treat, the epic rainbow wardrobe open house and more!

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As many of you know, we lost a trans icon and trailblazer in Minnesota recently, Julie Daffyd. In her honor, we’re replaying a conversation we had with Julie on April 13, 2024.  

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In part 2 of our series on trans parents, Andi and Rina continue their conversation with two Moms who have some incredible trans and gender fluid children. They’ll talk about navigating family relationships, finding community, communicating with schools and how they became advocates.

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This week Andi and Rina talk to two Moms who have some incredible trans and gender fluid children. They’ll talk about what their experience has been like, what do they wish more people understood about their journey and how to navigate what’s happening in 2025. This is the first part in a two part series.

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This week Andi and Rina recap Twin Cities Pride 2025! They talk about community award winners, family fun day and everything that went down at the festival and parade. Plus what else is ahead in 2025.

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This week Andi and Rina discuss all things 2025 Twin Cities Pride weekend! You’ll learn about all things from transportation to parking, the Stronger Together Parade and even this year’s new bull ride! Tune in and learn more about this year’s festival.

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This week Andi and Rina are joined by Jillian Hiscock, owner of a Bar of Their Own and TC Pride’s small business owner of the year. We’ll talk about Jillian’s inspiration behind her women’s sports centered bar, how she made it happen and why you should check it out!

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This week Andi and Rina discuss the sponsorship dilemma many Pride festivals are experiencing, including Twin Cities Pride. Some of TC Pride’s sponsors aren’t returning this year, whether it was by their choice or TC Pride’s. It’s a complex situation that’s not all bad news. Andi and Rina will tell you why!

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This week Andi and Rina visit with Tara Martini from Becoming Together Therapy and Wellness Collective. They’ll talk about the impacts our kids face in the summer months, especially in the LGBTQ+ community. We’ll give you all the tips, tricks and how to prepare for this summer!

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This week Andi and Rina visit with TC Pride’s director of programming, Kelsey Alto. June is fast approching, and TC Pride has lots of events planned, from Cheers to Pride, Family Fun Day, Youth Night and so much more! Tune in for all the details!

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This week we highlight the Twin Cities Pride Artist in Residence program. Now in its third year, the program has been expanding in lots of ways! Learn all about it in this episode!

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This week is all about the Stronger Together Benefit Concert and Dance Party hosted by Nina DiAngelo on May 30th at Granada Theater. Joining the show will be Richard Herod III with Car Guy Concierge to give us all the details and explain why he stepped up and got involved. Learn more and get your…

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This week we dive into one of the most complex conversations within the queer community: The intersection of religion and LGBTQIA identity. Andi and Rina are joined by long time Twin Cities Pride supporter and volunteer Michelle Gunderson, who believes there is room at the table for everyone.

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Andi and Rina are joined by Dt. Kade Goepferd, Chief Education Officer and the Medical Director of Children’s Minnesota Gender Health Program. They’ll talk about what it’s been like managing disinformation regarding gender affirming care and that there is hope on the horizon.

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This week Andi and Rina bring back Annē Kraus, volunteer manager at Twin Cities Pride. They talk about all the different ways you can step up and support the community, why volunteering is so important, and some perks you probably didn’t think of!

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Today we talk about LGBTQ+ youth and mental healthcare, a very important topic in our community. Ryan Fouts from Reclaim will join as we talk about the challenges youth are facing and how to seek care along with some of the programs that Reclaim offers. Learn more at: https://www.reclaim.care/

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Andi and Rina visit with Ollin Montes and Karen Hogan from Quatrefoil Library, which has a unique history in the Twin Cities. Its role in the LGBTQ+ community continues to grow and is more important than ever! Listen and learn more!  https://qlibrary.org/

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Andi and Rina are joined by Kelsey Alto, director of programming at Twin Cities Pride. They talk about the importance of staying connected to the community, some fun things coming up and how you can get involved.

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This week we learn all about the Aliveness Project. Plus you might just find yourself having dinner with Andi to help support them!

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Andi and Rina have a conversation about addiction and recovery with Caddy Frink of Minnesota Recovery Connection. Whether you’re considering making a positive change for yourself or want to better support a loved one, check out this episode!

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Andi and Rina check in with the folks from Twin Cities in Motion. We hear all about their new equity in motion program and other programming they have coming up. Plus we get some tips on how we can all get moving!

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Andi and Rina are joined by Kat Rohn, Executive Director of OutFront Minnesota. They talk about all the things that are impacting the LGBTQ+ community and what these executive orders actually mean for our community in Minnesota and beyond.

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Hosts Andi Otto and Rina Heisel get to know Dobbs DeCorsey, aka Miz Diagnosis, the director of the brand new Pride Cultural Art Center (PCAC). We’ll talk about their art, all the great things happening at the PCAC and what you can expect if you stop by for a visit.

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This episode originally aired April 20, 2024: Join us as we welcome back to the program, attorney and author Zaylore Stout. We’re going to visit with Zaylore about a presentation he’s been delivering across the country titled, How Woke Are You? It’s been getting quite the reception, and we’re going to talk all about it.

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This week Andi and Rina are joined by the always inspiring Tara Martini of Becoming Together Therapy and Wellness Collective. We’ll discuss healthy approaches to making changes in our lives and what we can do if some people in our lives aren’t as supportive as we’d like them to be.

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Hosts Andi Otto and Rina Heisel talk about an issue that’s been on a lot of minds: Target and DEI. Target is a Minnesota based company that’s been a staple at the Twin Cities Pride Festival, but this year, will not be returning. We’ll talk about what that means and so much more, including what…

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This week we check in with Hannah Edwards, the executive director of Transforming Families. We’ll talk about Transforming Families’ mission, the real impact they’re having on families and how they’re growing with their new location in Rochester.

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This week Andi Otto, Rina Heisel and Kelsey Alto talk about a variety of topics including AI, mini horses and some upcoming programming at Twin Cities Pride!

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This week’s theme is mental health for the new year. Andi Otto and Rina Heisel are joined by Tara Martini from Becoming Together Therapy and Wellness to discuss healthy approaches to New Years resolutions as we manage stress during these uncertain political times.

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Andi Otto and Rina Heisel are joined by TC Pride’s director of programming, Kelsey Alto, to talk about the great TC Pride programming coming up in 2025. Some of those include halfway to Pride, book fairs, job fairs, festivals and more!

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Andi Otto and Rina Heisel are joined by Twin Cities Pride’s volunteer coordinator Anne Kraus as we have our 2024 year in review. We’ll discuss the huge growth in Pride’s events, what some of our favorite events were, what we learned about expansion and how you can get involved.

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This week hosts Andi Otto and Rina Heisel are joined by Jorge Sanchez of The International Gay Rodeo Association.

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This week Andi Otto and Rina Heisel are joined by Anne Sutkowi-Hemstreet from the youth mentorship organization Queerspace Collective, as she makes her second appearance on the show!

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Andi Otto and Rina Heisel discuss Twin Cities Pride’s latest adventure, the Pride Cultural Art Center (PCAC). With help from the Minneapolis Arts & Cultural Affairs Department, PCAC will be bringing back the gay-borhood. We’ll talk about how the new space will be used and how you can be part of it.

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Andi Otto and Rina Heisel are joined by Darcie Baumann and Sarah Hempel, board members for Carver County Pride. They talk about how Pride got started in Carver County and the southwest metro area.

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Andi Otto and Rina Heisel are joined by Kade Goepferd, Chief Education Officer and the Medical Director of Children’s Minnesota Gender Health Program. They talk about the impact of the 2024 elections on our LGBTQ youth and how caregivers can support them.

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Andi Otto and Rina Heisel are joined by Kade Goepferd, Chief Education Officer and the Medical Director of Children’s Minnesota Gender Health Program. They talk about the impact of the 2024 elections on our LGBTQ youth and how caregivers can support them.

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Andi Otto and Rina Heisel discuss heading out of this election season and how it’s impacting the LGBTQ community. There are ways for us to get involved in building community, and Twin Cities Pride will be a part of it!

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Hosts Andi Otto and Rina Heisel are joined by Arnold Dahl-Wooley, a two-spirit activist and enrolled member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. They talk how he is building community in the Bemidji area, including the opening of a new community space.

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Andi Otto and Rina Heisel are joined by Jimmy Luckey, board chair at Twin Cities Pride. They talk about how Jimmy got involved with Twin Cities Pride, some of his favorite ways they’re creating community and where he’d like to to see Twin Cities Pride go in the future.

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Hosts Andi Otto and Rina Heisel welcome back to the show Tara Raisanen from Becoming Together Therapy and Wellness Collective (https://www.becomingtogethermn.com/). They discuss school stress and the ways you can help young people cope with their daily struggles. From peer pressure, social media, and feeling comfortable to express who they are, we’ll cover it all.

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